We are so excited to be Back on the Road!
Like so many others who were travelling when Covid 19 hit, we weren’t sure what to do. We quickly realised that it would be unwise to continue travelling so we returned to the Gold Coast. We ended up staying there for four months. Brenden picked up work driving a truck again and I was able to return to my old job at Woolworths.
With restrictions easing in both Queensland and Victoria, we felt confident that we could get back on the road. We left the Gold Coast on 1st August and headed to Cowra to collect our van.
A SLOW TRIP SOUTH
We decided to do a slow trip south and revisit a couple of spots that we liked. For something a bit different we stayed in motels along the way. We stayed a night in Glen Innes in northern NSW as last time we had been through there it was raining and we wanted to check out the Standing Stones there which are awesome.
We also wanted to re-visit the Sculptures in the Scrub which are located in the middle of the Pilliga. The last time we were there was way back in 2017 but Brenden hadn’t had his knee replacement then so didn’t do the walk. But this time he did it with ease. If you haven’t seen these amazing sculptures for yourself make sure you add them to your list.
Another place we wanted to check out again was Condobolin. This tiny NSW town is best known for its Utes in the Paddock display. They have recently been re-erected on the outskirts of town so as they can be enjoyed by everyone. It’s fantastic to see them on display again.
Once we arrived in Cowra we spent three weeks there catching up with our family. Our caravan needed repacking as well as we had pretty well stripped it out when we returned to the Gold Coast.
THE POSITIVES OF COVID FOR US
Who would have thought that a truckie and a check-out chick would be essential workers? It was for us a crazy, busy time and sometimes more than just a little bit stressful. But we know how fortunate we were to have secure jobs.
This meant that we were able to pay off our van completely. We also replaced the bullbar on our BT50 with a winch-compatible one. Something we had been wanting to do for ages.
We were also able to bank nearly all of Brenden’s wages and in the four months that we were back on the Gold Coast we were able to save over $21,000!
EXPENSE REPORT
Technically I am on Long Service Leave at the moment so we still have some income coming in. Plus Brenden did a couple of days work while we were in Cowra.
INCOME
$2,341.61 (all sources)
EXPENSES
Our total expenses for the month of August was $3,416.63. Our biggest expense by far was food and eating out. Because we spent time catching up with family we ate out a few times and also cooked meals at home for everyone.
- Groceries $782.81
- Gas $27.00
- Alcohol $321.18
- Eating out $440.23
- Fuel $524.69
- Insurance $109.21
- Accommodation – Motel $272.00
- Accommodation – Caravan Park $67.50
- Caravan Rego $217.85
- Caravan Accessories/Maintenance $73.15
- Health Insurance $252.85
- Clothing $79.95
- Haircut $35.00
- Mobile Phones $63.00
- Gifts $59.76
- Entry Fees $40.00
- Postage $24.20
- Business Expense $21.25
NIGHTS IN ACCOMMODATION
- 4 x nights Motel
- 22 x nights with Family
- 2 x nights Free Camping
- 3 x nights Caravan Park (low cost <$25)
We hope that by sharing our expenses each month we can inspire others to travel as well. We also like to think, that because of the way we like to travel, that we are helping out our smaller rural communities as we pass through them and spend a few dollars here and there.
If you would like to read our other expense reports from our first 6 months on the road you can find them and other budgeting tips HERE.
It has been so awesome getting back on the road and we can’t wait for more restrictions to ease so we can travel interstate again.
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