Solo Travel Australia Van Life: Safety, Setups and Saying Yes to the Big Lap

This Big Lap Chats guest solo travels Australia. Rose Pengilly, joined me from Trinity Beach in Cairns to talk about life on the road as a solo woman.

If you have ever wondered whether it is safe, how to set up your rig, or how to keep costs down across Australia, Rose has lived it for 17, almost 18 months, and shares it all.

Meet Rose

Rose is a warm, straight-talking solo traveller who left her home base in Melbourne and never looked back. She loves the heat, the coast, and a slow travel rhythm.

After years in a corporate role, and a few earlier vans in her twenties and again from 2019, she upgraded her setup so she could travel long term and work online as she goes. Right now you will find her in far north Queensland, planning an organised Cape York trip while her motorhome rests safely in storage.

Rose’s Rig and Why It Works

This is Rose’s fourth van, and it is purpose built for comfort and self sufficiency. Her non-negotiables will help any aspiring solo traveller write a smarter shopping list.

• Comfort you can live with, space to sit at a table for work and meals
• A proper bathroom, shower and toilet on board
• Serious power for working online, lithium batteries, quality inverter, Starlink, with an eye to upgrading the solar next
• Big water capacity, upgraded from 45 litres to 200 litres
• Indoor cooking, induction cooktop and the ability to close the door on wind, rain and mozzies

“I wanted to be comfortable for at least a year, to work online, and to shut the door on bad weather,” Rose said. It sounds simple, yet building around these non-negotiables is exactly why her setup feels easy day to day.

Is It Safe To Solo Travel Australia?

The most common question Rose gets, do you feel safe. Her answer is a calm yes.

• She free camps when it makes sense, chooses spots with a few other campers around, and avoids the absolute dead off-season for any region
• She keeps things locked, parks a little away from town centres if a place has a reputation, and trusts her gut

Her biggest scare was not people, it was mechanical. A glitchy cruise control threw the van into what looked like limp mode near roundabouts, complete with alarms and flashing lights.

It took a proper service to clear it and it has not returned. She also had a shredded tyre near Lake Proserpine that left her sleeping roadside, hazards on, until NRMA finished the job late in the evening. Even then, she felt fine, prepared, and grateful she carried water, food, and everything to be comfortable.

What Solo Travellers Often Overlook

Rose called out three blind spots that can make or break your trip.

1. Public holidays and events, check the state you are in, plus local festivals. Some parks book out months ahead.
2. Fuel distances in remote stretches, never assume the next servo is open or stocked. In busy periods they can run out, diesel especially.
3. Insurance, make sure your vehicle and contents cover reflects how you actually travel and where you take the van.

How Rose Finds Breathtaking, Low-Key Spots

Her secret mix is simple and effective.

• WikiCamps, not just for camps, but for points of interest
• Facebook groups, she saves tips to her maps with a short note on who recommended it and why
• Conversations with locals and travellers, a friendly chat often beats any guidebook

Busting The Biggest Myths

Rose would like to set the record straight on a couple of classics.

• The Nullarbor is not boring, it is beautiful and varied, with more to see than you can fit in one crossing.
• Neither is the Perth to Broome road trip, from Geraldton up the coastline is stunning, with countless stops that deserve more than a quick photo.

Money Saving Hacks That Actually Work

Rose crossed the country without bleeding the budget by focusing on the big levers.

• Use a fuel app and plan your top-ups, prices can swing 20 to 40 cents a litre in remote regions. Sometimes you only need 10 to 20 litres to skip an expensive bowser and reach the cheaper one.
• Stock up in bigger centres, groceries and alcohol are far cheaper at the majors than at remote roadhouses. Buy meat and pantry items in bulk if you can store them.
• Ease off the speed, sitting closer to 90 km/h can cut your fuel burn, every litre matters when you are towing weight or punching into wind.

Dealing With Loneliness, Or Not

“People ask if I get lonely. I do not,” Rose said. Work fills the quieter hours, and the road supplies steady human connection, from campsite chats to friends she meets up with along the way. She is happy to talk, but she does not chase it, a rhythm many solo travellers will recognise.

Working On The Road Without Missing The Adventure

Rose runs Starlink and can work almost anywhere, but she has learned that productivity and joy come from slowing down.

• Fewer big days, sometimes only 20 kilometres between stays
• Intentional admin weeks to batch work, trip planning, and rest
• Accepting that trip planning takes longer solo, you are the driver, navigator, researcher, and quartermaster

Travel fatigue is real. Constant pack-up, drive, and set-up will rob you of the very experiences you set out to find. Slowing down helps the budget, your energy, and your memory bank.

Cape York, With Smarts

Rose’s motorhome only has about six inches of clearance, so she is storing it safely in Cairns and joining an organised tour to the Tip. There is no shame in choosing the right tool for the terrain. Save your van, enjoy the experience, and tick the bucket list without the stress.

Bucket List Moments, Powered By Saying Yes

The longer Rose works and travels, the more her bucket list grows. She has swum with whale sharks, spent the night on a luxury Horizontal Falls experience, and found herself on a support boat for an ocean swim event out of Cairns, sharing the day with Dawn Fraser.

That invite happened because a breakdown led to a reunion with an old friend. Adversity often opens a door if you let it.

The One Tip That Saved Her Bacon

Carry water, plenty of it. Some travellers swear by empty tanks to save fuel, Rose would rather spend a few extra dollars and know she can shower, cook, and stay comfortable if something goes wrong. Pair that with solid insurance and you are well ahead.

Quick Tips You Can Use This Week

• Check the next month of public holidays and events for the states on your route, book early where needed
• Map fuel distances and backup options, allow for the occasional empty servo
• Review insurance inclusions, off-road, contents, windscreen, roadside, and temporary accommodation
• Upgrade for power and water before you go, lithium, quality inverter, solar, and at least 150 to 200 litres of water if your payload allows
• Ask parks for a Starlink friendly site if you rely on it for work
• Try a 20 kilometre day, see how it changes your stress levels and how much more you notice

Final Encouragement For Future Solo Travellers

Back in 2019, heading to the Big Red Bash, Rose’s palms were sweating. She went anyway, and by day one she realised how many people were on the same road, heading to the same place. Courage grows with action. If this is on your heart, start planning, learn your rig, build your safety nets, and go.