Oh thank you !!! I live in the south of France..and I have been wanting to do this for ages ...I will choose a boat and roam the Canal du Midi..At 75, your documentary has given me that 'push' I needed.
World travel is a very special moment to experience, the memory lives within you forever. I once met a man in the U.S he'd travelled for the past five years nomadic style, he was native to that country. He told me there were plenty of places he still had yet to see. Travelling & meeting new people is precious, the exchanging of ideas & customs, tasting new home cooked cuisine. I have a vintage address book, the majority of the entries are international. Finally: To be packed & walking out your front door, there's an energy rushing through the body & mind that cannot be matched. It's all part of that inner drive, that gets you on your way.
This is brilliant. My parents took my brother an I on a trip around Australia in a 1960s school bus in 2000. The amount of grey nomads on the road was unbelievable.
Over a million people here in the USA are full time RV'ers some still have a home base to go to some times & a lot of others have sold everything they own to become full time RV'ers . They contribute over $50 Billion Dollars a year to the US Economy . Their age range is in the 30's - 50's .
just getting organised to start my trip eventually seeing my niece who lives in Cains. I live in Busselton WA. will be living out of my Subaru outback. watching this I may eventually get myself a van. my grandchildren and great grandees think its great my children not so happy. but I cant wait to get moving. happy days.
Enjoyed that. Got some good insights into what it's like living on the road and I think I identified with the ol truck driver who found a place at the camp where he was happy to remain. I liked what was there too.
Ahhh this is awesome! I am going to do this in the U.S. so it's awesome to see it being done in Australia! I wish I could do it there for a few years as well. Thanks for posting!
A car phone? Mary was ballin'! On a serious note, I wanted to hug her when she was contemplating on her family and feelings of loneliness. Good to see older people being proactive in what they do to stay active and happy. An old doc but a timeless theme 👌🏾
I know Im asking the wrong place but does someone know of a way to get back into an Instagram account? I somehow forgot the account password. I would love any assistance you can offer me
@Peter Reed i really appreciate your reply. I found the site on google and im in the hacking process now. Looks like it's gonna take quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
I remember in 1996, a year before this documentary was made, I had the same 70s era hi ace pop top camper that I purchased to cross the Nullabor, travelling from Perth via Victoria then to Griffith NSW. I was a cropduster and needed to cross Australia for work. It cost me $1,500 to purchase and it was full of rust that I had to cut out and bog, what I could not cut out I bogged, sanded and painted with a 2 pack spray, making it look like a shiny yellow van. With fibreglass I recreated the bottom of the front doors that had completely rusted out. I was an expert because that was how I repaired the leading edges of the wings on my cropdusting aircraft after every bird, rabbit and tree strike, it was more art than science. The van looked almost brand new by the time I finished it. On the last leg to rural Griffith NSW, the alternator brush started to fail with no spares and I travelled 100 kilometres to the next town driving through the night covering just a few 100 yards, then the engine would splutter and die and then I would wait a few minutes and start again, move a few yards and so on over and over almost endlessly until I finally made it and quickly had the alternator brush replaced. That was its major fault and very common and the only reason I did not wish to keep it. I sold it to a farmer who wanted to put Sheep Shearers in it. (Personally I would not share/shear my sheep with anyone). I got my money back so that was lucky. That was before the 50% rusted van poked out through the paint and the sealant failed on the pop top (always a problem with it). It was extremly comfortable but a bleeping nightmare it still causes me flashbacks, good times.
The number of solo female travels in Australia has grown, and they connect through forums and fb etc and meet up, i think that's awesome. Good on em, enjoying life
Empty nesters like me do this part time, we look for the quieter little caravan park, get great advice from those who are happy to share advice, and my husband and I love it. Having just done the most eastern point of Australia, we now have the three other points to do 😍
Love this. Thanks for posting. I really like the honesty and grittiness of the whole doc. Makes one quite introspective. Maybe I don't need such a nice travel trailer as the ones I have been looking at. Reminds me of many of the older people I saw back in the....50, 60's.
so enjoyed this. watching Mary up on the Northern Beaches I thought how much things had changed. Now to walk in the waters or stand at the edge of the waves is taking a risk of crocodile attack. Very sad, so am happy that she had her time there and wherever else she went and did
I have been watching American nomads for a couple of months and then I have found this...!! Definitely inspirational to where I may be in 3 years, no kids, no pets looking for freedom that I have never had!!
Thanks folks, almost brought me to tears at times. I'm mid 70's and traveled a fair chunk of this great country, would make it permanent easily, but my partner's well-being has always come first. Love the video.
2001 I did a trip around Australia,in a very worn out ford falcon one of the best things I ever done,beautiful country,now I live in thailand,im originally from the uk,live life while you can
Glad you enjoyed it,yes that's when I saw it and gave me the inspiration to start campervan travelling and I have never looked back,thanks for watching.
Well done- I met many people while caravaning in Oz who had been on the road for years - it’s true the people along the roads in towns n driving along are so helpful. Safe place to go be on the road
I have been planning to do this ,should be right to head off before next summer . Very Exciting , Hope everyone had a great time on there travels . I can tell its an old video by the car phone etc, good on them all, they lived the dream .
Glad you liked it i saw it years ago on BBC2 and waited for it to be repeated to record it,that never happened so wrote to the production company in Australia and they sold me a copy on DVD.
@@DIYCampervansAndVariety I videoed this when it was on, have since put it on disc. I've watched it loads of times since, love it. I'm sure the UK edit is slightly different, I'll have to go back and watch it again.
This is the film I watched on the ABC about 2001 or so that resulted in my wife and I spending 12 and a half years full time on the road. It was great to watch it again. We started in 2005, things were very different when we stopped in 2018. When we started, it was still mostly small motorhomes in the free camps and there were still many places that were not well known (well before WIKICamps), by the time we finished the free camps tended to be crowded with large rigs both motorhomes and caravans. I can't say that things were more restrictive but more councils were enforcing the rules about overnight camping, some were quite serious about it. Having said that, I still get the urge to go back on the road.
Thank you so much for this wonderful video I praise all you guys for your strength every day that you keep moving forward and have been blessed with a second chance of life it just open my eyes right now to understand what life has to offer me time to wake up and move on thank you very much and God bless
I've done a lot of this, but being a Pom, I could only do it in 3 month spells. Been down under to "Go Bush" and in the outback 5 times in all. Nothing on earth to equal it. I just love those dusty. dirty roads with their corrugations.
Interesting Fact. After this series aired on ABC over several episodes, the term "Grey Nomad" was adopted so this is the show we have to thank for that.
Wish you all grey nomads Aussie's good healthy, happiness, and a happy times at your journey around the beautiful Australia with there nice Australians 🐨🇦🇺🍀💞🐞👍 I have done this when I was 30 year's old, 32 year's ago by a motorcycle Honda 250 ccm Enduro from Sydney around just with the minimum of luggage by my own. I had a great time, I miss sometimes my friends I meet a the country with there great nature to. 🐨🇦🇺💞 Happy new year to everyone who loves Australia from Asia 🐘🇨🇭🐨🇦🇺
Don,t wait till your retired to do the big lap. Take your annual leave, add your long service leave to it, then take next years annual leave early, and go. That way your still getting paid while your travelling. This is not a dream, we did the big lap around Oz twice. Our attitude was Bugger it, let’s go. And don,t sell your house to fund it.
I guess it's 20 years on, would be lovely to know the forward story of these people , cheers and here I am at 67 worried about travelling in a secondhand VW Crafter or Ford Transit with 280,000 on the clock!!!
That TV show on in the background inside the caravan was "Floyd on Fish", I recognise Keith Floyd, he wore a bow tie and was always drinking more wine than cooking food. It think that was what ended him if memory serves me, he passed in 2009 in Dorset England, RIP Keith.
Ha ha a great chef died too soon,I loved watching him and his love of wine,unfortunately not politically correct these days for the snowflakes in charge,shame 👍
Home owners complain about motorhomes parking in there area . The thing is that a lot of poor people are choosing to live in a motorhome parking in beautiful areas , realising that home ownership is never going to happen. A motorhome is a lot more affordable than a home and with the digital age and 4g it’s very comfortable, finally I think poor people have got it better than the rich and I think that is the main reason these home owners complain. They’ve paid millions for there bricks and mortar and along comes a motorhome parked on the beach and they can’t stand it , they start thinking I didn’t just buy the house I bought all the streets around my home. I live in a motorhome shower toilet double bed ,I work all week in multiple suburbs in Sydney and I use to spend 5 hours a day in traffic. Now when I finish I’m home and on the weekends I go surfing parked on the beach ,I come in have a bite to eat and a coffee and back out for another session, finally poor people have got it better than the rich .
Interesting, as a young oldie I think their are three levels of activity. As a kid your running around, and at middle age you slow down,, but theirs a trap that you mustn't fall for when your in the third age, and that's sitting on your butt, because you will grow roots into the couch. You must walk around the house for at least forty mins a day. Then after a while you will realise that you have a new lease on life.
Brilliant vid, my sentiments exactly, just wish we had the Oz weather and space, but I'm nomadic 9months of the year here in the UK, all the best to you Aussie nomads!
With our combination of open spaces, mild climates, affluence, and political stability, Australia is arguably the best country in the world to follow this lifestyle. I for one feel very lucky to have been born here.
At 15:50 did anyone else notice that he called his wife “mum”? My dad used to call my mother mum too. Funny how that happens in Australia. All us kids called her mum so it just followed that he called her mum too. I don’t know if it happens that often today though.
Unfortunately, John "Zocky" Wilson passed away in Wollongong, New South Wales. His obituary was featured in the Illawarra Mercury on May 26, 2017. Great inspiration John RIP.
Nomadland was sort of sad. This is far more representative of what I ( a 58 year old woman who retired early) and my friends are doing in Arizona. It’s fun, adventure, new friends and old. We are pinching our pennies yet having a blast. We’ve got cell phones, google maps internet, Amazon delivery lockers and grocery pick up. And back out into the desert we go! Van life!!🖖
I finally got around to watching Nomadland. To me, the whole film was sort of grey and bleak, there was little joy in it, eve nwhen there should have been. I have always found great beauty in deserts and other places that many people avoid, there is great colour and interest in them. I can remember a period of about 4 months in Western Australia when we didn't watch TV, listen to the radio, read a newspaper, or even do much on the internet - bliss! Before my wife and I started living full time on the road in 2005, I did a fair amount of looking at what was going on in the USA, the snowbirders, etc. We even considered going to the USA after we finished living full time on the road in 2018. I couldn't really see Nomadland in what was happening in the USA, it seemed more like what we were doing here except for some obvious differences. Having been stationary for a number of years, I am getting those urges to get back on the road - somewhere - anywhere.
Thanks so much for the posting...I cried...I laughed...lots to think about...that would scare the hell out of me being out in the middle of nowhere in an old vehicle that has probably been four times or more around the clock ...you can't just phone the RACV
Glad you liked it Gary ,i found it very thought provoking,thats why i posted it on here hoped it could help a lot of people on so many different levels.Thanks for watching.
Drop Bear I don't suppose there is anyone out there reading this who knew Mary? I'm actually her granddaughter and have been trying to find her side of the family for ages.
@@caliwightman9268 I hope u find her!! Go join my channel - which I'm planning to get up n running n let me know. She touched my heart somehow. Here's my channel - I've only managed to do the promo so far LOL. But I'll get it up n running soon ;-) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-dcZymkVMrfg.html
I created your Avatar, it was a picture or a koala that was wet because a home owner found him during a bush fire and wet him down. I found the photo online and photoshopped a tasmania devils jaw on it.
Wow how long ago was this recorded? It looks like the 70s or even the 60s? :) what a blast from the past. Shame its not like this anymore, you cant just stop and sleep anywhere anymore and so many other things have changed. Great video :) edit: 1997, 23 years ago - wow so much has changed in those 23 years.
I am 69 , i would like to do that , but i have to consider the children today dont have the same opportunities that we had , its really hard for them in this age to even own a home - So i would have to say you are lucky to be able to go and do this . Not saying you shouldn't , just saying gratitude for what you have is important .
@Gort Newton , No money ! all i have is the land , i was a single mum that worked till late at night for most of my life , not much support for single women - so i bought my own land and built my own place after i left my husband , and supported my children by myself . I have no regrets i did that .
The only thing which went utterly wrong in my life: I was not born an Aussie. This is a wonderful documentation. Before 44:00 he says at home he would went to the doc but never underway. I moved a lot between continents and countries and this is what happens: All my old pains leave me after a year and after 2 years I receive other ones. I explain that to me that whereever I live I have a lack of something. After 2 years I feel a new wrong thing/pain. Asap I moved its gone and after 2 years here is a new one. And the worst place to be for me is home. He is right and it is not an illusion.
60 is definitely the new 40, and I'm not just saying that because I'm getting near that age. I am sure that in the 22 years since this film was made it has become accepted that people can do this sort of thing and do it well. I can't even think of the last time I heard the phrase "mid life crisis". I hope that the commentary would be different today; it did have an edge of patronising about it. Ageism became a bit of an issue over here in the UK a while back and gave a lot of people pause for thought. I am happy to say that things have moved on since. Enjoyed the vid. Any one thinking about doing this: give it a go.
Gordi Gear is an Aussie made product and tested around the world. I can mount one behind the cab of me Nissan flush with bed and use underneath for covered storage, or so I think at the moment. It would fold out in line with truck bed, so no hang over on either side. Anyway thanks for the reply. Happy Camping to you and yours.
..somewhere - in a youtube thread I bumped into Mary's daughter who was searching for her mother. Struck me as very sad. Wonder if she found her. I found it disturbing that perhaps Mary could disappear completely.
I used to know one of these couples, he's dead now and it's somewhat sobering to realise that they probably all are. At the age of 45 we sold everything and hit the road, that was 19 years ago and although we now own land we are still nomads, technically at least. Best thing we ever did. There are 1000s of excuses for not doing this, but only a few genuine reasons. We met people with 10x the money we had who said "Gee I wish I could afford to do what you are doing". If it's not for you then fair enough, but if it is, get off your arse and do it before it's too late.
GRAYnomad glad you made it work for you sad to hear the guy you knew has now passed away but it comes to us all eventually,at least he had a great retirement.👍
Not all of them, I found some of the CWA women still alive. I left a quick description of what became of them. Which one of the guys that you knew died?
