Loved this episode Nigel and Sue (all of them actually). You're a great inspiration for us. We're still building out our van and hoping to hit the road later this year.
@@nigelandsueadventures 2008 LWB high roof 518 CDI, but unfortunately only the 2WD version. We really like your layout, so we're doing that, though still deciding on whether to go with a 3rd seat, swivel captains chair and hinged table anchored to the wall behind driver, in lieu of the bench under the window. We're nearly empty nesters too. Question: how did you go about compliance certification for electrical and engineering? If you're passing through ACT, would be nice to meet up for a chat.
@@adventureawaits102 each state is different, we found a guy in Qld who could do our compliance certificate. The big thing for us was having the gas done by a licensed gas fitter and an electrician do and sign off the 240 volt electric. Not sure if we will come via CBR or up the coast, but would be great to meet up if we do come that way
It's your fault that I'm obsessed with Van Life. Your van is the 'dream van ' that I will have one day but will start off small and start seeing this wonderful country.
I can see you shipping to Singapore and exploring Malaysia and Indonesia before heading north through Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam before shipping to Taiwan, Korea and Japan. I've been there and I'm sure you'd love those countries. And they need helicopter pilots!
We have travelled through a few of those countries. Unfortunately campervans aren’t allowed in some of them. The world is a big place and we still have lots to see!!
Thanks so much for the insight into your life and lifestyle Sue and Nigel. I always enjoy your videos. My own Sprinter Van conversion is complete and my partner and I use it regularly and in June/July using your experiences and advice we are off to Central Australia from Tassie on our first "interstater". So thanks for the videos, the insights and for sharing.... And please don't stop being such lovely people....😊
Oh my gosh Peter what a lovely message! This is why we do what we do. We always say if we can inspire one person 👍 You guys are going to love the Red Centre!! We hope to be in Tassie in January.
Loved this episode too. Nice to get some of the details. I think I’ve been watching since not long after you finished the van build. 😊 I really do love the layout of your van and the aesthetics of it. It’s lovely. Thanks for sharing. 🤗💖
Loved seeing the pics from your Contiki days in the 90's! Nigel with hair!! I love "look, listen, feel", so much more meaningful than "live, laugh, love" that you see everywhere... BTW Sue your hair looks lovely today 🙂 (PS. we finally got our 4WD 10 days ago after an 11 month wait & should have our little off-road 5th wheeler by end of June)
thanks Carla, yes we are trying to live by that motto more and more. How exciting that your road trip plans are coming to fruition! Thanks for the comments about my hair, we are staying in a house-sit at the moment so I took the time to style it!
I hear you... i love my home on wheels. Can't imagine myself living in a house just yet. 2nd year now travelling. Hopefully we will meet one day. I am in Brisbane at the end of June and then going further north to Cairns. Keep it going.
Oh you will love it in the Tropical North, it's my (Sue) spiritual home. I miss it!! We will be along the south of the country for the rest of the year and then Tassie in January (well, that's the plan right now!). I hope we cross paths and meet up!
Hi Nigel and Sue, I’ve been following you guys for a little while as my husband and I investigate doing a big lap of our own. So good to get some more insight into your story (loved the old photos from your Contiki days!) and be following you now as you’re touring Europe. Keep up the great work with the channel!
Love it, can't wait to be doing the same, got my 4WD and tent, due to leave in May, you and many others doing the same are such an inspiration to those of us whom want to experience the same. Thankyou Nigel and Sue. 😊
@@nigelandsueadventures Broken Hill & Silverton to visit Mad Max Museum lol then Opals at White Cliffs, Tibooburra Nat Parks, so much to see and do outback! Then where ever my vehicle takes me!
Love this guys! Ebony, Bella and I are currently working hard and saving to build our own in the future. Awesome to see you guys on here! Miss you guys and hopefully see you on the road before we leave!
Thanks for the vlog and all your adventures in the future, it's a dream of mine and my husbands to live just like you both. Hope to meet you both on the road sometime 🎉
My problem with 'van life' is:- WTF does one DO??? There are only so many beaches, hillsides and deserts you can look at before getting bored silly with driving around in circles. I can't imagine having any sense of fulfilment or value unless one is overcoming challenges and achieving useful outcomes. (most desirably long-term ones, such as building houses ~ I've built five big muddies as an owner-builder mostly using recycled materials which now have happy families living in them. Or having kids in the first place: a long-term challenge with satisfying ends to achieve, which d demonstrates the VALUE of your life on this planet. Van-life strikes me as being similar to endlessly sailing across vastoceans in a yacht. That also achieves NOTHING, and I can't see laying down to die without having left 'tracks' for the future followers to show that I HAD been here and HAD used whatever skills I had to achieve something useful. Any input appreciated.
Firstly, thank you for your thought provoking comment. Well, driving around Australia is a pretty big circle and we certainly haven't gotten bored yet! I guess that is the beauty of life though, different people have different values. Personally one of my biggest VALUES is adventure and exploration. There is such a big world out there to see, different cultures to experience and people to meet. That is how I find valueand meaning in life. The idea of staying in one place is what would get me "bored silly". Having said that, I spent 20 years raising children and working in a career. There are certainly challenges to this lifestyle too - its definitely not all beaches and sunsets - we try to portray this in our videos (I'm not sure if you've watched any others).
Great to hear more of your story. Having a job with 6 weeks on 6 weeks off really is ideal to earn money and still travel. What is your son going to be working in the US? Our older son did that summers when he was at University and has been working year round doing camp/program director work for the past 5 years.
@@nigelandsueadventures I grew up in NE Pennsylvania. Beautiful country, much more wilderness than most people realize. Also pretty centrally located so he can get in a few weekends trips when he's got some time off. I'm sure he'll have a great time. 🏕️
Always love hearing about 'how' others live on the open road, making the most of their time and enjoying 'living' life. Kudos to both of you for taking the plunge, and here's to the next bend in the road! 🍻Take care, have fun, and catch you next time! 🎉 Ps, 'gong show', how right you are! 😂
You guys are amazing. Absolutely love your posts. My partner and I are doing the same thing in New Zealand. We are from Gold coast and came here end of January and bought av can here and are having a blast. It is a brilliant way of life and the freedom is top of the list Keep going you make the world a better and happier place ❤️
Cheers Ella! When we were in NZ at Christmas we kept saying how wonderful it would be to do Vanlife there. We tried to hire one but couldn’t get one due to Xmas demand.
@@nigelandsueadventures yes sue it was crazy that's for sure. It's starting to get less now but still a lot of vans on the road. We were lucky to buy one that was from a farmer who had only used it a couple of times. So like you we are thinking resale would be good 😊 but we plan on being here the year and who knows what after that
as we said in the video, its because it allows us the freedom to travel where we want and stay out in nature - as opposed to travelling with a backpack where we would need to stay in hotels or hostels, or with a caravan needing to be plugged in at a caravan park. We are basically travelling with our home with us. I hope that makes sense to you.
Thanks for sharing your story guys. You’re an inspiration to all who want to travel… Sounds like you have a great plan for the future, World Safari how cool, can’t wait 😀🤙🏽
Yes we totally plan to head up there Mrs Wolfgang. Maybe next summer though, we plan to do the northern countries in the summers to avoid the heat around the mediterranean, and stick to the south in the winter.
@@nigelandsueadventures I so want to visit Poland and Prague. Look forward to following you on your adventures. Thanks for taking the time to respond 🙏❤️
Hey Sue and Nige, currently at the time I write this you are touring Europe and the UK. How does that work visa wise? Are restricted to a certain amount of time before you have to leave? And Nige are you still working the 6 week on/off routine from so far away?
Hi Debra, yes Nigel is still working 6/6, it’s much easier with us being so much closer to his work. We do have visa restrictions over here, which we will cover in an upcoming video. I have a British passport, so I can always duck back there if needed.
Hey Nigel & Sue, love your vlogs, we met you guys at Standley Chasm NT last year and now heading up to QLD until September 2023. We are also going to sell our van when we get back and then heading to France to buy a van in January 2024, to start our new van life in Europe. You never know, we might run into you again in Europe. 😊
Hey Jenny! Yes we remember you guys, thanks for dropping a message. We hoped to catch up with you again but you’d left. Hope you enjoy Qld and hope you make it up to FNQ. Have you looked into the logistics of buying a van in Europe? I’ve done a bit of research, it looks a bit complicated!
@@nigelandsueadventures we are hoping to get as close as we can to the top of FNQ, but limited as our van is not 4WD. Check out Lochie and Ash on YT, they purchased in The Netherlands, and registered and insured in Andorra. There is Harro in Europe, they are in The Netherlands and they offer a buy back option, but the maximum they offer is 12 months and the vehicle is registered and insured in their company name. We are going to purchase our new van in France through France Motorhome Sales. Although non-residents cannot purchase a motorhome directly, they are permitted to set up a legal structure called a société civile. This legal entity has a specific, non-commercial activity attached to it, in this case owning and driving a motorhome as we want to travel Europe long term. We will set this up towards the end of 2023, but won't purchase until we get to France in January 2024. We are also applying for a long stay visa in France which will give us enough time in France to organise our van etc. If you have any more questions or have any info to share pm me.😊
@@jennyrego7321 thanks! I’ll check out those channels. Yes we’ve heard about the French company route. We’d like to buy in Germany or Poland, just not sure how to do it without being a resident. Damn Brexit has made so many things more difficult!
@@nigelandsueadventures yeah, we look there as well, but to difficult. The UK is doable for us but we get more bang for our buck in Euros than pounds and we wanted a left hand drive, so the French way works for us. Storage of the van is available as well through France Motorhomes, which we will probably need to use at sometime. It's so exciting, new adventures 😊
Just subscribed to follow you , awesome videos. The sentence that got me was the "like-minded people" one. We (wife, young daughter and I) travelled for 3 years (Camper Trailer around Australia) and met real people doing the same thing. No idiots! Been back in reality now in Townsville for 3 years but always looking at going again at every opportunity! Looking forward to watching your continuing journey. Enjoy.
Love your honesty about life in general. I look forward each week to your videos. We are setting out this July for a 2 year lap, love your tips. Steve is also a fellow windsurfer and kite surfer.
Hey Kathleen, thanks so much for your comment! We hope you enjoy your travels. Where are you leaving from and which way are you heading? Please say hi if you see us on the road!
Hi Nigel and Sue. I'm now only a month or so behind you. Thanks for sharing your story. Twas good to get to know you a little more. Again I say, it would be great to get togther and swap stories one day.
@@nigelandsueadventures I'm in Sao Paulo, Brazil. I have been here a number of years, but I hope to return to OZ in the next couple of years. I did some solo van travelling some years ago and I would like to get back into it. I do realize that meeting you in person is only a pipe dream for now.
