MEET THE MACDONALD FAMILY
Brett, his wife Marta, and their daughters Ella (aged 7) and Mia (aged 4) have just finished a 359 day “lap of the map” around Australia in a Cub Escape. They documented their journey on their Facebook page called Mac’s Tracks: 12 Months In A Trailer Around Australia. We spoke to them as they were unpacking their home.
So – how would you describe your adventure?
BRETT: It was unforgettable. The past year has exceeded our expectations. The travelling and the sightseeing was as expected but the friends on the road and the other families we met was a nice surprise. There are a lot more people out there than you’d expect. A year wasn’t long enough. We felt we rushed some parts, like the East Coast. There is just so much to see.
Tell us about your life prior to travelling around Australia.
BRETT: I absolutely loved my job. For us, we didn’t want to sell up and leave our lives behind, or relocate. I wanted to come back to my job. I was able to get a ‘once in a career’ deal for me to take the time off. We didn’t sell the house. We rented it out to some friends so we had something to come back to.
MARTA: I left my job to go on our adventure but I’ve been offered my old job back, which is great! It all worked out.
Why did you choose a Cub Escape?
BRETT: Without sounding like an ad, we hunted around for a year looking at different options including caravans. We decided on a camper trailer because we wanted to take the trailer with us everywhere we went. Once we decided we wanted a camper trailer we looked at the options. After doing research we discovered Australian made was the only option. We found a second hand Cub and we jumped on it. We have been 100 percent happy with it. It’s a few years old, simple and no frills, but it did the job. We saw people up north with their trip in tatters because their trailer fell apart. We were so glad we went for quality.
MARTA: What I loved about the Cub was how easy it was. The set-up and pack-up was so quick. Even the kids were able to take part in the set-up. The hard floor was great as we stayed on some pretty uneven ground. I loved the outside kitchen. It ticked all the boxes. The trailer was bullet proof.
What was the highlight of your lap of the map?
BRETT: There are so many. We loved Dirk Hartog Island, which is accessed by barge off Steep Point in WA. The island only allows a small number of guests at one time so we were able to have an amazing off road adventure without the crowds. Another highlight was swimming with the whale sharks in Exmouth, which was awesome. If you have to choose a particular region, The Kimberley was fantastic. Just so beautiful. It is hard to pin-point one place though.
What was your biggest challenge during your year on the road?
BRETT: Food choices! Kids can be fussy and in remote areas you can’t often offer them many choices. Ella and Mia learnt to adapt in many cases but they could never get used to long-life milk. The kids just wouldn’t drink it. When we did the Gibb River road we went 23 nights between shops.
What is your best tip for families thinking of doing the lap of the map with kids?
MARTA: Just do it! Even if you only have a couple of months, just get out there and see what you can. You wouldn’t believe some of the things our girls learned on the road. They learned about budgeting, how solar works, and aboriginal art. They were able to keep up with us on long hikes. They have developed excellent social skills. They can now make friends and talk to people so easily. Ella our eldest daughter is also obsessed with birds. You might think it’s not for you but you get into routines and you adapt to situations. You don’t need to be cashed up to do it either. There are people out there travelling on all scales of budgets. There is a whole community out there that can help you. Facebook has so many travelling groups. Wikicamps was great for us.
Are you going to continue camping?
BRETT: 100%! We’ve just got home and have itchy feet. Camping will always be a part of our lives.
