10 Things that SUCKED on our Big Lap of Australia

The Big Lap of Australia is the adventure of a lifetime. We saw some amazing places and had incredible experiences on our 3.5 year, 80,000km Australia Road Trip. But living your van life dream isn’t always sunsets over the beach.

Sometimes it sucks! Things break, we get stuck, roads are closed, the weather might be bad, we miss out on seeing something we really wanted to, we got sick and injured.

In this video we want to share the other side of the story and show you 10 of the worst things that happened on our Big Lap.

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WHO ARE WE?
We are Nigel and Sue (NaS) Adventures, a couple of outdoor adventurers. We've been Overlanding Australia living in our self-converted 4x4 Sprinter van since January 2021. Join us as we visit the highlights, but also share some off the beaten path hidden gems, along with the day to day realities of living in a van.

[M.E]

My Mum, Dad, 6 kids and a dog did the lap in 1962, NSW return. Very different back then, 1st persons to travel around our country in a bus! Pioneers.

[mw]

this channel is single handedly combating my fear of aging and makes me feel so excited for what is to come ❤

[brooktu]

First time here... what a sweet couple. Sue is a very good presenter, and it's easy to admire the long-suffering Nigel. 😂
I've been planning a trip like this for a while. It's good to get notes from experienced people. Thanks for sharing.

[violettownmicroenterprises]

😅😂ha !! this reminds me of 1973, arriving back in Oz in Perth with £5, a 6 hr wait at the Norseman turnoff to hitch to Adelaide, eventually catching a lift in a 4 cylinder tin box running on 3cylinders at a stultifying 15 to 25 miles an hour. Those were the days. To relive the bordem we'd occasionally get out and walk alongside the car. Bonza!!

[WesternAustraliaNowAndThen]

Great video. It is good to show the other side of the big lap. Corrugations are a real nightmare but sadly tjhey are just a fact of life. They can seriously damage vehicles so turning back was probably the smart move. The weather just loves to have a fit when you least expect it too. We did the big lap in a 1962 Bedford bus and breakdowns were our biggest nightmare as it was difficult to find a big enough tow truck to recover us and geting spare parts was always fun. With all the hassles we had, i woudn't have missed doing it for anything. We never go near the coast in peak season so never have any trouble finding camps :) Gotta say you haven't been bogged until you get bogged in a 2wd 9 ton bus with a car and trailer on the back LOL

[grumpy-gs]

What you should remember is this if a warning light comes on the dash and it’s orange in colour keep driving it’s warning you that something is not talking to the car’s computer correctly and you may have a faulty sensor or a sensor such as abs that can’t be read properly by the computer in this case you can drive all around Australia if you want it’s a warning, you may use more fuel or abs may not work correctly but it’s still safe but if a red warning light comes on the dash you have to stop !

[Doogsa-dlsc]

I did a lap in 1974 / 75. Went clockwise from NSW, all very interesting. The highlights were many as were the low lights. I satisfied my wanderlust. Camped on the side of the road for 10 days waiting for vehicle part will satisfy ones vision. The second breakdown in Bundaberg was enough and I never made it to Cairns. Forty plus years later I had the privilege to fly to Cairns staying in a comfortable Air B&B, getting picked up daily for great day trips. Anyway Australia offers adventure but you need money even for rough camping or you fly to destinations each year.

[donnaroberts]

Totally relate to 8. The stress of finding somewhere, especially during peak, can be overwhelming. Cairns and Esperance for us was a bypass on our Lap due to bad timing.
Enjoyed this video as we travel similar to you (but with a caravan); but even with the negatives I still wouldn't have it any other way to be off grid. ❤

[tedsavidge]

Dear Camp Winnie,
Thank you for sharing your travels and your family. My wife and I have enjoyed them immensely over the last few years. Wishing you all the best for the future.
Much love, Ted and Sandra

[shanecoHD]

I am a RV/caravan technician of 20 years and when it comes to diesel heaters i refuse to install the china heaters they are trash. You cant go wrong with the German built WEBASTO brand they will not fail EVER.
thanks for an excellent video with some cool tips🤙😎

[johnsavage]

My wife and I did this before it was a thing and before the "Grey Nomad" craze. We could never do it now with all those people everywhere you go.

[juneallan]

Brillant brillant.your voice is calming.and no stupid music over top of filming. Well done.

[janbindley]

Absolutely loved watching your “adventures”. I remember doing a similar thing hauling a caravan and 2 toddlers around Europe. Did a daily diary - this was 45 years ago - still have the diary (in 3 volumes).

[gardnep]

You don’t know how lucky you are to have each other. Thanks for the video, my first from your channel.

[Karen_richwillo]

That pizza episode had us laughing but it looked fantastic and, although Nigel’s fall definitely was not funny, the way he captured the impact of it and how painful it was had us so feeling it with him. Thanks again for sharing. Love watching your vids.

[colinmack]

Love that you showed as it is. We have 2 days left of our half lap and can relate to many things you spoke about. Our worst was in Kakadu and getting totally showered with Horse Poo by a car travelling in the opposite direction. It took two days to get it out of the radiator. A case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time - haha. Looking forward to your Europe adventures. Cheers Colin and Jan.

[LawpickingLocksmith]

Funny, I did some mad 4WD driving in a real wheel Cortina back in 1982. Nearly did not make it out but with some mechanical knowledge just survived. Later got that Cortina airborne due to a missing sign near Exmouth. Fuel tank came off but again could patch it to reach Broome for repair. Had a few tyres melting and had to make some compromising slow trips. Then with a new Corolla clockwise from Perth around AUS. It fell apart in Mount Magnet, later died in Fitzroy Crossing and nearly hit a Braman in the Territory all part of the fun. The worst was putting up with all them drunkyards all night when renting smelly old caravans. Later did the round trip anti clockwise in a very small 4wd van with light truck tyres. Yeah there were plenty of challenges lucky the Wikicamp app was not out so the ones who bought the book were very normal people. Even met some nice millionaires bushcamping. You have not missed much on Cape York. Too expensive with only 2 nice creeks on the way and up the cape you see abandoned luxury resort where the million dollar boardwalk is the common human toilet. Did Fraser Island 3 times, in a Subaru, then a little Daihatsu and 2 kids last in a 4 runner petrol testing my sand skills. Best of all is Tassie, twice in the small van lucky before the Wiki App turned the place into a mass grey nomad madness. We missed 2 dinners on a table when a rainstorm arrived just after cooking. Could still eat laying down. Little can stove together with a cheap induction and long cable did miracles when you could still find power points that are now mostly gone.

[SunRise-ulko]

When I was young, I drove halfway around Australia from Sydney in my old Holden Station wagon, sleeping in the back. However, I didn't have ground clearance for many of those roads & had to be very careful hitting the ground.

[StephenandSusan]

Very interesting and I’m glad you are doing these summaries as you transition to the next stage. Thank you for the hard work.

[bishopkinlyside]

Hi Nigel, and Sue Thanks for the video had a few laughs at your expense, but that’s okay. That’s the Aussie way Cliff from Logan City