When Jack Stuart and Brooke Hoskin set off from their home on the NSW Central Coast for the trip of a lifetime around Australia, they confidently told their friends and family to expect them back in around 12 months.
But with their one-year anniversary of life on the road now fast approaching, the young couple have realised that 12 months simply isn't enough to discover everything this vast country has to offer.
In fact, it's not even close.
"I think it'll be somewhere between one year and four years now," 24-year-old Jack told CarsGuide Labs. "We've both agreed 12 months isn't enough. Prior to leaving we told everyone it was a year or two, but I think we both knew it would end up being much longer."
The plan to explore the furthest reaches of Australia has so far taken Jack and Brooke (24) from Avoca on the Central Coast all the way to Cape York in Far North Queensland — the northernmost point of Australia. From there, it was back to Townsville and into outback Queensland, up to Karumba (on the coast, north of Mount Isa), across the northern tip of the Northern Territory, and then back to the iconic outback town of Birdsville.
When we caught up with Jack and Brooke, they were holed up in Torquay, on Victoria's Great Ocean Road, taking a break from the road to pick up some work and replenish their bank accounts. But if you think they've covered a lot of Australia already, Jack tells me they've only just begun.
"Cape York is our favourite so far, but Fraser Island is a close second. The lifestyle is amazing — you wear a pair of board shorts every day, go 4WD to some random headland or beach, have a fish, and then set up a fire and have dinner on the beach. I could have stayed there for three months!
"But we've still got to go to the centre of Australia, and then head across to Western Australia and South Australia.
"You could travel for 10 years and not see all that this country has to offer."
And when it came to just what vehicle would be relied upon to take them on this adventure, there was only ever one option — the iconic Toyota HiLux. Nothing else would offer the blend of reliability, potent power, off-road capability and towing capacity.
"After this, I'll never buy anything but a Toyota," Jack says.
"You tend to wear stuff out a little quicker out here, but it's been awesome so far."
Jack's 2012 HiLux began as a work vehicle, with the ute fitted out to carry the electrician's equipment to work sites. But he soon discovered that a tool of the trade during the week was also the ultimate adventure companion every weekend.
"I bought it when I turned 18. It was a work ute, plus a weekender, but then I decided to set it up for this adventure, and I planned it all around the fact we could carry everything we need, and sleep in the rooftop tent at night.
"It's been unreal. You're always paranoid about breakdowns when you're in the middle of nowhere, but the HiLux has had absolutely no issues at all."
Comments