Lisa Jansen meets Sandy and Greg Corbett, who discovered the joys of RVing after Covid restricted their initial travel plans.
With international travel essentially impossible for the better part of the past two years, many more Kiwis have discovered the joys of travelling their own country in a camper. Among them are Sandy and Greg Corbett.
Like many other New Zealanders, Sandy and Greg used to enjoy a big overseas trip most years. The global pandemic has not only made that a very tricky undertaking, but it has also given them a new sense of caution about international travel. But we never know what’s around the corner for any of us, so when Sandy received a cancer diagnosis at the beginning of 2021, the pair decided life was too short to wait around. Instead, they decided to retire early from their jobs – Greg as general manager of a large heavy transport workshop, and Sandy as project administrator for Downer on the Turitea Windfarm – sell their house in Palmerston North and travel New Zealand full-time in a caravan.
What might seem like a huge decision ended up being an easy one for Sandy and Greg. “It all happened very quickly,” says Greg. “We had the idea, and just over a week later, we had ordered our caravan. We just knew it was the right thing to do for us.”
Once the decision was made, the first step was to find the right vehicle. “We considered buying a motorhome, but we quickly realised that we could get more bang for our buck with a caravan. And we liked the idea of having a separate car,” Sandy explains.
Knowing that it would be their full-time home for a while, the two wanted a mobile home that’s spacious and comfortable. They also wanted one that’s robust and can handle full-time travel as well as the occasional visit from grandchildren. Last but not least, it needed to be set up for long-term off-grid living. They ended up choosing the 2021 Jayco 24.75-2 Silverline, and named it Navarac. Greg says, “We watched a lot of Adventures with Rosy’s YouTube videos of their experiences in their Jayco caravan and really liked it. The next day, we were visiting friends at a campsite and their neighbours had a Jayco, and they let us have a look. We fell in love with it right away and thought the universe was trying to tell us something, so we ordered ours soon after that.”
Greg and Sandy took ownership of their new caravan in August 2021, only for the country to go into lockdown a week later. Luckily, they were able to make the most of it. “We were visiting our son in Rotorua at the time, so we spent three weeks in his driveway – which worked out great as we had such an awesome time with him, and really got to know our caravan properly without being too far away from anywhere,” says Greg.
Having the time to get familiar with their new home on wheels without the added stress of travelling ended up being a blessing, says Sandy. “We love living in our caravan, but it took a bit of time getting used to being in such a small space together. We kept bumping into each other at first. There was also a lot to learn about how everything works, where to store everything securely and what we might need. It ended up being really valuable to have those three weeks to sort all of that out.”
Once the lockdown was lifted for most of the country, Sandy and Greg started exploring. They set off on multiple trips around the North Island, regularly returning to their former home town, Palmerston North, to see family. “We’ve loved everywhere we’ve been so far,” says Sandy. “Our favourite places are those where you get a sunset over the water, so if we had to pick one spot, it would be Tararu in the Coromandel for now.”
At the end of 2021, Sandy and Greg made their way across the Cook Strait to explore the South Island. They spent the holidays and the first few weeks of the new year at the top of the South Island, exploring the Marlborough Sounds, Nelson and Kaiteriteri and surrounding areas, before continuing south. “We’re particularly excited to travel around the bottom of the South Island as both of us have spent very little time down there,” says Greg. “We will be heading towards Christchurch and then on to Queenstown and Central Otago.”
Life on the road has been very rewarding for the two of them so far, and they’ve enjoyed seeing much more of their home country. Greg loves living life free of structure, saying, “I love waking up in the morning and wondering what the day will bring”. For Sandy, there is another big plus of living in a caravan. “I love the compactness and that everything has its place. It’s always tidy.”
However, adjusting to life on the road is, of course, not without its challenges. Moving into retirement early meant that they had to adjust to a reduced income. Greg explains: “We both had great jobs in our old life. Now we are living off returns from investments, and I do a small amount of online work as an assessor for MITO (Motor Industry Training Organisation), marking apprentice mechanics’ assignments.”
Being away from family for long periods also has its downsides, plus Sandy and Greg also have their little dog, 14-year-old fox terrier, Holli, with them, which limits where they can go. “There are a lot of places where dogs aren’t allowed, but we love having Holli with us. She’s family and a great travel companion,” says Sandy. “But it’s a challenge at times and it means we can’t go to some places we would like to visit.”
Getting used to towing such a heavy vehicle was another challenge for the pair to overcome. While Greg was very confident with it right away, it took Sandy a bit more time. “I was a nervous passenger at first,” she admits. “There was only one way to overcome that, and that was to drive it myself. I do drive it now – though I admit, I’m still more than happy for Greg to do most of the driving.”
When asked what tips the pair would share with other newbies, Greg and Sandy both agree that taking it slow in the beginning was key. Greg explains; “We were forced to take it slow due to lockdown, but looking back now, that was a really good thing. So our advice would be to take your time and familiarise yourself with your mobile home before going on a big trip.”
Another tip they shared is having a departure checklist to ensure the important items are on board and that all doors and cupboards are secured, the gas and inverter are switched off and everything else is ready for travel. Greg explains, “One time, we didn’t secure one of our hatch doors and it flew off. Luckily, a traffic officer saw it happen and followed us to give it back. Nevertheless, it’s not something we’d want to happen regularly, so we made a departure checklist. We share it through Apple notes, so we can both check off things at the same time in real time, which is very handy.”
Despite some of the challenges involved with getting used to the new lifestyle, not to mention Sandy’s cancer diagnosis (it’s currently under control and all markers are looking good, though ongoing three-monthly checks are required), it’s clear that these two travelling newbies are loving life on the road. As they put it: “Our only regret is not doing it sooner.”
If you want to follow Greg and Sandy’s adventures, check out their YouTube Channel: Kiwi Wanderers.
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