Carron Stevenson and her intrepid travelling companion, Benji, are a great team on the road. Lisa Jansen caught up with the pair to find out more.
For some people, RVing is just part of their DNA. Carron and her late husband Geoff most certainly fall into that group. After the pair married and had kids, the family spent years holidaying in caravans. Carron and Geoff loved it so much that a plan for the future started to form. Carron says, “We started saving in our 30s to travel once we retire, and we always thought that would likely be in a motorhome.”
When the time came, Carron and Geoff didn’t hesitate to implement that plan. At the end of 2010, they bought a Hino Rainbow A-Class motorhome intended as a home on wheels. “We got lucky,” says Carron. “The interior of this particular A-Class motorhome was a bit more modern and not as overloaded with mirrors and chandeliers as is typical for this type of RV. It was much more our style and the perfect home on wheels.”
In addition to a new motorhome, Carron and Geoff also decided that this was the perfect time to add a new family member. “We always wanted a dog, but while we were both working, we felt we couldn’t give the dog the attention it needed. But now that we were retiring, the time was right.” One day, a friend who knew about their plans got in touch with Carron, saying she had found the perfect dog for them. And that’s how Benji (a mixed breed with probably a bit of shih-tzu and Lhassa apso in him) entered their lives. He was nine months old at the time and had had a tough start to life. He was malnourished, his fur flea-ridden, and he desperately needed a loving home. “The timing wasn’t ideal for us,” says Carron. “We were about to leave on our first big trip in the motorhome. We had planned to settle in on our own first and then get a dog. But there he was. This little guy needed a home, so we took him in – and we never regretted it.”
And so the three of them hit the road. Luckily, Benji loved travelling just as much as Geoff and Carron. Carron remembers, “He took to it like a fish to water. At the very beginning, he got a bit motion sick sometimes, but we managed to sort that out with herbal supplements and by moving him closer to the front in the motorhome, and ever since, he’s been fine and loves being on the road.” Geoff, Carron and Benji started their big adventure with a three-month trip to ensure they liked living in the RV before they were all in. Afterwards, they rented out their house in Oamaru and made the Hino their permanent home. For the next three years, they travelled all over New Zealand, enjoying the freedom they had been saving for since they were in their 30s.
After exploring their home country for three years, Geoff and Carron decided to spend a few years travelling around Australia in a motorhome. Unfortunately, for this adventure, they had to leave Benji behind. “At first, we planned to take him,” says Carron. “But people warned us to be careful because he hadn’t been trained to deal with snakes, spiders, and all those deadly things in Australia. So, in the end, it was just too much of a risk for us.”
Luckily, a grandchild had been begging their parents for a dog, and so Carron and Geoff’s daughter and her family agreed to look after Benji as a trial run for getting their own dog. With Benji in good hands, Geoff and Carron made their way to the other side of the ditch in February of 2017. They bought a Jayco Cruiser motorhome in Melbourne and hit the road. For the next three years, they explored all that Australia has to offer. “We found the transition fairly easy,” says Carron. “Most practicalities like dump stations and campground etiquette are the same as here in New Zealand, and the CamperMate mobile app and the Camps Australia book made it easy to find places to stay and everything else we needed. But we did miss Benji a lot.”
Eventually, at the end of 2019, it was time to return home, and they decided to bring the Australian motorhome over with them. It wasn’t an easy undertaking, but it was worth it to Geoff and Carron. “It was our home, and we had become comfortable with it,” Carron explains. “Luckily, we knew someone who had experience importing a motorhome from Australia to New Zealand. Their tips and advice were incredibly valuable and made it much easier for us.”
Back on Kiwi Soil
Once Geoff, Carron and the motorhome had all made it back to New Zealand, they hit the road. First stop; picking up Benji, of course. From there, the plan was to winter over in Nelson and then spend summer on the North Island. Unfortunately, life had different plans. Geoff’s bowel cancer, first diagnosed in 2014, returned while he, Carron and Benji were parked up in Christchurch to wait out the 2020 Covid lockdown. Eight short weeks later, Carron and Benji said their goodbyes to Geoff. Carron and Benji moved into an apartment in Christchurch to be close to family and the church community that was giving Carron much strength and support during this difficult time.
However, it wasn’t long before Carron got itchy feet and longed to return to life in a motorhome. “When Geoff was sick, we talked about my plans for after he passed, and he often said that he thought I still had more travelling in me. Turns out he was right.” Carron decided to sell the big motorhome and get a small Kea Nomad van that she would feel more comfortable driving around towns. Initially, she only did shorter trips, but after a while, she decided to live full-time in a mobile home again. So she sold the Nomad and got a slightly larger Kea Breeze, which is the perfect home for her and Benji. However, travelling without Geoff was daunting at first. Luckily, Carron met a great group of women who helped her through the transition. “I joined the Facebook group Motorhome Babes and went to a couple of the meetups nearby,” she says. “It was amazing to connect with other women travelling on their own. There was so much support and encouragement. I went on a North Island trip with a group of Motorhome Babes and slowly built up more and more confidence. And now I’m even going on trips all by myself sometimes.”
The other thing Carron says helped her through this challenging time was her loyal furbaby, Benji. “Having Benji has been such a blessing. Having the responsibility to look after him and to take him out for walks kept me going after losing Geoff. He also helps me meet new people, usually other dog owners. And he is just such great company.” Of course, travelling with a dog comes with some limitations. There are places Carron can’t visit because they don’t allow dogs, and she always makes sure not to leave him alone for too long. However, for Carron, these limitations are no issue at all when compared to the benefits. And when it rains, Carron says, having Benji is both a blessing and a curse, “I have to get out and walk him, rain or shine. That can be annoying sometimes, but it’s also good because it forces me to go outside, which is always good for the soul.”
Right now, Carron and Benji are semi-permanently parked on her daughter’s farm near Christchurch, where Carron has a part-time job in pastoral care. Eventually, she thinks she will move back into an apartment. However, for now, Benji and Carron are still enjoying living in the motorhome and exploring Canterbury and beyond whenever they have the chance.
