Like most people, I imagined my first campervan holiday to be in New Zealand, surrounded by mountains and lakes.
But things don’t always go our way, and instead of New Zealand, I had my campervan introduction on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia.
And I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
The Great Ocean Road is one of Australia’s must-visit attractions, or must-do activities if you’re on a self-drive holiday. It was recognised as the world’s first “Surfing Recreation Reserve” in 1973 after hosting the annual Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, which today is the longest-running professional surf competition.
The coastal drive itself felt like a dream come true, with dramatic cliffs, sweeping ocean views and one scenic stop after another.
My friend and I rented the largest recreational vehicle of RV available from a highly recommended company. The vehicle was huge, and definitely took a bit of getting used to, but we were too excited to be fazed by it.
The number plate ended in “007”; we joked that we were James Bond ... who had to drive his own RV.
Of course, we did not joke around when it came to speed limits and safety. I’d driven in Australia before – in Tasmania, to be exact – so I already knew how strict the country is when it comes to road rules, and I made doubly sure to abide by the law.
The motorhome could fit up to six people. It had two convertible beds (one folded out from the sofa, the other from the dining bench) and an “overcab” bed above the driver and passenger seats.
It also had everything we needed for “living” on the road: a small kitchen, a compact toilet and shower.
There were storage compartments but space was still limited, so bringing too many things on board would have been a terrible idea.
We spent several days living in the RV, staying (or parking) overnight at fully-equipped holiday parks with electric hook-ups. We didn’t always have to use the facilities in the motorhome as the campgrounds had clean toilets and hot showers. This was very convenient.
At night, it got pretty chilly, but the beautiful skies made up for it. The stars were stunning, as though the sky was putting on a show for us.
One night, among the dazzling stars, we spotted a bright band of light stretching across the darkness. We spent a while wondering what it was before realising we were looking at the Milky Way!
One of the many things I loved about the campervan experience was the “freedom”. We could go wherever we wanted to and at any time, without being tied to a fixed itinerary.
We drove along winding roads with the beautiful ocean shimmering below us, stopping whenever we wanted to take pictures, or just enjoy the view.
Of course, we also did activities that did not involve the RV. We took a helicopter ride over the famous Twelve Apostles (limestone stacks), visited a wildlife sanctuary called Wildlife Wonders, and kayaked to Apollo Bay to say hello to some Australian fur seals up close.
But you don’t have to go overseas to try experience a campervan holiday. In Malaysia, there are now more companies that rent out campervans. In fact, the government has been actively promoting RV tourism to encourage more road trips and help make this style of travel a more accessible option locally.
