Imagine being only 23 years old and travelling solo around Australia.
That’s the reality for Laura Waddell, a content creator from the Northern Rivers in NSW, who has clocked up more than 80,000km around Australia solo — in her trusty Hyundai i30.
Laura was an adventurer from an early age and has always enjoyed the outdoors and exploring new places.
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She had always wanted to do a “lap” of Australia and, with COVID-19 having limiting overseas travel, she was inspired to set out on such a trip.
Before hitting the road in mid-2021, Laura worked in numerous hospitality and retail roles to save up for her journey.
“A great way for me to grow my savings was working two jobs at once,” Laura tells 7Life.
“I would work in a cafe or a clothing store by day, and then go to my second job at a restaurant by night.
“It was a lot of hours but I like working with others and meeting new people, and it got me on the road quicker.”
Life on the road is much cheaper than renting, she says, but she also “tries to travel in quite an economical way”.
The solo traveller says her Hyundai i30 is an economical car, and she often makes the most of “free camping or staying in beautiful national parks”.
Her biggest costs are fuel and accommodation.
She mostly cooks for herself instead of eating out and “budgets about $50 a day”.
There are the occasional “big one-off expenses like car repairs and bucket list activities”.
She says life on the road gives her a lot more freedom and, best of all, she gets to wake up in a variety of places.
“Some days I wake up by the beach, some in national parks and others in new towns and cities, which I think is pretty cool,” she says.
“I get to meet a lot of new people with similar interests and am able to prioritise how and where I want to be spending my time.”
Laura’s routine includes waking up, cooking breakfast, and then going for a drive and exploring her surrounds for the day before setting up camp at night.
“Australia has so much variety,” Laura says.
“For instance, right now I’m sitting on a beautiful beach in Tasmania but last month I was hiking in the mountains of the remote Victorian High Country.
“Before that I spent time on K’gari, camped on the Bunda Cliffs of the Nullarbor and have been lucky enough to have incredible experiences from the Whitsundays, Cape York and Kakadu to Exmouth and the Red Centre.”
Her car is set up for travel and includes a bed, fridge, storage, solar, and other things you’d find in a typical van.
Laura also takes her camping, hiking and photography equipment on all her travels.
While Laura loves her travels, solo life on the road doesn’t come without challenges.
“I miss being able to spend time with my family whenever I’d like, so it’s nice to know they’re only a phone call away,” she says.
As a solo female traveller, Laura says she has had time where she’s felt unsafe “because of other people in a new environment”.
“But the few bad experiences have been greatly outweighed by the good ones,” she says.
“Australia has a very welcoming community of travellers (both men and women), who I’m proud to be a part of.”
Laura makes sure she regularly checks her car to make sure it is in good condition as “you don’t want to be broken down somewhere remote without service.”
She also uses camping apps to check reviews of campgrounds and accommodation from other travellers before she gets there.
Laura says it’s a fact of life that things can go wrong anywhere.
But she says although safety should always be prioritised, and precautions be taken, the “what ifs” should not stop prospective travellers getting out there.
She suggests starting with a short trip, even somewhere close to home, to test out your set up.
And she recommends ensuring your budget reflects what you envisage for your travels.
“Don’t stress about planning and booking too far ahead,” she says.
“You’re going to find spots you love (and some you don’t), so it’s great to have the flexibility to move on or stay longer than you planned.”
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