One thing I keep hearing more and more lately is “We’ve missed the boat. The Big Lap was doable 20 years ago, but not anymore.” . . or some variation of this.
I get it. When you see 4WDs and caravans individually pushing past $100k, and caravan parks charging over $100 a night, it’s easy to believe the dream is dead.
But here’s the thing – I’m not having it. And neither should you.
We Did It On A Shoestring
When Jen and I set off on our Big Lap back in 2005 with our two little girls (aged 1 and 4), we had about $50,000 saved and a plan to make it last 16-18 months. No fancy rig – just our basic 80 Series Land Cruiser and a $10k camper trailer. We still have both today, actually.
Then, 10 weeks in, we rolled the lot on a gravel road in the Snowy Mountains.
Fortunately, we walked away without a scratch. The car and trailer? Not so lucky. Even after insurance, we were down another $10,000 – that’s 20% of our entire budget, gone.
Some people would have called it quits. We didn’t.
We stopped at Lake Argyle for six weeks. Jen worked on the boats and behind the bar (free accommodation!). I did some design work remotely. And we ran a $5 all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast every morning from our tailgate – which turned into nearly $3,000 in our bank account and we were the talk of travellers from Broome to Darwin.
By the time we left, we’d clawed back about $9,000 and got ourselves back on track.
The point is: budget travel isn’t just something I write about. It’s in our DNA.
I recently compared what we paid for accommodation at some caravan parks in 2006 to current prices at the same places and same time of year.
Some were up 400%.
No wonder people think it’s impossible.
But here’s what the glossy TV travel shows and shiny new van salespeople won’t tell you: with the right knowledge and an adventurous mindset, the Big Lap is absolutely still within reach. You don’t need $100k saved. You don’t need a six-figure rig.
You need a plan.
18 Months, 400+ Pages, One Mission
That’s why I’ve spent the last 18 months completely rewriting our original Big Lap guide book (The Big Lapper’s Guidebook) from the ground up – and renamed it The Big Lap On A Budget to reflect what it’s really about.
This isn’t a light refresh. It’s over 400 pages of everything I’ve learned from our own trip and 20 years of helping thousands of other families get their Big Lap off the ground.
What’s inside:
- 64 Regional Guides – Budget-friendly things to do in every tourism region in Australia
- How to create a realistic budget – and stick to it
- Setting up for independence – water, power, and off-grid capability so you’re not paying caravan park rates every night
- Free and low-cost camping strategies – national parks, state forests, showgrounds, and more
- How to save money before and during your trip
- Choosing the right vehicle and setup – without the expensive mistakes
And loads more . . over 400 pages in fact.
The book costs about the same as a handful of snacks at a roadhouse in the outback. But I genuinely believe it could save you tens of thousands of dollars – and more importantly, take you from “we’d love to do a Big Lap, but it’s just not feasible” to “we can actually do this – here’s how.”
Watch The Full Story
I’ve put together a video explaining everything – my background, why I wrote this book, and what’s inside. Give it a watch:
Ready To Start Planning?
If you’re serious about doing the Big Lap without emptying your savings account, grab a copy of the book and start planning your adventure.
And if you’ve got questions, drop them in the comments on the video and I’ll do my best to answer. Helping you get your trip off the ground is literally why I do this.
See you on the road.
– Steve
P.S. Over 60,000 people have downloaded my free Big Lap Budget Spreadsheet to help figure out how much they need to save. If you haven’t grabbed yours yet, get it here.
