Baby boomers take to the road

Free from the everyday responsibilities of kids and work, the bands of grey nomads escape on the long and winding Australian roads, with their custom-built vans, their freedom and their desire to explore our sunburnt country.

Many of these free spirits will be part of the 80,000-plus crowd expected to check out the latest technology and mobile home trends at the Caravan, Camping, 4WD and Holiday Supershow. The Rosehill Gardens Racecourse event starts today and runs until next Sunday. There will be more than 500 new makes and models of caravans on display, which include about 140 camper-trailers, more than 60 luxury motorhomes and 100 types of tents.

One couple to be found wandering around the show is Rob and Jan Compton.

"We come as lookers but we always end up customers. We don't need anything this year, but there's always something," Jan says.

The Comptons are just one of the many retired couples rediscovering the freedom of life in their caravan.

The Queensland couple have put their working life behind them, and have moved on to the next stage — "a whole new life" where freedom is to be enjoyed and where "nobody is dictating what we will do".

"The opportunities are not there in your working life because you can't take the time off," 58-year-old Jan says.

For seven to eight weeks at a time, and travelling between 10,000km and 13,000km a year, the Comptons jump into their LandCruiser, which is equipped with a fridge and a shower, and travel around Australia.

They also tow their 2003 Jayco Heritage, 21ft (6.4m) caravan, which also has a shower, toilet, two-door fridge, airconditioning, TV, oven, microwave, and of course, an electric blanket.

"The longer you're away, the harder it is to go home," Jan says. "The biggest thing is taking that first step and driving out the front gate."

Rob says it is important to plan your trip and make sure you relax and smell the roses.

"We travel for about four to five hours a day, leisurely of course. We get up late and stop early ... there's no pressure," the 63-year-old grandfather of seven says.

Caravanning for the Comptons isn't just a new fad adopted in their retired lives.

They have always enjoyed holidaying on the road, buying their first van in 1966 and taking their three children on vacation.

Rob says as their kids got older, they lost interest in going on trips with "Mum and Dad", forcing them to put their adventures on hold. With their three children now in their 30s, and living overseas with kids of their own, the Comptons have rediscovered their interest in the open road.

They say while some may dread retirement, they were "winding up to it".

Since 1998, their travels have taken them far and wide. They have been locked in a theatre in Wyndham, in Western Australia; visited a deserted town in Tasmania; had a ball in Mackay and taken their seven-year-old Canadian granddaughter to Victoria. These are just a few of their journeys.

The Comptons, who found their new retirement home in Hervey Bay after holidaying there, say one of the best parts of the travelling life is meeting people who share a common interest, labelling it an "instant friendship".

"You make friends you pass in the night, and everyone has a story to tell. It doesn't matter what your background is or where you come from," Jan says.

One common interest is taking their mini-poodle, Molly, on every trip. "She has her little bean bag under the table. One other lady, she had two maltese dogs and she had a child's playpen for them," Jan says.

The Comptons worked as wheat farmers for most of their lives, before spending their last five working years employed by Jayco.

They believe they have acquired the skills needed to drive the vehicles and are always prepared for conditions on the road.

But to potential owners, they warn that there are many things to consider before jumping on the caravanning bandwagon.

"Do your homework, work out what you want to do with the caravan. It's not much good touring Australia in something that's not very comfortable," Rob says. "The biggest is not necessarily the best," Jan adds.

And for a final piece of advice from the Comptons, a little unwritten rule from the caravanning world. "If the van's a rockin', don't come knockin'."