Graham and I met at the University of New England, Armidale, N.S.W., where I studied Science and he studied Rural Science. After we married in December 1964, we spent one year in Rabaul where Graham was a didiman, and then returned to Armidale. We continued study doing higher degrees, and I managed to squeeze in a couple of pregnancies.

In 1973, we needed a new car and I was about to add a second income, so we pre-spent the whole of my first year's take-home pay on a VW campervan (Sopru conversion). But with both of us working, it spent more time being a commuter vehicle than a recreational one. However it did get a fair workout when Graham joined the local Sporting Car Club, and took part in rallies over the gravel roads of Northern N.S.W. Graham was usually navigator in another vehicle, but the VW went along as support and overnight accommodation. It was also known to take part in informal rallies (to the horror of the air-filter), and even won an economy trial because of its weight.

Holiday trips included a circuit of N.S.W. keeping mainly to the East and North, then a trip up to Newell in 1976 when we moved to Queensland. As the children grew too big for the upper bunks, we reduced the length of trips, and then after they'd left home we were free to take a week or two here and there. After initiating an interest in sailing (at the age of forty-odd) we used the VW to pull a trailer-sailer and enjoyed several holidays at Wivenhoe Dam.

It was 1991, when we finally spread our wings and travelled overseas to Tasmania where we hired a Winnebago. Two weeks convinced us that motorhoming was great, and Tassie needed revisiting.

1993 saw us in the Northern hemisphere for the first time (except when I was a small child) and we discovered what backpacking was all about - well at least to the extent that fifty-year-olds can. We travelled to Japan for three months, before spending another three months in South East Asia. In1995 we finally made it to Europe when our daughter invited us to come and see her first-born. We went by a slowish route via Japan, Vladivostok, Moscow and St Petersburg on the railway, then a quick trip on a Eurail pass taking in Scandinavia, Germany, Switzerland and France. Once in London, we hired a car for a whiz round Britain.

When we got back, I gave up teaching (science and maths) to be a nanny for my grandson, while Graham continued to suffer the ruin of Queensland Agricultural College by its amalgamation with the University of Queensland. So as soon as he turned fifty-five and was offered early retirement, we started planning for our trip around Australia. We had the VW checked over, and even renovated it inside with new seat covers and curtains. But when we went down to Coolangatta for a week's holiday, we discovered our Bedford motorhome (Independence conversion) sitting in the Swagman grounds while its owners waited for their brand new Classic. We had already joined the CMCA in October 1996 (Member number 8282), so we pulled out the Wanderer to compare prices, decided the value was fair, and took the plunge.

We Left South-East Queensland in mid-March the following year (1997)and headed North. When we reached the Three-Ways in late May, we decided to turn left and were on our way to climbing Ayers Rock. Returning North to visit the Top End, we stayed with friends at Jabiru, before going West and all down the coast, traversing a carpet of wildflowers. We then followed the coast more or less all the way to Sydney. We did however take a couple of detours: one to the Flinders Ranges, and the other via the goldfields to Echuca on the Murray. In Sydney we bought our folding boat, and worked our way North stopping at fishing spots along the way.

It was Early May of 1998 when we got home, just in time to sort ourselves out before our first rally at Roma. Later that year we went cruising from Yepoon to the Whitsundays, so it wasn't till the following year that the motorhome saw daylight again. It was a busy year, with several weekend Chapter meetings around the South-East before we took two months in the North to escape winter. Townsville Rally led to Christmas in July at Mareeba, before yabbying and fishing on the way home. It was at Townsville that we joined the Highway Wanderers, but we finished the year and the century with Brisbane Sunshine at Redcliffe.

2000 flew by at the speed of light, but we did manage to fit in a Mock Olympics at Nambour, and a seven-week safari to Alice Springs and back. Before the latter, we repainted the top of the motorhome and finally got round to painting on the name: "T.rex". More recently, we have been enjoying fun and games at the Xmas party near Beaudesert, where we were persuaded that Griffith is worth attending, so its back South next year, but hopefully before the cold weather arrives.

That is the story of our travels. But what about us? Well, as you can see above we are both educated, and as a result have wide interests. Graham loves fishing, gardening and reading, crosswords, and playing cards: while I am interested in anything creative including cooking, sewing, painting, pottery, music, writing rhyming poetry, and also in astronomy and photography. And of course we both love travel and the natural sciences.

This interview was provided by Hazel Beneke by email