'The best decision we made': Young Australians living on the road

While some of us cry into our lattes over the lack of funds to buy a home in Australia’s central cities, others take a novel approach to making their dream a reality.

Ash and Hayden started saving for a bus rather than a home, eventually finding one for sale on Facebook. “We were over our weekly routine of working nine to five and commuting so we decided that it could be fun to buy a bus or sprinter van and turn it into our little home on wheels,” says Ash.

The couple stripped the interior of the bus to redesign it for their needs. “Living in such a small space has made us realise that we do not need anywhere near as much as we previously thought,” she says. Kunu The Bus has a grass rooftop deck, kitchen, lounge area, hammock chair, TV and bed.

Ash and Hayden rely on apps like Wiki Camps and Campermate to locate free, legal camping areas or low-cost caravan parks.

The couple are living on their savings at the moment, but they intend on working when they arrive in Western Australia to top up their travel funds.

“We have found that this lifestyle is more affordable than we originally thought. Everything electrical in the bus runs off solar power. Our only expenses are petrol, phone bills, weekly shopping and accommodation when needed. At first, we were in holiday mode and would regularly treat ourselves to coffee, beer and lunches, however now that we have been on the road for longer we realise that those little splurges all add up and we are more conscious about what we are spending our money on,” says Ash.

“It’s the best decision we have made and we are loving life on the road. We plan on living in Kunu and travelling around Australia for however long it takes to explore this beautiful country of ours.”

Dean Evezard bought his bus in 2018 after making the decision to simplify his life.

“I had worked six to seven days a week for six years to get to where I thought I had to be in life. All I had really done was build my own personal prison: a house, a mortgage and 30 more years of working my ass off to pay it off. I decided that I was going to give myself a year to get out, so I bought a bus.”

His bus has a kitchen, lounge room, TV, bedroom and shower but no toilet.

“The bus came looking like your typical school bus on the inside,” he says. “I had to strip it and start from scratch. I learnt a lot from the build. It cost more than I was hoping. To get it registered, it all had to be engineered and done according to a standard.”

“I am hoping to do this as long as possible,” he says. “I’ve only just started this journey so I’m still learning how to make this new lifestyle work.”

Luke and Becky committed to living in a bus for the short term, but they are keen to try another type of tiny home. Initially, the couple had been seeking a campervan to travel around Australia. Noticing buses were coming up for the same price, they bought a bus in 2018 at a bargain price.

Having stripped and rebuilt the bus for their living needs, they’ve now been living in it for five months.

“We incorporated most home comforts, like an oven, indoor seating area and a full-sized bed,” says Becky. “The only thing we’re no longer keen on is not being able to escape the heat on the hot days as we have no aircon at all and we don’t want to have to use a generator or powered campsite. If it’s a hot day we’re at the beach or a local swimming pool.”

The couple did the full rebuild themselves.

“The build, in total, cost $15,000: $3000 for the bus itself and $12,000 for the build, including all the bodywork repairs, servicing the engine, the outside paint job, water and electric systems.”

Having become accustomed to life in a small space, the couple are looking forward to their next home building operation.

“After this adventure ends, we will be looking into building our own A-frame tiny home.”