Hi and welcome! I’m Vickie, cosy mystery author and road trip enthusiast!
My cosy mystery books are set in the caravan park of a fictional seaside town, Koala Bay, located somewhere on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road. My sleuth, Anita, and her reluctant-but-supportive husband, Kevin, have taken over the declining caravan park but I’m sure they didn’t count on all the peculiar goings-on that seem to happen in that small community...!
I’ve lived among the small communities not only in caravan parks, but wherever road trippers, or full-time ‘van lifers’ park up for the night: free camps, show grounds, sports grounds, community-run caravan parks. I lived on the road full-time for three years after my parents died, six months apart, back in 2017, following my father’s long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. It was a horrible time for us all, and when we sold their house, I bought a motorhome and left the city.
I was exhausted, full of grief, and unsure of my next stage in life. I recalled all the wonderful childhood holidays in our caravan. I decided I needed time away. I found myself a furry companion, Dougal, the dog-like cat, at the RSPCA, packed the Van, wrangled Dougal into his carrier and set off. You can read all about that first year in the Van in my memoir, Grief in the Van: An Adult Orphan, A Cat, and A Tiny Home-on-Wheels.
The first year or so was a bit of a struggle, trying to work out how to operate the Van and find places to go while battling with the grief. But as time went by, I relaxed and began to enjoy my life on the road. I won’t lie; there were times I did question what I was doing with my life, but as the months rolled on, my confidence grew, I visited fascinating places, met some wonderful people and will never forget those years full-time on the road.
And Dougal enjoyed it too…no, he never ‘freaked out and ran away’. He was an adventure cat! It goes without saying that we never entered national parks, nor even many state parks. We were mostly in agricultural regions. I suspect he was a farm cat in another life! Each evening Dougal and I went walking together. He enjoyed climbing onto fallen trunks and posing for the camera!
Dougal on the Van step, Corryong, Victoria
Dougal at Martin Bend, South Australia
Perhaps you find yourself in your middle years (like me!) wondering whether now is the time to hit the road as you’ve always dreamed? I met lots of solo women travellers as I moved from place-to-place, all fulfilling their dreams of travel around Australia. They headed off after various life experiences, good and not-so-good, with different ideas and expectations. If you’re thinking of a taking a road trip, my Solo Women Traveller’s journals might help to make this truly a trip of a lifetime.
I’m living in the city now and I have to admit, there are days when I wish I wasn’t… I will never forget my years full-time on the road. Now, Dougal and I sometimes stay in a cottage or B&B in a small country town; recently, Healesville, Clunes, Mt Egerton and Hepburn Springs. I’m debating whether little campervan might be in our future, but for now, I’m reliving those days through the mysterious goings-on in Koala Bay!
Port Fairy...or is it Koala Bay?