Driving with a legend
My wife and I (2 Germans in the 50’s) did a 2 month break in Jan and Feb. We were looking for a car similar to a VW Bus but with off-road capabilities. I filled out several online forms from different vendors but I could not really interact with them. Then I came across Bonito Camper. It was easy to get Hans on the phone and ask them my 100 questions. He was very patient with me and the best I could talk with him in my mother tongue.
My decision was made very quick, not only about the chat with Hans (multiple times but also about the extras he was thinking of, e.g. Telstra Box, Inverter, Bush Shower, etc.
When we arrived we got some bad news. Our car, the 2010 Troopy Rooftopper (Bushcamper), was broken and the repair in WA is not as easy as in Germany. But Hans and Gabriela were already thinking about a nice solution. We agreed to get an interim car and replace it when our booked car is ready. This car was a Land Cruiser as well but with a rooftop tent (Wagon). So a different experience for us, but nice to compare it. After some days Hans brought us the car to Jurien Bay (200km north of Perth). So we were happy and did not lose any time. The day after next I recognized that the starter engine did not work properly, which is definitely not a good thing when you plan to go to the Outback. The only chance for us was to repair the car again.
Hans brought us the previous car again. We did this exercise in Geraldton (400 km North of Perth). We agreed that we change it back when it is repaired. It sounds like a lot of trouble but Hans and Gabriela did everything to make us happy and to have a good time in WA. This repair did last a week, so we had to rearrange our plans, but only a little. We did a “little” loop (Geraldton – Shark Bay – Geraldton). From now on we did not need to exchange it anymore. The whole thing took around 2 weeks. This sounds a lot for somebody else, but for us it was not a big deal, we still had plenty of time to travel.
We have selected such a car because we want to go to the Outback and not just travel the coast line. So after Geraldton we went to Inland to Newman to have a base to drive the Talawana Track to the Karlamilyi National Park. But we had bad luck with the weather conditions. The road was closed because of wet weather. After waiting a day or two we decided to go back to the coast (Exmouth), but we had some great days in the Karijini.
National Park on the way. The Ningaloo Reef is a great place for diving and snorkeling but also for a great 4WD experience on the beach. Great days, but the Outback is still missing.
So we were heading to Wiluna and we had a lot of off-road fun on the way, e.g. in the Kennedy Range NP. From our travel books we knew that Wiluna is a good starting point to several tracks. This time the weather god was with us. The weather was dry and all roads / tracks were open. So this was our chance. We prepared ourselves and the car to be ready for the Outback and most importantly we informed somebody about our expected return date. This tour was around 300 km and it took 2,5 days. We knew the Troopy is a good car to do it. Nevertheless we drove carefully to the deep wash-outs, dry river beds and some sandy parts. The Troopy did this job very well without any problem and our dream came true. It was an awesome experience despite a temperature of 40 degrees.
After that experience and because of the hot weather conditions we headed south to Esperance. And then we drove slowly back to Perth. The Troopy carried us for around 6700 km, a lot of unsealed roads, real tracks and paved highways as well.
I wrote this blog, to share our experience with the Troopy despite the challenges at the beginning. If you look for a similar experience then this car is the right one for you. You have to love to drive older cars and take care like it is your own car. It is not like you rent a car from Avis or Sixt. As well Hans and Gabriela do not just rent you a car. They take care of you and give you tips around your planned travel and what you can do and what you can’t do. We definitely recommend Bonito Camper and talk to Hans and Gabriela.
I hope you enjoyed my writing.
Save travels, Kerstin and Tino