Two full-time travelers have successfully completed a 28,000-kilometer road trip throughout Australia thanks to an 18-year-old Mazda3.
Popular YouTube duo Tia and Cheveyo from One Pack Wanderers arrived in Perth earlier this year and embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime driving adventure (watch their video here).
The pair chose a 2005 Mazda3 sedan (which they named Blueberry) for their journey, forgoing the usual 4x4 pickup truck or campervan.
Starting in Perth, the adventurous couple drove down to Albany and then across the Nullarbor Plain on to Adelaide and then Melbourne, where they announced a major decision.
“We are going to attempt to circumnavigate the entire continent, which Australians call ‘The Big Lap’,” said Tia.
Cheveyo prepared the duo’s Mazda3 with an oil and filter change and a thorough inspection before departing.
Their extended journey took them to Sydney and Brisbane and then on to Cairns. The couple then headed west to Darwin before heavy rains stopped their progress. The Great Northern Highway at the Fitzroy Crossing was closed due to flooding, and no nearby detour was available.
“After months on the road, having covered thousands of miles in trusty little Blueberry, the thing that stopped us was Mother Nature,” said Cheveyo.
“The only available detour back to Perth that was doable with Blueberry had us cutting through the center of the continent.”
The couple then drove down to Alice Springs, Uluru and Coober Pedy before making a right-turn across the Nullarbor again and back to their starting point in Perth.
“This place is a wild land that demands adaptability and patience,” said Tia. “You can’t come here and plan for everything because Australia will surprise you. I think that is a huge part of what made this trip so special. It was just the two of us, and little Blueberry, accepting what came.”
The Arizona couple’s 18-year-old Mazda3 completed more than 28,000 kilometers of long-distance driving without a single technical issue during their months-long adventure in Australia.
“She never missed a beat, which I think is quite the feat considering Australia’s often difficult climate,” said Cheveyo.
They sold their ever-dependable Mazda3 to a family in Perth before continuing their travels in New Zealand.
Tia and Cheveyo from One Pack Wanderers have explored more than 30 countries since they started travelling full-time in mid-2020.
Japz brand reliability and durability, and it doesnt need a miracle to proved it.
ReplyDeleteLOL! That generation of Mazda 3 is basically a Ford!
DeleteYeah, that 2005 Mazda was a rebranded Ford Focus
DeleteIts a pure mazda, just like the pure mazda pick up here before that was rebadge as ford
Delete@RG please comment
Delete@anon nov 29 8:13 PM
DeleteThis Mazda 3 uses Ford parts. Its the same case with that generation of Mazda 2, shared the same platform as the fiesta and uses ford parts. I know because we have one. Kahit brake pads nga, pads nga, motorcraft gamit.
sa PH nga. Kahit 50 years old na jeep. Ginagamit everyday pang ferry ng mga pasahero. Fuck PH haha!
ReplyDelete