New Series New Adventure | Oz Van Travel or OS Bucket List? | Where are we heading?

[@JudithHessey-vw8zy]

We saw your video, and it did pop up on our recommendations . We enjoyed seeing worldly travels . Thankyou and thankyou for giving to charity 😊

[@nextleveloz]

Hi thanks for that. Did you see the one after this one as well (part 1 of the Polar adventure)? This particular video hit quite a few views - at least in the bracket of what our vids get in the first week or so. But the one after this one with the first full leg of the overseas trip is the one that dropped off for many people. Let us know if you can. But if you are subscribed with notifications on them you should see all the content as well. Thanks for following along and taking the time to help with the comments as well. It’s much appreciated. And of course the more we can ensure stay connected and watching, the more we get to send off to charity. All the best. stay safe.

[@russellwyborn3667]

Great to see you back, missed your smiles, commentary, informationand love for each other. A genuine loving couple, yippee! We love the Australia vid's however love to see you show us the world as well. 😊 so I see still have the Defender !

[@nextleveloz]

Thank you so much!! We try to keep it positive (not always of course). We love the Australia vids as well and there will be more as those adventures come, but we also have to be real and we like keeping it in perspective that there are places OS we like to see and that have their own unique beauty or people and culture. And hopefully people like to see a bit of that to keep their own travel and dreams in perspective. We have no problem if someone watches some of these adventures and it reaffirms their preference for travel at home or vice versa. As for Paula and I, we have our moments but after 40 years together we know how to find our space etc. But for a laugh we might show a couple of moments where we couldn’t get it together either 🙄😉🤣. But it’s 99% great! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. Same us but in parkas and a bit more luxe and we o e the fact we are equally comfortable in shorts and t shirts on Cape York or the very south of Tas as we are on this very different adventure. We still hope you enjoy this adventure even if it’s not something you would do and as we aren’t a travel sales : sponsored VLOG etc we at least get to show and as part of the series in a few episodes we get to talk about the experience and how it compares for us. All the best and thanks again for a lovely comment. Much appreciated. Safe travels.

[@nextleveloz]

P. S still got the Defender. It’s running well and despite the well publicised hiccups, JLR got it fixed between the Whyatts in WA and our dealer, who has a new refreshed team in place, at South Brisbane Land Rover.

[@goeffburdon7351]

glad your back guy's 😊

[@nextleveloz]

Thanks so much. The comments have been really warming - which is much welcome for this series destination 🥶❄️. We hope you enjoy it even though its a bit different as we continue to work out our own travel and life balance and the mix between OS bucket list tings and the much loved van travel icons at home. Thanks again, safe travels and enjoy - and of course let us know your own thoughts on the mix because everybody has different preferences. Cheers

[@leannechurches5227]

Welc9me back. We like to travel in our base zone, in Australia, plus international travel. We own our caravan and 200 landcruiser, we have retired and like the best of 2 worlds.😊 none of us know whats around the corner,.😢 Making the most out of life ,before the body breakdown. 😂

[@nextleveloz]

Happy to be back and its terrific interacting with our friends on the web. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave your thoughts on the topic. So true that many of us want to see as much as we can while well enough to enjoy it. Both is good and we hope the conversation continues as we share something a bit different to see how things like this might compare with the amazing things we enjoy in Australia. We love our Base but will keep assessing options to see if the extra capability justifies the extra investment. At the moment we’ve seem some terrific vans but where it’s a big extra cost and hard to see if they do what we’re after. We hope to get back out on the road soon after this current adventure is completed - but also have to do some chores at home and do a bit of work as well. Thanks for the kind comment and suggestion. All the best and hope we see you out there.

[@MikeTan7063]

Do what makes you happy. If that’s mixing it up, then do it. We are glad to see you both back on our screen, missed your shows. Good on you Paula too, for stepping way out your comfort zone and jumping in that freezing cold water 😊

[@nextleveloz]

Thanks so much for such a nice comment. Yes we would like to do both, we just have to get sorted in our head what the mix is and what that means for things like the van. And it’s been interesting seeing the comments and thought people have put in about their own preferences. Paula was a champ wasn’t she! I was just dumb enough to dive head first in (which is the biggest shock to the body of the options) but she stepped in knowing she hates the cold so it was pretty brave. She’s glad she did it even if - as we all saw - she decided not to have a second go. Thanks again, it’s great to be back for this series and to be having such great comments and discussions. All the best.

[@kathrynyates8811]

Glad youre back. The overseas adventure stuff is just as great as the Aus stuff. Keep it coming

[@nextleveloz]

Thank you for watching and the feedback on a couple of vids. Yes, while we know some people are particularly interested in the Oz travel, it’s been terrific how many people want to follow along the you’re adventures as well. Stay tuned. The next polar ep is great as well.

[@peneloperobertson2803]

So glad to see you both back. We have truly missed you both. We believe that whatever makes you happy is the right decision for you. Stay safe and continue to make incredible memories together. You are a formidable team. ❤

[@nextleveloz]

Hi, really appreciate the comment and thanks for watching. Yes, we agree. It always comes down to time and resources as well doesn’t it. We love both. The mix will also help us decide whether do or don’t upgrade the van as well. Thanks for the lovely comment. We didn’t feel very formidable when we were trying to synchronise our paddling between the icebergs in Greenland! (oops … enough said. Have to wait and see) and Paula laughed and said my driving wasn’t formidable when I ended up on the left side of the road turning out of the Australia National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux. She wasn’t videoing at the time - so it didn’t happen! 🙄😉. All the best and thanks again.

[@seandolkens4021]

So bloody excited to see you guys back on the screen! Haven’t even see the whole ep yet 👍

[@nextleveloz]

Thanks and glad to be back for this different sort of series. Let us know if you’re still excited after watching though😂. Really appreciate the watch and comments and feedback as always. Cheers

[@seandolkens4021]

Absolutely love this. Whether planned or otherwise, your channel is so different now to all the other Van or Travel vlogs. Van life is different because travelling is different to a holiday with relatively determined start and finish times, in our recent experience. Overseas trips are amazing, the different culture, food, people, architecture are experiences in themselves. Enjoy both! You only have one life 👍

[@nextleveloz]

Great points mate. Our channel is only small and hat tip to those few with excellent content that make a good living out of it. No issue, but we’re glad we can share things without necessarily chasing the algorithm or shifting too much what we’d like to meet a revenue demand. Of course we want to adapt and respond to constructive comment, but the channel has evolved naturally and hopefully we got a bit better at the production and presentation. We also think that much of the van travel genre is dominated by the family, sold the house, this is our fully time home stuff and some of them are very good at what they do, but that reflects the reality of very few people and the rest dream about it. We also know our circumstances are different but hopefully at our stage of life and as we go through the decisions our choices reflect what others experience or have an interest in. We love travel in Oz to the varied and stunning and stark places but it is great to see some of the world’s icons and nature and culture as well. But most of us have to balance the budgets as well. thanks again for your ongoing encouragement and the watches and the comments. Really appreciate it. D&P

[@gnob475]

Hi David and Paula, Great to see you back in the virtual world and contemplating your next adventures with competing interests from continuing the lap of Australia against ticking off bucket list items in the rest of the world. My two bobs worth is you can have cake and eat it too by continuing your lap and taking breaks to target those beckoning overseas experiences. It means using the skills you have with research, coordination and logistics then securely parking your rig near where you need to continue the lap before heading OS. Slow touring Europe, US, Canada staying in three-star hotels, ticking off The Romantic Road, Alsace, Picos et al plus Route 66 and the Blues Trail may excite you both as it could involve immersive local cultural experiences, some foot slogging (we know Paula loves it), food, wine and whatever else meets both your needs. (I am a petrol head so only biased advice is available on this topic) That’s sorted, now the van, I admire you tugging a large rig around the country and agree there is no point investing more cash if it currently meets your needs when all you may be doing is achieving like for like. However, would you downsize to a nimbler, dare I say it single axle, full off-road job capable of going to places your current rig may not venture into. There could be tradeoffs in size and comfort for fuel and towing efficiencies with an ability to get in to more remote locations. If you go with the cake and eat it too model then how many months per calendar year would you spend in the van compared to the Qantas lounge and shabby sheik hotels in the Loir or Bordeaux regions (this works I know from experience). You want to continue working? Good on you, if you like what you are doing then continue toiling for as long as you can or want as it is very difficult recouping what you had after retiring. I think I have a few years on you and still work globally, plus travel internationally and we are well ahead with plans to rejoin caravaning after a hiatus to continue our lap. We are going for the cake and eat it too model as we also love the adventure and experiences of lapping and those awaiting in foreign parts. What about the Pan American? You may need more than three or four weeks? Go for it, we will be waiting for the content and help you contribute to charities.

[@nextleveloz]

Hi thanks for a great comment and for watching. We aren’t sure we’d ever live full time on the road as some do, but yes, some protracted long distance Australian adventures at in the must do list. A year again, maybe. Longer at a time? Probably not. So the issue of finding time to travel overseas is probably fine - if the budget allows it. So yes some cake and eat it, we just have to decide how big the slices are. The van - yes. Part of the struggle is the fact the Base actually did such a great job for us so it would be insane to spend more to do what the Base can already do very well. But more nimble, yes a bit more nimble but we’re want to retain a high level of comfort and security in the van. We have looked at a slightly smaller single axle. We won’t go to a really small camper though for a range of reasons. We prefer dual axle for stability, weight distribution and the fact that nimble is fantastic in the most remote of places but fact is in the big trips you spend 80% or more of your time on sealed road anyway. So narrower yes, solid van rather than pop top yes, dual axle and ideally shower and toilet (at stretch combined but internal to the van). It’s not so much we couldn’t do smaller - of course, it’s probably because we like the amenity and creature comforts for longer travel. And it might just be that there isn’t an option that gives us so much more capability that justifies the cost. The other option of course is fit the car for a RTT for the very, very off road things and make them discrete trips - like the Simpson perhaps. Absolutely agree with the trade off options and benefits you suggest - which is why we think there are so many valid ways people can do those travels in a way that suits them. But we suspect it’s still a largish van, dual axle, solid shell rather than pop top. And of course if we have the dual option of that and RTT that comes on and off for tailored trips (can’t do that and tow for us due to axle weight) then we need to do that in the next couple of years when claiming ladders into RTTs is still fine. On accomodation options we are fine with three star options and most of our travel hasn’t been at the same level as the current adventure (watch and decide) but to be fair we used to get very good at booking very cheap business class fares well in advance as sales came and went , and that helped the long haul stuff, and the reality is, we might not be able to do that in future if we want our claw and eat it. We might have a bit more chivalry sponge cake and a little less gateaux. great considerations though and it made us think about those preferences to test the thought process. Thanks so much and stay safe.

[@sonjaparkin9920]

Love watching you guys can’t wait to see the North Pole episodes your lucky you have the funds to do both travel

[@nextleveloz]

Thanks so much for watching. We’ve said it before but even though it’s a small channel, we still pinch ourselves and have a giggle that anybody watched our shares. We really thought it would be a few friends and family only. So we get chuffed when we run into people on the road, or hear from subscribers like you at home and abroad. Crazy. We met some terrific people from the US on this trip who clearly have been successful in life and they found our channel, binged it because they had heard about the Gibb River Rd on youtube, loved it even though we are from totally different worlds and have become subscribers. Insane. And we get to send some shekels to charity in the bargain. So thank you. We really do get chuffed by feedback like this. We are fortunate. Worked hard and saved like many people do. We’ve said it elsewhere and we knew this sort of series would raise it. We are comfortable, but we aren’t rich and this particular trip is crazy expensive and takes a big chunk of our life savings. So the decision we have to weigh up about choices and mix between further work, life, travel mix is very real. But we do know we have good options and we’re thankful for it. But we don’t have enough money to do much more like this particular adventure of at all, and I think we might reflect a bit on this at the wrap up because it’s a bit interesting when you can be alone at Lambert Centre and be so enthralled in hours of taking photos of the Milky Way on a clear, clear desert might and be so tired the next morning that the luxury of a van made flat white and watching the sun come up can give you as big a thrill as being at the Geographic North Pole. Or being trapped by floods in the Gibb River Rd feeeking secure and tucked up in a caravan is a better feeling than a very nice stateroom on what - as you will see - is a pretty luxe expedition ship. Maybe that will help others also weigh their bucket list options. Don’t know. But good point and we appreciate it. Hope you enjoy the rest of the series. It’s not the stuff we will do commonly but as we did it we thought it was really was also worth having this conversation about how you can value and compare such different things. Thanks again, we can’t say how chuffed we get that people follow along. Stay well. cheers

[@michaelnugara1]

Thanks for sharing another trip. You've been Missed. Have you enjoyed getting back to a normal routine?👍

[@nextleveloz]

@@michaelnugara1 Hi and great to hear from you and all the other channel friends. We’ve missed the shares and interaction and amazing that we still run into people who recognise us on the street and it’s such a small channel. It’s really appreciated and we hope you enjoy this quite different adventure. TBH we havent really settled back to a normal routine and the Lap changed our outlook, so we are searching for our “new normal” routine. Thanks again and stay safe.

[@NoelMcdougall-tw7do]

It's great to see you back on the road, I enjoy your lap trip.

[@nextleveloz]

@@NoelMcdougall-tw7do Thank you. A lap is special and we enjoyed sharing. This is a bit different and reflects the fact we do have varied bucket list interests - how do you compare the polar regions with Lanbert Centre or the OTT 🤔🤔🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️. But we will try and of course a big part of the short new series is about how we mix in our much loved Oz van adventures as well.

[@softnotes]

It was so nice to be taken on some adventures again. Paula's face, doing the Arctic plunge, is GOLD!

[@nextleveloz]

Thank you. And yes it was gold! They say diving is the highest shock to the body (dice head first, jump in then step in is most shock to lowest shock) so I did it that way 😂. But I still think the way Paula did it is the hardest because you have to keep fighting the urge to pull back out. We were one of the first in and there were lots of bravos for Paula from the deck of the ship watching over. Priceless. She declined the opportunity to have another go! Hope you enjoy the rest of the adventure.

[@pobedyposse18]

Haha, you’re back and sharing travels again! Looks like classic portfolio mgt problem matching, in this case life goals with delivery (holidays/travels) mechanisms in a constrained system (time/$$$)!! Look forward to seeing your solution.

[@nextleveloz]

Aaah yes. They call economics the miserable science for a reason 😁🙏. And yes it’s always about balancing the pain (paying) gain(living it) metric. It’s a good exercise for us after the lap to try to assess the balance and that will help us make the best decision on travel mix and whether we keep the Base and make it work as best it can (we love it) or invest some extra in something that might help us go a bit further and tighter and narrower. And as some people have said - how much further will we actually go? 🤔🤔🤔. We like remote and we like luxe special stuff as well - but it’s always matching that to time and resources. 🙏🙏 . Thank you and we hope you enjoy the new series.

[@ericdalcol2700]

Missed you guys, awesome that your back

[@nextleveloz]

Thank you. Glad to be be back and it’s been lovely “talking” to everybody and hearing their thoughts as well. Mind you, the body clock is out of wack and the vid editing and posting routine is a little bit rusty! 😂😂😉. Thank you again, hope you enjoy the new series even though it’s a bit different. All the best.

[@glmaguire]

Welcome back. You inspired us to embark on our lap and we’re thinking very much like you in terms of international travel. We’ll probably slot in an international trip every 18 months or so. Really looking forward to your adventures

[@nextleveloz]

Wow. Are you still on the Lap? So jealous because while we had some well shared hiccups on ours, overall it was sooo good and life changing. We still haven’t settled into normal routine and maybe never will. Love, love our country and more to do. But it’s insane that we inspired anybody! 🤣🤪. Paula still says she follows me out of curiosity to see what I might do next 🤣🤣. But so glad you’ve gone out and done it and that’s been the major share we’ve emphasized. Do it your way, the way you feel comfortable, the way your circumstance provides but if you have that means - do it! Well done. (and we’re still jealous). BTW did you have any issues settling into feee camping etc? We were only recalling the other day what rookies we were and are the first outing Paula was almost ready to walk away until our W qld shakeout and then the Lap and now she says the van feels like her little home away from home now. Like you we’d love to slot in some more OS travel and tbh we can’t afford to do too many if any more like this current adventure or the Antarctic trip. So between finding what the balance and intervals and what sort of OS travel and all the big adventures in OZ we still have to complete, we have to make decisions on the rig as well. Thanks so much for your thoughts and have a great Lap. Safe travels. D & P.

[@glmaguire]

@@nextleveloz thanks for the response. We’re currently back home in Perth for a month or so to finalise a few things before we restart the lap with a focus on the East Coast. We found your channel to be on the best for actually showing how a lap can work out. Our fave part of your trip was the Bungles which really inspired us to visit there and we loved it.

[@nextleveloz]

@@glmaguire Bungles is magical isn’t it? People have very different views of many places and that’s fine, but first time we visited the Bungles was a fly in day trip so we wanted to head back in. Good luck with the planning of the next stage and safe travels.

[@rachaelcritchell2468]

I plan both, caravanning and overseas. I don’t think it needs to be one or the other.

[@nextleveloz]

Hi and thanks for watching and the comment. Ideally it’s nice to have that choice isn’t it? Do you do or plan to do similar sorts of things or are they different? Van life at remote icons and walks etc and more cultural overseas or is it the same sorts of attractions? Do you have some overseas bucket list items? Thanks for the perspective and it’s interesting to us - give. how many of the subscribers had the Lap/ van travel interest share the view they want to try to balance both of they can. cheers D & P

[@Suzcam023]

Great video . Sounds very like our life at present . Love having the best of both worlds , out in the Zone for a couple of months at a time or weekend trips to interesting places . OS travel a bit the same . We to looked at upgrading our Base thinking there had to be something better and thought we’d have FOMO at the new Zone models , but it was a big no way , so many things to love about our little 18.6 Base , taken us to some amazing places , it has everything we need and it’s a great van . So we are keeping it . Look forward to your futures videos and news . Happy travels wherever they may take you 😊

[@nextleveloz]

@@Suzcam023 Thank you so much and we’ve always valued your shares and thoughts on the various sites. We want the best of both worlds but peoples circumstances vary don’t they, so they (we) have to a balance that against the resources. 🤔. TBH we like some spells at home as well and we have some rapidly ageing pets that can’t travel with us. All pretty normal stuff. Yes the van decision is a problem. We’ve never been FOMO driven. We aren’t brand tribal. We love our Base and Zone have done well for us. Not without hiccups and not without some due criticism but we respect the relationship. It’s been a great product for us and we also know that there is the odd genuine diversion from that for a few people and hope that gets resolved. But overall this Base 18.6 package for us, with the couple of repairs and improvements to some known defects has been wonderful. As we’ve said, the solar, battery, gas balance has suited the way we travel and where. So keeping it is a good option. The thing for us is it is heavy on the nose and we’ve taken it down some narrow places and we are on the lookout for something that’s a bit narrower, a bit lighter on the nose but not so different in the amenity. The dimensions of the Expedtion aren’t far off that but we don’t want a pop top for all the reasons we’ve shared on the channel. It’s a great product but doesn’t suit us and we couldn’t justify the extra cost for something that we know we wouldn’t be happy with. There are perhaps 2 or 3 options out there. One is very, very expensive and the amount of usage we’d get for our travel mix couldn’t justify it. Two others are good if we had nothing now but aren’t really enough better than the Base overall to justify the $60 - $80k extra cost. The Gen 2 vans? We like them . There are some good extras but there are still some things about the Basw we like better also. Had a good chat with the Zone team about it. Again thanks for your thoughts. Sounds like we are in similar balances of thought, we just have to find what our particular mix is. Safe travels and thank you and hope you do enjoy the rest of this short series. Hope we see you on the road sometime soon. cheers D and P.

[@peterbullen3347]

You must have a load of outtakes from your big lap, any fun ones or mishaps?

[@nextleveloz]

Geez mate. Trade secrets 😂. We’d have a few and I suspect doing outtakes requires the disciple of setting aside the obvious ones and then compiling and editing. but yes, while we dont rehearse etc, its easy to stumble - like trying to say “Longyearbyen” and worse 😂.

[@davidthomas9267]

glad your still having some fun traviling!!

[@nextleveloz]

Thanks for watching. Always a travel itch to scratch isn’t there ✈️🚙🚌. Which ones to do though - that’s the question! cheers 🙏🙏

[@paulrose622]

Great to have you both back.

[@nextleveloz]

@@paulrose622 Thank you. We’ve missed interacting with our friends and it’s great to be doing more adventures.

[@jenniferthompson4336]

Lovely to see your back whether it’s overseas or Australia I love seeing your adventures. Stay safe & enjoy

[@nextleveloz]

Thank you so much. We’ve really missed interacting with our interweb friends and subscribers and indeed those on the road also. We are meeting new friends on this adventure - but it’s so different isn’t it. Hope you enjoy them, thank you and safe travels to you also.🙏🙏

[@peterbullen3347]

Do I hear Willie Nelson ? On the road again... Do I need to make arrangements for my Sunday mornings again ?

[@nextleveloz]

Hi Peter. I hope the dog got its walk and we don’t interrupt the Sunday coffee 👍. We will have a few to go yet in this shorter series. Hopefully a good mix of some interesting different adventure stuff and some vloggy stuff as part of the discussion on the right mix and balance and options. Funny (maybe not funny) but as much as we all like the dream of full time life on the road etc, we’ve found that for most, that’s not the reality and the van and rig options aren’t cheap so what each individual’s mix and preference s are is proving to be be a common discussion. Travel the way you like and invest in the great that matches that is a big lesson we’ve worked out in this exercise. See you over coffee over the coming weeks. cheers and thank you.

[@peterbullen3347]

@@nextleveloz I am watching from airport in UK, on way back to Oz after a month travelling round Europe. No job to get back to this time so some adventures to be getting on with, Wolf Rock soon.

[@jebw]

What extra do you need out of a vam that the Zone doesn't provide. Do you need a more nimble van? Where in Australia do you need these more demanding capabilities? Are you looking at areas like the Bloomfield track or Poeppel Corner?

[@nextleveloz]

Thanks for watching and we really appreciate the comment. Thats the decision point isn’t it? What’s the capability improvement we need vs the cost of doing it. Is it worth it? So it’s worth expanding a bit in case anybody else reads the comment and it might impact our assessment during this adventure series. Not Bloomfield track. We’ve done it. It’s a short and scenic road but we’re fine not having a camper trailer that can do that track. Covered that a bit in the Bloomfield track episode. We suggest people accept the advisories, don’t take their vans and like us camp at one end and do the day trip. Poeppel corner maybe things like that , Simpson? it would be cheaper to buy a RTT and fit the Defender for that challenge but it’s not for a trailer to our mind and for the time you’re on it we wouldn’t buy a trailer or change vans for it. Mind you we aren’t there yet but climbing up and down ladders and RTT isn’t the most comfy thing as you age a bit. But right now that’s the likely option for that and that’s means we might need to do that sooner rather than later when a RTT isn’t out of the question for that and say tougher alternative routes to the Cape etc. So maybe that’s a compromise choice? As I mentioned in another comment, the Base is terrific. We love it and of course it was a large part of the Lap. We aren’t FOMO people so it doesn’t worry us if we don’t have the latest and greatest. BUT, we did find we wanted to go down a bit further off grid, in places that are a bit narrower, we want to spend some time on some more of the remote roads and the Base is a full width van and a bit heavy on the nose. So - that’s the “ideal”. A bit narrower closer to the track of the car, a bit more manageable TBW but the same amenity. And as we’re finding there isn’t that much on the market that ticks those boxes. A few with pros and cons as always. So thank you. It was a great, short and pithy comment that got to the nub of the van choice aspect of the decisions we have to make along with our broader life choices. Thanks again for watching and a great comment that helped me give a more expansive answer to. Hope you enjoy the rest of the series and whether that helps us find the answer - and unlike influencers and paid content creators who often frame up the content for a choice they already have locked in, we don’t yet have an answer or options determined. All the best. cheers

[@richardcroome8533]

Great start and enjoy. I think you should aim for both worlds, International travel and Australia with a caravan or similar, yes time to update the Base! Quite likely at or close to age 80 overseas travel can become more expensive insurance wise and sometimes due to health aspects. Whereas travel within Australia maybe more manageable for older persons. If you have good health just keep travelling wherever your wants (and finances allow) take you. Safe travels!

[@nextleveloz]

Hi and thanks for watching and the comment. The post about doing what you can that matches age and capability is a great point. While nobody knows what life might throw at them in the future it is true that if you have some things best done a bit younger or a bit more sprightly means it will influence the mix now and the kid a bit later will clearly be different. Great point. Upgrading from the Base is a bit more challenging a thought process. We love it. It has some shortcomings - especially tow ball weight and it’s a bit wider than we’d prefer now the Big Lap has shown us is that we’d like to get that bit further off grid and a bit further down the narrow track. It sounds weird, but there really aren’t that many options that also retain the amenity of the Base. There are a few, but we’re struggling with the extra cost for what are still quite compromised options that aren’t so much better than the Base. So we’ve still got the Base and we’re still looking and maybe as we balance the travel mix options we will choose to change the van and sacrifice some OS travel options to do it. And in all of this one thing we haven’t broached is the fact that in the not so distant future we have to weigh up what the tow tug options might be as regulation and the market offering changes and that might really force some trailer thought processes as well. Decisions, decisions but we feel blessed that we do have options. Thanks again, great comment and thoughts. Stay safe and hope you enjoy the rest of the series.

[@eprohoda]

how excellent !👍

[@nextleveloz]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@grahames9228]

Probably have a budget that only extends to travel in Australia (with a tent), but looking forward to seeing what you get up to overseas.

[@nextleveloz]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. And yes, great point. We have consistently said to people do it, but do it your way in the way that suits your choices and everybody has different circumstances. We are fortunate to be comfortable but we aren’t rich either. So this current adventure is a bit insane and is a big chunk out of savings. We couldn’t do this often and maybe never again at this level. So we have comfortable and good choices and options for sure, but the choices and compromises are still real. And if we had to spend our time seeing more of Oz rather than a bit of OS travel as well - while we’d be a bit sorry about not going OS, we love Oz and we have lots more to see of it . So not a bad option in real life either. But it’s a point we’ll made and trust us- we get it because both of us have family backgrounds where these things we can now do were inconceivable to us when we’re young and growing up. Paula and I actually had this “pinch me” moment and discussion in the cabin the other day. And most of the people on this trip have more means than we do (it appears anyway) But for us good fortune, some gambles along the way, some massive stumbles setting us back as well and hard work like many others and living life pretty prudently as we raised our family meant we’ve been able to cobble together enough savings to be comfortable. And we are gveey grateful for the fact that has worked out. But we still have to make some choices now. The tent does kill is a bit though 🤔. As you’ve seen we’ve done it. Would do it as necessary, but I spent 15 years of my life wearing green and a lot of it sleeping on the ground so, tbh it’s not my fave thing. Hope you do enjoy the rest of the series and we really value the comment. It’s a good point and glad you made it. Thank you. All the best. Stay safe.

[@damiant5876]

The Artic Shots are very cool. Looking forward to following your journey. Life is about experiences. If you can afford to include these sort of trips and travel Australia then you have the perfect blend. There's surely not many places that you travel with a van that you can't take your Zone. I have looked at some of the more serious off road vans like the Bruder, Zone Expedition, AOR etc they all seem to have many compromises that make me ask if I really need that extreme off road ability. Best of luck in your adventures and as always it's whatever personally suits you is the best.

[@nextleveloz]

Thanks for watching and for taking the time to offer some thoughts. Much appreciated. The Arctic shots get better IMO! Hope you enjoy the series. Like most people we have to balance the budget and the experiences - as much as we’ve saved and had some fortune as well. You are right the balance has to be how much further for the cost can an alternative van take us. We’ve looked closely at those vans you mention and a couple of others. They have some big pros and a few cons. All good vans but as you say - in terms of pain gain what’s the value proposition for us? We’re still working through it and because the Base is pretty good, keeping it is also a good option. As we’ve said elsewhere, it is a bit heavy on the nose for our rig and a bit wider than we’d prefer for the places we started to like going. But whether that can justify the change remains to be seen. We don’t think there will be too many if any more adventures quite like the arctic and antarctic because they are major expenses, but we have a few bucket list OS destinations as well as in Oz we’d stil like to try if we can. Thanks again. It’s all grist to the mill and the suggestions and thoughts have all been very welcome. Stay safe.

[@diannehavelberg5875]

Good to see you both back and what a great video❤

[@nextleveloz]

Thank you and for the feedback. It’s a vastly different adventure and we aren’t really a “travel” channel. If it’s interesting and different and something we hope might be of interest we will post as it happens and see what people think. We don’t want to waste anybody’s time but it’s the value of not being a professional influencer as well. We don’t have to chase the algorithm. Thank you and good to see you on the interweb again and the lovely comment as always. Stay safe and keep an eye out for next few in the series.

[@robyndehavilland1609]

Hey G’day G’day 😊. What a great surprise to see you back!! I’m totally here for this amazing North Pole adventure, always been fascinated about it. If it were me I’d do all my top bucket list places no matter where they are, but then 100% return to Aus van life for that feeling of total freedom ❤️❤️❤️

[@nextleveloz]

Bonjour. Ca Vas? It’s great to be back for a limited series and yes it’s a bit different and it will be interesting to see what the makes of it. We’ve been fascinated by the polar stuff and of course to attraction of the very remote and the history of those hardened adventurers and explorers who opened it up is pretty removed from the comfy way and the backups we have. We’d love to tick every bucket list and return to Oz van stuff as you say - but while we’re comfortable we aren’t wealthy so like most we have the find the balance. The exercise is mostly about enjoying and sharing the adventures as we do it - but it’s a good conversation to have along the way to see people’s varied thoughts on the mix. Thanks again and how you enjoy it. 🤔🤔 what we get to see and do and how that compares - stay tuned. 🙏🙏👍

[@sharonmorrall371]

Good to see you guys back, I loved your big lap series and I am looking forward to seeing your next adventure, keep it up guys. G'day G'day 😊

[@nextleveloz]

@@sharonmorrall371 Thank you so much. What a lovely comment. We loved the Big Lap and we like that sort of long, big trip. But we’ve also become much more aware that while many of us watch the full time forever home channels, in reality it doesn’t match how most of us live and work and play. Stay tuned and we’d love to hear your thoughts. Of course we will do more van stuff soon as well, but hopefully people enjoy something a bit different in the meantime. Stay safe and thanks again.

[@cathbp4089]

Great to see you both back, thoroughly enjoyed your travels in both the Defender and Base. At the end of the day it’s your life and do what you want to do and people will tune in if they want to. I guess for me if I had the funds I would keep your current set up and do a combination of OS travel and van travel. We have recently purchased a van also and like you never thought we would like it, so far having a blast with a few shake down trips ahead of more extensive travels next year. Stay safe and do what you enjoy!

[@nextleveloz]

@@cathbp4089 Thanks so much and great you’re out and about having a blast your new van. Yes, it was no certain thing for us at first as you say - and loved it. Yes of course both is the most desirable but it’s always a balance of notice resources - the pain-gain metric isn’t it? And yes, it’s clear to us that there would have to be something compelling or close to the perfect optikn for us to spend more to upgrade the van and knowing that of course that’s comes out of the pool of resources for other things. Thanks for the thoughts, we’ve had some very balanced and useful comments ( so far 😂😉) Thanks again and safe travels.

[@cmdavey]

Thanks so much for doing this video! We are in the exact same position and have done a mix of caravanning and overseas travels over the past 4 years and we still can't make up our minds! Will watch with interest. Happy Travels!

[@nextleveloz]

@@cmdavey Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. It’s hard to compare the two options, unless you’re a full time or expedition overlander and even then that’s a different set up. Stay tuned and we’d be delighted at any further observations. Stay safe and thanks again.

[@patricksheringham5965]

Great stuff, good to see you back! Thoroughly enjoy your videos so I don't mind what you post but my interest in Australia drew me to your channel with your "big lap" You can always enjoy shorter Australian tours and some overseas trips.

[@nextleveloz]

Thanks for that and we’ve missed our friends. We most certainly will be doing some more of our traditional content, free camping and off gridding in Australia soon, but we hope people find the current short series interesting as we find our balance and our mix for the future. All the best and thanks again.

[@jeetts59]

Interesting, local travel vs overseas, I’ve traveled overseas extensively and also Australia, which do I find most interesting, well both, they are are just different, the main thing is that you do what you find interesting and that will translate to an interesting video. Good luck and travel safe.

[@nextleveloz]

Thanks for watching and the great comment. Yes they are so different and of course for most people the limiting factor s are time and resources so regrettably you often have to choose a bias to one or the other. We aren’t really travel vloggers. It’s still amazing to us that so many lovely people have joined our journeys and subscribed and come and say g’day. But on this current polar adventure we are making new friends as well. It’s a very interesting journey - and as often is the case we are hitting a couple of glitches as well - so we hope people enjoy the share. Thanks agoN for the thoughts. Much appreciated.

[@ryanturner9457]

Sunday night viewing again, if only for this week. Marshalls Ski Lake camp at Chevallum is the same not go karts but Jet Ski races and practice on Sundays

[@nextleveloz]

A number of good places have multi uses and that’s fine by us and if it works then all the better. We haven’t used the Ski Lake because we don’t live far enough away to use it and when we get services we often stay around Eumundi - but might be worth a try at the Ski Lake some time! Safe travels and thanks for watching and the comment. cheers

[@michaeldallimore8590]

Looking forward to the overseas videos especially the battlefields in France. We purchased a Zone Venture series second hand earlier this year and really like the caravan lifestyle. We don't intend do the really remote stuff. I have done a lot of that already with my 4WD and a tent. How much more remote do you really want to go where the Base restricts you? We intend to do a mix of caravan trips and overseas trips when the opportunity arises. I personally would stay with the Base and continue to explore overseas.

[@nextleveloz]

Thank you and I was wondering how the Venture was going for you. Good to hear. And so true - we’ve always been at pains with people who ask, friends and even reminding ourselves. The best van is the one that does the things each individual wants to do and travel the way they enjoy. There is a lot of overselling and indeed over buying for people buying a dream (which is nice if they can) rather than what they are actually going to do. So glad it’s working out, but you sounded like a very rational person on our conversations. And yes the equation for us is to recalibrate and determine what this balance might look like and that will help us decide whether to upgrade or not - but based on the value proposition of what the extra cost would actually get for us v the opportunity cost. The current adventure is a high cost option and not even sure how many more of those we want to do in that way either. Always thinking 🤔🤔. All the best and safe travels. Hope we see you on road because as you know we like the stuff close as well as the stuff remote.

[@nextleveloz]

@@michaeldallimore8590 PS The battlefield cemeteries get me every time. Not a big part of the trip but it is a sobering diversion that provides a distant link to Australia.

[@michaeldallimore8590]

@@nextleveloz We visited the US cemetery at Ardennes when we were in Belgium and it was very emotional. Never got to Villiers Brettonoux but its on my bucket list for our next trip at some stage. If you get the opportunity read the Patrick Fitzsimons book Victory at Villiers Brettonoux. 700 pages I could not put down.

[@Wilbargosh]

Do what you can, while you can. Choose adventures within your means. A Brown falls trail can easily end in a broken hip, which would change your future. Eventually maneuvering and maintaining a large vans will be difficult on your body lifting etc. As your age/body changes for better or worse, you’ll change your style. Nothing wrong with touring in the car and using pubs, B&B’s, cabins etc as a future solution away from a van; as you would traveling o/s

[@nextleveloz]

@@Wilbargosh Great comment. I really hope the bit about Brown Falls trail wasn’t from direct experience 😩🤕 🩼. We love our van time and yes for the time being interest on getting further off the beaten track. By my rugby knees and Paula’s netball knees have been grumbling for a while now 😂. It’s great of you can adapt to keep experiencing things as you say. Thanks again and stay safe.

[@13smarts1]

I did the drive from Tenterfield to Legume and then past the falls and on to Boonah in April, without my van, the narrow section had traffic control people at eiither end to stop peolle towing from using the road, it is very narrow and steep, definately not suitable for caravans

[@nextleveloz]

@@13smarts1 Hi. Thanks for that, great feedback. We take the no caravans cautions pretty seriously generally. E.g Bloomfield where we actually had to help somebody get their rig back on the road. Less convinced on some of the roads in the Alps where there is a vast difference between seasons. We were wondering about this one, noting that it’s a bit of drop down the divide so doesn’t surprise us, but great to get some first hand experience. I might update that info in a future episode. It’s one of the great things about these forums. If you ask, it’s odds on that somebody has been there and done that. Thanks again. Safe travels.

[@StephenFogarty2023]

Hi David & Paula, Great to c u back. Wow The North Pole Fantastic As u said, u can’t compare the Nth. Pole to Uluṟu It’s all great, but different Just do what u both want to do. If your finances allow u to go OS, to bucket list destinations, that r of interest to both of u, and to also spend time travelling in Australia with the Defender and Caravan, then good on u. No matter what u do, if u r going to put these travels up on KZbin / social media, some people will like the content, or parts of it, and some won’t. Some will Some won’t So what… Just do what u want to do… And ignore / delete / block / any negativity from commentators, and / or social media trolls.. 👍

[@nextleveloz]

@@StephenFogarty2023 Thanks mate and good to hear from you on the interweb as well. Yes, that all sounds very sensible 🙏, and I think the challenge for all of us normal, middle of the road, work hard (play hard) people who save to be comfortable and pay our way but aren’t necessarily wealthy or rich - we do have to make compromises and balance it up. Thats life , and that’s the decision process we are smack in the middle of. What that choice and ratio and mix looks like when you have enough to have choices but not enough that you don’t have to make compromises 🤷‍♂️. And out of that, falls decisions on the van and upgrades or not and how much work vs life I want to do to support Paula in her retirement 😂🤷‍♂️ (she’s earned it right, she’s worked much of our married life including in our business but she’s made the call) . So as always you are absolutely right - we just have to work out how that looks for us. It’s interesting, I thought most people would say Oz, but so many comments and messages to say it’s what they are weighing as well. That might also reflect that put channel is mostly but not exclusively people in the same bracket. Not necessarily the full time, families on the road with kids and not just grey nomad retirees. A few of those but our little channel seems to have found a little niche of people who relate to these pretty normal questions and aspirations 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️. A bit wider mix of course and we like that there are people with different perspectives. So we wil play out the decision process and share some stunning locations in the process. We do care what subscribers say and contribute, but no I don’t ever tolerate bullying or troll behaviour. Jokes and teasing - great. A bit of tribal rib poking - give and take. Woke outrage - walk past it . Disagreement and debate - welcome. Alternative views - welcome. Constructive criticism - take it on the chin and evaluate it (even if sometimes it’s hard to take) and we also try to live with people who say things and maybe haven’t put it well, so jarring but honest and well intentioned, fine. I lived with soldiers for nearly 15 years, so you get to know the differences between frank vs obnoxious. Abusive and rude - delete. Simple as that.

[@grahameroberts8109]

Have you thought of shipping the Defender overseas and hiring vans where you can, balanced with just driving and staying in various accommodations. Thanks guys. 👍🏻🙏🦘

[@nextleveloz]

@@grahameroberts8109 Thanks for watching and the contribution. Never have thought of that tbh. Probably because that would have require a longer term commitment that wasn’t previously possible. I suspect our overseas stuff would likely be of the duration of this current adventure and previous overseas hols over the past decade at least has been a round a month because work always beckoned. I’m not sure, IF I was driving on most of the likely bucket list places, that I want to be towing. We drove on Frqnce this trip and as the next episode will expose, it was an EV 😂. It helped clarify our thoughts on that topic. Thanks again. 🙏👍🐨

[@StephenFogarty2023]

@@nextleveloz It can be very expensive to ship a vehicle OS. Or ship a vehicle to Australia. And your vehicle is in transit / on water, for a long time. Issues at wharves / strikes etc can leave your vehicle stranded for long time ! Once OS, inspections / permits etc, r a hassle. Your Defender is RHD. Which could cause issues in some countries. The biggest hassle is shipping the Defender back to Australia Our quarantine regulations r mega strict ! The cleaning of the Defender needs to be mega thorough to remove all risks of pest / bio hazards etc The quarantine dept inspection is hugely thorough ! Very expensive to do this process, and huge fees at Australian wharves. Contact Leigh & Steffie @grizzlynbearoverland They shipped their Defender from OS, back to Perth. It was a nightmare ! All on their KZbin