A couple are embarking on a long journey from London to Australia after buying a £3,000 converted van – and say that their cost of living is two-thirds cheaper on the road.

Ellis Gerry and Alexandra Katie, both 27, purchased a 1984 Renault Trafic in February 2021 and after several test runs in the UK, they began their 27-month journey to Darwin in North Australia.

The pair from east London, who worked as a geography teacher and learning support assistant, saved for three years before quitting their jobs. They now stick to a strict daily budget of £34, which they believe will be sufficient to get them to Australia without needing to work.

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The couple set off on October 24, 2023, just two days after getting engaged, and have been travelling for over nine months in their trusty Renault equipped with a kitchen, pop-up shower, solar panel, and lithium battery. Their epic journey will take them through 28 countries, including Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Georgia, China, India, and finally Australia – and is estimated to take them three-and-a-half years.

Ellis told PA Real Life that despite assumptions on social media that they are wealthy, the reality is quite different. “I would just love to tell them that we’re just normal people who decided to commit to something and put everything into it,” he said.

“Overall we have been saving for three years and our trip will take three-and-a-half years as we plan on staying in Australia for a while. So anyone can do it for sure, you just have to decide to commit to it.”

Ellis and Alex's leaving party
Ellis and Alex’s leaving party before setting off on October 24, 2023
(Image: Collect/PA Real Life)

Ellis and Alex, whose relationship stretches back to their childhood years, lost touch after school but reconnected over social media where Alex viewed Ellis’s travel photos from India and Southeast Asia with admiration.

It was the lockdown that brought the two, who were once neighbours, back to their family homes and reignited their bond. “It was the first time in ages that we were in the same place at the same time,” Alex explained.

Following a series of socially distanced walks, the pair started dating and began scheming about future escapades. While Ellis initially suggested an adventurous motorbike ride to India, Alex wasn’t convinced and pitched the idea of a campervan instead.

“I started sending Alex loads of links on eBay, Facebook, Auto Trader,” Ellis recounted. “Then I sent her this one van and she was like, ‘That’s the one, that’s our van.'”.

In February 2021, the couple visited a 1984 Renault Trafic listed for £3,000 in Southampton and decided to make it theirs. “It’s quite charming, you kind of feel like you’re in your grandma’s house,” Ellis commented on the van, which they affectionately named Goldie.

Ellis and Alex parked in Cappadocia
Ellis and Alex parked in Cappadocia, Turkey
(Image: Collect/PA Real Life)

Before attempting an international voyage, they took Goldie for a trial run to Scotland in the summer of 2022 and to Ireland in 2023. The couple made some modifications to their vehicle, including the addition of a diesel heater, which proved useful in the freezing temperatures of the Albanian Alps. They also installed a solar panel and lithium battery.

Ellis and Alex got engaged on 21 October 2023 and embarked on their journey from Ilford just two days later. So far, their adventure has taken them through 15 countries, including France, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and India.

To finance their extraordinary journey, Ellis and Alex saved diligently for three years. They have enough funds to reach Australia without needing to work, as long as they stick to their budget.

“We’re very strict with our budget, so we have £34 per day between us and that is for everything: food, petrol, admission fees,” Ellis explained.

“We wanted to save enough money so that we wouldn’t have to work along the way,” Alex added. They also have a contingency fund set aside for repairs and emergencies, which they try not to dip into unless absolutely necessary.

Ellis and Alex after getting engaged
Ellis and Alex got engaged two days before setting off on their world trip
(Image: No credit)

Despite their careful budgeting, Ellis revealed that they are spending around a third of what they did back in London, primarily on food and fuel, as well as insurance which varies from country to country but is generally quite affordable.

“We don’t really have any outgoing bills,” Ellis said. “All of our electricity we get for free from the solar panel and water we get from public water sources. If you look at two people’s average living cost in London per month, we spend about a third of that.”

Ellis and Alex have adapted a van with a pop-up shower that holds 10 litres of water, yet they tend to use it sparingly. “We only really use it if we have access to a water source, so we probably have a proper shower once a month,” Ellis disclosed. “But we’re clean.”

The couple’s decision to purchase their Renault van was heavily influenced by its kitchen facilities, featuring a fridge, an enamel sink, stove, and grill. “It was really important for us that we have a good kitchen because we love cooking,” Alex enthused.

Yet embracing the nomadic lifestyle hasn’t been without challenges, as they’ve had to forgo many basic comforts. “The thing is, we’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices to do this, even simple things like having running water, a shower or a proper toilet,” Ellis acknowledged.

The winter period posed additional hurdles, confining them indoors and Ellis found the limited space difficult to adjust to. Nowadays, they embrace the outdoor life, unhesitant to leave their van, affectionately named ‘Goldie’, for extensive periods whilst seeking adventure.

Ellis and Alex in the Albanian Alps
Ellis and Alex in the Albanian Alps where temperatures reached minus 12 degrees Celsius (Collect/PA Real Life)
(Image: No credit)

Despite their fondness for their nomadic existence, Ellis and Alex envisage a future return to a more stationary living arrangement. “Not having a base is also one of the hardest things,” Alex reflected.

Though ‘Goldie’ has become their sanctuary where they find peace and relaxation, Alex concedes, “Goldie has definitely become our home and is the place where we can unwind and feel settled, but I do miss being home and having everyone there.”

“When you are travelling like this, you feel like an outsider a lot of the time, which is lovely for an extended period of time but then you want to become an insider again and build some routines.”

If everything progresses as expected, they aim to complete their journey to Australia in approximately 27 months, intending to spend a year there.

Ellis shared that, “One of the most astounding parts of our journey has been the people we met along the way,” and emphasized, “The world is so beautiful but it’s the people which make it.”

He went on to say, “Obviously we’ve met some cool campers along the way but I’m talking more about the locals, like in Turkey where people would just knock on our door and give us sweets, or one guy invited us to his son’s birthday party and took us out for pizza. Human nature has just blown us away.”

You can follow Ellis and Alex’s adventures on Instagram.