DucruznOZ

30/11/2023

Happy 16 year wedding Anniversary Kate Ducrou 🥰🥰 22 years together all up and you still manage to put up with my antics and nonsense..... can't imagine doing life with anyone else ❤❤

13/06/2023

🚙🚙 TOWING MIRRORS 🚙🚙

Now that I have you attention, this video I go through our experiences with towing mirrors... we change out our Clearview for a set of MSA ones..... are they any good?? What went wrong with the clearviews?? Why did we choose these?? How come that rash has come back.....

I know we have been quiet but we are busy adulting ha ha.... have got some great 200 series stuff coming up with something all new 4wd owners should learn about when it comes to 4wd and LO range..... stay tuned.... also "Snowy" gets some new suspension and we can see what 80,000kms of travelling some rough roads and heavy loads actually do to you car after your dream lap is just a memory...

Jump over to YouTube for that video and more if u haven't already....

https://youtube.com/

01/05/2023

🌏🌏 THE INFAMOUS MAP SHOT 🌏🌏

What lap wouldn't be complete without the MAP shot.... we have been a bit slack of late; moving back into "normal life", kids in normal school, parents back to proper jobs but still living life in/out of the van.... all up we started travelling from April 2020 and finished up in Dec 2022.... not a bad stint and only pulled up to work once (3 months in Wangaratta- legend Kate 💪💪)

All up we guesstimate approx 85,000kms travelled and about 75,000kms with the van attached..... cheapest diesel was $1.75 and most expensive was $3.05.... at a rough guess we used approx 18,500 litres of diesel at about $40k 😲😲😥😥

Admittedly we did go back to QLD twice for Xmas period and we also love back tracking or going the wrong way a few times 🤪🤪

Just shows that the main cost in travelling is definitely fuel, thankfully now the fuel cost is dropping but when it was in its peak we definitely felt it..... still have North QLD and Tassie to do....

All in all a great time had and hopefully not our last, what do you take from this?? Whatever you want... ha ha... just get out there an explore 💪💪🍻🍻

07/04/2023

We have reached 2K followers! Thank you for your continued support. We could not have done it without each of you. 🙏🤗🎉 I know we have been quiet of late, but life gets in the way and jobs/school/family has unfortunately taken priority... hopefully back to travelling soon....

22/01/2023

OK......here we go.

✏️ FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 2023 ✏️

These little poppits haven't been to main stream school for almost 2 years and little Ari has never been in full time school. Now grades 1, 3, and 5 they nailed their first drop off!! Mum is still getting over it tho!! 🤣🤣🤣 Good luck to all the other parents out there this morning! 😘

15/01/2023

😥😥 Last travel episode for Season 2 😥😥

Well that is a wrap, our travels have officially finished for our "lap" but we have something planned for mid year 🍻🍻

We will still be putting out some videos in regards to budget blow-outs, vehicle damage, caravan damage and also a lot of things we would do differently or even wish we had of done. So stayed tuned for those.

A big thank you to everyone we have helped along the way or have watched our videos. The amount of interaction we get from people on the road is quite overwhelming and also very humbling. We love doing what we do and enjoy the editing process so it is not like a job for us....

Make sure to check out our back catalogue of episodes (an amazing 123 videos 😲) for any inspiration or questions that may need answering...

Thanks again and travel safe 🍻🍻

06/01/2023

🎆🎆 New record views 🎆🎆

WOW!! 10k views in under a week that is amazing.... thank you so much for all the support 🥰🥰 either we have been hacked or we have cracked the infamous algorithm 🍻🍻

Happy New Year and make sure to get out there and explore 🎣🏝

30/12/2022

🥳🥳 Last Episode for 2022 🥳🥳

What a year we have had, covered about 40,000kms and 6 different states..... slowly wrapping up this Big Lap with NSW coastline.

Also had a run in with the police in regards to vehicle defects :( We check out some amazing coastlines and camp spots from The Entrance, South West Rocks and Trial Bay Gaol. Jump over to YouTube to check it out...

What has next year got planned for us?? Normality.... back to work and school but not for long, we are planning a few month Cape York trip mid next year and have also got a fair amount of other content coming with van and car walk throughs, lap wrap ups and tips for travelling full time.

Comment below what major trips you have planned for next year...

On that note, hope everyone has a great New Years and enjoy what 2023 has to offer 🍻🍻

17/12/2022

🚗🚗 Bush Wrapz Protective Film Review 🚗🚗

Well the wrap is off, after 18 months of travel and over 80,000kms through dirt, sand, mud and scrub we see if these protective wraps actually work. Check it out and see if it is worth the investment and what we would do differently next time....

Make sure to jump over to YouTube and check it out, plus like and subscribe for more....

https://youtu.be/Oj3bMtu6uV8

16/12/2022

🚗🚗 Those "NEW" car feels 🚗🚗

Nothing like stripping the car of all drawers, tools, food and SAND!! With a temporary pause on travelling until next year we opted to give the car a full detail, unfortunately all of our cleaning products, buffers and pressure cleaner are locked up in a storage sea-con. Enter at North Lakes.... a massive task to remove the last 18 months of Australia from inside.... tons of sand was the phrase uttered when I picked it up... bloody great job though, well worth it.

Now to try and keep it clean 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

11/12/2022

🍻🤟 WOW 3K YouTube Subscribers 🤟🍻

Thank you so much for all of your support during the last year of our travels. We have seen so much and grown as a family through the good times and the bad. As our first trip comes close to an end the next one is just beginning.

Keep an eye on this page for more interesting travel information and adventures.

https://youtube.com/

10/12/2022

🏝🏝 Mainland Australia's Most Easterly Point 🏝🏝

Ok, so not quite as hard to get to as the other 3 (carpark and gift shop) but we still have made it.... Byron Bay Lighthouse is the edge of Australia and what a spectacular view it is. Crystal clear blue water and we even got to see some dolphins and turtles swimming by. Just remember that caravans can't go this far as the streets are super tight and cars are parked on the single road 😲😲 there is a sign *that we may have missed* 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️ but we got through and made it back to a side street so we could disconnect and drive up to the lighthouse. Now all we need to do is the Cape and we will have done all 4 points (Wilsons Prom is sort of ticked off but didn't get to the very tip).

09/12/2022

🚔🚔 How do you lose what you saved on Free Camps?? 🚔🚔

I'll tell you how..... Fishing Rod Holders 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️ Yes i know they are not allowed on bullbars but I do use them a fair bit when we have been travelling for the last 2 years or so and got lazy in not taking them off.

This isn't a go at the Police for doing their job, just an awareness for those who have forgotten to remove them.... thankfully no points, just a $120 fine and a few curse words under my breath 🤬

Who else has had a run in with the 5-0 whilst travelling around OZ??

07/12/2022

Previous post removed due to people feeling it was bad for doing long drives.... no intention to be a bad thing, more like a wow, that is a big drive... apologies to those who took it the wrong way :(

01/12/2022

❤️ Yesterday we celebrated our 15th Wedding Anniversary (and 22 years of loving one another) ❤️

Although there are many things we would change, if we knew then what we know now, the decision to pack our things and hit the road just over 18 months ago is certainly not one of them! We have been so blessed to have had this time together and to watch our 3 beautiful kids grow up and develop into such respectful, confident and considerate little humans!

Here's to many more years together! Let's see what the next few years bring! 🥰

29/11/2022

📍 COLEDALE, NSW SOUTH COAST 📍

We found an awesome little campsite at the in Coledale

For $25 a night we had an unobstructed view of the ocean right on the patrolled surfbeach! This included full amenities! Check it out on

It was also only a stones throw away from the beautiful Seacliffe Bridge were you can walk the bridge or for those that can, scale a small mountain to overlook this amazingly engineered structure!
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If you are loving our posts and videos why not pop on over to YouTube and subscribe to our channel or follow us on instagram and facebook!! That way you won't miss out on our weekly episodes!! Thanks so much for all the support!! 😃

27/11/2022

New episode.....

Bear Gully Camp Ground in Victoria and we see our first "live" wombat in our travels 🐾 We also check out Venus Bay and have our first experience with a stolen camp site :(

Make sure to jump over to YouTube and like and comment to let us know how you are finding the episodes.... will be getting a bit back to normal now as we are back on the road again 😎🍻

In this video we keep on trekking down the South East Coast of Victoria. We do a beautiful scenic coastal drive and come across some ripper views. Our camp...

20/11/2022

https://www.instagram.com/p/ClFz7qwS-Ht/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

18/11/2022

📍 WILSONS PROMONTORY, VIC 📍

We were super excited about going to 'The Prom' and boy was she everything we were hoping for and more!!!

From the moment we arrived at the campground until the moment we left we were blown away by the sheer beauty of this place!

We were blessed with some killer weather to made the most of it. The first day we climbed to the top of Mt Oberon for spectacular views over the entire NP including the campground! We could see our van from there! This was a 3km uphill trek. Although it seemed long and repetitive it was well worth the view!

The second day we walked the Lilly Pilly Circuit Track and enjoyed a stroll around the board walk. This was a beautiful way to appreciate the nature of the rainforest in this area. This was an 8.5km return trip from the campground and apart from some steep sections reasonably easy. We then spent the rest of the day beach hoping and checking out spots like Whisky Bay, Picnic Bay and Nelson's Bay. All amazing!

There were soooo many walks in the park that you could be kept busy for days! But with a turn in the weather on day 3 we moved on. I dare say we will be back tho!

With over 430 sites at the Tidal River campground there is something for everyone. Some sites are closer to the river, whilst other are closer to the beach side. But what they all have is easy access to clean, well maintained amenities blocks and are well looked after and cared for. There are even plenty of fury friends to keep the kids entertained!
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If you are loving our posts and videos why not pop on over to YouTube and subscribe to our channel or follow us on instagram and facebook!! That way you won't miss out on our weekly episodes!! Thanks so much for all the support!! 😃

17/11/2022

📍THE MORNINGTON PENINSULA, VIC 📍

For those that have missed it we spent 3 months in rural VIC giving back to the nursing/Midwifery industry whilst spending some precious time with beautiful friends. However, we're now BACK ON THE ROAD!!!

First stop, The Mornington Peninsula. For the first few nights we camped at the Capel Sound Foreshore Campground. This was a lovely little space along the reserve, with sites right on the waterfront. Unfortunately our site was closer to the main road which made it a little noisey at times. The booking system was a little weird. We booked online and it said there was no beach front sites available, however for most of our 4 night stay we were the only ones there 🤷‍♀️. The day we checkout out the caretaker came by. We mentioned the lack of people in view of all the sites being booked out and she said next time to just ring and ask for a move. So there you go.......weird.

Anyway, we moved up to Cameron's Bight Campground, closer to Sorrento. Here the beach was protected a calm and easy for the kids to fish at. It was also a quick walk to the jetty for fishing and the campground was quieter and more protect. Would definately be our pick of the two.

There were plenty of shops and resturants along the Peninsula and we even spend the day at the local indoor pool which was fantastic for the kids with an indoor water park area and plenty of pools!

There are plenty of camping areas along the foreshore, however they do have restrictions in peak times with minimum bookings of up to 3 weeks 😱 So plan in advance.

The sites in both campgrounds were $42 a night. They had power and water and full amenities.
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If you are loving our posts and videos why not pop on over to YouTube and subscribe to our channel or follow us on instagram and facebook!! That way you won't miss out on our weekly episodes!! Thanks so much for all the support!! 😃

16/11/2022

👋👋 FAREWELL WANGARATTA 👋👋

Well the time has come to get back on the road! After nearly 3 months in North East VIC it's time to move on! Kate has been working her butt off and Marc has been head teacher! We've had a great time exploring the area, but are super excited to move on!!! Any idea where we're heading next??? 🤔🤔

30/10/2022

🥾🥾 Boot Awareness 🥾🥾

Always make sure to check your boots if you leave them outside.... this little fella was tucked up inside my boot and boy did I get a fright when Freddo slimed my toes....eeewww weird feeling thinking it was a snake or something 😲😲 luckily it was just Freddo trying to find a nice place to sleep 💤💤

27/10/2022

🚗🚗 Wheel Balancing 🚗🚗

For the last few months we have been experiencing a variety of wheel balance issues while driving. Some shudder at 80km and then at 110kms... sometimes there and sometimes not. Marc has been racking his brain (not a long job) and was checking all the basic's bushes,, arms and alignments with no luck... a quick trip to and a welcoming chat with the guys there had them on the right path. After telling them all the things I have checked and done they were on the case. A few balancing troubles with one tyre would prove to be the trouble all along..... SAND.... TONS of SAND in one tyre 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️ what an eye opener for all those times we have busted a bead on the beach and "cleaned it out" as much we could.... make sure to take your tyres in and get them stripped and cleaned out properly after popping the bead.... we chucked this one on as a spare and forgot about it until we needed one 6 months later.... didn't happen straight away and took a few weeks/months to develop the shake.

Thanks again to the legends at for looking after us on such short notice.....

FYI the picture is the inside of the tyre for those wondering 😎

25/10/2022

🚗🚗 Transmission Cooler Time 🚗🚗

So we have done a transmission flush and service, but what about increasing the efficiency of the transmission cooling??? Today I installed a 200 series transmission cooler which will improve the trans temps while towing and 4wding. This kit was easy to install with great instructions, looks out for a future episode on how easy it is to install this bad boy.

Watch our trans service vid here if you haven't seen it....
https://youtu.be/FuKRj8u1TA8

15/10/2022

🚎🚎 Caravan Maintenance 🚎🚎

One thing that gets forgotten about when "doing the lap" is the wear and tear on both your tow vehicle and your caravan. Not too many people realise that when towing, your vehicle is now in "harsh conditions" mode and no longer abides by the same service intervals as normal driving. Make sure to check your service manual for the correct intervals (many times it gets halved ie. 10k down to 5k intervals). Same thing goes for your van, if your heading off the black top and going on dirt roads, muddy tracks or river crossings. Grease and water don't mix so those bearing will slowly be failing without noticing. I always check and regrease our van every 10k (we have done around 50k already) so that is 5 times and only now I need new shoes and bearings. If you feel your trailer brakes aren't doing what they used to it they either need adjusting or replacing, please stop and check it out before you do more damage. New bearings and shoes for one "wheel" will only set you back 100-300 bucks, just do it and be safe.

🍻🍻 Public service announcement over 🍻🍻

How long have you gone without servicing your car or van, let's name and shame, ha ha

If you want to see more mechanical stuff or just where we are travelling check out our YouTube channel 🍻

https://youtube.com/c/DucruznOZ

28/09/2022

🚗🚗 200 series Automatic Transmission Serive/Flush 🚗🚗

What happens when you drive a combination of just under 7T around Australia in some of the roughest conditions?? Wear.... lots of wear....

In this video we show you how easy it is to service one of the most important parts of your 200 series driveline -- the Transmission. We run through the flush procedure and also change out the filter to ensure all if the new oil is filtered, a step that often gets missed. A saying that sticks with me is "changing oil without changing the filter is like having a shower and putting your dirty jocks back on".... so true.

https://youtu.be/FuKRj8u1TA8

Make sure to subscribe if you are enjoying the content and don't forget we have stubby coolers and stickers for sale if you want to help out the channel.

11/09/2022

🚙🚙 Corrugation Damage Repair 🚙🚙

After about 100,000kms of travel these upper control arms have seen their fair share of corrugations. Between towing the van, 4wding and hundreds and thousands of km's of corrugations the bushes have finally given up. With a few clunks and squeaks heard I inspected them to find massive amounts of play/wear. Time for replacement bushes and upgraded longer ball joints.

🧑‍💻🧑‍💻 working on a DIY instruction video - watch our YouTube for upcoming video 🧑‍💻🧑‍💻

09/09/2022

🙌 WHY HAVE WE BEEN SO QUIET ON THE SOCIALS LATELY?? 🙌

❤ GIVING BACK TO THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY ❤️

For those of you that don't know Kate is a Registered Nurse/Midwife.

Whilst we have been absolutely LOVING our time travelling around Oz the past 12 months we have been super aware of the struggles many healthcare workers have been facing both professionally and emotionally.

We have felt for some time now that we want to do our part (however small it is) to give back to the industry. We are taking some time to help out a rural hospital, like so many around the country, struggling with the ever growing demand of sourcing skilled staff.

For the past 4 weeks Kate has been working in the Maternity Department at Northeast Health in Wangaratta VIC. She's been working her butt off pumping out 60+hr weeks, double shifts, on call nights just to help fill the gaps!

As a family we have seen very little of Kate for the past 4 weeks and we still have 5 to go, but we are greatful for all the healthcare workers that have stuck in there for what has been a hugely testing time for the industry over the past 2+ years.

We encourage ALL those travelling this beautiful country with Nursing and Midwifery registration to get on board and give a few weeks of your time to help out ANY hospital as they all need us now more than ever!

💥 PS A huge shout out to Marc for taking on single parenting, homeschooling and solo house keeping!!! Go team!!! 💪💪

03/09/2022

🧔🧔 World Beard Day 🧔🧔

Let's get around all those hard hours, days, months and years of growth to get rewarded with a flowing face of female aphrodisiac. Congratulations to all the guys out there who have done it hard; the itch, the criticism, the hair in the food, the leftovers for dessert and the "nagging". You have true dedication to the craft and will not be forgotten. Even if it is grey, white, red, black or brown a beards is a beard, so don't listen to the naysayers. I will leave this here for people to share and tag as a mark of respect to my bearded brothers. Also a special mention to the wives and girlfriends who accept their women magnets parters, we love you 🥰

"If your dad hasn't got a beard, you have two mums." - Ghandi

https://worldbeardday.com/

20/08/2022

A massive HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our beautiful Wife/Mum, Kate 🥂🥂 without you we would still be sitting in Kalgoorlie hating life, you have so much drive and passion for life. We love you so much and hope you have a wonderful day 🥰🥰

15/08/2022

✨️✨️ JUST RELEASED ✨️✨️

Our brand new product range is ready for purchase NOW!!!!!

We are really excited to finally be able to provide our loyal followers with something more! We have had HEAPS of people contact us asking for merchandise so we've thrown together a couple of things!!

🍻 DucruznOz Stubby Coolers $10 + $4.95 postage & handling

🔅 DucruznOz stickers $3 Inc. postage

PM us to purchase (no fancy websites to purchase from at this stage 🤪)

Let us know what you think and if you have any other suggestions of what you'd love to see!!!

15/08/2022

📍 Mataranka Springs, NT 📍

We have crossed the border again, into NT for the 2nd time this "lap" and still our sticker remains. We pushed through to Mataranka Springs for a stay during the actual season (last time was empty) and it was worth it. With only unpowered sites available we were still keen (thanks to lithium) as it was Territory Day (one day a year for legal fireworks) and the fireworks were plenty. Everyone did not dissapoint as there was hours of fireworks with live music, massive fire and a great family atmosphere.... oh and there are some hot springs too (see last years post, ha ha).

Unfortunately the weather wasn't the best with rain on the cards, but cleared enough for the evening's festivities. My day was filled with installing a diesel heater in the wet as this would have been the only time to do it.

If you are liking our posts/travels make sure to jump over to YouTube and check out our channel.
https://youtube.com/c/DucruznOZ

13/08/2022

📍 WYNDHAM, W.A 📍

We missed checking Wyndham out when we were last in Kununurra so we took this opportunity to check it out. Located about 50kms north of Kununurra lies the most northerly town in Western Australia. Coming into the town you are met with the gigantic crocodile statue and also a must is the Croc Cafe for beautiful pies and pastries 🥧🥮

Take a long swerving drive up to the 5 rivers lookout at sunset for an amazing view and even see some local rock wallabies jumping around. Make sure to check it out next time you are near Kununurra.

Next on the list is some exploring around Kununurra and finding some cool hidden spots, make sure to jump over to YouTube to watch all of our episodes.

13/07/2022

🔥 FIRE PITS 🔥

Check out our review on the Campfire Defender Pop-Up Firepit!

This pit is lightweight, durable and great for the 'on the road' lifestyle.
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If you are loving our posts and videos why not pop on over to YouTube and subscribe to our channel or follow us on instagram and facebook!! That way you won't miss out on our weekly episodes!! Thanks so much for all the support!! 😃

https://youtu.be/zA0jok1Ye6U

In this quick video I will run through the setup/pack up of the collapsible firepit's that we have been using for the last year. I will go through the pro's...

13/07/2022

📍 WOLFE CREEK METEORITE CRATER, WA 📍

Another place we have always heard about and never stopped into! Wolfe Creek Crater is about 150km South of Halls Creek along a corrigated, dusty road!

We opted to take the caravan in and stay the night which was a great decision. As the FREE camping ground was great! There are 10 sites, all of various sizes and even though there were more then 10 campers there the night we were there everyone still fit in somewhere! The campground has clean drop toilets and is a short walk away from the Crater.

The walk up to the rim of the Crater is only about 300m and not at all difficult so we went up a couple of times to view it in different light. Sunrise was by far the best experience and the view of the sun coming up over the rim of the Crater was just beautiful!

12/07/2022

We say this everyday.........

Get out while you're young!

08/07/2022

📍 CAPE KERAUDREN, WA 📍

Another place we cruised past 12 months ago and have been itching to get to!

This low cost camp had plenty of options for camping, depending what you're into! There was a big open, field like area you could pitch a tent, cliff side views or the very crowded main camping area if you like a chat. However, we opted for a quieter little space down by the creek which was perfect for us!

At just $10/adult and $3/child per night (plus $12 entry fee) this was the perfect spot to watch the massive tide changes, relax and do some fishing straight from the caravan awning!

A spot worth a few days stop over!