Pete & Tan are the kind of duo who make life on the road look like one big adventure filled with creativity, curiosity and a willingness to see where the road leads.
For the past six years, these two have been exploring Australia by caravan, with the last three spent living full-time off-grid in their off-road home on wheels. Rather than rushing from one destination to the next, they’ve embraced a slower way of travelling - lingering in less-travelled places, moving gently with the seasons and taking the time to really experience each place along the way.
With Pete’s background in professional photography and Tan’s roots in the creative industries and eco-arts, Art Zone Travels Off Grid Australia is a natural extension of everything they love. Together, they capture the landscapes, stories and little moments that inspire us to slow down, reconnect with nature and find our own sense of adventure.
We love following along as they explore, create and share what they discover, inspiring others to travel a little more intentionally and create a life that feels meaningful, achievable and true to them.
So, grab a cuppa and settle in as we get to know the duo behind Art Zone Travels Off Grid Australia…
Q&A with Pete & Tan
Q: You’re living what’s considered a dream lifestyle by other people - is it courage, craziness or something else that took you down this trail?
A. All of the above, a little courage, a little craziness, and mostly a willingness to listen to what was quietly calling us.
There’s a real pull to be out there, immersed in nature. It makes you feel so well. There’s a completeness in seeking out new landscapes and feeling truly alive in them. Yes, life on the road is hard work, but the rewards are so worth it when nature gifts you those magical moments that leave you with such a sense of wellbeing, fullness & connection to something far greater than yourself.
Along the way, we’ve found a beautiful community of kindred souls, sharing stories, swapping knowledge and discovering the common threads that bind us all: curiosity, freedom, and a deep love for adventure and nature.
And yes, there is something else that took us down this trail, and that is that we’ve learned the biggest risk is not taking a risk at all. So we keep treading lightly, listening and feeling each place as we go, and following what feels true for this season of our lives.
Q: Favourite camp spot that you wish you never told anyone about?
A. We feel so blessed to live in a country where we can camp almost anywhere and experience so many diverse ecosystems! And there have been too many beautiful spots… impossible, actually, to narrow it down to one.
Our favourite camp spot is actually one we can’t tell anyone about! 😂 Because it’s on a dear friend’s beautiful private property in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, on Gubbi Gubbi Country.
Our camp setup is cushioned by a green grass paddock, nestled near towering Bunya Pines, with Red-tailed Black Cockatoos soaring overhead, a chorus of frogs waking us each morning, and a babbling brook constantly humming by like the sweetest lullaby, with some of the cleanest, freshest air imaginable.
But there’s another place that sits very close to our hearts, Flinders Beach on Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island).
Falling asleep to the constant rhythm of the Pacific Ocean, right there on the beach, is something pretty special. It’s like holding a conch shell to your ear… that gentle, endless hum of the sea, a lullaby of a different kind.
Giant sea eagles gliding above. But overall, it’s the spirit of Quandamooka Country that is truly something else. 🌿🌊
So, yeah, it’s a place you wish you never told anyone about, but at the same time, we want everyone to experience it for themselves.
Q: If you had to choose… would it be an overnight camp in croc territory or midge territory?
A. Definitely croc territory! 😂 At least with crocs, you can see the danger coming and set up camp well away from them… midges are tiny, sneaky and absolutely relentless!
Give us a croc any day over a swarm of midges! 🐊
Q: What’s your biggest camping fail?
A. Oh, the great Noosa washout!
Back in our tent days, when the kids were littler, we decided to bet against the weather, two inches of rain forecast for a week up the coast.
“She’ll be right, let’s see how we go!”
Famous last words.
We were absolutely saturated by day two - kids, tent, the lot!
It was the first and only time that we bet against the weather gods! 😂
And we just laughed, called it quits, rolled up the soggy tent and all the gear, jammed everything in the car and drove home wet as shags.
Still one of our favourite family stories!
Q: Just saying yes and starting is sometimes the biggest hurdle. Any tips for couples dreaming of this lifestyle but having no idea where to start?
A. Firstly, there’s no perfect setup. Every single traveller we know says the same - it’s a constant work in progress, and that’s part of the fun.
You don’t need to have everything sorted before you leave, and you don’t need to own a caravan to begin. Whether it’s just the two of you or a car full of little adventurers, if you’ve ever felt that gentle pull to explore, reset and breathe a little fuller outdoors, you’re already on the path.
Secondly, just be willing to step outside your everyday rhythm, set a date and start somewhere.
Try easing into it with a simple day trip to test your gear and learn what you need, a weekend escape, or a longer road trip to feel your way into what style of travel is true for you and your crew.
Keep dreaming and keep following what’s calling you in a way that feels achievable, meaningful and true to you.
We started in a tent and found our way through camp trailers over the years to the caravan that suits this season of our lives, learning more and more about what we need along the way - treading lightly, listening and feeling each place as we go.
So just go. Get into it.
To us, “Seize the Day” means choosing to live fully in the now, following the pull of adventure, making space for immersing ourselves in Australia’s great outdoors, and not waiting for “someday”.
We have a quote we live by:
“Adventure isn’t defined by distance, what setup you’ve got, or what season of life you’re in, it’s a state of mind.”
Anyone can tap into it.
Anyone can begin, right where they are.
Love,
Pete & Tan xo
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