By William Coleman
Today was a very interesting, and that’s putting it very mildly. There has been some issues at the non EU borders but the Turkish/Bulgaria had to be the most problematic of them all. Every cloud does have a silver lining as I got to spend a good amount of time with the guys from Bailey Australia.
At Kamp Sahill just outside Istanbul we all had a very early start so there was no time to stand ceremony and it was every man for himself when it came to warm showers. Being the solid British gentleman I am I went last and had a nice ice shower, which woke me up with extreme prejudice.
We were presented with a traditional Turkish breakfast which consisted of 3 types of cheese, olives, bread and and boiled egg. Everything a growing boy needs to start his day properly.
This should have been another mile heavy day with a planned arrival at Camping Veliko I’m Bulgaria for 10am. Well let’s just say that things really did jog go to plan at all and we ended up arriving on site at 4:10am local time.
The drive to the border was amazing as turkey is such an amazing landscape, visually stunning with roads ten times better than the UK. Not a pothole in site.
Due to the monumental issues we had at the Bosnian, Montenegrin, Albanian and Macedonia borders we made sure we were fully prepared for what could be a not of a troubled crossing back into the beautiful EU. Despite our best efforts it took just over 8 hours to get into Bulgaria from Turkey.
How does one keep entertained as well as keeping the team moral in high spirits in such a long and dreary situation? You hop in a Bailey Pegasus GT70 with Bailey Australia’s Managing Director and National Marketing Manager Adrian and Lance Van Geelen.
CT– So you guys joined as in Gallipoli. How have you found your first few days?
Adrien– It’s been a real privilege to join the group on what is clearly a unique event that one would normally never do. It’s a great team that are working really well together and clearly demonstrating the amazing lifestyle that Caravaning offers.
Lance The first few days have been really enjoyable and an eye opening with great experiences and it’s been fun to tow on European roads. Europe is much older than Australia, full of history and sights to see.
CT– The terrain and landscape in Australia is quite a lot different from the UK. What design and manufacturing differences are there between your leisure vehicles and ours?
Adrian– The Australian versions of Bailey Caravans are designed for the unique environment of Australia and the wide availability of wild camping that is prevalent across Australia. As such the majority of differences between the vans is based on this element however at the core of every Bailey is the Alu-Tech body shell system that enables us all to enjoy the great outdoors. A few of the alterations we have include a higher ground clearance to allow for off-road work, larger water tanks, and a bespoke chassis to allow for the increased payload and cope with the fore mentioned.
Lance– When it comes to caravanning the Australian dream is the freedom to disappear and Wild Camp around the country, as such our leisure vehicles cater for this dream. Australian Designed Bailey caravans have larger water tanks, and larger payload capacities. We provide large solar provisions, additional batteries and a wide arrange of options to allow our customers to camp their way
CT– We’ve crossed 3 countries since you joined us. What’s been your trio highlight so far? Has it been the Turkish border crossing?
Adrian– I’m not sure you’d call crossing the Turkish Border a highlight due to the 8hr delay etc however the team was amazing the way the coped, were patient and didn’t let anything bother them, it was a credit to all and showed the ‘spirit’ of the team.
Lance– The 8 hour Turkish border crossing was an experience but not particularly a highlight. Our day in Istanbul would have to be a highlight as we were spoiled with fantastic sights. The blue Mosque was impressive and the streets in general, you can see the history Istanbul has. I also have to mention the Bristanbul team has been a very big highlight everyone has handled challenging situations fantastic and there’s a great mate-ship between all.
CT– From what I heard you had a bit of a travelling experience getting to Gallipoli?
Adrien– The roads in Australia are very different from Istanbul and after so many hours travelling to get to Istanbul and then jump in a car for the 4hr drive to Gallipoli was a culture shock to say the least. We’re not used to turning 2 lanes into 4, people selling food in the middle of the ‘expressway’ but still it works and people just get along – wow, throw your drivers manual out the window and just join in….
Lance– Yep, we sure did. The first thing everyone should check when picking up a foreign GPS is that it’s set to the fastest time travelled not the shortest path. Otherwise you might find your way off the motorway and down some very unkept dirt roads in remote Gallipoli villages. Once to get through that driving in a foreign country is a fun & unique experience where patience and going with the flow is paramount.
CT– What does it mean for Bailey Australia to join the Bristol based Bailey adventure?
Adrien– In a nutshell it shows the strong bond and connection between Aust and the UK. It’s incredible for any company to celebrate 70 years of heritage and to be part of that is special. We may be a very young company in Australia but Bailey is committed to the Aust market and will be a player down under for another 70 years.
Lance– It’s a privilege and exciting to be able to celebrate our groups 70th Anniversary. It’s not often all company’s make it this far and to be able to make a product and provide people with a lifestyle that they thoroughly enjoy with a passion for that long is what it’s all about. To be able to join and share the group’s journey is rewarding and we hope people see this trip and take the inspiration to travel greater Europe in their Bailey caravans.
CTOne more question before we all set off. What’s your advice for anyone wanting to tour Australia in a motorhome or caravan? Any sites that are a must visit?
Adrien– There are so many and it wouldn’t be fair to suggest one over the other, just come on down and enjoy the warmer weather, great food and amazing sights.
Lance– My advice for anyone wanting to travel to Australia in a motorhome and caravan is to plan plan plan. Make sure you plan your trip properly, have an understanding of the distances between destinations and plan your petrol stops as you can be hundreds of kilometres before the next petrol station. It’s definitely a unique country worth seeing and there’s no better way to see it in than travelling the country in a motorhome or caravan.
