A newly separated woman overcame her fear of driving to get her P number plate at the age of 43 and then embarked on a van trip around Australia.
Waterhouse Mine I was bored with life South Australiafinancially stressed by cost of living and was in the process of separating from her husband when she bought a second-hand Ford Transit for $19,000.
As a teenager, Mina suffered from amaxophobia – better known as the fear of driving – and never got a permit, even though she always wanted to have a kombi van.
Later in life, he became a sailor and ended up learning to drive a boat before getting behind the wheel of a car..
But since gaining the independence that comes with driving, he’s ventured to countless scenic destinations and even swam with turtles..
Mina Waterhouse overcame her fear of driving to get her P plates at age 43 and then embarked on a van trip around Australia. She loves the freedom and flexibility that life on the road offers.
After learning to drive and buying a Ford Transit for $19,000, he went to the Whitsundays to work as a sailor. He is now back in South Australia during the off-season sailing season.
“I feel like I’m recapturing my life from when I was younger, rediscovering the things I enjoyed then,” says Mina, who goes by the name ‘Australian Van Girl’ on TikTok, he told FEMAIL.
‘On its own, the world is sometimes frightening and discouraging, but it is also full of promise. I love getting into my van and not knowing where the day will take us. And I can follow the path I choose.”
His van life began 12 months ago with a work contract in Whitehaven Beach, Queensland.
‘When it was time to leave for Airlie Beach, I still didn’t know how to drive a manual car. Fortunately, my dad had some time off from work and came with me,” he said.
The van still has no kitchen, shower or running water, but he is looking to expand and insulate the interior.
It currently has a bed, storage, small refrigerator, fan and sunroof. It’s not much, but it’s all you need.
He uses the necessary services at work, where they also provide him with food, or at campsites. But you don’t have internet or hotspots on your phone, which can be a challenge sometimes.
“I feel like I’m getting back to my life from when I was younger, rediscovering the things I enjoyed back then,” Mina told FEMAIL.
The van still has no kitchen, shower or running water, but he is looking to expand and insulate the interior. It currently has a bed, storage, small refrigerator, fan and sunroof.
Mina doesn’t have children, but she likes spontaneous adventures.
‘I don’t follow plans, I never have. “I like to learn and go to new places whenever I please, which is exactly the freedom that life offers,” she said.
‘You have so many options and opportunities to explore. “I hope to visit as many national parks as I can.”
Although she may feel lonely on the road, Mina is content in her own company and never stays in one place for long.
Freedom has also given him a stress-free, rent-free lifestyle, and his only worry is where he will park at night.
Mina doesn’t have children, but she likes spontaneous adventures. ‘I don’t follow plans, I never have. “I like to learn and go to new places whenever I please, which is exactly the freedom that life offers,” she said.
‘I loved my life in Queensland. I worked 11 hours a day on a boat, taking tourists to Whitehaven and giving rides to the Hill Inlet lookout. I had some amazing dinners, walked everywhere and got really fit,” she said.
“I swam with turtles, met all kinds of people, made extensions to my van, put a fan and an awning on the side.”
But it has run into some challenges along the way, including driving in a “dead zone” with no reception.
Mina has also traveled and worked in the mines and along the coast, working as a seasonal deckhand and living in her van.
He is currently exploring South Australia, followed by Fleurieu, Murraylands, then west to Yorke Peninsula, Innes National Park and Eyre Peninsula.
And she plans to continue living in a van until the next adventure calls, wherever that may be.