Steve and Carol left England 21 years ago with two kids and a simple deal: give it a go, and if it doesn't work out, you can always go back. They've never looked back.Since then they've lived in a van, done what they like to call a half lap of Australia, and been buzzed by an Air Force plane.Steve and Carol dropped in to the Peaceful Place on the Fraser Coast for a holiday from Brisbane, and we pulled up a couple of chairs for a yarn.In this one:Two years living in the van, and why you can't do a lap in three months.Three weeks stuck at Green Hill Lake, across the water from Ararat Jail, with the fish-and-chip shop for company.The day an Air Force plane buzzed them on the road into Katherine, and why nobody got it on a dash cam.Leaving England, and what friends back home say now: "I wish I did that."A Land Rover that needed rescuing, a long tow home from Elliott Heads, and the Ranger that came next.How they found the Peaceful Place on Wikicamps, and the sunset they still hadn't seen.Stopped for a While is an audio storytelling podcast from MacMouth Media. Caravan travellers, grey nomads and retirees pull up at the Peaceful Place on the Fraser Coast near Hervey Bay and tell the stories behind their journeys. Find every episode wherever you get your podcasts.

Peter has been a bank lender, a floor and wall tiler for 45 years, and a fixture around Corowa and Mansfield. He tells us how a table for one at the Tin Can Bay yacht club turned into a second chance at love — and why every September he walks 78 kilometres for the 78 Australians lost to pancreatic cancer each week.

Peter lost his wife of over 50 years to pancreatic cancer just eight weeks after her diagnosis. Since then he's raised thousands for Pankind's Remember September campaign, and he wants more people to know the numbers behind it.

Support the cause any time of year: https://www.rememberseptember.org.au

Stopped for a While is the podcast about the travellers who roll into the Peaceful Place on the Fraser Coast, just north of Hervey Bay, and the stories they bring with them. Brought to you by MacMouth Media.

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New van, three months in, and already learning the hard way. Blue and Jenny from Rockhampton stop in to swap stories about off-grid mishaps, a flooded campsite from decades back, thieving goannas, and the slow-travel Tassie trip they're counting down to. Pull up a chair.

Wayne, Vikki and Astro pull up at the Peaceful Place and share their full-time travelling story. Wayne retired at 59, bought a caravan, and—with Vikki as chief itinerary planner—set off to explore Australia at their own pace.

In this episode, we talk about their 50,000 kilometres on the road, the Nullarbor, Kalgoorlie, Fremantle, Margaret River, a memorable run of wild weather, and the strange experience of watching the sun rise on the “wrong” side of the country.

It’s a relaxed yarn about retirement, family, freedom, caravanning, and making the most of the chance to get out there.

Subscribe for more stories from the travellers who stop for a while at the Peaceful Place.

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Mark swapped 30 years on the railways for a paintbrush, a Jayco, and his big dog Ned. He's not waiting for retirement — he's out chasing sunsets and painting the Aussie bush, red dirt and all. No timeframe, no plan, just the road. This one's got tomcats, lost licences, and the kind of yarns that only happen when you stop for a while.

Welcome back to Stopped for a While, the podcast about the travelers who roll into the Peaceful Place on the Fraser Coast, just north of Hervey Bay, and the stories they bring with them.

This episode, Barry sits down with Bryan and Cath — grey nomads currently living out their "If Not Now, When?" tour after 30+ years in South Australia. They share how they first crossed paths at 15 and 16 in high school, lost touch, and reconnected years later in a Darwin pub. From a 14-foot caravan with two kids in the '90s to today's big lap around Australia, they talk near-misses with a five-year-old grandchild's birthday, close calls with real estate near the beach, and why "everything's within cooee of everything else" out here.

Plus: a shampoo-and-conditioner mix-up worthy of the Peaceful Place bush telegraph, a tribute to the park's veteran community and the local RSL sub-branch, and a teaser for the next guest — Mark, another ex-rail worker following in Cliff's footsteps.

🎧 New episodes drop regularly — subscribe so you don't miss the next yarn.🌐 stopforawhile.com.au | Facebook & Instagram

Stoped for a While is brought to you by Mac Mouth Media, with music by Ben Clayton.

Episode 18 of Stopped for a While pulls into Serenity Caravan Park on the Fraser Coast, where host Barry sits down with Cliff — a former Queensland Rail linesman whose 32-year career ended after a serious on-the-job back injury. Cliff shares his journey from working the tracks around Brisbane to rebuilding his life on a disability pension, all while staying close to family (helping out at his son-in-law's air conditioning business) and returning to the beaches near Tugun that he's visited since childhood. The conversation turns to good-natured fishing rivalry, an infamous e-scooter face-plant at a caravan park party, and the unpretentious joys of van life on a budget. Plus: birthday shoutouts to local legend Rob, and musings on the unpredictable 2026 travel season along the highway.

Join us for a true-blue Aussie yarn in this episode, where Mark, Lorren, and James stumble into The Peaceful Place by pure chance—and reckon it’s the best detour they’ve ever made! From Rob’s noisy renos to surprise run-ins with old mates and a Porsche towing a 22-foot van (yeah, you read that right), it’s a classic mix of laughs, stories, and that unbeatable Aussie community spirit. Whether you’re a seasoned traveller or just love a good chinwag, this episode packs in all the mishaps and magic you’d expect from life on the road. Listen in for a dose of outback warmth, larrikin humour, and tales that’ll make you feel right at home.