The Gold Coast would be the place to begin for a year-long Australian highway journey backed by BIG4 Vacation Parks.
Grace Herdman and Matt Millward, each 26-year-old academics from Brisbane, have been named winners of The BIG Aussie Assessment.
The couple had been chosen after BIG4 acquired a whole bunch of purposes from throughout Australia.
From July 6, 2026, Grace and Matt will swap the classroom for a Ford Ranger and Crusader caravan.
They’ll spend 365 nights travelling throughout Australia and staying at BIG4 Vacation Parks nationwide.
Their journey will start on the Gold Coast earlier than transferring alongside the east coast.
From there, they may journey by the High Finish, throughout Western Australia and South Australia, then return east.
The couple will share video, social media and editorial content material alongside the way in which.
Their updates will cowl locations, native eats, vacation parks, roadside stops and lesser-known locations throughout Australia.
The marketing campaign comes as many Australians are nonetheless on the lookout for holidays, regardless of cost-of-living strain.
BIG4 says journey stays a precedence for a lot of households, even when folks must make trade-offs.
For the Gold Coast, the July 6 begin offers the town a transparent place in a nationwide tourism marketing campaign.
It additionally places the area on the entrance of a narrative about native journey, caravan holidays and home tourism.
BIG4 Vacation Parks CEO Sean Jenner stated Australians didn’t want to go away the nation for an incredible break.
“Australians don’t want a passport to have an unimaginable vacation – the very best journeys are proper right here in our personal yard,” Mr Jenner stated.
“However we all know value is a really actual barrier proper now. The BIG Aussie Assessment is our method of claiming: ‘Right here’s the caravan, listed below are the keys, right here’s the funds – simply go.’ Grace and Matt embody precisely the spirit we had been on the lookout for – individuals who discover pleasure within the on a regular basis and may’t wait to share it with the remainder of Australia.”
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The prize package deal is valued at greater than $250,000, giving Grace and Matt a full 12 months of journey assist.
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BIG4 says 47% of Australians rank journey above different discretionary spending, regardless of strain on family budgets.
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BIG4 says 83% of Australians are prepared to make trade-offs to afford a visit.
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Australian travellers are forecast to spend $83 billion on native journey by 2030.
The Gold Coast will host step one in Grace and Matt’s nationwide journey.
That offers the town publicity by BIG4’s web site, social channels and wider marketing campaign content material.
The launch additionally connects the Gold Coast with a broader push for Australians to journey domestically.
Because the couple go away from the Gold Coast, their first updates will assist set the tone for the 12 months forward.
Their journey additionally locations Queensland highway journey in entrance of a nationwide viewers.
Grace and Matt already know life on the highway.
The couple spend many weekends tenting or exploring the Queensland coast.
In addition they accomplished an eight-week highway journey from Brisbane to Melbourne and again through the 2025 and 2026 summer time holidays.
With the college time period on pause for a 12 months, they may now tackle a full lap of Australia.
“We flip something into an journey,” Grace stated.
“Flat tyre? Scenic cease. Rain all weekend? Character constructing. Flawed flip? New plan. We love being outdoor and that is genuinely a dream come true. Wherever BIG4 desires us to go, we’ll be there – and we promise to search out all the very best gems alongside the way in which.”
Their prize package deal is valued at greater than $250,000 and contains:
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A Ford Ranger car, valued at $75,590
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A Crusader Lifechanger Bunkie caravan, valued at $76,287
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365 nights’ lodging throughout BIG4 Vacation Parks nationwide, price about $36,500
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Ampol Amplify Premium Gas for the journey
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A weekly meals allowance
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$10,000 price of Dometic gear
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An iPhone 17 Professional, telephone plan and Starlink satellite tv for pc web plan
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Content material creation gear valued at as much as $8,000
The BIG Aussie Assessment is BIG4 Vacation Parks’ nationwide seek for Australia’s final journey reviewer.
The marketing campaign offers one couple or household 12 months on the highway in Australia.
They keep at BIG4 Vacation Parks and share the locations, folks and on a regular basis vacation moments they discover.
BIG4 has operated for greater than 47 years and has greater than 300 parks throughout Australia.
Its parks cater to households, {couples} and travellers throughout coastal areas, outback cities, wine areas and rainforest places.
The corporate says its focus is on serving to Australians join with Nation, group and native journey.
BIG4 additionally highlights premium facilities, eco-conscious initiatives and simpler vacation planning throughout its community.
Grace and Matt will start their journey from the Gold Coast on July 6, 2026.
Their 12 months on the highway can be shared by big4.com.au/the-big-aussie-review and BIG4’s social channels.
Aussies can even observe the journey by @thebigaussiereview.
Because the journey unfolds, their updates will present how Australians can plan native holidays whereas discovering new locations throughout the nation.
