On the road to youthful adventure

After seven months on the road, eighteen-year old Sam Hughes says more young Australians will look to the outback before heading overseas.

‘When young people have the option of international travel again, I don’t think they will rush overseas,’ says Sam Hughes, 18, on a visit to Darwin. Picture: Helen Orr

After almost seven months on the road, Sam Hughes, 18, is sure of one thing: more young Australians will want to explore the Outback when the pandemic ends.

In March Hughes loaded his belongings into a 60-year-old Chamberlain tractor, hitched a trailer carrying a boat and gyrocopter, and left his family’s cattle farm in Queensland to see as much of the country as he could.

“I didn’t have much of a plan, he says. “All I knew was I wanted to hit the road and explore.”

From Cairns to Cloncurry and Mount Isa to Darwin, Hughes says, his only ambition has been to visit as many locations as he can and “help some people out along the way”.

With his pet kelpie by his side, Hughes has traversed more than 6000km of northern Australia in a tractor that covers “42km an hour on a good day”.

Throughout his travels, he says, he has been struck by the number of young people who have risked border restrictions and snap lockdowns to explore the remote hinterland.

“I’ve been surprised at how many young people I’ve encountered on the road,” Hughes says.

“I’ve met all sorts of people, but a lot of them are young, like me, and just want to visit their own backyard.

“I know we’re living through a pandemic, but I reckon young folks want to take advantage of seeing the outback.

“When young people have the option of international travel again, I don’t think they will rush overseas. From what I’ve seen there is an appetite to explore the outback, even during a pandemic. Instead of Europe, I reckon they will visit places closer to home.”

Undaunted by Covid-19, ­Hughes says he received two doses of vaccine at Mount Isa and he has no plans to return home any time soon.

“Lockdown has never played a part in my mind. I feel privileged to travel at a time when most people can’t and I want to make the most of that.”

Currently in Darwin, Hughes says he is preparing to escape the northern capital before the arrival of the wet season.

“I’m thinking of heading west, but I’m not sure yet. All I know is I’m excited for the next leg of the adventure.”