Bondi Rescue Boys Wedding Escape with Corey Oliver
Me (Corey Oliver), well i’ve been a Lifeguard for the past 16 years at Bondi Beach and haven’t looked back. From the early days of chasing dreams of competitive body boarding & a huge love of the outdoors, the ocean, travelling and freedom to live my life, working on the beach couldn’t have made it any easier. The Endless Summer!! Meeting so many travellers has kept the travel dream alive and well. I’ve done a couple of road trips recently & using a Cruisin Motorhome in Tasmania got me hooked!!! I’m a definite convert and i know the boys & other mates are looking at making bookings in the near future. Here is a photo of me with the Hoff!
Rob Palmer is a very successful advertising photographer, who loves his surfing, being active, and never a shy bone in his body. A very well mannered man, who has a huge zest for adventure and finding his boundaries Rob & his wife Sophia, recently released a cooking/travel book based around Sophia’s French Moroccan background, called “Colour Of Moroc”. This is an amazing book and be ready for a possible TV series to follow.
Jose Marquina has found himself to be a very sought after TV Advertising Director. Over the past few years, he’s worked his way up from the bottom & his meticulous style of having all his ducks in a row is definitely paying off. Galavanting all over the world and seeing some amazing places along the way. Albeit in only a few days time and running like a mad man. This career was a massive turn around from being a well respected big wave chaser and competitive body boarder for many years. I’m sure he’s found is artistic calling & enjoying every minute of it.
The Boys Trip
Where do we begin? A Boys trip with super fun waves, countless amounts of laughter, friends, great weather and an amazing wedding in Byron Bay’s Hinterland to top it all off.
There was so much hype around it all. The boys would be Cruisin’ in a campervan! Jose, used to living out of a suitcase, was a definite, but Rob, more of the hotelier type, was 50/50. It wasn’t until Rob’s ‘Plan A’ of cushy boutique holidaying fell through that he was forced to commit to the van and he’ll be the first to admit that it was for the best.
Rob & I started on our Postie motorbikes with our surfboards precariously strapped over our shoulders and dodging Sydney rush hour traffic all the way to the Airport from Bondi. We stashed the bikes, checked in and couldn’t wait to get underway. Goldie here we come!!
When we finally set our eyes on the VW 6 berth Discovery wasn’t it a sight! A TV, shower, toilet, gas cookers, fridge, 3 comfortable beds and storage galore. With the trusty German auto engineering the camper went like a dream and was so easy to get used to driving. The surf was flat and the wind was blowing so there was nothing to do but cruise the streets in our new mobile home and get stuck into some man shopping- Body Science, Billabong, Kirra Surf and finally the bottle-O to stock the fridge.
The first night was a little windy, but with a few celebratory beers under my belt and some serious snoring, I didn’t hear a thing. Rob let me know otherwise Whoops!!!! We woke up in front of Hasting Point, just south of the Qld/NSW border & the day couldn’t have gotten any better. 3 surfs later, separated only by cooking breaks in the back of the van and Rob pretending to read The Economist, we cracked out the Gin and Tonics on the hill and basked in the sun. Not once did we need to leave our spot all day but we watched as so many others had to. Such a shame
Byron bound and ready meet the clan, everyone stoked to see each other & get ready for the Wedding, but there was one topic for the weekend- The Cruisin’ Campervan!! Everyone had to investigate and see it for themselves. Pretty sure we’ve converted a few and made them jealous at the same time!
Jose, the late arrival, finally joined us after stepping off the red-eye from a job in Perth. This bloke is full blown OCD. Within an hour the van had been cleaned and polished from top to bottom, Rob and I were perfectly happy to let him go for it. Whatever keeps him happy.
Dinner & drinks with the Grooms side was well behaved and most peeled away at midnight. Mind you, Rob and others had different plans & thought it would be a fun idea to bring back a mini party, at 4am! The bed we’d carefully made for him was met with a “where’s the table? We can’t drink on a bloody bed!” and before Jose and I had time to even lift our heads, it’s been pulled apart by a crew of booze hounds looking for a corner to sink a few beers in. As punishing as it was, I must admit it was a very funny situation!!! We had the last laugh though as the sun rose and we hit the road heading to Tallows for a last Grooms party surf with a semi-passed out Rob bouncing around in the back,,,,,, Baaaaahahahaha!!
The stunning day was fitting for the Wedding that would unfold in Fig Tree, Ewingsdale. Barely a cloud in sight & a balmy Byron Bay climate kept it to perfection. The procession & festivities was amazing to be a part of & am so happy for the newly weds Jason & Eliza and their Families.
The best thing we found about having the Camper, was not needing to go home to reload. We visited friends we’ve not seen for ages & got to have more time to relax. We could cook healthy foods where ever we wanted to, shower at ease, had great music the whole way and so much fun! The van was a great way to keep people together and entertain others at will.
The boys in the van were loving it and to have the freedom of movement, surfing where ever you wanted to stop, food at your fingertips and not having to return to your hotel room, made it such a perfect way to travel!!!
Can’t wait for the next adventures and a massive thanks to Crusin’ Motorhomes for such an amazing van!!
