Guided tours for grey nomads

Like the idea of the grey nomad lifestyle, but don't own an RV? Or perhaps you want to tour the countryside and enjoy some bush camping, but don't want the hassle of driving and cooking?

A new motorhome business based in South Australia may be able to help. Set up by long-time travellers, Graham and Julie Meyer, Chauffeured Motorhomes is an RV rental business with a twist, offering guided and catered package tours in the comfort of a large eight berth luxury motorhome.

After a lifetime of travelling together as a couple, and on the verge of retirement, the Meyers came up with the idea of offering luxury personalised travel for seniors.

"We’ve seen a lot of Australia and want to see more and we love sharing our experiences with others," explains Graham. "The chauffeured motorhome concept seemed a great way to do both."

A 10.6m long, American-built Coachmen Mirada motorhome was chosen for its size and layout. Its flat floor, which runs from the front captain's chairs to the queen bed, ensuite and rear bunks at the rear, also makes it suitable for older and less mobile travellers.

The motorhome has lockers to store walking aids, or a trailer can be hitched up to carry mobility scooters if necessary.

Unlike bus tours, there's a maximum of four guests on each trip and each has a say in designing a flexible itinerary.

"Guests are helped on board with their luggage, we unpack it into the wardrobes and drawers in their cabin, then the luggage disappears until they arrive back home," says Graham.

Julie says the couple recognised a need for simplified travel from their work with a local community bus.

"There's a lot of very motivated seniors out there, brains as sharp as ever but slowed with mobility issues. This doesn’t stop them from wanting to travel but does limit their options," she says.

"To put it simply, Graham and I are their hosts for the duration of the ride, they have hired the vehicle and our services, we strive to see they have a memorable experience doing what they want to do."

The deal includes catered meals from a range of menus, although guests can join in the cooking if they desire.

"We're quite happy to take them on a local camping trip for a couple days right through to a serious 21 day road trip to Uluru and Kakadu," says Julie.

"We have a base charge that starts from around $100 a day per person with on-board outgoings being paid at cost by the guests."

Check out the website for further details.