When planning her own Big Lap, Rose Foster found herself looking for a product that didn’t exist.
“I found myself searching for a product that would allow me to plan a Big Lap, find the hidden gems and act as a planner/journal for my trip,” Rose said.
“What I found were two options: the Instagram pages and YouTube channels of fellow Big Lappers and general travel information not specifically suited to full-time or long-term travellers.”
For Rose, neither option cut it.
Initially, the Big Lap Bible was an Instagram page and website that sought to bring together the stories and experiences of Big Lappers.
“We brought together all of the stories people were sharing to create a much more well-presented, comprehensive and ultimate guide for Big Lappers. Then, we moved this into a physical format with the first edition of the BLB published in November 2020.”
Forty ‘local area experts’ were invited to consult and provide the ‘best bits’ of each region. Rose said the reason for this is that she wanted to make sure people knew about the touristy things, and make sure they were aware of local secrets and hidden gems — exploring off the beaten track is the prerogative of our demographic.
“We launched the first edition during COVID because we had seen the commentary on our social media of people not being able to go overseas,” Rose said. “There was a big uptake of people changing their plans and travelling Australia which was great for the BLB.” The first edition sold 7500 copies.
For the second edition, more contributors were invited to provide information about each region and there are more state maps, provided by Hema Maps, as well as:
- A more comprehensive view of what camping is like in the area and advice on the best free and paid camps.
- More information for dog owners such as dog-friendly locations.
- More information for families such as kid-friendly beaches and playgrounds and so on.
- Region maps to give people a means to get their bearings.
- Bucket lists — allowing Lappers to tick off the best experiences/places/attractions Australia has to offer.
To help travellers pre, during and post their Big Lap, the fill-in-able planning, tracking and memory pages and other handy sections make the Big Lap Bible an essential travel companion.
We asked Rose for her top five pieces of advice for someone who’s about to start their Big Lap:
1. Get the right setup for you. You don’t need the newest car or camper — you just need the right setup for you. Consider your travel style, where you’ll want to stay and where you’ll want to explore as that might also influence your setup.
2. Have a loose plan but know you probably won’t stick to it. It is a really good idea to have a rough plan of your lap — the events you want to go to, the camps you want to stay at, the ‘must dos’ for you and how long you’ll want to stay in each place. This will really give you a good starting point. But don’t be afraid to go off script. You might like a place more than you thought and want to stay longer. You may want to move to the next place quicker, for example.
3. Don’t overpack. When you’re packing your life into a camper, it can be tempting to pack everything and the kitchen sink! But don’t. Firstly, you have your weights to consider. Secondly, you won’t use as much as you think you will. So, if you find yourself packing something ‘just in case,’ maybe leave it behind.
4. Just do it. We have asked this very same question to our community in the past and the response is always to just take the plunge. So many people dream of doing the Big Lap and either never get past the planning stage or back out as they approach their departure date. But our community says: ‘Just do it!’
5. Buy the Big Lap Bible! It will be your Big Lap BFF!
The Big Lap Bible is the ultimate travel companion of information for travellers planning the greatest road trip of their lives. It is available via the Hema Maps website.