The Art of Free Travel A Frugal Family Adventure

Patrick, Meg and their family had built a happy, sustainable life in regional Victoria. But in late 2013 they found themselves craving an adventure: a road trip. But theirs was a road trip with a difference. With Zephyr (11), Woody (1) and Zero their Jack Russell, they set off on an epic 6,000km year-long cycling journey along Australia’s east coast, from Daylesford to Cape York and back. Their aim was to live as cheaply as possible – guerrilla camping, hunting, foraging and bartering their permaculture skills, and living on a diet of free food, bush tucker, and the occasional fresh roadkill. They spent time in Aboriginal communities, joined an anti-fracking blockade, documented edible plants, and dodged speeding cars and trucks on the country’s most dangerous highways. The Art of Free Travel is the remarkable story of a rule-breaking year of ethical living.

Patrick Jones is an artist, poet, permaculturist, essayist and blogger. His favorite bush tucker is hand-speared coal-cooked fish. Meg Ulman is an artist, community gardener, fermenter, blogger, and writer. Meg’s favorite bush tucker is the burdekin plum.