“It’s good for your soul”: Agent couple embark on rural road trip

After a gruelling lockdown period, a NSW-based travel agent couple has jumped at the opportunity to get back out there with a special road trip.

“Having done all our online training on Australian destinations, we thought it’s time to get out there and see our own backyard,” said Jenny Cooper, who along with her husband Jim owns Queanbeyan City Travel & Cruise.

The two set off this month to explore the backroads of their state. However, not everything went according to plan.

“We borrowed a friend’s Winnebago, affectionately known as Gus, made up a sign promoting our hometown and embarked on a DIY educational,” Cooper said.

The plan was to help support smaller towns, discover new experiences and pay some surprise visits to fellow Travellers Choice members. She also wanted to capture “little video grabs” of the people and places they visited and post them to the agency’s Facebook page.

Jim and Jenny catching up with fellow TC members Mudgee Travel & Cruise.

There were plenty of highlights, including the tiny village of Sofala, which claims to be Australia’s oldest surviving gold mining town, the charming coastal hideaway of Sawtell and the well-preserved town of Gulgong, home to around 130 National Trust-listed buildings and the country’s oldest operating opera house.

The intrepid couple even took Gus for a spin around the Mount Panorama racing circuit outside Bathurst.

While much of the scenery was spectacular, Cooper said the two-week trip also opened their eyes to how regional areas are struggling.

“Many of the towns have done amazingly well to re-invent themselves and they are so friendly. But it was also clear that the drought and the coronavirus have hit them hard,” she said.

“There are a lot of people battling mental health issues, including depression.

“I tried many times to video locals saying ‘come and see us’, but a lot of them couldn’t do it without dissolving into tears. I had to cry myself every couple of days because we were just coming across people who were doing it so tough.”

In the end, the journey had to be cut short when Cooper stumbled in Umina and broke her ankle and wrist. She said the incident hasn’t dampened the couple’s enthusiasm for regional road trips.

Jenny down, but not out.

“When things settle down we are going to do a two-week tour of Victoria by car, stay in motels and caravan parks and have a good look around,” she said.

“In the meantime, I’d encourage other agents to hit the road. Let’s face it: we’ve all got plenty of time on our hands and nothing compares to getting out there and exploring for yourself.

“More than anything, it’s just really good for your soul.”

Advertise with us

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

Jenny Cooper Jim Cooper Queanbeyan City Travel & Cruise Road Trip travel agents travellers choice