Nick Mckechnie, Elenya Dixon give up the rat race to travel Australia

Port Macquarie couple Elenya Dixon and Nick Mckechnie are realising a dream that many of us are too scared to realise: they packed up and took off.

The young couple were fed up with their constant work cycles. They wanted more from their lives.

After renting out their just-built home in Wauchope, the 22 year olds set a date to travel around Australia.

And to answer that first question that popped into your head: how can you afford it? The couple have some advice.

"Don't wait until you think you have enough money. Because that will never happen," the couple said.

"You will be surprised how little you really do need. We started out with a car and a caravan and we've worked out what we need as we go along.

"We have this motto: fill your life with adventures not things, have stories to tell and not stuff to show."

With an already established love of the outdoors and an adventurous spirit, the couple say their decision can be replicated by anyone.

"There is a travelling situation for everyone. Our thing was to show people that it is doable," Nick said.

"We have built a house, we have a mortgage. So while it is scary – very scary – it is totally worth it."

Elenya is a nurse while Nick is a carpenter and they have topped up their kitty working at occasional jobs as they travel.

They are currently at Airlie Beach.

Once the wet season is finished, their plan is to travel to the cape and around the gulf before heading to the Kimberley Ranges.

They plan to be somewhere on the west coast by the end of 2019.

The couple said they found getting into the groove of travelling and knowing that you don't have to go to work as being difficult at first.

"You are always taught that you have to work and make money, so that was the biggest hurdle to get over," Elenya said.

"But we have settled down and have accepted that this is our lifestyle now.

"The easiest thing to do is to wake up in the morning and get ready for our next destination.

"We have already covered a bit of ground and ticked off a few things on the bucket list."

And while travelling could mean missing out on time with their respective families, the opposite is the case, says Nick.

"We just spent some time with my family while Elanya's parents met us at Airlie Beach.

"So it is like everyone is on the journey with us. 

"It also helps show everyone that this is doable."

Finding jobs has also been a relatively smooth experience with Elenya picking up work in Townsville within an hour of arriving while Nick found employment inside a week.

"We actually don't spend that much either. Our house is rented out and we only have to put fuel in the truck and food on the table.

"We have actually worked out that it is better off for us to be on the road.

"But we can't imagine going back to 16 hour days. That's just silly hours."

The couple said another bonus of travelling was meeting like-minded people.

"The people we are meeting are actually living life. You never meet a sad traveller

"We are better off from doing this."

You can follow Nick and Elenya's adventure by tracking their journey on Facebook and Instagram by searching for elnick.adventures.

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