Ten years, thousands of kilometres and countless adventures across Australia. For Tez and Dezza, their 2015 Retreat caravan, affectionately known as Mabel, has become much more than a caravan — she’s part of the family.
2026 is a milestone year for Retreat Caravans as we celebrate 20 years of building caravans for Australian adventures.
But it’s also a special year for two long-time members of the Retreat family.
Tez and Dezza, from Tez & Dezza’s Outback Adventures, are celebrating 10 years with their Retreat caravan, Mabel.
Over the past decade, they’ve explored some of Australia’s most spectacular destinations, tackled plenty of challenging roads and built friendships with fellow Retreat owners along the way.
And after everything Mabel has been through, their assessment is pretty simple:
“In ten years, it’s never let us down. It has been perfect.”
From Tents to a Retreat Caravan
Camping has always been part of Tez’s life.
Growing up, his dad regularly took him camping, with tents being the standard way to explore. As he got older, boating and fishing became another big part of his life.
A caravan wasn’t necessarily the original plan.
As Tez’s interest in drones grew, however, Dezza pointed out that a caravan would make the perfect base for their adventures.
As Tez admits now, she was right.
Before buying, they hired a couple of caravans to work out exactly what suited the way they wanted to travel.
Eventually, they decided a full-size caravan was the way to go.
That decision led them to Retreat — and to Mabel.
Ten years later, Tez reckons he may have ended up enjoying caravan life even more than Dezza.
Ten Years Exploring Australia
When Tez and Dezza talk about travelling, you quickly realise they’re not afraid of putting some kilometres behind them.
Work commitments generally limit them to two or three weeks away at a time, so when the opportunity comes, they make it count.
They’ve travelled extensively throughout Western Australia and ventured far beyond it.
Their adventures have included Kununurra, Lake Argyle, the Gibb River Road, Mitchell Falls, Coral Bay, Uluru, South Australia and the Nullarbor, along with countless destinations in between.
One trip perfectly sums up their approach.
With just two weeks available, they left Mandurah and headed north to Kununurra, where they spent five nights.
Then came a decision.
Head back towards Broome or turn towards Uluru?
They tossed a coin.
Uluru won.
From there, they continued through Port Augusta and South Australia before crossing the Nullarbor and making their way home — all within two weeks.
It’s a lot of driving, but that’s part of the appeal for Tez and Dezza.
“The driving’s 90% of the journey.”
And having a caravan they trust behind them makes those kilometres a lot easier.
The Places That Keep Calling Them Back
Ask Tez to nominate a favourite destination and there are plenty of contenders.
Little Mertens Falls, near Mitchell Falls on the Gibb River Road, sits right near the top of the list.
For Tez, it’s one of those places that captures exactly why they love exploring Australia — spectacular scenery, waterfalls and the feeling of being surrounded by nature.
Lake Argyle and Kununurra are other favourites, while Coral Bay stands out for a different reason.
It’s not only the location. It’s the people.
Pull up, get settled and it doesn’t take long before you’re sharing a drink and a conversation with the people camped nearby.
That’s become an important part of travelling for Tez and Dezza.
The destinations might get you on the road, but often it’s the people you meet along the way that you remember.
Why Mabel Works for Tez & Dezza
After 10 years together, Tez and Dezza know exactly what they like about their Retreat.
Their layout provides the open feeling they wanted from a caravan.
Rather than an ensuite positioned through the middle of the van, they prefer the sense of space their layout provides.
There’s plenty of cupboard space, a comfortable east-west bed and, most importantly, it feels like home.
“It’s roomy. It’s comfort.”
Mabel hasn’t simply been maintained over those 10 years either.
Tez and Dezza have continued updating and looking after the caravan, keeping her in excellent condition while adapting her to suit the way they travel.
She’s been used properly, too.
Corrugations and challenging roads are part of exploring Australia, but Tez is a firm believer in driving to the conditions and looking after the caravan along the way.
As he puts it:
“Tyres are expendable. Your caravan’s not.”
After a decade of travelling, Mabel continues to do exactly what they bought her to do.
Setting Up Is a Team Sport
After this many years on the road, Tez and Dezza have setting up camp down to a fine art.
They each know their jobs.
One works outside while the other gets things organised inside. Blocks go into position, solar panels come out when they’re needed and everything seems to happen almost automatically.
There is, however, one particularly important rule.
If the legs go down, it’s time for a beer.
There may also have been a long-standing negotiation regarding who empties the toilet — but we’ll leave that one between Tez and Dezza.
The important thing is that after 10 years, they’ve developed their own rhythm.
It’s part of what makes caravanning together work.
Building the Retreat Community in WA
Tez and Dezza’s contribution to Retreat extends beyond their own travels.
For around 10 years, Tez has also been involved in running the Retreat & Galaxy Caravan Club of WA Facebook group.
Despite the name, Tez doesn’t really consider it a formal club.
It’s a community.
It’s somewhere owners can connect, share experiences, ask questions and meet people they may later bump into somewhere on the road.
Those connections are one of the things Tez and Dezza have come to value most.
You might meet someone through the group and months later find yourselves camped nearby, sharing stories and catching up over a drink.
That’s what the Retreat community is all about.
10 Years With Mabel. 20 Years of Retreat.
There’s something fitting about Tez and Dezza celebrating their own milestone during Retreat Caravans’ 20th anniversary year.
For half of Retreat’s 20-year history, Mabel has been part of their adventures.
She’s travelled thousands of kilometres, tackled corrugations, crossed the country, served as their home away from home and helped Tez and Dezza experience places many Australians only dream about visiting.
But perhaps the best way to describe their relationship with Mabel comes directly from Tez:
“Our caravan means the world to us. We love our caravan. Retreat’s done a brilliant job of it.”
After 10 years, there’s still plenty of Australia left to explore.
And wherever Tez and Dezza decide to head next, you can be fairly confident Mabel won’t be far behind.
Watch Tez & Dezza’s Full Story
Hear directly from Tez and Dezza as they share their favourite destinations, their life on the road, the story behind Mabel and what 10 years of Retreat ownership has meant to them.
