Life On The Road: Kunu The Bus

Leslie Carvitto•January 9, 2019•5 min read

Blog Cool & Unique RVs Couples Travel RV Lifestyle

Meet Ash and Hayden, the couple behind the Instagram account Kunu the Bus. The duo, currently based in Tasmania, are living and traveling throughout Australia full time in their self-converted 1997 Nissan Civilian bus.

Outdoorsy: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from and where are you going?
Ash: “Hayden is a carpenter who loves to surf and I was in administration before leaving to travel Australia. We are from the Central Coast NSW and are planning on doing a lap of Australia. We are currently in Tasmania and have yet to book a return ticket back to the mainland. We plan on spending a few months here and have family meeting us early in the year.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by A s h & H a y d e n (@kunuthebus) on Nov 10, 2018 at 8:56pm PST

O: How long have you been on the road?
A: “Just over three weeks.”

O: What made Kunu, your 1997 Nissan Civilian, the perfect adventure mobile for you?
A: “When we started saving for a bus/van, we were tossing up between a Toyota Coaster or a Sprinter van when Kunu came up for sale on Facebook—of all places. We had never heard of a Nissan Civilian nor knew anything about them. We took one look at the bus and we knew that we had to have it. After getting a mechanic who specializes in Nissans to take a look, he gave us the all clear and we purchased the bus the next day.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by A s h & H a y d e n (@kunuthebus) on Sep 14, 2018 at 5:06pm PDT

O: How long did it take you to renovate the bus? Did you do it all by yourself?
A: “We took our time and renovated the bus over a 12 month period. We worked on the bus every weekend and, since Hayden is a carpenter, he was able to do all of the work, which saved us money. We watched lots of YouTube videos about the electrical work and I was in charge of painting and decorating.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by A s h & H a y d e n (@kunuthebus) on Dec 25, 2018 at 5:25pm PST

O: You ventured out for shorter trips before taking off on your big trip around Australia. What did those mini trips teach you?
A: “Mainly storage issues that we had. It helped us figure out what was practical and what wasn’t. It also helped us realize what we did and didn’t need.”

O: Do you have certain “van roles”? (For example, one usually drives and one navigates or one cooks and one sets up camp/does dishes.)
A: “Hayden is the driver, however I do take over if he needs a break. Hayden tends to cook while I tidy up the inside of the bus, make the bed, and we both take turns washing up.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by A s h & H a y d e n (@kunuthebus) on Dec 15, 2018 at 4:40pm PST

O: What’s one suggestion you would give other couples thinking about traveling via van/RV?
A: “Stop just thinking about it and do it! This has been the best decision we have made. It’s a lot of work, but the outcome is worth it and we couldn’t be happier.”

O: Do you feel Australia is easy to explore by van?
A: “Yes, we are yet to have any issues accessing places.”

O: If you could revisit one place you’ve already been to, where would you go?
A: “Kangaroo Valley. We both love wombats and this was the first time we were able to see them in the wild. We stayed at a free camp spot called Bendeela Reserve, and were surrounded by hundreds of wombats.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by A s h & H a y d e n (@kunuthebus) on Jan 5, 2019 at 10:15pm PST

O: What are your 5 must have items for van life?
A: “Fridge, stove, comfy bed, water, and someone to share it with.”

O: What’s surprised you most about life on the road? What have you learned about yourself in the process?
A: “How easily we have adjusted to this new lifestyle and we are learning to live more minimally.”