Coast pair's bus is a grey nomad's dream home
A FORMER school bus is now a kitted-out mobile home with distinctive duco designed to leave no doubt about where its owners' Bledisloe Cup loyalties lie.
Nambour couple Jim and Kathy Pattison are taking their Kiwi pride on the road after years of preparation.
They moved to the Sunshine Coast from their native New Zealand 17 years ago to be with their children and young grandchildren.
Their plan has always been to travel the country at some stage, but it has taken about a decade to finalise the details.
They looked at more than 100 buses before they chose the 1986 Isuzu Austral Metroliner about three-and-a-half years ago.
It has been completely gutted and then re-fitted to become Kozzie (Kiwi/ Aussie) Wanderers.
"We are very proud," Mrs Pattison said.
"There is nothing we would have done different."
Their confidence comes from extensive consultation with bus owners, builders, travellers and pretty much anyone who would talk to them.
"We have just taken a little bit of this and a little bit of that out of people's advice."
The bus's features include a bedroom complete with All Blacks bedspread, an ensuite with a full-size shower, a kitchen and hand-made thermal curtains of which Mrs Pattison was particularly proud.
"The curtains were a challenge," she said.
Their daughter Vick Pattison, a Sunshine Coast artist, has painted a fern design onto the bus's sides and is keen to customise the back before her parents set off.
It also has seven solar panels on its roof that power all of the lights, fridges, freezer and other appliances.
There is plenty of room for fresh and grey water storage.
"We estimate we can camp for 10 days without having to empty or fill up any tanks," Mr Pattison said.
The 66-year-old retired truckie will do the driving, towing their car on a trailer behind.
His wife had no interest in getting behind the wheel.
"She's not doing the driving and I'm not doing the knitting," Mr Pattison said.
Their journey, which has no set end date, is due to start in the next fortnight.
"We haven't got a house," Mrs Pattison said.
"This is it."
