eTripping.au

Formerly: Tesla Tripping

Come along on our EV road trips around Australia and Europe, and follow as we progressively electrify our home in Emerald, Victoria.

Join us on the road. We set off in late 2022 and drove eastern Australia in our Tesla Model 3 — Sydney, Dubbo, Armidale, Brisbane, Cape Tribulation, then down through Queensland and back. We've since upgraded to a Model Y.

We've kept exploring — Uluru, the Snowy Mountains and Gippsland, and a longer run through Europe in 2024. There's plenty more on the map, so come along for the next leg.

At home in Emerald, in Victoria's Dandenong Ranges, we're progressively electrifying everything: rooftop solar, a home battery, a hot water heat pump, air conditioned heating and cooling, and EV charging straight from the sun. We're going fully electric, off the gas.

Got questions, or insights of your own? We'd love to hear them — please drop a comment on any post.

Maps: Australia Europe
Dec 2022 May 2026
Trips 561 Europe 110 Snowy Mountains 27 Cape Tribulation 10 Charging 439 Home 186 Food 51 Software Update 51 Expos 44 Camping 30 Service 13 Test Drives 12
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    Snuuzu: the mattress made for sleeping in a Tesla

    Sleeping in the back of a Tesla sounds simple. It isn't. With the rear seats folded, the floor pitches towards the boot, with a kink right where the seats hinge. Throw a foam pad on top and you'll wake up at 3 am, sliding into the tailgate, with your hips trying to escape. The Snuuzu is a mattress designed for exactly that geometry. It's a 20cm-thick inflatable, shaped to sit on the folded rear seats of a Tesla Model Y (or Model 3, or Model X). Out of its duffel bag it looks like a regular mattress. The clever bits are inside: layered foam over a pressurised base that Snuuzu call "surface-flattening" — patent pending. Honest verdict on the surface-flattening claim: it doesn't actually flatten the slope. The floor still slopes down towards the boot, so we either back the car up onto a small hill, or use plastic wheel ramps under the rear, or sit the mattress on top of our Teraglide platform. But the layered padding is thick enough that the kink at the seat hinge disappears under your…

    17 May 2026
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    Our Teraglide Pro: how the back of our Tesla became a kitchen, drawer and bed

    If you've tried to sleep in the back of a Tesla (or most cars), you'll know about the slope. With the rear seats folded, the floor pitches towards the boot, and there's a kink right where the seats hinge. We tried it years ago in our old Model 3 with cushions and ad-hoc blocks of wood. Terrible night's sleep. The hips suffered. The Teraglide is the fix. We installed a Teraglide Pro in our Model Y Juniper in July 2025. It's a modular plywood platform that drops into the boot, expands forward over the folded rear seats to make a perfectly flat floor, and packs in a retractable kitchen drawer and a slide-out bamboo bench underneath. Gas struts hold the rear lid up so the sub-trunk — where we keep our Kings fridge — stays accessible without dismantling the lot. No drilling, no permanent modifications, no goodbye to your boot. Teraglide is made in Auckland, New Zealand, with renewable energy. They quote 42 seconds for set-up. We didn't time ours, but the day-to-day transition from "drive"…

    15 May 2026
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    Adding a second battery

    When Lightning Energy installed our Powerwall 2 back in December 2023 it was great. Paired with our 13 kW Enphase/Jinko solar system and 10 kW inverter, it's been handling our fully electrified home in Emerald pretty well — five reverse-cycle ACs, heat pump hot water, EV charging, and grid outages lasting up to nine days. But as we've added more loads, I've been thinking about expanding battery storage. There was a problem, though. The Powerwall 2 is no longer CEC-approved for new installations in Australia. Tesla stopped taking orders for it in late 2024/early 2025, and as of January 2026 it's no longer on the Clean Energy Council approved list. So you can't add a second one. And until very recently, the Powerwall 3 — Tesla's current model — was completely incompatible with the Powerwall 2. They couldn't talk to each other. That meant anyone with a Powerwall 2 who wanted more storage faced a painful choice: rip out the existing battery and start fresh with new hardware. For me, that…

    20 Mar 2026 Emerald, Victoria
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    A sandal saves the tailgate

    High tech “sandal” to prevent the tailgate from hitting the wall. I typically reverse into car parks. But that often leaves not enough space to open the tailgate. I wasn’t sure whether it would clear the wall, so I wedged my sandal there, just in case. Lucky I did. I hadn’t planned to open it, but we had some leftovers from dinner out with friends, which I wanted to put in the fridge in our subtrunk before we went to the movies. It would be handy if the Tesla could accurately gauge if there’s room to open the hatch, or open it just short of hitting anything. Until then, I just have to use a shoe, or just move the car out and back in.

    15 Feb 2026 HOYTS Eastland
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    Putting the Teraglide shelf away (but keeping the fridge)

    Finally unpacked the Teraglide shelf from the back of the Tesla. Only took about ten minutes. But I’m keeping the fridge in the subtrunk. Links:

    27 Jan 2026 Emerald, Victoria
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    First Tesla service call: a new wheel

    First service call for our Tesla Model Y. Replacing our loaner wheel with a new wheel. As you can see in our posts from a few weeks ago, we hit a pothole, damaging our left rear wheel. At the time, we only knew that we had a slow leak. We logged the problem in the Tesla app. They arranged for roadside assistance to come to us, in about an hour, to install a loaner wheel, and take ours away to diagnose. Today, Tesla replaced the loan wheel with a new wheel, costing a whopping $1319. I asked them to clean the damaged wheel and put it in the back of the car. In the photos, you can see the buckle and crack. I am wondering if it is fixable. When I booked this service in the app, I also asked them to fix the water in the light bar, and some issues with the steering wheel buttons. They replaced both. I’ll discuss the steering wheel buttons in a separate post. All covered under warranty. I had a bit of trouble figuring out where to leave the car. Several after me also mistakenly parked in…

    7 Jan 2026 Oakleigh South, Victoria
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    A surprise picnic by the Yarra River

    Surprise picnic. Making use of all the hidey-holes in the Tesla. Let’s pull over here next to the Yarra River. Would you like a cold drink? I just happen have a powered fridge in the sub trunk of the car. We can sit on the camp chairs from the frunk (front trunk, since there’s no engine). How about a cheese platter and some cherries to go with it? Ok “platter” is a bit of an overstatement, but work with me here. The car also has kitchen utensils and a dining table. We might as well just stay here for lunch now.

    3 Jan 2026 Warburton Recreation Reserve
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    Fast charging at the Bairnsdale Superchargers

    It's conveniently located close to shops, near the centre of town, but it's right next to the entry of a very busy car park. There are only three charging spots. I watched another Tesla try a few times to reverse into a charger from a park opposite. Fortunately, other waiting drivers kept their holiday cheer. I tapped on the window and asked if they'd like me to park the car for them. She explained that it was her husband's car, who had apparently gone to the shops. She seemed very relieved to hand over control to someone familiar with the car. I parked it and plugged it in. After that and a cuppa, the car was charged up enough to take me all the way home. I had to do a slight three point turn to exit the car park when I was done. Did I mentioned it's a slightly awkward spot?

    31 Dec 2025 Bairnsdale, Victoria
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    A Vegemite sandwich stop in Orbost

    Brief stop in Orbost to make a Vegemite sandwich, a cup of tea and to use the amenities. Pop the tailgate, pull out the dining table, open the fridge. Easy.

    31 Dec 2025 Orbost, Victoria
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    Bonang Road brought back my motorcycle days

    Harkening back to my motorcycle days, enjoying the endless curves along the Bonang Road from Tubbut to Orbost, Victoria, leaving the Snowy Mountains. The Tesla handled the drive beautifully. FSD off, for some driving fun. I had to watch out for quite a few sharp dips, barely marked with crayon width paint on the road. This road has stopping spaces specifically for motorcycles (pictured). Yesterday, I grabbed some groceries in Bombala and noticed the "Welcomes Motorcyclists" sign. Before we bought our first EV in 2022, we did a lot of motorcycle road trips. As you can see from the photos from a decade ago, we haven't aged at all! 😉. I'd love to see some "Welcomes EVs" signs in regional places. My stay last night in Tubbut was thanks, in part, to the simple EV changer provided by Gippsland Climate Change Network. They are on to something!

    31 Dec 2025 Nurran
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    Misty drive from Tubbut to Orbost

    Heading south, out of the Snowy Mountains, from my overnight camp near Tubbut, towards Orbost. Beautiful mist topped mountains, after last night’s rain. After about 20km of dirt road, I spotted tar, and another sign warning that there’s no petrol around here.

    31 Dec 2025 Bonang Highway
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    Breakfast and a free shower in Tubbut

    Breakfast, from the kitchen drawer and fridge in my Tesla. I drove a few kilometers from my overnight riverside camping spot, back to the community hall in Tubbut. A free shower in the provided facilities was a welcome way to wake up. The rain eased shortly after I arrived. I boiled water using my induction stove, for a hot thermos of tea. Beautiful, relaxed start to the day.

    31 Dec 2025
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    Creekside car camping in the Snowy Mountains

    Car camping in my Tesla, beside a creek, off the beaten track in the Snowy Mountains. It took me a while to find the site. Earlier, in my search, I pulled off onto two tracks that ended up in someone’s property. At least it gave some local kids an excuse to run outside to see what the UFO sound was I did a three point just outside their gate. I waved and grinned. A cup of tea and a snack from my Teraglide drawer, sitting in my camp chair, watching the bush life. Until the bush life started eating me (just a few bugs), signaling time for bed. I again wished I had remembered to pack a collapsible stool, to help climb into the back of the car. Followed by the commando crawl to get on top of the Snuuzu mattress and Teraglide platform. This is the highest sleeping option, which gives lots of storage space and a very comfortable bed. The only down side is requiring more effort getting in and out. Once I’m in, it’s great with plenty of room to move. Please forgive the “Tesla Tripping – after…

    30 Dec 2025 Tubbut
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    The best rest stop in the middle of nowhere

    Wow, possibly the best amenities for a road trip, at this spot in the middle of nowhere (in the Snowy Mountains). Seats and tables, beautiful location, playground, water, toilets, WiFi. Even has a shower and laundry tubs. Oh, and a pizza oven. Hard to beat! Gotta love the various signs on the amenities (see photos). Thanks to Gippsland Climate Change Network and Chargefox for the destination EV charger here. It’s probably the only public fuel source (of and kind) for over 100km. There are no shops or food outlets here. Fortunately, I grabbed some supplies when passing through Bombala and Cooma, over the past few days. Instant kitchen: pop the Tesla tailgate, pull out the Teraglide drawer and table, flip up the lid to reveal the fridge in the sub trunk. After a couple of hours to eat and chill, off to find a campsite for the night, nearby along the river. I’ll come back in the morning to use the shower.

    30 Dec 2025 Tubbut Hall
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    A creekside lunch in Delegate

    Creekside stop in Delegate. Pop the tailgate, pull out the kitchen drawer and dining table, grab some sustenance from the fridge. Chilling in the shade, on my collapsible camp chair. Nice. Right next to a camp site, complete with amenities. I need to find a campsite for tonight, but I’ll go further south west.

    30 Dec 2025 Delegate, New South Wales
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    Across the high plains of the Snowy Mountains

    Heading further across the high plains in the Snowy Mountains. Not a lot of trees around, but a few wind turbines and windmills, not bothering the livestock or mobs of kangaroos.

    30 Dec 2025 Boco Rock Wind Farm
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    No petrol in Dalgety, but plenty of power points

    No petrol, no worries. The small town of Dalgety has no working petrol station. The last working bowser I passed yesterday was about 50km away in Cooma, along with the nearest fast EV charger. But Dalgety does have hundreds of power points, including the powered camp sites at Snowy River Holiday Park. I could have used any one of them to fill up my car. It’s a beautiful spot. I car camped there last night. This morning, I pushed the Teraglide kitchen drawer back in, pressed the Deflate button on my Snuuzu mattress, flipped back the top (pictured), and moved the drivers seat back into my preferred position by hitting the Restore button in the Tesla. Super quick transformation, ready to drive on to the next camp site today.

    30 Dec 2025 Snowy River Holiday Park
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    A laundry line in the Tesla's frunk

    DIY laundry line, in the Tesla’s “frunk”. After my morning shower, the sun started to blaze near the front of the car. Perfect opportunity to set up a laundry line. A couple of suction cups have been very versatile, for quick adaptations, like this. I also washed off the previous day’s bugs from the windscreen, using the small squeegee that lives in the subtrunk.

    30 Dec 2025 Snowy River Holiday Park
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    I wish my Model Y had V2L

    I wish my Tesla Model Y had a power point, where I could plug in my induction stove to make breakfast 😞. What I need is “V2L”, which stands for “vehicle to load”. Unfortunately, my Tesla Model Y RWD does not have it. This omission almost made us switch to BYD, Kia, Xpeng or one of the many other EV car brands that provide V2L. Tesla’s CyberTruck, new Model YL, and Model Y Performance all reportedly now provide V2L. The Cybertruck has built in power points. The other two require an adapter plugged into the charge port. I can only hope that in the near future Tesla offers some retrofit option for my car. In the mean time, I just have to find a power point, in order to cook. If I had booked a powered site at this location, that would work fine. This morning, I just used the camp kitchen. My car’s massive (by camping standards) 60kWh battery provided air conditioning all night, and has run my camp fridge non stop, via the 16V outlet. It powers other mod cons, such as the lights, wireless…

    30 Dec 2025 Snowy River Holiday Park
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    Breakfast routine, Tesla-style

    Good morning! Time for breakfast, after a great night’s sleep in the Tesla. “Siri, open Tesla boot”. The tailgate opens to reveal a beautiful day, beyond my bare feet. Breakfast mode: 1. Pull out the Teraglide drawer and table. 2. Flip open the Teraglide rear lid. It’s assisted by gas struts, so it’s easy to lift and stays up, even with bedding on top of it. 3. Open the fridge in the subtrunk to get brekky supplies. This morning, that’s eggs, butter and milk. 4. Use the kitchen drawer bits to crack and whisk the eggs, add milk, soak some bread, ready to make French toast. 5. Stroll over to the camp kitchen. Fry the toast and boil some water for my thermos. Return to the Tesla. Enjoy my French toast, with a cuppa tea, overlooking the Snowy River. Nice.

    30 Dec 2025 Snowy River Holiday Park
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    Photo op in Bredbo, campsite hunt in Cooma

    Photo op in Bredbo, before stopping in Cooma to figure out where to camp tonight. On the way, I used the Tesla’s navigation to search for “campground” and similar. One option was The NRMA park in Jindabyne. I tapped the phone icon, to make a call. Handy to do it all from the car’s controls. Unfortunately, all their powered and unpowered sites were booked for tonight. This looked like a job for WikiCamps. Since Tesla doesn’t support Apple CarPlay, I needed to pull over to use my phone. Whenever parking, I aim to charge, so I don’t lose any time. So, I pulled into the new-ish Tesla Superchargers in Cooma. This is the second site in Cooma, with more chargers and faster speed. But the only service nearby seemed to be KFC (again 🤔). No matter, I just wanted time to access my phone. Snowy River Holiday Park looks great. I rang them, gave them my ETA, entered it into the navigation, added Cooma Coles as the first destination, so I could grab some supplies. Cooma Coles also has Tesla…

    29 Dec 2025 Cooma, New South Wales
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    Sleeping in the Tesla — does it fit?

    Sleeping in the Tesla, on a Snuuzu mattress, on a Teraglide platform. The obvious question: can I fit? Short answer: plenty of room to sleep, rollover, look at the sky, out the window, or my phone. I never banged into the glass or support arch. But, getting in is a bit tight. I had to shuffle through, like a recruit in a commando course. I also forgot to pack a collapsible stool, to step onto, high enough at the back to crawl in. The Snuuzu mattress is super comfortable. It has a few layers of foam, supported by an inflatable layer. With the back seats down, the Tesla floor slopes down towards the back, with a kink where the seats hinge. This makes sleeping uncomfortable, and slides the occupants slowly down to the boot. One way to rectify this is to add a slightly elevated floor, that is truly horizontal. That’s where the Teraglide platform comes in. Teraglide also has a basic model, without the drawer, that isn’t as high as ours. And there are car mattresses that aren’t as thick as…

    29 Dec 2025 Snowy River Holiday Park
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    Dinner by the Snowy River

    Dinner next to the Snowy River. I grabbed soup and butter from the fridge in the sub trunk. Heated the soup and toasted bread at the camp kitchen. Enjoyed the simple meal as the sun set, listening to the river. Happy place. My 35L Kings fridge is in the sub trunk. It’s powered by the car’s 16V supply, with an outlet available in the boot and driver’s console. The 16V in turn is powered by the car’s massive 60kWh battery. No need to run an engine, with noise and fumes, to keep it going.

    29 Dec 2025 Snowy River Holiday Park
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    Setting up the Teraglide bed in the Model Y

    Setting up the Teraglide platform and Snuuzu mattress in the Tesla Model Y. Steps: 1. Folded back seats down, using the buttons in the Tesla. 2. Slid the interleaved top of the Teraglide platform onto the folded down rear seats. 3. Moved the front seats forward. 4. Unfolded the top hinged bit of the Teraglide. 5. Clipped on the side supports of the Terglide, near the doors. 6. Placed the Snuuzu mattress bag on the Teraglide platform. 7. Unzipped the bag, unrolled the Snuuzu mattress. Unclipped the mattress and opened it up flat. 8. Pressed the `Inflate` button on the mattress. Waited a minute for it to finish, then turned it off. 9. Added bed linen, blanket and pillow. Gotchas: 1. Teraglide (the business) had warned me, after seeing earlier photos of my installation a few months ago, that I had neglected to strap down the front of the Teraglide. With this in mind, I brought along the supplied straps, but I hadn’t yet installed them. When I fully extended the kitchen drawer without…

    29 Dec 2025 Snowy River Holiday Park
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    Just me, the Tesla, and brown snakes

    Just me, the Tesla, and some brown snakes, along Lake George, near Canberra, on the way to The Snowy Mountains.

    29 Dec 2025 Lake George, Peter Badcoe VC Rest Area
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    A quick stop at Erina Fair

    A quick shop at Erina Fair, on the NSW Central Coast, before heading south to The Snowy Mountains, where I will car camp tonight.

    29 Dec 2025
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    A tea break on the Great North Road

    Along the Great North Road to Wollombi, driving Mum home to Cessnock. Stopping for a cup of tea and a snack. Instant kitchen and dining, using the Teraglide.

    28 Dec 2025 Fernance's Crossing Culvert
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    Packed and ready for 2000 km, with Mum

    All packed for another 2000km, from Emerald Victoria to Cessnock NSW, and return. I’m driving Mum to NSW after spending Christmas in Victoria with us. Then I’m driving back home solo, car camping along the way. I’ve installed the Teraglide kitchen drawer and bed platform. The Snuuzu mattress is ready to unfurl.

    27 Dec 2025
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    Great chargers, sad site, at Coolac

    Time for a break and a cup of tea. The navigation says that the next EV charger is at Coolac, just north of Gundagai, so we stopped there. Wow. It’s a pretty bad. The chargers are great, simple and fast. But the site is woeful. The hotel is closed or being renovated. The toilets are port-a-loos, but are disgusting . I don’t know how much of that is due to infrequent maintenance versus just being the busiest time of year. There is a service station nearby with some food and hopefully better toilets, but it’s a ten minute walk away in the heat, and not an option for Mum’s walker. Some people were sheltering from the sun under the three tall trees begging the toilets. Not a great spot. Tesla/government really needs to ensure better location for EV chargers. We enjoyed a cup of tea from our thermoses, and some Christmas snacks (thank you Krissy). Some way further up the highway, we pulled over into Bookham, for a conveniently located toilet and a bit of a stretch in some broken shade. In…

    27 Dec 2025 The Coolac Hotel
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    Sharing a lamington at the Narooma chargers

    There are two ways to tell a story: 1. Embellished: The mayor of Eurobodalla Council came out to welcome us as we rolled into Narooma. 2. Reality: We pulled into the Tesla superchargers in Narooma, to grab a brief charge, and so I could finish my half of the lamington with a cup of tea. Another Tesla Model Y Juniper pulled up next to us. The driver jumped out, said he recognised our profile as “Tesla Tripping”. He introduced himself as “Matt, the Mayor”. Mathew Hatcher - Mayor Eurobodalla Shire We had a good chat about how the council has been introducing EVs into their fleet. They’re trying to figure out if the previous ICE metrics such as 100,000km before replacement, are still relevant with EVs that are lasting much longer. Nice guy. Great welcome to the area.

    18 Dec 2025 Narooma Plaza
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    Savic test rides through the Dandenongs

    While driving in our town of Emerald to get some Emerald Thai for dinner, I did a double take when I saw a Savic Motorcycles sign, randomly on the footpath. It turns out that they were running test rides today “winding through the beautiful Dandenong Ranges”. What a great idea! Test drives at dealerships and even EV shows tend to be within urban sprawls, which doesn’t offer much of a driving or riding experience. We’ve seen Savic at a few EV shows, including the recent Everything Electric in Melbourne (pictured). I wish I had known it was on, and that we weren’t recovering from a cold right now. Hopefully next time. Savic is an Australian company building electric motorcycles.

    5 Dec 2025 Elevation at Emerald Restaurant & Bar
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    Final day at Everything Electric Melbourne

    Starting and ending with Jack Scarlett. Test drives, a panel talk about road tripping, EV conversions, and a flux capacitor, some of the highlights.

    16 Nov 2025 Melbourne Showgrounds
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    Snapshots from Everything Electric Melbourne

    Some random shots from Everything Electric Melbourne today. After a few years in Sydney, this is their first showing in Melbourne. It’s noticeably smaller, but understandable for the first appearance. Interesting panel talks. Informative staff at product booths. Huge variety of test drives available, including self driving Tesla cars. A few food truck offerings. They need more undercover seating (from sun or rain). We recommend the falafel wraps.

    15 Nov 2025 Melbourne Showgrounds
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    A $25k BYD Atto 1 is closing in on ICE prices

    About $25k for a new BYD Atto 1. Wow. EVs are now approaching the price of comparative ICE vehicles. Unfortunately, BYD couldn’t get their Atto 1 prepped in time for the show, but they did have the Atto 2 on the floor (pictured). At Everything Electric Melbourne.

    15 Nov 2025 Melbourne Showgrounds
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    Camper vans and EV utes at Everything Electric

    Checking out the Farizon electric van, decked out as a camper. Also the popular BYD Shark electric ute (plus hybrid range extender), and some towing options. At Everything Electric Melbourne.

    15 Nov 2025 Melbourne Showgrounds
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    A peek inside the Geely EV

    Nice interior of the Geely EV, at Everything Electric Melbourne. So many EV options available now.

    15 Nov 2025 Melbourne Showgrounds
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    A flipping, rolling cat robot at Everything Electric

    Dancing, flipping, rolling cat robot at Everything Electric Melbourne was a crowd pleaser. No litter box!

    15 Nov 2025 Melbourne Showgrounds
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    Goodbye Gas, helping homes electrify

    Nice to see some services (like Goodbye Gas) available to help homes get off has, upgrading to electric. Better for health, monthly bills, and clean air. At Everything Electric, Melbourne.

    15 Nov 2025 Melbourne Showgrounds
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    Two-wheel EVs at Everything Electric Melbourne

    Some of the many scooters, motorbikes and e-bikes at Everything Electric Melbourne.

    15 Nov 2025 Melbourne Showgrounds
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    Electric police cars at Everything Electric

    A Tesla Model X and Kia EV6, I think.

    15 Nov 2025
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    Behind the wheel of an electric big rig

    Big wheels keep on turnin’, electrically! Trying out a big rig at Everything Electric show Melbourne

    15 Nov 2025 Melbourne Showgrounds
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    Last overnight stop, in Sea Lake

    Part way through one of the Silo Art trails, yesterday, the sun was setting, so we booked a room at the next town, at the Sea Lake Motel. This is our final overnight stop before driving the remaining 450km to home, today. Last night, almost everything in this small town was closed. The motel stocks refrigerated meals in a vending machine, for people like us stopping in at the last minute. Great idea. We chose a curry, microwaved it in our room, but then realised that the used by date on the two packets was months ago, even though the used by date on the outer packet was fine. We decided not to risk it, and happily made a picnic tea out of our car travel food. We informed the host, just so they knew. It’s the fault of the food company, not the host.

    11 Aug 2025 Sea Lake Motel
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    A wary dusk drive into Port Augusta

    In today’s drive, from Coober Pedy, this was the final leg from Spud's Roadhouse, Pimba, south to Port Augusta. We normally avoid driving at dusk, due to animal activity on the roads. We spotted many sheep along the road from unfenced properties, and a couple of cows. Just as we were leaving Pimba, a kangaroo jumped out on the other side and stared at us. It was the only alive kangaroo we’ve seen out here this trip, probably because we don’t usually drive in the twilight hours. The sunset put on its usual glorious display, tempting me to stop to take photos, but we drove on. A police car pulled over a speeder heading north. Might have saved their life, or at least a wrecked car. We drove on slowly, far behind a road train. I wasn’t game to overtake into possible oncoming wildlife. We had the Tesla on Autopilot, so it drove while we watched for movement on the sides. The maximum follow distance setting is 7 (as in the photo), but that’s too close at speed, or behind a truck that can…

    7 Aug 2025 Spud's Roadhouse
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    Arriving early at Ayers Rock Campground

    We arrived a day ahead of schedule at Ayers Rock Campground. We had booked a powered site, starting from tomorrow, but none were available tonight. The staff offered us the unpowered overflow campground area. Our original plan was to charge the car at our powered site, while also running the air conditioning and accessories. Without a powered site tonight, we had to charge up the car a bit first, so we could just run it off the giant battery. We used the auto inflate button on our Snuuzu mattress, added pillows and doona. We moved the baggage to the front seats, so the bed wasn’t obstructed. While car camping in Coober Pedy a few days ago, we discovered that even with our portable wheel ramps the car’s bed floor still leans backwards too much. So, we backed the car up a small hill as well. We used our fold up spade to fill in a couple of holes from previous campers. We set the Tesla to “camp mode”, so we could sleep in the back of the car at 20°, while it was 3° outside, overnight.…

    1 Aug 2025 Ayers Rock Resort Campground
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    A waterfront picnic in Port Pirie

    Arrived in Port Pirie, on our way north to Uluru. Most lunch outlets were closing, so we had a “picnic lunch” from our car fridge and food bag, by the waterfront. The giant silos backdropped the inlet with the wharf, bridge and black swans. The southern Flinders ranges in the distance might be the last mountains we see for a while. We stayed at the Comfort Inn. Basic continental breakfast included, at the on site Serenity Restaurant. Simple hot options also available.

    28 Jul 2025 Comfort Inn Flinders On Main
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    Cockatoos farewell us from Halls Gap

    This morning, we said goodbye to The Grampians and Halls Gap, after staying a couple of nights. The cockatoos came to say goodbye. The laundry bag has started to fill the frunk, along with our shoes, charging cables, water and windscreen squeegee. We repacked the car with the Snuuzu mattress in the subtrunk, replacing the fridge, which we moved to the boot. Much easier to access it now, and we can pack the whole boot. Next leg today, to Hahndorf in South Australia.

    25 Jul 2025 Halls Gap Lakeside Tourist Park
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    Choosing our Kings camp fridge for the subtrunk

    We bought a Kings camp fridge for about $208 from 4WDSupacentre.com.au. They seem to have a different sale on every 24 hours. The staff kindly brought a display model to the car so I could check the size. It just fits in the subtrunk. We opted for the 30L model. We already had the 50L version on previous trips, but it’s a bit too big to manage in the car. After trying the sub trunk and back seat, we eventually settled on the boot, since it’s easier to access, keeps the noise away from the passengers, and allows more packing space in boot, without worrying accessing the fridge in the sub trunk. We’ll probably move it to the subtrunk when we sleep in the car. The boot cover leaves ample opening in either side for ventilation, as long as we don’t block the side wells. And the 12V power supply is conveniently located in the boot.

    16 Jul 2025
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    Installing the Teraglide Pro in our Model Y

    We installed a Teraglide Pro in our Tesla Model Y Juniper. It provides a flat elevated floor that expands when you lower the rear seats, a retractable drawer and table. Gas struts make it simple to access the sub trunk. Brilliant design. Stay tuned to see the assembly process, and how well it does or doesn’t work with the Snuuzu mattress.

    16 Jul 2025 Emerald, Victoria
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    Travel-bed research at the Melbourne EV show

    TOCA (Tesla Owners Club Australia) had a Tesla mattress on display in a Tesla Model Y Juniper (like ours). It looks fairly flat, but when we lay on it we realised that it was just hiding the dip at the base of the folded seat, by floating above it. It would be good to test it with a Teraglide flat base. But we think the Snuuzu is going to provide a noticeably more comfortable bed.

    28 Jun 2025
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    Sizing up the Model Y for a bed

    Sizing up the rear tray of our Tesla Model Y Juniper, to see how practical it would be to install a bed, and sleep in it, for some of the stops on our next road trip. The folded down seats at the front are about 15cm higher off the ground than the tray at the rear. This makes it slope down, which makes a sleeper slide down during the night, and puts pressure on your hips. We know, because we had that very problem when we tried car camping in our Model 3, a couple of years ago. Terrible night’s sleep. https://www.facebook.com/share/1AUZJN8N7k/ My second attempt worked a bit better: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Am62mtfe5/ It seems to me that all we need to do is raise the floor boards at the rear, as shown by the ad hoc blocks of wood I added. But, I think I’ll save myself the carpentry, and just buy a Teraglide platform, which is designed for this job. In case you’re wondering, part of the attraction of car camping in the Tesla is that it has “Camp Mode” to keep the cabin at a comfy…

    8 Jun 2025
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