Grey Nomads: Brown Trails

(and a Whole Lot of History)

The day finally arrived—we hitched up, and officially commenced our great Australian meander! If you’ve been following our planning, you know Peter and I aren’t interested in rushing a frantic dash around the country. We are all about taking it slow, turning down unexpected tracks, and letting our wheels follow wherever those iconic roadside “brown signs” invite us to explore.

Our very first stop on this unhurried journey brought us into the historic town of Seymour, Victoria. Given that our brand-new rolling home is a Kokoda Defender, it felt uniquely fitting to kick off the very first days of our touring with a nod to military history. The universe clearly agreed, because the brown signs led us straight to two incredibly special, heart-felt places. Talk about the perfect maiden voyage detour!

1. The Vietnam Veterans Commemorative Walk

Our first official tourist stop was right in town, located next to the Tourist Information Centre. The Vietnam Veterans Commemorative Walk is an absolute standout—honestly, it is the kind of world-class, moving tribute you would expect to see in Canberra rather than a regional town. Every time we passed by, there was a small but steady stream of people wandering through, looking incredibly reflective.

For me personally, the walk caught me right in the chest. Walking along the path and looking at the names of the veterans listed on the winding glass wall, I actually recognized a few of my past counseling clients. It instantly made the history feel so personal and profoundly real.

The site is beautifully put together with an avenue of trees, detailed maps, a replica of the Long Tan cross, and even a reconstructed concert stage originally used by Australian entertainers to boost troop morale. Plus, it features the classic “helicopter on a stick” display, which Peter noted seems to be a staple for any good Aussie military site!

A Bit of Tank & Nasho Trivia: We were fascinated by the authentic Centurion tank on display. Peter’s father tells stories about how those old Centurion tanks were eventually just used for target practice when he was a National Serviceman! His dad did not seem to be surprised by the mind-boggling fact that we learned during our walk: roughly the same number of National Servicemen (“Nashos”) passed away right here in Australia during their training era as they did during the actual war in Vietnam.

2. Australian Light Horse Memorial Park

Just a short skip out of town, we followed another brown sign to the Australian Light Horse Memorial Park. This massive, 4-hectare historic site is where the Light Horse Brigade and many other divisions of the Australian defence force trained before operations moved to Puckapunyal.

Looking at the old historical photos on the signposts, it’s hard to believe it’s the same place. Back during the World Wars, it was a completely cleared, dusty bowl packed tightly with military tents. Today, it has largely returned to the beautiful bush, thanks to fantastic local salinity-regeneration programs.

We spent a peaceful hour exploring the scattering of concrete ruins, reading interperative signs and checking out a reconstructed Bailey Bridge. This sparked another wonderful family connection: Peter’s grandfather was a WWII engineer who built airfield runways in PNG during the war so it’s highly likely he trained using those exact quick-assembly bridge designs during the war!

We capped off our first big day by walking the trail up to the top of ANZAC Hill. The 360-degree panoramic views from the top are magnificent and offered the perfect spot to just clear our brains, take a deep breath, and realize we are finally doing this! Today, it’s a beautifully serene area where you mostly just spot friendly locals walking their dogs off-lead.

What an incredible way to start our trip. The next time you spy a brown sign on your travels, take a cue from us: slow down, turn off, and see what history—and personal memories—you might uncover.

See you further down the track!

— Jo & Peter