Winnipeg Beach, Hnausa and Gimli welcomed two worldly travellers in June.
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Robert and Clary Van Den Hoven, a retired Dutch couple now based in Australia, have spent the past 21 years travelling across the globe in their motorhome.
Together, they have visited 144 countries and travelled more than 450,000 kilometres, with plans to complete their “Double Dutch Downunder World Safari” in April 2026.
Robert Van Den Hoven said a love for travel runs in their blood. Both sets of parents were travellers, and they were raised with the same sense of curiosity and adventure. Their journey began in January 2004 with a four-year trip around Australia.
“We enjoyed it so much, we figured we could go and see the rest of the world,” he said.
While Van Den Hoven couldn’t recall exact dates they visited the Interlake — “I’m having too much fun adventuring,” he said — he noted Winnipeg Beach, Hnausa Beach and Gimli were all a pleasure to explore.
“The people here have been absolutely lovely,” he said. “Everyone we’ve communicated with has been so organized, helpful and amazing. We rely on community suggestions for places to go. Local knowledge is always best.”
On average, they drive about 80 kilometres per day. “We always wonder what day it is, and we absolutely cannot believe how quick all these days are,” he added.
The couple rarely plans their route. They simply “go with the flow” and park wherever they can. They prefer campgrounds over RV parks, which are often more expensive, and have spent many nights in Walmart parking lots.
“We don’t look for much in a parking space — we have everything we need right in our vehicle.”
Their current vehicle is a Mercedes Atego 4×4, outfitted with solar panels, a 1,000-litre water tank, kitchen, shower, freezer, and lounge space. “We’ve really transformed it into our home and gotten used to living small.”
Robert and Clary live off the earnings from 35 years of owning and operating a restaurant in Australia, where they worked seven days a week. They are not entitled to a pension under Australia’s system, so the couple budgeted carefully in order to retire early and travel full-time.
“We don’t have any children—we were too busy working and travelling,” Van Den Hoven said.
Their lifestyle once involved nine months of travel and three months at home, but since 2000 they’ve adjusted to an even split: six months abroad, six months in Australia.
While the journey has brought countless rewards, it has also come with emotional costs. Both of Van Den Hoven’s parents passed away while they were on the road.
“That’s why we always say—budget for the unexpected,” he said. “You never know what life will bring.”
Their world safari began in Africa, a continent that quickly became a favourite. “Between the culture and the wildlife, there is so much to see in Africa,” he said. “We spent five years there, but I could definitely spend five more.”
One of his more memorable encounters happened in Zimbabwe, where a police officer stopped him for allegedly speeding.
“I just kept ignoring him and talking about how beautiful the country was. He eventually got annoyed with me and let me go. We’ve talked ourselves out of so many situations, but that one stands out.”
The couple has frequently been stopped by officials—sometimes surrounded by machine guns—but Van Den Hoven said they’ve always felt well looked after.
“We have never felt unsafe in all of our travels. Yes, there are moments when people approach asking for food or drinks, but that’s expected. Even in war-torn countries like Sudan, we felt welcome. People look after their visitors—they want to protect you.”
They tackled the “most difficult” countries early in their journey to deal with the challenges while they were younger, saving Canada and the U.S. for the final stretch.
In places without developed campgrounds, they often pulled off the road and hoped they could park legally. That didn’t always go to plan.
“In Saudi Arabia, we found this nice spot in the desert near the Red Sea. Turns out we parked in a military command zone, and the officials took our passports,” he said. Fortunately, they retrieved them the next day from a command post before continuing on their safari.
Their biggest travel document issue came in the U.S. After their initial paper visa application was denied due to previous travel in the Middle East, they applied in person seven months later at a U.S. embassy in Australia. After being asked the same questions, they were approved.
“The United States was easily the most dangerous country we visited. Between the mass shootings and politics, we never knew who we were going to meet.”
Canada, meanwhile, met their expectations — with one exception. “We have loved every minute of it here. We’d consider living here if it wasn’t for the bloody cold weather. When we arrived in April, it was a huge shock to our system.”
So far, they’ve visited every province up to Saskatchewan. Their Canadian leg will wrap up after stops in Alberta and southern British Columbia before parking near Victoria and flying back to Australia for three months. They’ll return in February to explore the rest of B.C. and travel to Alaska — the final stop of their journey.
Aside from the U.S., Van Den Hoven said border crossings were mostly smooth. Language barriers were manageable with English, French, and, in recent years, the help of Google Translate.
Shipping their motorhome between continents was only necessary a handful of times. Most of the journey involved ferry crossings or overland travel.
Van Den Hoven offers two key pieces of advice for anyone considering a global adventure: do it now, and plan for the unexpected.
“Never sell your house — you never know when you’ll need somewhere to return to. And budget for things like breakdowns, family deaths, everything.”
He added it’s generally cheaper to travel the world than stay at home — with the exception of Canada, the U.S., and Europe. “Compared to Canada, life is dirt cheap in other places. I’d say the cost of living is about half. We’ve had lunch for $2, and gas for four cents a litre in Saudi Arabia — a far cry from Canadian prices.”
Once their safari wraps up next year, the couple plans to revisit a few favourite destinations before returning to Australia for good.
“I can’t believe the memories we’ve made on our adventure,” Van Den Hoven said. “I’ll leave with no regrets.”Cutlines:
Robert and Clary Van Den Hoven are a Dutch couple who have been travelling the world for more than 21 years. They recently visited Winnipeg Beach, Hnausa Beach and Gimli while on their safari. Pictured is Robert driving along Lake Winnipeg.
Clary at the Lake Winnipeg Shoreline.
Their motorhome – a Mercedes Atego 4×4 – at the longitudinal centre of Canada.
