G’Day Jambo, aka Cody, Olivia, and their dog, Roan, is an adventurous trio that prior to their Pan-American expedition were part-time travelers who had “chosen the unexciting path of being fiscally responsible as we work toward financial independence before traveling full-time.” The more I delved into the couple’s backstory the more I found parallels with my own. Their methodical approach to travel similarly required saving money and establishing long-term sustainable work structures that would make their dream of traveling around the world possible. The likeness doesn’t stop there as they also purchased my dream overland rig, the legendary 70-Series Toyota Troopy. The cost of these vehicles, especially in the US and Europe, is oftentimes prohibitively expensive and the couple is quick to assert that “the Troopy was more expensive than either of us wanted to spend.” However, they continue by explaining that after hearing “multiple stories of people jumping from one platform to the next, never fully satisfied,” it made sense to spend more for the perfect rig.
Since hitting the road, G’day Jambo has not only shared their story through pictures and words but also via YouTube. I was first made aware of their channel when Eva Zu Beck crossed paths with them in the Baja Peninsula, and I have been following them ever since. Their videos are beautifully curated with stunning visuals, informative and calming narration, epic aerial shots, and heaps of personality. These attributes come together to create a series that is inspiring, cathartic and has your undivided attention. Prior to this week’s installment I recently enjoyed their episode “Driving A 38 Year Old Land Cruiser Around The World” (for more info check out Cody’s article “Lessons From a 35-Year-Old Land Cruiser“) which demonstrated that no vehicle, even the Toyota Troopy, is exempt from regular servicing, repairs, and preventative maintenance to ensure reliability (a crumb of comfort for a Vanagon Syncro owner like myself).
In today’s episode, they set out with friends Nick and Mathilde (Next Meridian Expedition) in Colombia and tackle a challenging 4WD track in Quindio. The route takes the Toyota Troopy high into the Andes mountains at an elevation of almost 10,000 feet and passes through the beautiful Quindio Wax Palms (the highest-elevation palm trees in the world). Savoring their surroundings, they stop for lunch and discuss the importance of embracing such fleeting but valuable moments in magical places they may never revisit. Shortly after, they find an idyllic wild camp spot for the night before completing the track and rentering civilization the following day just in time for lunch. Olivia concludes the episode by stating: “It’s difficult to convey how fulfilled we felt during these 24 hours in the wild of Colombia. This was the reason we left everything behind. This was the reason we pushed ourselves so far out of our comfort zones in pursuit of something more. Exploring countries where we didn’t speak the language and where we didn’t know what treasures were waiting for us round the next bend in the road.” This was a wonderful sentiment to end the episode and perfectly captures the childlike joy and wonder that often characterizes their videos. If you’d like to follow their latest adventures then check out their Instagram and website.
Our No Compromise Clause: We do not accept advertorial content or allow advertising to influence our coverage, and our contributors are guaranteed editorial independence. Overland International may earn a small commission from affiliate links included in this article. We appreciate your support.
