Throughout her 36-year career in the disability sector, Lynne Essex never thought she’d be helping run charter tours in the Australian outback. When her career wound down, she expected to drift into retirement alongside partner James Ewers, taking a converted motorhome on tours around Australia.
Now, instead of travelling on their own, Essex and Ewers take 50 friends with them on tours.
“I lost my passion for working in the disability sector when my mother passed away 18 months ago,” Essex told ABC.
“She was my sounding block, she got what I was talking about after a hard day. When I lost her, I lost my passion for the job.
“I thought she would always want me to do something that I wanted to do and to try different things.”
Following this turning point in Essex’s life, her partner Ewers came home from work one day effectively made redundant. After more than 40 years in the bus and coach industry, the office Ewers’ worked for had sold.
Instead of letting this end Ewers’ glorious run in the industry, he and Essex decided to use their super to buy the office and become their own boss.
“I told James I wanted to try something else and the next day he had no work,” Essex says.
“He said ‘it’s ok, because I said we’d buy the office’. That made my mind up for me.”
With fellow colleague Phil remaining on as a worker in the office, Palmer’s Tours Gosford once again returned to its charter work under the guidance of Ewers and Essex. After buying the bus that came with the business, the pair have since bought another two coaches, with another on the way soon to take the fleet tally to four.
While Ewers is off running tours with Essex in tow, their daughter is the accountant who also manages social media channels. To date, the tours started at Easter, with the first major trip to Central Australia occurring in May. The pair already have another big Central Australian tour planned this month while they’re also eyeing off a trip to Tasmania next February.
“It’s been quite an adventure and I’ve had a couple of meltdowns in the process,” Essex says.
“Coming from a job where I was in charge and knew what I was doing to something I know nothing about has really shown my passion for travelling.
“With the guidance of James, I’ve been following the leader and I’m loving it.”
While being a bus and coach operator wasn’t initially high on Essex’s list for a career change, she says she’s already learnt so much about her country and its history. She’s followed Ewers into what he is so passionate about and is enthralled by the sector.
It may not have been an expected pivot for Essex, but she now can’t see herself doing anything else outside of charter tours around the wide expanses of Australia.
“I thought for 36 years I was comfortable in my job and it would be me until I retired in many years,” she says.
“But I’ve learnt throughout this time that this is what I should’ve been doing sooner, everything about this is amazing and I’m really enjoying it.
“Plus, instead of retiring, we get to make new friends on each coach trip we do!”