Only months after finishing grade 12, Old Boy Sam Hughes (2020) has already planned and is about to embark on the trip of a lifetime. Sam’s unconventional and quirky way of earning a quid as a jackaroo involves driving around Australia in ‘Slim’ (named in honour of Slim Dusty), his fully restored 1957 Chamberlain 9G 80hp tractor. Sam has chosen this tractor as his mode of transport as it is the only tractor that has a decent road speed. Normally clocking a top speed of around 40kph, some modifications allow Slim to do up to 55kph, with a cruising speed of around 50kph.

The motivation for this journey however doesn’t end there. Sam is also fundraising money for numerous charities, in particular the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), hence the Beechcraft plane he calls Emu. Painted up in full RFDS colours, Emu has been mounted on the roof of the custom-built 7 metre trailer that he will be towing. If that wasn’t enough to make him stand out on the road, Sam has also placed a tinnie on Slim’s roof and mounted a 49cc bike on the front of the trailer, next to the twin gas setup. The enclosed trailer will not only store Joy, the Suzuki Sierra (named after Slim Dusty’s wife) he is taking as a back-up vehicle, it is also fully kitted out for Sam to sleep in. Furthermore, it houses a generator, two fridges and of course a kitchen sink.

As part of his fundraising efforts for the RFDS and Dolly’s Dream, Sam will be securing donations by operating an outdoor movie cinema via the portable cinema screen that can be mounted on the side of the trailer. Working Dog Productions has even granted permission for him to play episodes of Russell Coight’s All Aussie Adventures.

Departing from Maleny, Sam hits the road for his 15,000 kilometre year-long journey on Sunday 21 March 2021. To see how his plan has evolved from concept to reality and to follow his journey, please click here to check out Sam’s Facebook page.

If you wish to support Sam in his fundraising efforts, click here to donate to the RFDS and or click here to donate to Dolly’s Dream. Alternatively, if you simply want to help keep Sam on the road by assisting him to cover costs for any mechanical issues or other problems, such as a punctured tyre, then please click here.