In 2015 Rich East, an IT worker from Hobart, Tasmania, sold his house and most of his belongings, moved into a campervan he had built himself and set off around Australia with his rescue cat, Willow. Eight years later the pair had covered more than 100,000 km and visited every Australian state. Their project is called Van Cat Meow.

Willow the cat and the Van Cat Meow campervan – photograph by Richard East

Rich East and Willow the cat

Willow came from a cat shelter in Hobart, the same shelter where Rich later worked. In a 2023 media release on the project’s own website, Rich explains that he left a promising career in IT because he was depressed and could feel his mental health slipping. He called the trip “the world’s most well planned mid-life crisis”.

The self-built van is a tiny home on wheels, set up for a cat as much as for a person: Willow has a vented litter box, constant access to food and water and several favourite nap spots.

Richard East sharing a quiet outdoor moment with Willow beside the campervan
Richard East sharing a quiet outdoor moment with Willow beside the campervan. Photo: Richard East / Van Cat Meow.

More than 100,000 km around Australia

Van Cat Meow travels slowly. Rich and Willow rarely cover more than 350 km a week, a pace that suits a cat. Over the years their route has taken in the Great Barrier Reef, the tropical savannahs of the north, the wildflower country of Western Australia, Rainbow Beach in Queensland and the outback of South Australia. In mid-2023 they were crossing South Australia on the way to Exmouth on the Western Australian coast.

The journey also changed Rich’s life in another way. In Perth in 2016 he met Stephanie Dury, a British traveller on a working holiday visa, and invited her to join him and Willow for a couple of months. She stayed. About three years later Rich proposed at Rainbow Beach, and the couple married on a stand-up paddleboard among the water lilies of a Brisbane reservoir. These days Willow spends her nights curled up on Rich’s or Steph’s legs.

Tips for travelling with a cat in a campervan

Richard East resting beside Willow inside the campervan
Richard East resting beside Willow inside the campervan. Photo: Richard East / Van Cat Meow.

Willow’s setup shows what makes long-term van life work for a cat:

  • Start with short trips. Every cat reacts differently to motion and new places; talk to your vet and try a few weekend runs first.
  • Give the van a cat’s layout. A ventilated litter box, fixed food and water bowls and a couple of safe sleeping spots make the van home.
  • Keep the pace slow. Short driving days and longer stays reduce stress.
  • Check the rules. Many Australian national parks and protected areas restrict pets, so check before you go and keep your cat secure to protect native wildlife.
  • Carry ID and records. A microchip, a tag and vaccination details make it easier to get help far from home.

For another unusual travel companion, meet Charlie Hammerton and Bandit the ferret.

The Van Cat Meow photographs

Rich’s photos mix big Australian landscapes with quiet moments inside the van. Follow the continuing journey at Van Cat Meow, on Instagram and on Facebook, and support it through the Van Cat Meow shop.

Willow the cat on the road with Van Cat Meow, photo 4 – Richard East
Willow the cat on the road with Van Cat Meow, photo 5 – Richard East
Willow the cat on the road with Van Cat Meow, photo 6 – Richard East
Willow the cat on the road with Van Cat Meow, photo 7 – Richard East
Willow the cat on the road with Van Cat Meow, photo 8 – Richard East
Willow the cat on the road with Van Cat Meow, photo 9 – Richard East
Willow the cat on the road with Van Cat Meow, photo 10 – Richard East
Willow the cat on the road with Van Cat Meow, photo 11 – Richard East
Willow the cat on the road with Van Cat Meow, photo 12 – Richard East
Willow the cat on the road with Van Cat Meow, photo 13 – Richard East
Willow the cat on the road with Van Cat Meow, photo 14 – Richard East
Willow the cat on the road with Van Cat Meow, photo 15 – Richard East

Sources