Oscar Cauchi: surfer, fisherman and born camper
wednesday 05 May 2021
Oscar Cauchi was born in 2002 and has made a name for himself as the national champion surfing "U18 Youth Shortboard". Last summer, he and a friend set off on a trip in a Bürstner camper van. At the time of this interview, they had already been on the road for almost a month, with 7300 km on the counter, wildly enthusiastic and not planning to come home right away.
Oscar Cauchi was born in 2002 and has made a name for himself as the national champion surfing "U18 Youth Shortboard". Last summer, he and a friend set off on a trip in a Bürstner Campervan. At the time of this interview, they had already been on the road for almost a month, with 7300 km on the clock, wildly enthusiastic and not planning to come home right away.
Is this your first time travelling with a motorhome?
Yes, the very first time. I just turned 18 and had my driving licence for a month when we left. So it is very exciting to be on the road with such a big van. But so far, so good. We haven't had any problems yet. We can set our GPS to our locations, so we never get into tricky situations.
You have been on the road for a month now, where have you been?
After picking up the campervan in Deerlijk, we immediately left for Berlin. Then the Alps and via the Provence to Monaco. From there, we drove along the Mediterranean Sea to Lisbon. Until now, we have mainly enjoyed fishing. Yes, I am also an avid fisherman, both with the rod and the harpoon. In the second part of the trip, we drove along the Atlantic Ocean, mainly to surf. We drove about 3 hours a day, so there was still enough time to practice our hobbies.
Do you have a lot of equipment to do all these hobbies?
We have four surfboards for surfing alone. They are in a surf bag and fit perfectly under the beds. We also have fishing gear, an inflatable kayak and a BBQ, and everything is neatly stored in our camper. Great! Speaking of beds, they are super comfortable! I had not expected that at all. So, usually there are two of us, but if some friends come to meet us, they can sleep in the extra bed. Super convenient.
Do you camp on campsites?
No, actually we hardly ever camp on campsites, unless we really have to. We usually camp on car parks where you are allowed to spend the night. And in Spain and Portugal you can camp on paths along the beach (provided that you meet certain conditions). In all tranquillity and in beautiful locations. Thanks to the solar panels, we always have enough electricity and we fill up with water at ordinary petrol stations. We have our own sanitary facilities and the outdoor shower is also useful to rinse ourselves and our equipment after fishing or surfing. And we always cook in our camper. It is very convenient that the kitchenette is half outside. We regularly cook our caught fish, and the smell in the camper never bothers us.
That sounds like you are travelling perfectly coronaproof.
Yes (laughs), travelling by motor home is really the safest situation you can be in at the moment. Of course, we try to avoid the red zones. It remains to be seen whether the return to Belgium will be smooth, but we are not ready for that yet. First some more travelling and surfing.
Then, it only remains for us to wish you lots of motorhome enjoyment!
