The Road Trip: a family holiday goes wrong in the new 2025 novel from a beloved, bestselling Australian author

Two caravans, four adults and a journey through Australia's heart - the trip of a lifetime, right? Wrong. A wise take on the joys of travel with those you might dislike the most but love the best.

Sharyn Tregonning wanted a holiday somewhere glamorous for her 60th birthday. So when her husband Barry surprises her with a caravan trip from Adelaide to Broome, she is furious - and bitterly disappointed. Even worse, Barry's annoying friend Ray and Ray's reclusive frumpy sister Kathleen are coming along.

It's true that Kathleen Allenby has become a recluse. As the end-of-life carer for three family members (and at war with her mean neighbours) she has become anxious. She doesn't expect this trip to offer her much. Sharyn has always looked down on her, and Kathleen has never liked her (or her bitchy friends).

But as a series of mishaps and accidents, overflowing toilets and destination disagreements test boundaries and fray tempers, the two women share a bottle of gin and begin to bond over the highs and lows of caravan life and their irritation with their menfolk as they travel through the magnificent Kimberley towards magical Broome. When a body surfaces at a luxe resort, it brings their grudges and hurts out into the open, and the women realise that it's not just the men's future - or behaviour - that needs to change.