In May 2015 a Tasmanian man named Rich East sold his house in Hobart, left his job and set off to drive around Australia in a campervan. His only travelling companion was Willow, a black rescue cat. By early 2017 the pair had covered more than 50,000 kilometres, roughly 31,000 miles, and had visited all six Australian states and both mainland territories.
Rich documented the journey under the name Van Cat Meow, and his photos of a sleek black cat sitting on fence posts, beaches and the roof of a van found an audience around the world. The pictures below come from that project. They show what a long road trip with a cat actually looks like: plenty of camp breakfasts, a lot of sleeping in the van, and a cat who clearly enjoys being outdoors.
Before the gallery, here is the background to the trip, and after it, some practical notes for anyone tempted to try travelling with their own cat. Every cat is different, and what suited Willow will not suit every animal.
Who Rich and Willow are
Rich was living a conventional life in Hobart when he decided to swap it for a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Reports from the time say he could not imagine leaving Willow behind, so the cat came along. Rather than keeping her shut inside, he let her explore around each campsite, often off the lead, and used a special tracking collar so he could find her if she wandered off.
A tracking collar helps, but it is not a guarantee. GPS devices need a signal and battery power, and much of outback Australia has patchy coverage. Rich's approach worked for a confident, calm cat that liked staying close to its human; it is not a general recommendation.
The route: Hobart to every state and territory
Because the journey started in Tasmania, reaching the mainland would have meant crossing Bass Strait first. From there the pair worked their way around the country. In his own account Rich describes sailing on the Great Barrier Reef, camping in the mountains and driving thousands of kilometres from Burketown in Queensland's Gulf Country up into the Northern Territory.
In February 2017 they reached South Australia, the last state on Willow's list. That completed her tour of all six states and the two mainland territories. The pair later released a calendar of the photos through the Van Cat Meow shop.
Camp life in photos
Breakfast in a pine plantation. Rich sits on a tree stump with a mug while Willow perches on the next stump along, close enough to supervise. Scenes like this were a daily routine on the road, and they show how relaxed the cat was outside the van.
Rich and Willow resting their heads side by side on the bed in the back of the van. Living in a campervan means the same small space is bedroom, kitchen and lounge. For a cat, that shared space becomes home territory, which is one reason van life suited Willow better than constant hotel moves would have.
The inside of the van, with Willow curled up on the colourful bedspread and the sea visible through the rear windows. Backpacks and gear hang along the sides. A fixed bed, familiar bedding and a regular sleeping spot give a travelling cat something stable while the view outside changes every few days.
Rich sitting cross-legged in a forest clearing, hugging Willow close. Behind the adventure photos, the trip was about companionship. Later coverage reportedly described Willow as the friend who helped him through a hard stretch of his life.
A sleepy close-up of Willow with her eyes half closed, taken inside the van. You can see the small tag on her collar. Plenty of the journey looked like this: long stretches of driving in which the cat simply dozed.
Willow out exploring
Willow balancing on a wooden post beside a gravel road at dusk, tail hanging down. Cats like height because it lets them watch their surroundings, and a raised perch near camp is a natural lookout spot.
A silhouette of Willow sitting on a sandy bank as the sun sets over water. Shots like this became the signature style of Van Cat Meow, using Australia's coastline and big skies as the backdrop for one small black cat.
Willow lounging on red-orange sand, looking back over her shoulder. The colour is typical of the iron-rich soils found across much of inland and northern Australia. Hot sand can burn paws, so travellers with pets usually explore early or late in the day.
Willow sitting on a red rope swing hung between eucalyptus trees. The swing turns an ordinary campsite into something like a playground, and the cat looks perfectly at home on it.
Willow crouched on a fallen grey log among dead branches, watching the camera with bright yellow-green eyes. Bushland like this is full of scents and small creatures, which is exactly why a curious cat wants to explore it, and why it needs watching.
Willow peering out of low coastal scrub with a sandy track behind her. In dense vegetation a black cat can disappear within seconds, which is where the tracking collar earns its place.
Willow sitting on a sandstone rock shelf with the ocean behind her and a blue tag on her collar. Rocky coastlines are some of the most photographed places on the trip, and also some of the riskiest for a pet, because of tides and loose rock.
The campervan, a white van with a ladder on the back and a roof rack, parked on scrubby flat ground at sunset, with Willow walking towards the camera. The van carried everything the pair owned after the house was sold.
Rich sitting on the roof of the van with Willow beside him under a pink evening sky. The photo sums up the whole trip: a man, a cat and a vehicle in a very big landscape, with nothing to do except watch the light fade.
Thinking of travelling with your own cat?
Willow's story is lovely, but cats are territorial animals and many find travel stressful. If you are considering a road trip with a cat, a few points are worth weighing first:
- Talk to your vet first. They can check vaccinations, parasite protection and microchip details, and tell you whether your cat is likely to cope.
- Start small. Short drives and single nights away show how your cat reacts before you commit to months on the road.
- Harness and lead training. Most travelling cats are walked on a harness; letting a cat roam free, as Willow did, only suits an unusually confident animal and safe surroundings.
- Know the local rules. Many Australian national parks do not allow pets at all, and some areas have strict rules to protect native wildlife from cats.
- Heat and water. A parked van heats up quickly in the Australian sun. Never leave a pet inside a closed vehicle on a warm day.
Following Van Cat Meow
Rich continued sharing photos of Willow under the Van Cat Meow name. You can find the project at vancatmeow.com, on Instagram and on Facebook, and the calendar was sold through the Van Cat Meow shop.
For many readers the appeal is simple. Most people will never sell everything and spend years on the road, but it is cheering to see someone who did, and a cat who seems to have loved every kilometre.
Sources: My Modern Met: Rich East and Willow; Van Cat Meow (official site); Van Cat Meow on Instagram. Photos: Rich East / Van Cat Meow.
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