The Canavan is a 1968 Olympic Riviera Caravan - an icon from Australia's caravaning hey-days, and a nostalgic reminder of the quintessential summer holiday road-trip.
We found her filled with rubbish and old clothing on a property near Newcastle in June 2012. After handing over a sizeable wad of cash to the property owner who had inherited her with the land, we hitched her onto the back of our van, and drove her 620km north to Byron Bay.
The original 'plan' was to move up a few months later, fix her up, and get her running in time for early 2013. Things didn't exactly go to plan (as if they ever do), but 18 months later, we had The Canavan - restored to her former glory and sensitively modified for a new, equally emblematic Australian pastime, the backyard party!
The man that can is Adam; the do-er, the maker of things, the props-wonderkid, the surfer, gardener, and lover of bringing old treasures back to life with an inventive touch.
The woman that can is Anika; the designer, the planner, the ideas-junkie, the crafter, photographer, and lover of seeing hers and others' ideas and imagination come to life (usually courtesy of Adam making it happen).
We love to throw a good party. A party, no matter how big or small, is an unique occasion for people to come together and share stories, laughter, food, drink, and even dance moves... It's the formula for human connection that's been in force for thousands of years.
We're proud of The Canavan - our biggest idea yet - and we can't wait to share her with you!
The Canavan Team
The Canavan's 'Off-Grid'
Set-up
No noisy generators, no cables, no need to be near a power source!
Our off-grid set-up is a solar-powered battery bank that can run fridges, lighting and a stereo for up to 10hrs and includes:
- 200L fridge
- 50L freezer
- Ambient lighting
- iPod dock and sound system
- 2 x 120L ice boxes
- Hot water wash-up station
