Cover Feature: Karstan & Maxine

This is the story of our family, a dream, a lot of crazy ideas, and a life full of adventure. Since 2009, we’ve been chasing the freedom of the open road, pushing our limits, and discovering beauty in places most people never get to see. On our very first lap of Australia in a Kombi, a fire was ignited in us, a fire for adventure, freedom, and exploration and that feeling has never left us. What started as a year travelling the country sparked a lifestyle we’ve been chasing ever since, with every decision and every experience leading us to where we are now: having just created our very first feature film, ONE SHOT. We hope that by sharing our story, we can inspire others to get out there and have a go!

Gidday we are Karstan and Max + Zu and Ze and we travel Australia in our 1968 self-built and maintained 2WD Kombi. The old girl is 100% part of our family, and she will be handed down to our girls when they are older. Karstan actually jokes that he is “at one” with the Kombi. What we love about her is that every ding and scratch, every new bit of rust, just adds to her story, and she really does get better with age. Wherever we go, we get smiles, waves, and shocked faces. So many people have a connection or a story with a Kombi, it’s beautiful. Kombis just make people happy!

Going off the beaten track is what we love to do, and we really push our old girl to her limits, tackling some of the toughest tracks and terrains all over Australia. She’s certainly not invincible, but so far, there’s nothing we can’t fix and that’s the magic of having an old car. Over the years, Karstan’s bush mechanic skills have gotten us out of plenty of tricky situations. There’s been plenty of zip ties, duct tape, and even a chickpea can used! Getting outside our comfort zone and pushing ourselves and our Kombi to the limits is where the true adventure happens. And far out, we’ve made some wild memories along the way. But it’s often the people we meet along the way that really make the journey so much more memorable.

It’s the remote, less-travelled places that really get us excited.. we always find that’s where the magic lies. We love showing people what’s really out there, how fun it can be to be spontaneous, take the road less travelled and see where the day takes you. We also know that for various reasons some people will never get to go to the places we go to and so it’s a privilege to be able to take them on a journey with us! Over the years we’ve received the most beautiful messages from people and it’s really given us the inspiration to keep doing what we do!

If you were to ask us our favourite places in Aus we would say anywhere north, Northern QLD, Northern Territory, Northern WA and then of course the outback - we feel very at home amongst red dirt! And we are big fans of destinations with fresh water swimming holes!

Karstan and I are the ultimate yin and yang. He dreams up a lot of the crazy stuff, and I bring him back down a notch. He pushes me to do things outside of my comfort zone, and I aim to keep him and the girls safe and alive haha! He is so fast-paced and always thinking ahead and I bring him back into the present moment and slow him down a little. We are best mates and our crazy life together just works!!

We’ve been together since we were teens, and we joke that we are now pretty much the same person, meeting at 16 and 18, we’ve really grown up together. We feel incredibly lucky that we are aligned in our desire to live life to the fullest, and it is a really beautiful thing to share all of our memories together.

Many people think that when you have kids, your life needs to change, but our kids actually give us so much more motivation. We are now responsible for their childhood and their experiences. We will never get this time back - so we are going to make sure that we truly do make the most of the small window we have, and that’s a big reason why we just WENT ALL IN on the full-time travel! We want them to grow up in a world full of unique experiences and opportunities that really show them what is possible, and that they can do anything they put their mind to. Zuri, our eldest, is the most adaptable, well-rounded kid, full of energy and zest for life and we believe that is due to her upbringing on the road. Zena is following in her older sister’s footsteps, and both of them thrive outdoors! But we are pretty sure all kids do. Just seeing them use nature as their playground is an amazing feeling as parents.

Living full-time on the road isn’t easy. We’ve been struck by freak storms in the outback, had plenty of breakdowns, gotten sick or injured, and even faced alien-like bugs! But the challenges are all part of the journey, and honestly, they make for damn good stories.

If you’re reading this, please JUST LIVE YOUR BLOODY LIFE. The only guarantee we have is the now, and there is no right time, no perfect setup! Life is full of uncertainties, but the only certainty is the time we have right now. Too many people sit around waiting for things to happen, stop waiting, just go for it and HAVE A GO!!!! Whatever your dream is, say it out loud, tell everyone you know, and set a date! Don’t be a shit talker!!!

ONE SHOT is our heart on screen 20 minutes of thrills, magic scenery, and stories from the road. It’s about pushing limits, embracing the unknown, and remembering that we only get one shot at this life.

As for the future? The crazy adventures don’t stop with ONE SHOT. Our next big dream is to send our Kombi over to the UK and drive it home! We feel like it would be the most insanely amazing and life-changing adventure to have as a family, and there really is no time like the present, so we’re putting it out there: it’s going to happen in 2027.

One thing is certain: time is precious, and we’re not wasting a second. We’re excited for what is next... There are so many unknowns, so many big dreams, and it’s a journey that we cannot wait to share.

Congratulations to Karstan & Maxine for winning the first ever 4x4 Adventure Invitational for The Film Invitational!

Follow @karstanandmaxine on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube!

👉  This story excerpt is from our Kickin Up Dust International Roundup Volume #7: September 2025.