Hundreds of Applicants, Two Teachers, One Big Year: BIG4 Announces Winners of the BIG Aussie Review

After receiving hundreds of applications from across the country, BIG4 Holiday Parks has named two Brisbane teachers as the winners of The BIG Aussie Review – a 365-day road trip around Australia, valued at more than $250,000. 

At a time when rising costs are forcing people to scale back their travel plans, BIG4 Holiday Parks is encouraging Australians to think bigger. After receiving hundreds of applications from people eager to trade their daily grind for the open road, the nation’s most iconic holiday park network has handed one couple the keys to the road trip of a lifetime. 

Grace Herdman and Matt Millward, both 26-year-old teachers from Brisbane, have been named the winners of The BIG Aussie Review. From July 6, 2026, the pair will swap the classroom for a fully kitted-out Ford Ranger and Crusader caravan, spending 365 nights travelling Australia and staying at BIG4 Holiday Parks from the Top End to Tassie. 

The appetite for a great Aussie road trip remains strong, even as the cost-of-living crisis continues to reshape how Australians travel. Recent research shows 47% of Australians rank travel above other discretionary spending, yet 83% say they are willing to make trade-offs to afford a trip1. Meanwhile, domestic tourism continues to surge, with Australian travellers forecast to spend $83 billion on local travel by 20302. The dream is alive – but for many, it still comes with a compromise. Grace and Matt get to make it their reality for a whole year.  

“Australians don’t need a passport to have an incredible holiday – the best trips are right here in our own backyard,” said Sean Jenner, CEO of BIG4 Holiday Parks. “But we know cost is a very real barrier right now. The BIG Aussie Review is our way of saying: ‘Here’s the caravan, here are the keys, here’s the budget – just go.’ Grace and Matt embody exactly the spirit we were looking for – people who find joy in the everyday and can’t wait to share it with the rest of Australia.” 

For Grace and Matt, the road has always called. The couple spend every spare weekend camping or exploring the Queensland coast, and have already clocked serious kilometres together, including an eight-week road trip from Brisbane to Melbourne and back over the 2025/26 summer holidays. Now, with the school term on pause for a year, they're ready to take on the whole country. "We turn anything into an adventure," said Grace. "Flat tyre? Scenic stop. Rain all weekend? Character building. Wrong turn? New plan. We love being outdoors and this is genuinely a dream come true. Wherever BIG4 wants us to go, we'll be there - and we promise to find all the best gems along the way."   

Kicking off from the Gold Coast on July 6, the pair will spend a full year travelling Australia, uncovering the rare finds, roadside stops and unforgettable moments that make our backyard so special. Their journey will take them along the east coast, through the Top End, across Western Australia and South Australia, before heading back east – a true lap of the country, on behalf of every Australian who has ever looked at the map and thought: ‘one day’. 

Along the way, Grace and Matt will document every experience via video, social media and editorial content – reviewing destinations, local eats, parks and unseen wonders for a national audience keen to rediscover their own backyard. 

The BIG Aussie Review prize package is valued at over $250,000, including a Ford Ranger, a Crusader caravan, 365 nights’ accommodation across BIG4 Holiday Parks nationwide, Ampol Amplify Premium Fuel, a weekly food allowance, $10,000 worth of Dometic gear and content creation equipment worth up to $8,000. 

Aussies are encouraged to follow Grace and Matt’s journey at big4.com.au/the-big-aussie-review and across BIG4’s social channels @thebigaussiereview for a true review of our beautiful backyard. 

High res imagery of Grace and Matt, found HERE. Access to entry videos and announcement videos are available.