When Anna G from Northern NSW purchased a brand-new 20ft Leader Dirt Roader caravan from the Australian Caravan Centre in Burleigh Heads, she had no idea it would lead to something even more extraordinary.
As a participating dealership in the Caravan to a Million national campaign, the team at Australian Caravan Centre helped Anna and her partner, John, build their dream van — custom designed to suit John’s needs — and gave them the opportunity to enter a competition with a once-in-a-lifetime prize: the chance to win $1 million.
Thanks to the campaign’s nationwide reach and point-of-sale promotional packs, Anna entered while finalising her purchase — and now she’s walking away with a guaranteed $10,000 prize and an unforgettable shot at the million.
Six years ago, Anna and John’s lives changed forever when John suffered a horrific workplace accident. He fell 20 metres onto concrete, sustaining catastrophic injuries — including a broken back and multiple fractures.
Doctors didn’t expect him to survive. If he did, they warned, he’d be confined to a wheelchair for life and unable to move his arms or shoulders.
But John fought through. After months in hospital, multiple surgeries, and extensive rehab, he defied the odds — and together, Anna and John have spent the last six years in survival mode, adjusting to a completely new way of life.
Facing the reality that every day is precious, the couple decided to stop waiting and start living.
“Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed,” Anna told us. “[So we] pooled together our savings and decided to purchase a caravan and travel Australia while we still physically can.”
Originally considering a hybrid van for off-track adventures, they changed plans after John’s accident. As Anna is now the sole driver, a full caravan made more sense for ease and comfort.
That’s when they met Leigh at the Australian Caravan Centre — and everything clicked. Leigh took the time to understand John’s limitations, offering thoughtful modifications like a king bed and ensuring every detail was tailored to their needs.
“She was aware of John’s disabilities and the things we needed to change… and she’s just helped us all of the way” Anna said. “that journey was also…. lots of operations and hospital [visits] and stress, [but] we knew we could just leave it with Leigh and she would just make sure it was all okay.”
The competition winner announcement happened to fall on the anniversary of John’s life-threatening accident — a coincidence that made Anna feel it just might be their lucky day.
At the million-dollar event, 250 keys were mounted on a board, only one unlocking the $1 million prize.
“It was very nerve-wracking,” John recalled. “We still couldn’t believe this was actually happening.”
In the end, their key didn’t open the million-dollar lock — but they still walked away $10,000 richer, with the money ready to help fuel their bucket list adventures.
“What an experience,” said Anna. “[This] will kick off our caravanning adventures.”
With their Leader Dirt Roader ready to roll, Anna and John have already enjoyed their first trip — a special journey to visit Anna’s mum in Sydney. “The van has given us the opportunity to visit our families more often,” Anna shared. The freedom of caravanning, they say, has helped them reconnect and rebuild some normality after years of hardship.
“With John’s injuries, we can focus on ourselves and rebuild some normality after so much trauma.”
Now part of the Leader “family,” they’re looking forward to ticking off destinations around Australia, sharing adventures, and embracing life on the open road.
Check out the full interview with Anna, John and the Australian Caravan Centre:
The Caravan to a Million is a campaign developed by Caravan Industry Association of Australia, and supported by all state trade associations. The promotion incentivises consumer actions such as purchasing a new RV or accessories, having a current RV serviced or repaired at a state association member dealer or repairer, or visiting an industry-run caravan camping show.
The opportunity to win $1 million is offered as a grand prize. The campaign is a powerful tool in bolstering industry businesses and celebrating the RV lifestyle.
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