Olaf Duebel and his family usually travel 300 km by road from their Wolfsburg home to visit his parents in Krefeld and then 500 km in the other direction to Karlsruhe to see his in-laws. But as the managing director of Volkswagen Group Singapore has been based here since 2002, he has been exploring the asphalt Down Under instead.
"Singapore is the perfect place to be stationed in," says Dr Duebel. "It is the 'gateway' to many countries and this year, we are all flying to Perth on Dec 20."
There by the Margaret River, "we will enjoy the great wine culture", he says with a laugh. The area is home to 200 vineyards and 90 wineries, plus some great beaches and wonderful surfing there, he adds.
Then, he, Mrs Duebel and their four children - two boys and two girls - will drive to the Uluru or Ayers Rock - one of the great wonders of the world - by Christmas day.
"The plan is also to drive to Albany. It will be a distance of 2,285 km from our starting point at Ayers Rock, but it would be a fantastic drive."
It may sound like a lot but it is roughly the same as last Christmas, when the Duebel family spent three weeks driving 2,000 km across New Caledonia. And it is still much less than a recent visit to New Zealand, where the rental car clocked 5,200 km over three weeks on the road.
Dr Duebel says he likes driving holidays because he loves cars and the sense of freedom driving gives him.
"Driving holidays also give me a chance to combine two things - my passion for driving and time with the family.
The time spent on the road is the perfect time to bond with my wife and children, while taking in the sights at the same time."
