This week on our Home Life Series, we’re heading down to the Bellarine Peninsula to visit Alyce and George, the husband-and-wife duo behind Hire a Kombi. Set on five dreamy acres, their home is a joyful celebration of colour, charm and family life, layered with nostalgic 1970s tones and pieces that tell a story.
Running Australia’s longest operating self-drive Kombi hire business from home, Alyce and George have created a space where work and play blur beautifully. Think cosy corners, well-loved treasures, kids’ art on the walls and a deep appreciation for interiors that feel truly lived in and loved.
Keep reading to step inside their colourful world and discover how a whole lot of joy comes together under one very happy roof.
Hi Alyce, thank you so much for letting us wander through your gorgeous home on the Bellarine Peninsula! Can you start by telling us a little about yourselves and how the idea of hiring out Kombi vans came to be?
Alyce
I will try and give you the short version of this long story. I’m Alyce and this is my husband George. We have two children, Mae and Kim, a kelpie dog called Dusty, a fat free-range guinea pig called Potato, two budgies, and a handful of chickens pecking around at any given time.
We operate from the Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria, on a sweet 5 acres that we are so grateful, every day, to call home. In 2012 we started Hire A Kombi, which is now the longest operating self-drive Kombi hire company in Australia. We currently offer 5 automatic original 1970s VW Kombis for camping, day trips, weddings, photoshoots, marketing, chauffeuring, and this is so exciting for us to share with you because we actually haven’t even officially announced it yet, but we have just added a Kombi hearse to the fleet, which George has built from scratch. This has been 10 years in the making (it’s quicker to build a home than restore a Kombi).
We’re passionate about experiencing joy, and through some rough times in life, we’ve both found joy in being behind the wheel of a Kombi. So when we see the excitement in our customers when they arrive, and their smiles when they return, it just ignites us.
George
The idea of Hire A Kombi itself was actually mine, back maybe 20 years ago. I was working as a mechanic at a rental company on the Gold Coast and suggested hiring Kombis, but they didn’t see my vision. I bought the domains and parked the idea, moved back to Vic, and started my search for my own Kombi, dedicating my time to learning everything about these iconic vans.
What was it that first drew you to Kombis, and can you share a little about your own love affair with these iconic vintage vans?
George
I was always into the 1970s-style fast cars, and as a mechanic, I knew how to fix them, but I was on the road to a jail sentence. I was too reckless, so I started looking for a vintage car that would replace the adrenaline I got from driving fast cars. The moment I drove a Kombi, it was everything I wanted, and I loved the way they looked.
Alyce
It was 2010 that I was living in the Whitsundays, on my own mission of finding a Kombi. I was scrolling through Carsales when I saw a cute red Kombi listed by George in the same town my sister lived. Two states away, but to me it felt like a sign to call, and maybe I could send my sister, who has zero car skills, to check it out. I gave George a call, told him all about my dream of owning a Kombi, and he gave me the bad news: this one was inappropriate for sleeping in. He shared he had a camper in his shed but wasn’t selling it because he was planning to start a business with it one day. I got off the phone feeling deflated because Kombi searching was actually really hard, especially for such a unique vehicle that most people told me would be too unreliable for a young girl travelling alone.
George
I got off the phone and spent the next week scratching my head thinking, why do I feel like I need to build this Kombi for Alyce? I was far too busy and going through some really hard things in my personal life, but I called her.
Alyce
When I saw his call come through, and he gave me the news, you couldn’t wipe the smile off my face, even though I had no idea what this Kombi even looked like at that stage, and I just didn’t expect to hear from him again. I couldn’t wait to jump on a plane, meet George, and hopefully see my Kombi! I felt on the phone that George had the kindest voice, so easy to chat to, super knowledgeable on Kombis, and that he genuinely wanted to see me fulfill my childhood dream of driving a Kombi, which I did. So I was in my early 20s with a yellow Kombi I called Applejack, circled Australia in it, and found myself back at the doorstep of the man I called Gorgeous George, and that’s when we both realised we weren’t just in love with Kombis. So as it turned out, George got that camper back in his life, an awesome woman (me), and we kicked off the business a few years later.
We’ve both always been fans of vintage vehicles. Anything in the 70s era I was always drawn to as a child. Homewares, clothes, and as for Kombis, I love their shape, colours, and I felt a sense of freedom when I’d see them—and freedom is high on our list of values in life. They just make sense and spark a feeling of joy in me. I was 15 when I first jumped in a Kombi and thought they oozed character.
There’s something so special about driving a VW Kombi, what’s the magic for you and what makes the experience so different from a regular road trip?
On a regular road trip, you usually have a destination in mind, and you want to get there quickly. The Kombi road trip begins the moment we jump in the Kombi. One of our favourite sayings is no plan is the best plan because you’re on Kombi time now.
Life at the moment especially feels like it’s moving fast; people are in a hurry to get somewhere, but when you’re in a Kombi, all that seems to fade away, and you get to experience a little of the old days. Strangers smile at us, children stop their parents and wave with excitement. We don’t have a hectic dashboard with lights and beeps telling us what to do, and our kids aren’t complaining they’re bored. It’s just a feeling that can only be explained through experience for us, and as we only drive Kombis, we are so fortunate to feel this every day through the mundane and longer drives. It’s nice to have an idea of where you want to park for the night if you’re sleeping in the Kombi, but honestly, if you just have a couple of days up your sleeve or even one night, we can absolutely create the most memorable experience, even if you stay half an hour down the road, because it’s the in-between that’s magic too.
If we could hitch a ride with you, what would your dream summer weekend away in one of your Kombis look like? Where would you go, and what would the adventure include?
We’d definitely take you along the Great Ocean Road. We never get sick of this place. It's seriously beautiful. You may be thinking, nah I’ve done it before, but we can guarantee it won’t look the same when you’re in a Kombi. There’s so many places to choose from on the water, but I’d either take you to Blanket Bay or Cumberland River. Raise the roof, which takes less than a minute, throw down the picnic rug, light the campfire, pour a cold drink, and send the kids off to explore.
Turn on the cooker for burgers, and it’s all easy because everything is already in the Kombi, and setting up is literally 5–10 minutes if that. One of my favourite things to do is climb onto the bed in the roof, open the windows, read, and drift in and out of sleep. Summer or winter is so good for the soul.
Seeing people take off on their own Kombi adventures must be so rewarding. What’s your favourite part about it, and what kind of memories do you hope they come home with?
Yeah, so rewarding, and it really is the customers’ joy that keeps us going with this venture because it hasn’t been an easy journey for us. The stories they share when they return are so awesome, but it’s not just the story itself we love; it's actually the excitement, joy, laughs, and their energy that hits our hearts. 99% of people hug us or shake our hands in return, and when have you ever seen that at a car rental office?
We regularly see children hugging a corner of the Kombi to say goodbye, adults saying they felt like celebrities, and celebrities surprised they didn’t get any attention, as it was all on the van. Haha. We truly hope for everyone to have a memorable experience with their loved ones, a soul-nourishing solo time away, and we don’t feel like it’s one they would ever forget.
Such a large portion of people are surprising someone with a trip, which just adds such a cool energy to the pick-up process. We recently had a couple take their honeymoon in a Kombi, and they sent us photos along the way to say how beautiful it was and what a unique experience—it means a lot to be part of that.
Your home is full of the most gorgeous, unique treasures. How would you describe your interior style, and how have you gone about collecting all these beautiful pieces over the years?
Oh thank you! As we work from home, we like to feel good in our space. I’ve always gravitated towards colour, and it just always ends up in vintage tones unintentionally. The majority of our furniture I’ve picked up on Marketplace because I love finding the sweet old 70s stuff. I have a few bits from my grandma’s home in North Qld when she passed away, so that is really special. I love having our kids' art on the walls and some of our favourite photos around the place. I enjoy ducking into an op shop to see what old goodies they have.
I get a real kick out of coming across things I love randomly, bringing them home, and finding a place for them. I used to love visiting my great-aunty and uncle's homes when I was little; they felt so homely and full of colour with their blankets, little pictures on the walls, and peacocks around the home. They just felt like joyful little bits and bobs, so I think about them often and love that. I move things around unconsciously in the different seasons and add different colours to suit the weather and colours outside. In winter, I love adding the Kip velvet quilt in the rooms to make them feel cosy, and the colours are uplifting. While in summer, I love the feeling of the bamboo on our beach bums. Haha. Cord, velvet, florals, oranges, greens, pinks, yellows—I love it all!
Your home and garden feel so full of life, can you tell us about the history of the property, and what it is about being outdoors that makes this place so special to you all?
Well, just to follow on with the 70s theme, haha, to our knowledge, the lovely couple who purchased this property sometime in the 70s planted the majority of what is here, including the big beautiful gum plantation. To be honest, we find it pretty hard to keep up with gardening due to a lack of time, so sometimes we have a garden full of edible flowers and veggies, and other times we have to let it do its own thing.
Every morning we have our coffee on the deck and a cuppa at night. It’s something George and I have done together ever since we moved here, and it’s one of our family’s favourite areas to hang out. I grew up on the land and spent a lot of time outside with the animals, and I found them so relaxing, and I still, as a 40-year-old, get that same peaceful, grounding feeling watching them and having their energy in our space.
Our chicken regularly lays on our doorstep, with its wing out sunning itself in the morning with Dusty nearby. It may sound simple, but it’s these little things that I really love in life. It strips away the noise and brings me back to what matters. We would often wake up to Mae in the chicken pen when she was so little, just sitting with them, watching, talking, and playing. It’s beautiful to watch, and I think it teaches them kindness to look after animals. I guess I just want to create a fun, sweet, peaceful environment that’s full of colour and character, and we get that through our Kombis, our space, and all the incredible people that come to take a Kombi.
If Alyce and George’s Kombi adventures have inspired you, we’ve got a little treat for you! Use the code KIPINAKOMBI10 for a discount on your own summer getaway. This special offer is valid for one week only, so now’s the perfect time to hit the road and make some memories of your own.
All vans are equipped for baby seats, can seat 4–8 people, sleep up to 5, and if you’re feeling like you really want to experience a Kombi but are still a little nervous to drive, they can set the van up in a rad spot for you to kick back and chill.
You’ll still get to experience all the joy and magic of a Kombi adventure.
