Home Stories: Michael O’Rourke and Erin Mueller

Posted on 20 July, 2018

I’ve got something special for you in this story; two free souls who make the world their home and use their car for all the creature comforts.

Because when Michael and Erin go exploring, they take their home along for the ride.

I met Michael O’Rourke a very long time ago at Hippo Bar. I was doing my usual Wednesday night DJ set with live female vocals when I noticed a young guy sitting in the corner with a beer and a fixed stare. He approached an hour later and said, ‘my name is Michael, I love the soulful house vibe you have going on here. I have some records and I’m practising to be a DJ.’

My response was, ‘Well firstly, I’m very glad someone is actually listening; secondly, stop practising because I don’t one anyone stealing my gigs; and, thirdly, how did you get past security with that underage face?’

It was the start of a great friendship. In fact, all my closest friends started by bonding over music—so if you see me out somewhere and want to be friendly, just come up and say ‘hey how about that Lovely Day song by Bill Withers?’ I guarantee we will get along.

Over the next 15 years or so, Michael got progressively more adventurous. He started growing insane dreads and deejaying regularly at forest doofs, then became a craft beer expert and judge (and started a whole home brew factory thing), ultimately giving up his corporate career to pursue exploring the beauty of our land.

But as full on as that sounds, he is not a way-out-there hippie or someone an organised, structured soul like me wouldn’t get on with (there’s something about my pocket squares that makes most ‘freer’ types call me ‘Captain Comedown’).

Michael is grounded, spending his time on what he loves (photography and cinematography) and making sure that he doesn’t miss out on the things many of us do; such as experiencing the stunning world around us. This is where the home car comes in.

Michael took the back seats out of a standard family wagon, built a platform for a bed, added storage drawers under the bed and a slide-out gas cooker at the back. He then modified a tiny French trailer to carry a fridge and act as a kitchen with drawers.

He also built a solar battery system into the trailer, which runs the media production studio, charges all camera gear and makes sure those pretty fairy lights stay on. And, as an ode to me, he also built a fold-down DJ booth, with decks and a sound system that all runs completely off-grid. At least I’m assuming it’s an ode to me—and if this party on wheels isn’t called ‘Ashley’ then I need to rethink the whole friendship thing.

Speaking of a party on wheels, it really wouldn’t be one without the right drinks being served the right way, so it’s a good thing that his partner Erin has an immense amount of experience in cocktail bar tending, having worked at no less than 12 bars in Canberra and managed bars in London.

Michael and Erin have recently started their adventure by driving to Fremantle then all the way up to Broome. And while they travel, they work producing television shows for Discovery Channel, Foxtel and SBS while Erin heads up bars in five-star resorts.

So realistically. I should have started this article with ‘When they go exploring, they take their home and WORK with them along for the ride’. Either way, you have to admit, this is a special story.