A woman selling all of her worldly belongings to hit the road and find new adventures is hardly an original concept these days.
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But it takes it to a whole other level when the woman in question is a collector.
Netti Vonthehoff is the owner of April's Caravan – a vintage store and treasure trove of all things retro. The business has existed in many iterations over the years – a shop in Lyneham, a stint at Hipsley Lane on Lonsdale Street, then New Acton and finally at Bailey's Corner in Civic.
The final store closed its doors at the end of March this year, and Vonthehoff has decided it's time to get rid of everything and start a new adventure.
"It just got a bit exhausting," she said.
"I just want a new direction. I'm going to go adventuring and it was at that point where I feel owed by it all. I love it all so much it's time to just stop, walk away and recreate."
Vonthehoff started collecting when she was 14, with her treasure eventually packing out her two-storey, five-bedroom house plus double garage in Dickson.
And now she wants it all gone, holding a huge sale at her house this weekend. On the front lawn will be a garage sale of the April's Caravan stock, all at heavily reduced prices.
But the real treasures to be found are inside the front doors, and $10 will buy you entry to shop Vonthehoff's personal collection. She's removed what she's keeping, and everything that's left is for sale, from her personal fashion collection, to the wardrobe itself.
"I've been able to actually style it so they're kind of walking into a bit of a time warp. But this is how I live."
Vonthehoff is now down to one small room of belongings – so what has she kept?
"I've kept little things like presents people have given me, my kids' pictures and drawings from when they were little, it's just all personal sentimental things," she said.
"And the records, I set myself 10 records that I was allowed to keep, but going through the records – music is everything to me so I always listen to my music on vinyl, I've got a great collection. So I ended up cheating – I probably took about 40 records out."
She doesn't have solid plans yet about where she's off to, but will stay in Canberra for another few months.
"This is why I do what I do – it's about the stories. All of this stuff is about the stories so that's what I'm going to go do – find the stories out there."
The April's Caravan bon voyage sale is on Saturday May 28 from 10am-4pm at 12 Moncrieff Street, Dickson.
