You may have seen Mrs Marlie when she was being driven, in all her glory, around Kiama. Covered in flamingos, the 13 foot, 1962, restored Millard caravan was not easy to miss.

Although the owners, Patsy and Rob Daley, are no longer local, their gorgeous caravan left a lasting impression in Kiama and across New South Wales, even making it into Bunnings Magazine.

The Daleys originally set out to buy a vintage caravan in 2022, but nothing seemed to meet their hopes and dreams.

The original caravan

“We looked around for a while, but I am a bit fussy. I needed a loo and a shower and I definitely didn’t want a modern one. I wanted one with funny, quirky colours and that sort of thing. But nothing was coming,” says Patsy.

That was when they stumbled upon a 1962 Millard caravan in Canberra that was mainly gutted, but that Rob felt had a good outer shell which they could work with.

“We drove off the next day back to Kiama with a caravan behind us going, Oh my God, what have we done? And once Rob got into it, he realised that there were lots of leaks. He just basically said, I'm going to gut it and then completely reframe it,” says Patsy.

Before the restoration

And so began the Daleys’ journey of completely redoing the interior of the vintage caravan. But it wasn’t just any renovation; it had to stay true to the spirit of the era.

“It had a wooden frame, like many caravans from that time. Rob replicated that frame and rebuilt the cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom area because, as a builder, he could do it. He wanted to make it authentic,” says Patsy.

Once Rob completed the structural work—adding a built-in bed, kitchen cabinetry, Patsy’s much-desired toilet and shower, and even a BBQ housed under the bed—it was Patsy’s turn to bring her vision to life. That’s when the iconic flamingos were born.

“By then, I was like, Oh, come on, come on. I'm not getting a go here yet. So then I was like: I get to paint the doors. I get to do this. I get to do that. I always wanted a flamingo style caravan and I got my wishes there.”

Flamingos

But Patsy doesn’t take all the credit for the pink flamingos, she wanted to make it clear that Rob was as keen on them as her. 

“I even got him doing the outside flamingos, because he's actually quite good at drawing and painting as well. So he actually did freehand flamingos on the outside, which I could never have done. Mine are quirky. His are more realistic,” says Patsy.

The entire renovation process took six months. The finished caravan is a kaleidoscope of colour and quirky details, exuding a retro vibe that makes Patsy’s “heart sing.”

“I’m not really a grey or beige person,” says Patsy. “And being around something that looks like this just lifts my mood.”

Finished interior of Mrs Marlie

Throughout the project, the Daleys focused on sustainability. They upcycled materials from past projects and sourced supplies from Australian-owned stores.

“We love to upcycle, recycle and create. We tried to keep everything we did mainly within Australia, because we like doing that. We also love recycling. A lot of the stuff was from our garage that we used previously from other things. We just don't believe in waste,” says Patsy

Mrs Marlie, who is named after Rob’s late mother, is still thriving. Rob and Patsy have taken it on holidays and to different vintage caravan shows and there are a few upcoming ones in the Illawarra - so who knows? Perhaps we will be able to spot Mrs Marlie and her pink flamingos back in Kiama someday.

You can find Mrs Marlie’s Instagram account here to follow Patsy and Rob’s journey.