carsales Drive-Thru car chats with Elyse Knowles

Byron Bay-based model and entrepreneur Elyse Knowles is known for her beach blonde hair, her time as a contestant on reality TV renovation show The Block and a love of the great outdoors – chances are she’s barefoot exploring the great outdoors as you read this – Knowles loves a road trip.

"Get out of your comfort zone and embrace being outside. There are so many beautiful places to travel in Australia, whether it’s an hour away or twenty minutes - plan a journey and just do it," she tells carsales.

She’s been modelling since the age of 10 and has graced a multitude of magazine covers since then, literally growing up in the public eye. Model looks combined with relatable girl-next-door character and fierce passion for the environment, it’s easy to see why Elyse Knowles the person and the brand is omnipresent. We haven’t even touched on her humble and fun-loving personality. She’s a good egg.

The Land Rover Australia ambassador chats to carsales about life on the go – recalling family camping trips at Torrumbarry, Victoria and escaping fast rising tides at Stradbroke Island. "Never underestimate how fast a tide can rise," warns Knowles, who can laugh about a close call after the fact.

"Mum taught us, but she’s not the greatest driver – and she knows it - we pretty much taught ourselves along the way! Because I did modelling so young we did a lot of driving and as soon as I got my learners I was like thank god, and I drove. I clocked up a lot of hours driving to and from castings.

"I also rode motorbikes from a pretty young age – I still have my motorbike licence, but it’s more dirt and bush these days. It would be nice to have a postie-style bike or something to fang around on in town but I don’t think I’d thrive on a long [motorbike] trip. That doesn’t really interest me. A motorbike that you could put your surfboard on and you can race down the street on... yes."

"I think about my Dad’s car – he had an old panel van and he had it pretty much for 25 years or so. Dad wasn’t one to swap cars - he absolutely adored it. He ran it into the ground, camping and bush-bashing. It was white and rusty - it had a really hard life! I remember camping and towing the boats… Dad allowing us to sit on his lap and drive. We just loved it."

"I had a Honda CR-V – I took it camping, I loved it. I saved up for a very long time to buy it. Then it got written off by hail damage on Christmas Day when Victoria had a major storm!"

"Having a lead foot and wanting to go too fast!"

"Josh and I have always loved travelling – that’s what we do we put the camp trailer on the back or the swag - it’s just a nice way to see Australia. To see the ins and outs of it. There’s so much to see in between destinations. Whether it’s a local pub or a little hidden beach or a nice little fresh creek. You know, they’re the things you miss when you fly."

"This car actually suits my lifestyle 100 per cent. It’s a car you can be comfortable in - within town it’s very cruisy but it’s got a bit of balls to it and its very spacious. And I can fit my two dogs in the back, in the boot. They’ve got so much room above their heads, they can do laps in the boot!

"It’s also got a mix between new and old with the Defender. It’s still got old [style] screws in the doors and there’s no carpet so it’s so easy to clean. I just get a broom or the blower to get out all the sand. It’s so convenient for me! You can go bush bashing, you can take it on the beach – we’ve got Lennox Head beach down the road. Or go on a big adventure.

"There are so many collectors in this area… of old Defenders. I love the old Defenders as well. It’s funny I get old men coming up to me asking if they can I have a look [at the Defender]. I think once the older crew get their head around the new design...  It opens a whole new market of people who want the luxury feel as well as an adventure car."

"I’ve been in the [Minardi] two-seater Formula1 car during the GP in Melbourne [in 2015]. That was pretty much the highlight. It doesn’t get much better than that.  But I was so excited I put my hands out down the straight going woo hoo and I couldn’t get them back in until he braked. It was crazy but I was so pumped! Everyone was watching down the straight - I gave a fist pump out the car."

"The hair! I’ve got leather now in the Defender so thank the lordy! In my old car – their heads hit the roof so all their hairs would go in the fabric and it would take me hours! I found a new trick, if you get a wet cloth it pulls them out of the roof lining and seats."

"I’ve driven an electric vehicle before. It’s very different but I think we can all get used to it especially when you know the benefits on the environment and the longevity of our planet, basically. I’m really excited to see how Land Rover move in this direction - obviously, it takes a long time to make changes in such a big company. But it’s really nice work in progress - people are making positive change and actively doing things to help the environment along the way. Nobody is going perfect but it’s nice to see people making  this change."

"I think it’s just engraved in me. This is what I love. It’s who I am - I love the outdoors. I love fresh air. I love listening to the birds and seeing the animals thrive.  As I got bigger in my industry I just wanted to really demonstrate and educate others on how they can help as well and why we really need to appreciate the environment - instead of flicking it to the side. Using who I am to showcase different elements and to educate was really valuable for me and others."

"A dog ball and thrower and an eco-bottle of water."

"10! My rims are perfect."

"Oh probably a four – it’s pretty awful."

"Maybe a six. My memory isn’t that great. If I’m not driving, if Josh is driving, I’m not concentrating so I have no idea where I am and how we got there!"

"No - pretty much on a quarter left, I’ll be in there."

"Four-wheel-drive and the easy transition between 4x4 and comfort driving - and the connection between your phone and the car. Being able to work on the run or have business calls and not having to touch your phone is great.

"Another cool feature is in the rear vision mirror – if you flick a switch it turns into a camera [positioned] at the back of your car. So you can see very easily out the back of your car."

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