queensland: karumba

It was fortunate that in Karumba, despite being full of grey nomad fisherman, we were camped a few doors down from another travelling family who happened to be from Sydney too. 

The kids got on like a house on fire and when the kids finished for the day we got together and hung out eating chocolate and solving the problems of the world. It was fun. 

The kids did school work in the mornings and had the rest of the day to swim in the pool. 

We had quite a comical night at the tavern for sunset. At no time were all parents sitting watching the horizon because at least one of the kids needed to visit the loo. What eventuated was a decision to meet for the sunset the following night. The kids put on a concert while we watched the sun going down over the Gulf, ate pizza, drank beers and protected our dinner from the diving kites.

Again, we extended our stay for an additional night because we were all enjoying the company. And the pool.  

northern territory: darwin

We initially thought we'd just duck in to Darwin, meet Ma and Grug and head back out of town but we needed to restock the fridge and get a few odd jobs done. Standing in the Optus shop for three hours isn't my idea of fun but it had to be done! 

Free Spirit Caravan Park had been recommended to us by travelling friends and with three pools, jumping pillow, a free kids club and usual amenities it was a comfortable place to stay. Whilst it was a bit of a drive in to town it was close to the free and awesome YMCA water park in Palmerston! I should have done my research because our dearest girl didn't meet the height minimum of 110cm for the big slide (but she may or may not have got two slides in before we realised). 

Rapid Creek Markets is a foodies heaven and you can buy anything from the freshest Asian fruit and veggies to soups, homemade rice noodle and egg noodles for your own cooking. There's herbs and Asian desserts. Our daughter asked that I bring back a pineapple and a mango. I also grabbed veggies, a bright sweet watermelon. And I had the tastiest laksa for brekky. 

On the way to Darwin we met a grey nomad couple who suggested we go to Mindil Markets. "Take your own chair. Take your own drinks and take your own food," they said, "then you don't have to buy anything." Instead we took our picnic rug, our drinks bottles and ate this feast of treats from across the globe. We had Thai, Vietnamese Japanese Sri Lankan Greek and Indonesian! We love that we can sit back in an Aussie city and experience our country's diversity.

J had himself volunteered at the foreshow. That's him holding the ladder just before the entertainer juggled flaming machetes. Truly. He thinks he's going to take up a new vocation. We're not convinced. 

western australia: karijini national park, fortescue falls, fern pool

A few walks in Karijini National Park are achievable with kids. A few others are achievable but I would also describe them as a challenge. The kids staying at Karijini were all good bush walkers and accepted some great challenges for their ages and abilities. It turned out to be a week for teamwork all around - for the parents and the children.

The walk down to Fortescue Falls and then on to Fern Pool was the easiest of walks as well as picturesque. A swim in Fern Pool was refreshing. Tiny fish were attracted to the dead skin on our feet which was amusing and ticklish! The pool must have been special place for locals for thousands of years.

Photos courtesy of Vivid Imaging. 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vivid-Imaging/151857428215142

western australia : steep point

Overnight J decided that he should have visited Steep Point when we were camped at Monkey Mia and he had to go back. 

I have funny rule that I've tried to stick to. I don't go backwards. By all means I was happy for J to break my rule so he headed out of Carnarvon a happy man with the truck, his kayak and his tent. It's some 360km from Carnarvon to Steep Point with 130km of dirt with the final 30km a soft, sandy single lane 4WD track. J was so pleased he went back and you can see he made the most of time on his own with his truck, his tent and his kayak. 

tasmania: wineglass bay, the hazards, coles bay

It's amazing to think that a decade ago we were here. Without children. 

We had two days and we walked along Hazards Beach, camped overnight at Cook's Beach. My backpack weighed about 10kg and for the first day, despite the glorious outdoors, I was miserable. The following day J took the majority of contents from my pack and I had a much easier walk back up and over Mount Graham. At Wineglass Bay we raced down to the waters edge, starkers, because we were young and carefree and hadn't brought swimmers. It's a memory that brings a smile to our faces! 

This time we aimed to walk with the kids to the Wineglass Bay lookout. No skinny dipping. The kids did so well. There wasn't any complaining and B said, as he reached the lookout, "You must see this Mum. It's beautiful!" And it is!!

NW tasmania: waratah

This is Waratah, a tiny town somewhere off the main road between Burnie and Cradle Mountain, Tasmania. 

We took the scenic route via Hellyer Gorge though we'll have to visit the gorge on a day trip as Baby A was sleeping and we had to keep moving. It was a beautiful stretch of road through some alpine-looking country, rainforest, tall eucalyptus plantations and farms. It was windy, though. For those who've traveled Cooma to Bega think Brown Mountain for a few extra kilometres. 

The town was born on a tin mine and hosts a waterfall in the middle of town. Our powered site is $25 which includes showers (oh yes after three days without one!) and free access to washing machine & dryer. There's no big supermarket or fuel and you need to be able to collect your grey water so come prepared. If you're lucky you might spot a platypus in the creek by the caravan park. 

This morning, before breakfast, we had the privilege of sighting a platypus eight times in the lake. At times the animal was quite close and we got a good look at him. What a magical experience! 

NW tassie: boat harbour beach, stanley, the nut, waratah

We don't really have an itinerary but more a rough idea of how long we can spend in a place so we can get back to Devonport for our return to the mainland in a little over four weeks. Free, you may think, but with three children in tow this can be a little stressful. We can travel for two hours in the morning and up to three in the afternoon (though we'd rather not) if we coordinate driving with our baby's sleeps. He's been travelling so well and he barely cries but we turned him to forward facing today because he did get carsick yesterday. 

The older two were given our old phones and they've been listening to audiobooks - The Magic a Faraway Tree, The 13th Storey Treehouse, Roald Dahl, Paul Jennings and others. I'm pleased to now have some quiet time so J and I can talk in the car! As bad as that sounds we are a family of talkers (and questioners and explainers) and with the 24/7 relentlessness of travel together we all need our quiet time!

It's an easy drive from Devonport to Boat Harbour Beach on Tassie's northwest coast. We arrived at about lunchtime when the tide was making its way in and the kids scrambled on the rocks & collected shells (which they put back later) while we unhitched & made plans for lunch. 

The afternoon sun was warm and deceiving because, what we did not know, was that the wind would soon pick up. This part of Tassie is notorious for the wind! For those of you who follow on Instagram you'll know that this spot is a freecamp for those travelers who contain grey and black water (campers are encouraged to stay elsewhere). It is a pretty spot. 

The Nut at Stanley, is an easy day trip from Boat Harbour Beach so we headed up the coast for, what happened to be my husband's birthday. 

B (our 6yo) was eager to walk up The Nut with J and Baby A in the backpack. 

I was asked to stand on a timber box and launch myself on to the chairlift as it came up behind us. The attendant put our 3yo daughter on beside me and it was only as we began creeping up the side of the mountain (which was once the core of a volcano) that I realised that I'd agreed to ride the *scary* chairlift rather than walk the 300 metres to the top. 

There was only one brave girl on that chairlift and it wasn't me! This girl is my hero. 

I've not experienced true vertigo before but it took hold on the chairlift and later when we approached the lookout my legs almost gave way and I felt like I'd be sick! It was a strange experience. 

The view of the coastline was quite spectacular and The Nut was a reminder of how ancient this earth is!

When I realised I'd have to be on the chairlift coming down with Baby A in the backpack it was worse. The view was incredible so I distracted myself with that! 

Fish for tea? 

tasmania: cradle mountain caravan park

The landscape quickly changed and the sides of the road were vegetated with alpine plants on the drive to Cradle Mountain. The aircon in the car was on fresh and the smell of the damp forest blasting through the vents was intoxicating. The kids have been singing Travelling Wilburys' songs in the car & Baby A is really enjoying his new view. 

The Discovery Park (Big 4) at Cradle Mountain has unpowered sites for about $35 per night and a camp kitchen to beat all camp kitchens. 

We took a while deciding on the position of the caravan at this site which is a very private site surrounded by trees and mossy logs. It's simply stunning. 

Spirit of Tasmania

I'd like to begin this post with a letter: 

"Dear Tanya, 

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 

When we booked our ticket for the SoT you politely insisted we pay a little extra and get ourselves a four berth cabin for the trip. I was reluctant to book this given the cost to take a caravan across but at $84 this was so worth the money. 

Our littlest was able to have uninterrupted day sleeps while our son completed his schoolwork on a lower deck. When we all started feeling a little sea sick we retreated to the cabin for some quiet time - reading books and telling funny stories. 

When our daughter vomited in her Dad's hair they could both shower and feel *refreshed*!

We'll be forever grateful that you suggested we have a cabin!"

What's a cruise without a game of hide n seek? 

It was a LOONG day but it went surprisingly well after an anxiety-provoking start. We left the caravan park at 624am and we're making good time until the queue to board the ferry (thanks to scrupulous security). We were in view of the ferry for the final 500 metres which took us an hour to drive! The baby was screaming, the parents were clock watching and then a cop pulled over a guy in front of us for going through a red light. It would have been easier if the big kids just kept asking "are we there yet?" But instead we were bombarded with complex questions about the traffic, the ferry ride & what we were doing (not much!) Argh! 

We finally made it onboard and we're lucky that our deck was the first to disembark in Devonport ten hours later. 

B declared "this is kind of the BEST day of my life." I suspect he was referring to the Twisties he was bought (& had never had before) and not the seasickness! 

Moments after disembarking. 

P: Where's the Tasmanian devil? 

B: (emphatically) They live in the jungle.  

Daddy: Well, not really the jungle. They live in the bush. 

P: Can we go to the bush where the Tasmanian devil is because I really want to see a Tasmanian devil.

lessons for life on the road

We left our home in Sydney 28 days ago and I could spin a yarn about the trials, triumphs & tribulations of packing up our lives, our house and our jobs in order to hit the road but this post would be too long. 

Instead I'll share a few things we've learned on our trip so far

Paper airplanes are great for making friends (mostly) but not so good for flying in confined spaces. 

J and the kids love making paper airplanes, finding new designs online, analyzing their flaws & trying them out. We have a supply of paper especially for this purpose though the kids are getting more creative & turning their intricate drawings in to flying machines. After seeing the movie, Paper Planes, their enthusiasm was rekindled. 

Most people would have had to have made a paper airplane or at least seen one and that's why, like a musical instrument, they are a universal way to connect with people. 

B & P have made a few grey nomad friends by sharing their interest and these obliging grey nomads' eyes have sparkled as though they are taken back to a childhood. Not all grey nomads appear to like paper planes (or children for that matter) and that's okay. This was the life lesson for the past two days for the kids... how do you read someone's body language and what cues tell you that someone doesn't want to participate? 

It's not always easy being a kid. 

Needless to say we learned our first lesson fairly immediately. The confined spaces of caravan & the long trajectory of B's paper airplanes are not a good combination! Flying these things is definitely an outside activity! 

Tinting will pay for itself. 

I guess this statement isn't really fact so maybe it would be better read "tinting your windows will pay off in the long run."   For some reason we'd always assumed tinting would cost a bomb (and perhaps once upon a time day it did) but we had our truck done before we left Sydney for $270 at Forest Tinting (www.foresttinting.com.au). The tinting has definitely made the car cooler & today I was forced to park in the sun. When I returned to the car two hours later it wasn't nearly as hot as I'd have expected. We want to protect ours & our kids' skin as much as possible, too, so the tinting helps with that. 

The family bathroom is your friend 

We've stayed in a few places now that have a family bathroom. These are commonly set up with a toilet and a shower or, better still, a bath. The bathroom at our current site has a little mini toilet like the kids use at preschool. My favourite baths are raised to adult chest height so you can easily reach in to bathe the baby! 

Don't let pulling your hair out be the signal that you need 'time out'

I'm a strong believer in 'time out.' It gives the person an opportunity to retreat on their own, have mental quiet with the  time and space to reflect on their emotional state. I'm talking about time out for adults (as well). 

It's intense travelling as a family. When you have a house everyone can retreat to their own space. In a caravan your own space is everyone else's own space & you're trying to have 'time out' in your space because everyone's in your own space! Argh!

If you're travelling with one other adult it can be a challenge because, for each of you to have 'me time," the other person needs to recognise this and step up. Whether you go out or your partner takes the kids out, it might not matter but having regular time for yourself is essential as it breaks up the intensity. 

It's 30°c here in Melbourne but I trekked up and down a mall today trying to find P a raincoat (hers was left at home). I didn't find one but afterwards I had a melting moment & a coffee & did the crossword on my own. Alone. I was a better person when I returned from 'time out.'

Even if you complete a list as long as your arm there'll still be more to do 

In our finals hours in Sydney before we left we sold our car, found out the generic   ("fits all vehicles") bike racks we'd bought probably do, just not ours. We had to wait for the courier to deliver to our farm which is only 30 minutes from the closest big town. The bikes arrived. In the town 39 minutes away because in the country that's what happens. City folk - there are benefits to living the hectic life in the city. Country folk - stop rolling your eyes at me. I know you find this annoying too. A friend recently drove the 12-hour round trip to Sydney to avoid using a courier. No joke. 

Three days after we left I finally had time to breathe - and call the phone company to cancel our home phone and Internet. 

Our fridge never really worked (luckily we have the car fridge) but two days ago the wonderful people at Elite Caravans sorted the problem - insulations where the fridge needed ventilation. And now I can dream up good things to eat knowing I can use the fridge & freezer. 

Now if you've got this far and are still reading our tips I'd be surprised but here's our last tip for your perfect trip around Australia 

When you've set up at a site & everything looks great, be prepared for an invasion. 

And I don't mean of grumpy grey kind (though there are a few about), I mean of the wildlife kind. Yep - it turns out our caravan is literally sitting on a European Wasp nest. They've gone to sleep now (at dusk, two hours after our kids went to bed - they're so kind) but *rise n shine* they'll be up tomorrow! 

It turns out European wasps are attracted to meat. They are especially attracted to the small amounts of food a 7 month old baby might drop at meal times. They also don't stink once like a bee but many times over. Attack would be a more appropriate word. And it's difficult to find their nest because they build it in the ground. 

But they only attack when aggravated.....

think paper planes. 

Tanja to Mallacoota

It was time to farewell the farm. The rain was setting in somewhat & we were eager to hit the road. 

Before we left we planted a red cedar to signify Baby A's birth seven months ago. The tree was a gift from my mother & has a healthy headstart. The big kids had fun teasing its roots & watering it with water from the creek in the rainforest gully. This tree will soon take off & A can visit it in years to come. 

While we packed our daughter, P, who overheard A's cries, realised he was tired. A few minutes later I came back in the shed to find that P has rocked A to sleep in her arms and this is where he slept for forty-five minutes. 

Farewell Tanja! 

We had a short lunch stop on our way to Mallacoota in Pambula at Wild Rye's before heading to Mallacoota - a fabulous bakery where we stocked up on sourdough bread (& pies for lunch). Our favourite pie was the beef in red wine. Erin, the barista, made a great couple of coffees too! 

twenty days

We left the city twenty days ago now and we've already had some adventures that, while we love some of the opportunities we have in the city, they don't compare to those experiences we have in the country. 

For starters the kids have asked about "movie night" (a Friday tradition) twice but we haven't turned on the tv. There have been a few moments when we could have but the kids just seem to work through the restlessness. 

J took the big kids to the cinema in Merimbula the other day where they watched the Aussie flick, Paper Planes. He'd been planning to take them and B, 6, particularly enjoyed it as he's been constructing a lot of planes lately. For days the ground has been littered with different makes and models of paper airplanes. 

On the way home J and the big kids came across this little guy precariously placed by the side of the road. He was rescued. I assumed that he's a tortoise but according to B, who did some research, it is a Eastern long-necked turtle. He made a new home down by the dam. 

Despite never having shown an interest previously J has taken up slack lining - a great core-strengthening & meditative activity that is transportable as long as you have two trees. It's fun for all the family!

The night air is filled with the chorus of frogs on the farm & this little critter was discovered this morning.