If you’ve spent time travelling or caravanning around Australia in the last couple of years, it’ll come as no surprise that the number of families on the road is on the increase. It’s hard to pinpoint why and every individual is different, but what is the same is what we find out here, and that’s a thriving community.
The thought of packing up and heading out on a ‘lap’ of Australia can be daunting. You leave behind all you know, including family, friends and the creature comforts of home, in favour of the unknown and an open road.
So it came as somewhat of a surprise – to us, at least – that once we got out there, we found a literal village of fellow caravanning families. Our children are playing together on ‘neighbourhood’ streets, parents are setting up activities for hoards of kids and, after sunset, we’re kicking back together for well-earned beverages to reflect on long day’s parenting on the road.
It’s been six months of full-time travel for our little family, and we can honestly say we’ve met lifelong friends. It’s an instant connection because, for the most part, we all have the same outlook on life and that hunger to explore further.
Sure, there are cons. For the most part, we’re travelling in the same direction as a whole wave of us follow optimum weather clockwise around the country. We’re booking ahead to avoid disappointment and fellow travellers are battling you for the best beachfront sites.
As we roll into camps, we’re greeting people we’ve met time and time again on the road, reflecting on where we’ve been and brainstorming to get the best of where we’re going.
I was recently chatting with a couple of self-labelled ‘grey nomads’ about what the rise in family travel meant for them. After seven years on the road, their attitude to travel had to change completely post-covid. Where they could once roll into towns, booking on the fly and leaving or staying based on how their day was going, they’re now booking at least a month ahead and marvelling at how full caravan parks are.
With young children, we’re the first to know we can be loud in those full caravan parks, despite our best efforts. I do hope the older generations can appreciate the value of children exploring and soaking in all that this incredible country has to offer at a young age… despite the chaos that inevitably comes with kids.
At the end of the day, or gap year, as it may be, we’re all out here to give our families the best life, to extend their worlds beyond the classroom and get out in nature getting literally dirty.
I asked some families we’ve met on the road about their ‘why’ and they shared their experiences in this very special village…
JACK, ASH AND THEIR THREE BOYS
Let’s See Australia, @lets_see_australia
We decided to travel for a few reasons. We wanted a bit of a sabbatical from work, to strengthen our family bonds and give our boys the fun of adventure without the distractions of things back home. As well as to explore this incredible country of ours!
We have this joke that doing the lap year is kind of like backpacking, but we are all 15-20 years older and have kids! Instead of meeting others in backpacker dorms and having pints in some cool bar, it’s meeting at campgrounds and arranging sundowners while the kids play.
We have really enjoyed meeting some down to earth, fun and kind people that we may not have ever crossed paths with back home. It’s a great vibe! There’s no egos, agendas or politics, just good people trying to have a fun time exploring our beautiful country.
But the most special part of the community is that we have all left our usual circles and are open to and actively forming new ones. The lapping/travel life isn’t easy and the community gets that. As a result, I think it has developed a very supportive and friendly culture where people look out for each other and help/support when needed. What we’ve realised is the places we see are amazing, but it’s the people you are with there that make them special memories.
ROSS, KIRSTEN AND THEIR GIRLS
Called to Adventure Aus, @calledtoadventure_aus
Lockdowns left us feeling a bit stir-crazy. We were tired of Melbourne’s cold weather and decided we needed to find a new place to call home. During our many, many days at home, we started planning a lap.
Living in a caravan has given us the opportunity to explore. We’ve visited towns we had never heard of and finally seen places that have been on our bucket-list for years.
Caravanning has been incredible for the kids. In the six months we’ve been on the road, we’ve watched them grow in so many ways. They’ve experienced things we could never have done back home, like paddle-boarding with dolphins, chasing crabs on the beach at sunset and watching movies with friends under the stars.
We have met some of the most amazing people since we began our caravanning travels. At one campsite, we spoke with a pilot from the Royal Flying Doctor Service. At another, we met a retired navy diver who spent his entire career underwater and loved sharing stories with our kids. But mostly we’ve met families like ours, crossing paths at beaches or playgrounds. There are so many amazing people out here exploring.
It’s like we have found an old-school neighbourhood where everyone knows everyone else, even if we have never actually met before.
KAYLA, BOYD AND THEIR KIDS
Kings Off Grid, @kings_offgrid
We started travelling because we needed something different. After 10 years as a FIFO mining family, a few tough years and Kayla’s dad passing, we realised we needed to get out of the cycle and try new things. And most importantly, to bring Boyd home while the kids are still young. Life’s too short!
Kayla loves that we have everything we own here with us. Just our little fam together in this van doing life, seeing Australia together. Boyd loves a different view everyday. Sometimes you wake up in the slums and others you wake up with a view that no five-star resort can offer!
The caravanning community on the road is something else. We’ve made life-long friends out here that just make hitting the road that much sweeter. People can make or break a place but the community we’ve found ourselves wrapped in truly fills our hearts. Not to mention the online community! We’re always helping, meeting and bumping into someone around the next corner.
SARAH, DEAN AND THEIR TWO BOYS
Robb Mobb, @robb_mobb
Dean did a 10-week camper trailer trip with his family when he was young and always reminisced about it, which is where the idea initially came from to travel Australia. We want to spend quality time with our kids while they are young (and want to hang out with us!) and planned to go before they started school.
We’re still exploring Western Australia but so far our absolute favourite places have been Cape Le Grand and Cape Range National Park. It’s been amazing to watch our boys discover a whole new world as they snorkelled Ningaloo Reef.
It’s great having ever-changing scenery and new places to explore while still having a constant safe space to call home. And we’ve met so many caravanning families on the road! Full-time travelling kids become confident and efficient at making friends, plus they make it easy for their grown-ups to meet new people too.
You can often catch-up again multiple times down the road and the kids love having familiar faces to play with. We all share a common interest in seeing the country and valuing family time. Everyone is so friendly and supportive, although all the fishing tips we’ve been given haven’t helped us at all…
KATE, TROY AND THEIR TODDLERS
A Muscats Life, @a.muscats.life
We both grew up in families that camped, fished and had boats so it was only natural we would want to give our kids the same experience. We grew tired of the daily grind and feeling like we only saw our kids in fleeting moments in the morning and evening. It was time for a shake-up and what better way than caravanning the beautiful country we live in?
The time we’ve recovered to spend as a family and enjoying where we stop has been the best thing about hitting the road. It requires a level of organisation but if you get it right, the chores of everyday life are much simpler and on a much smaller scale. Also, what’s better than having the comfort of your home on wheels to follow you around the country!
We’ve met so many caravanning families and it’s truly remarkable how many people are making their dreams become reality. Their genuine openness to meeting new people, sharing where they’ve been, where they’re going and why they’re doing it. This traveling community is full of families and you’re bound to come across some. We feel like we’ve found long lost friends.
– Carissa Morgan
