The Ute!
So on the 15th August we welcomed the newest member of our family, Toyota Hilux, 2018, SR5, graphite grey. Now I have 3 babies and I’m really not sure which one I love the most 😉 My eldest quickly christened her Luxy, I can live with that. I did all the mods in the following order: Seat Covers and Scotchguard on the rest of the … Continue reading The Ute!
4WD TIME!
If you ask the internet what the best tow vehicle is, the resounding answer from 99% of people is: “the one I’ve got, all the others are rubbish” So buy what you like the most, you’re going to be the one driving it! A full lap is probably around a thousand hours behind the wheel so it better be somewhere you like to sit!! Every … Continue reading 4WD TIME!
Towing
I knew we’d be towing, given the amount of stuff our family of 4 takes with us when we’re going to the beach for a day, let alone a year. I’m not going to get into GCM, ATM, GVM towball weights etc. here as there’s plenty of info out there but will say, if you dont know about it yet, get across it. Advertised towing … Continue reading Towing
Where to start…
This trip is a one off for us so we will be in our house until Day 1 and then no fixed abode for 12 months without any real opportunity to stop and change our set up once we’re on the road. Without any existing real experience of 4 wheel drives, caravans or towing we ideally want to get the rig as close to ideal … Continue reading Where to start…
4WD TOURING AROUND AUSTRALIA
The Big Lap! Travelling around Oz – forests, deserts, sand dunes, water crossings, beaches and crocs!! Mountains, mud and red dust and rocks…and probably more red dust. With 7 years in Australia under our belt and frequent trips to the Victorian high country for camping trips in summer and ski trips in winter we’ve already had a slight glimpse into the massive scale that this … Continue reading 4WD TOURING AROUND AUSTRALIA
Bluestone Bay
Grasping at the invitation of our lovely Freycinet neighbours to show us a small bay off the more beaten track in Freycinet National Park we set off in convoy, with blue skies and high hopes. Following the road up to the Cape Tourville Lighthouse there is an un-signposted left hand turnoff approximately 2 mins drive before the lighthouse carpark. Ambitiously turning the car to 4WD, … Continue reading Bluestone Bay
Bush School – Douglas Apsley National Park Waterhole
Having had a day or so playing with our new friends all day, we all popped up the road to Douglas Apsley National Forest to a waterhole for a change to splashing around in the sea. It was a bit too cold still to hang out in the water but once out and dry again we bumped into a Tassie family with two little girls … Continue reading Bush School – Douglas Apsley National Park Waterhole
Bush School – First Days at School
We have no real plans to school our girls during our year away. All the teachers (in Victoria) we discussed our travels with before leaving, told us not to worry. Millie should be starting school Jan 2019 however we’re very happy to keep her back a year until we return in 2020. Having said that, I picked up 4 NAPLAN workbooks for ages 5/6 for … Continue reading Bush School – First Days at School
Exploring Freycinet National Park
Our First Week on the Road!
So the first week has been interesting and hard work. The Spirit of Tasmania took us from Port Melbourne, VIC to Devonport, TAS. Taking just under 9 hours, the girls happily found the play area on Deck 10, Sam found the bar and after the first hour of seasickness coming out of Port Philip Bay into the Bass Strait I happily perked up and enjoyed … Continue reading Our First Week on the Road!
Kinglake, VIC
Taking ‘Swanny’ (the camper trailer still doesn’t have a proper name yet!) out for another jaunt. Friends of ours were heading to the Foggy Mountain Blues Festival in Kinglake this past October, so we thought we’d get another camping trip under our belts and get the setup sorted. We sat in beautiful early sunshine while listening to some fabulous blues, bluegrass and folk bands. Bliss. … Continue reading Kinglake, VIC
Walkerville, Mornington Peninsula
Our first outing with the Swan! Millie is determined to christen the camper trailer ‘Birdy’ though Sam is still unsure about that. Took Birdy/the Swan down to Walkerville for a friend’s birthday for a couple of nights. Got a couple of small canvases done of a lovely walk we found down on the shorefront. The girls adored the rockpools, spotting baby starfish and a giant … Continue reading Walkerville, Mornington Peninsula
Almost on the road!
One month to go! Well, it going to get to the stage sometime or other. Yesterday, Millie and I counted 32 sleeps until we all leave to live in a hilux and a camper trailer for a year with each other. It’s going to be amazing and hard work all at the same time. Our last preparations are in full swing, packing up the house, … Continue reading Almost on the road!
Getting rid of Stuff
It’s becoming pretty cathartic, getting rid of ‘stuff’. Our plan, while we are travelling is to store the important items only, getting rid of the second-hand furniture and kitchen items that are too heavy to take with us. Hopefully we can move most of these on through garage sales towards the end of this year or possibly even selling the larger ticket items on Gumtree … Continue reading Getting rid of Stuff
Dutch Oven or not to Dutch Oven?
Collecting recipes for cooking on the BBQ and a small caravan hob! Do you have a favourite camping ingredient or recipe? I like the idea of mainly cooking with a dutch oven if we can. It involves needing a fire which, in Australia, can come with restrictions. Still,….slow cooked meats and bread pretty much win every counter-argument. YUM. Continue reading Dutch Oven or not to Dutch Oven?
The Tribe on Pinterest
Here’s where I’m collecting interesting Pins for travelling, my choices can be weird and wonderful sometimes, bear with me! Continue reading The Tribe on Pinterest
So…we’re off! In a year.
This is it. The last 12 months before we head off on our trip around Australia. There’s a lot to do and buy,….and research! I’ll be putting up ideas as I come across them throughout the year, send me yours through! Our plan is to pop to Tasmania for the first month (December/January) and then leave Melbourne via Adelaide and its amazing Limestone Coast. Work … Continue reading So…we’re off! In a year.
Tribe on the Road 