I was first introduced to Chris and Sian through our involvement with Zone RV's at a Brisbane Caravanning Expo earlier this year while they were eagerly awaiting the delivery of their brand new Zone. And it looks like it was worth the wait now that they are back exploring Oz in it with ease. Have a read about their experience of life on the road over the last few years...
Tell us about yourself and your family.
We are a family of four travelling Australia full time while exploring and experiencing some of the best places around Australia and showcasing our travels on YouTube. We have two kids, Jayda (9) and Jack (3) who love our lifestyle just as much as we do and enjoy the variety that travel brings to their lives!
How long have you been travelling fulltime?
We hit the road in 2020 right when Covid lockdowns started! It was super stressful but enjoyable all at once. Now, almost three years later, we have learnt the caravanning lifestyle and wouldn’t have it any other way.
What caravan and tow vehicle do you currently have?
We drive a 2019 Nissan Patrol Y62 Ti and tow a Zone RV Sojourn 21ft Family van.
What was the first caravan you ever owned?
We started with a Trail RV 21’6’ X-Plorer Family van in 2020. We actually jumped right from swags to caravanning and had to learn the ropes quickly in our first ever caravan when we started travelling!
What made you decide to pack up your home and travel?
Chris and I strive for excitement and new experiences in our lives. The mundane lifestyle at home with regular work hours, schooling, peak hour traffic and day to day grind was getting too much. We made a quick decision to travel. Everything fell into place and we sold all that we owned and left within 6 months of the decision! It has by far been the BEST thing we have ever done for our family to break away from the ‘normal’ lifestyle.
How do you generate an income on the road?
We initially left with savings and only intended on a 12 month lap that was covered by savings. Over time, our following grew and now we work hard to maintain our YouTube channel and social avenues. We sell merchandise and also we work with a number of brands and sponsors.
What are your top 3 locations in Australia you’ve discovered?
By far our top three places to visit would be Cape York in QLD, The Kimberley in northern WA and the Dampier Peninsula in WA. All three of these places are one of a kind and have landscapes, tourist attractions and history that you cannot find anywhere else in the country (or that we have found so far anyway!).
One place you’ve yet to visit but dying to?
Tasmania fits this question perfectly. We tend to move slowly, and we don’t make any bookings so to plan Tassy, we need to actually plan a route, dates and how long we will stay. We don’t know where to start! This will come in time though, I think 2024. 😊
A memorable sticky situation you’ve found yourself in.
We have been lucky to have a good run for most of our travels but one thing that does stick out was the time we were four-wheel driving in Cape York and a bush fire came through. There were limited tracks to choose from and not knowing where the fire was coming from meant the stress levels were peaking! Fortunately, we could turn around and go back the way we came but it was shocking to drive through a burning bush and see how fast the fires jumped the track where we had driven only minutes before.
Your 3 must have caravan items.
Airbags on the caravan have made levelling and the ride second to none, it’s an upgrade no one should overlook. A decent battery system with sufficient solar will keep you off grid for longer and save you money in caravan parks. And by far the most important of all is a good coffee machine for a daily caffeine hit!!
Favourite easy yet delicious caravan meal.
Our go to easy meals involves one pan. Anything like a curry, stroganoff or stir-fry where everything can go into one pan with one sauce and straight onto your plate. Another simple meal we do often are wraps. Breakfast wraps with salad, eggs and bacon or lunch wraps with warm seasoned meats off the barbecue and salad… Easy and delicious!
What advice would you give to others travelling or contemplating fulltime travel in the future?
The main advice we can give you is.. Just do it!!! There is never a right time and there will always be hurdles and stresses while trying to leave your day to day life. I guarantee the moment you leave and hit the open road, it will all start to make sense and you’ll be so glad you did it.
You can follow along with this family's adventures on their weekly YouTube episodes for great locations and caravanning tips as well as their Facebook and Instagram pages.
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