Tell us about your family...
We are a family of 3. Will, Izzy and myself. We are from Brisbane QLD. Will is our businessman who honestly amazes me with his ideas and drive. I hold the fort down and make sure our tummies are full and hearts are warm. Izzy is our beautiful little soul who is enthusiastic about life and is honestly always up for adventure. We couldn’t be prouder of our babe who has grown and excelled with life during our adventures.
How long have you been travelling fulltime?
We have been travelling fulltime for a year now. Before that we used to do long stints at a time, like 2 months here and 1 month there. We have always enjoyed being out there and living a more relaxed lifestyle.
What caravan and tow vehicle do you currently have?
We currently have a 20ft Royal Flair Aussiemate that has been highly customized to exactly what we needed. We tow with a 76 series Landcruiser that has been engineered pre-registration. We really put in a lot of time and work into customizing everything to suit our needs and travels around Australia.
What was the first caravan you ever owned?
Well, we actually started off in a roof top tent many years ago. We then had a Chinese built van (Parkes 13) which we purchased second and did the Cape York in. When we decided to do this fulltime, we teamed up with Caravan HQ and built our first customized 21ft Aussiemate which was beautiful.
What made you decide to pack up your home and travel?
We have always been a hard-working family, but hard work means a lot of time apart. Will used to do FIFO work and then worked in protective services at the RBH, which meant he was hardly home. I was working part time in administration. We would work really hard to have our little vacations here and there. We honestly were only going to do the travel thing for one year but got offered amazing work opportunities that we could do while on the road. By accepting these offers we have created a lifestyle where we can earn money while travelling and create amazing memories as a family.
How do you generate an income on the road?
We do a bit of social media marketing. Will is the brand manager for Royal Flair, working with Caravan HQ. This means we attend caravan shows throughout the year and offer the correct advice for a product we use fulltime and truly believe in. As I mentioned before Will is a businessman and has his hand a few pies, so we do have a steady income coming in.
What are your top 3 locations in Australia you’ve discovered?
Well, we haven’t done WA yet so these can definitely change over time haha. So far, our favourites have been:
Mutee Head which is a free camp right on the beach at Cape York. Its 20km west of Bamaga.
Gregory River is another free camp with fresh flowing water, and one of the few permanently flowing rivers in the northwest of QLD. The free camp is located right in the town of Gregory which is located 120km south from Burketown.
Ormiston Pound which is 135km west of Alice Springs, is a campground with an honesty box there. Staying here was great as it was close to many of the other gorges in the Northern Territory. We went swimming in Redbank Gorge and Ormiston Pound while staying here. The water is freezing which was a great way to escape the NT heat.
One place you’ve yet to visit but dying to?
Western Australia without a doubt. This is in our 2023 plans.
A memorable sticky situation you’ve found yourself in
This one is an easy one! We were travelling along the Oodnadatta track, and when we stopped, we realised we were leaking water. This was a BIG issue. When you’re in the middle of desert you kind of need water! Will got under the caravan because we really thought we had cracked one of our water tanks. Thank goodness a rock had only knocked the fitting off for the drain pipe. We made a quick pitstop in Coober Pedy and found a fitting to fix the problem. It definitely could have been much worse and much more expensive!
Your 3 must have caravan items
Wet wipes for sure! Being a mum, those things come in handy for anything and everything! They seem to have this superpower cleaning ability.
Coffee machine, we LOVE our coffee so this was a no brainer for us!
Air fryer for quick and easy no mess cooking.
Favourite easy yet delicious caravan meal
I make a super delicious cheesy garlic damper on the fire when it is permitted.
When Will catches squid or fresh fish, the tacos. Then is honestly nothing better than fresh fish/calamari tacos!
What advice would you give to others travelling or contemplating fulltime travel in the future?
The first month is hard! I mean it when I say that. There are a lot of adjustments happening during that time so learn to let the small stuff go because that will make life a hell of a lot easier. Also learn to make time for yourself. Speak to your partner and take turns to go for a walk or sit by yourself for a little while. Forgive and move on as well after you have a disagreement, because you are in a small space together. Oh, and always make sure you stop at dump point, and always fill your water tanks!
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