Wednesday, December 7, 2011

how to plan a trip?

Deciding to take 6mths out and travel around Australia with my family - easy.

Planning a trip around Australia with my family - a little overwhelming, exciting, not sure where/how to start.

How am I doing it?

The actually trip, route, destinations
  • We decided to head north from the South Coast of NSW.
  • I am trying to look at a state at a time.
  • Starting with towns we will stay in.
  • Then looking where to stay in those towns.
  • Looking a day trips from those towns.
  • Reading family travel blogs for ideas, visiting tourist information websites, travel websites.
  • Love Google Maps.
The Money
  • A travel budget, weekly/daily costing, accommodation, food, tours, activities.
  • Emergency fund, vehicle/caravan, health.
  • Keeping up at home, mortgage, insurances, bills
The Vehicle/Caravan/Stuff
  • Caravan and camping shows
  • Visiting other family travel blogs, forums, websites.

around and around we go

Around and around. That is how Nick and I make big decisions and small decisions. We talk, discuss, look at options, make a decision, become unsure of that decision, discuss some more, ask other people - parents, friends, family. Look again, and finally... make a decision. Normally this is the first option we looked at in the first place! When we have made the final decision, we know it is 100% right, both of us.

We have decided on a vehicle to travel around Australia in. There were so many options. We needed a vehicle to travel Australia in, but when we come home it had to become my family car or Nick's work vehicle. I wanted a 7 seater. Nick wanted diesel. We looked at Toyota Prado, Nissan Pathfinder, Mitisubishi Pajero. Still not right. Even second hand, we were looking at high dollars and high kms. We looked at Ford Territory and Mazda 7. Not right. AWD but not 4WD, what if we get up Nth and want to go off road? or it gets wet/muddy?

We currently have a Isuzu dual cab diesel ute 2WD for Nick's business and love it. We brought it new and it has not missed a beat. So we have decided to buy Isuzu dual cab 4WD ute with canopy on the back. The current layout of Nick's ute works, but it could work better. So once we are home Nick will deck the new ute out for work.

We have also decided to sell our family car, a Ford Focus before we go. One it saves us money to not have a car sitting in our garage while we are away. Two it is not a great family car. I think I'll end up with a holden commodore when we get home, something we can go to the beach in, put the dog in, scooters - without worrying.

Now just to figure out when to change vehicles. Now or closer to the trip?

Monday, November 21, 2011

3 things

I seem to be worried about

1. Leaving the business. What if we lose everything we have worked so hard for?

2. Leaving the house. What if the tenants ruin it? What if all the plants die?

3. Going backwards financially. Are we crazy?

I want to record these worries, so I can look back and think 'what was I worried about?, This is the best thing we have ever done. Look at my little family!'

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

health

Whenever I am worried about our children's health. I put all my thoughts into our trip. For they are the reason we are going. They are the reason we are making changes to the way we view and live, life.

Friday, November 4, 2011

grateful

Today I am grateful.

Grateful and happy. Grateful for my husband and my children. And their health. And how happy I am that I have my little family. Westmead always seems to put things in perspective for me. Reminding me why we are off on this adventure.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

around

At this stage we are planning to leave the South Coast of NSW April 2013.
We are going to head north (chasing the warm weather).

North coast NSW. Coast of QLD. Either all the way to the top or start cutting across to NT from around Cairns. Into Darwin, Katherine, etc. Coast of WA. Broome. Down west coast to Perth. Margaret River. Hug the coast to SA. Adelaide. Great Ocean Road to Melbourne. Home.

If we have time we will do some of the South Coast of NSW, but if not then there is a holiday for another time, close to home.

I really want to concentrate our time on Nth QLD, NT and WA. These destinations are far away from home, and not something we can do in a short holiday.
We are going to have some type of timeline, otherwise we'll take 6mths to get to Brisbane! A balance of planning and being unplanned. How do you find this balance?
I think we'll break up the areas. Nick is excited about the north coast of NSW and QLD. I want to spend all our time in NT, WA and Great Ocean Road. If we each research some areas - we'll know where to go, what to see and where to stay.

LOVE. Lorne. Broome. Monkey Mia. Darwin.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

i am so jealous

I hear this a lot, followed by 'I wish we could do something like that'.

You can. You just have to change the way you think. And plan.
  • It is okay to go backwards financially. You just need a plan, for when you come home. The memories and adventure will more than make up for the lost income and assets.
  • Pick your time to go. For us, we know we need to go, before our eldest starts school. Families travel with older children, and I know we will travel again when the children are older. But for us, this long trip needs to happen before James starts kindergarten.
  • Our home will be at a good stage. Most of the outside renovations will be completed. Making it simple. Hopefully making it a good rental too.
  • Nick's work is the hardest part of this decision. We have spent years building it up, to the great place it is now. It will be so hard to leave it. But we just cannot let work be the one reason we don't go.
  • We are home bodies. Leaving our home will be hard for us. But the caravan will be our new home, and our beautiful home and town will be here waiting for us.
  • Time of year. We plan to leave in April 2013. 18 months from now. Time to plan and save. We miss the south coast winter, and get 3 'summers' in a row!
The only 'part' that will affect the trip is the children's health. That part we just have to wait and see. Plan like everything is go.

vehicle

Thankfully the husbands domain.

We are looking at a Toyota Landcruiser or Nissan Patrol or a Mitsubishi Pajero. Or something like that! 4WD. 7 seater. Strong. Comfortable. Car seat archor points.

Earth's Greatest 4WD

Yes I could picture me driving something like this.

With this behind it.



Stopping overnight somewhere like this.











Bring it on!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

sea change

Nearly 5 months ago, we made a seachange. We have always loved the coastal town we have now moved too. As a couple dating, engaged, married and expecting we use to take day trips for a swim, coffee, lunch or just a drive on a rainy day. We talked about moving here, but it never seemed viable with both our jobs. Fast forward to married and 2 children, about 8 months ago, my husband having a quiet drink at the local pub with my sister & partner. The dream started to become a reality. We were about to take on huge and expensive renovations on our current home, that would make it our forever home. We weighed up the pros and cons, and costs. And put that all aside and followed our heart. If it didn't work we could always move back to the area we were originally from, right? We started looking in our new town, and having agents come and evaluate our current home. The moved happened relatively easily (hmm I seem to have already forgotten how stressful moving with 2 children under 3 is!). We are under taking renovations in our new home, mainly outside this time.

It is taking longer than I thought to truely settle in. I love the beaches, little town and area. But I miss our friends & family, now about 40 minutes drive away. I miss the convience of having a large town so close. And I miss our little house, the house we brought before we were engaged or married, the house we brought both our babies home too. But I know we made the right decision, this will be a gorgeous town and area to bring up our little family. I love the quiet, being able to see the stars in the sky at night, and being able to walk to the beach with no traffic lights or traffic for that matter!

So if we can do this sea change, we can do the adventure that is travelling around Australia with 2 children under 5!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

decluttering

We are hoping to store all our belonging in our double garage, and then rent out the double carport along with the house for 6mths. It will save us storage and transport costs. I am on a mission to declutter now and stay decluttered, so that packing and storing isn't a big issue (I just think of when we recently moved house, stressful).

Looking for inspiration and ideas. What to keep and what to donate.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

when we get home

Already there is talk of how this trip will change us, what it will do for us as a family, and what we will do when we get home. How lucky we will be to come home to our home, on the coast, in a gorgeous little town.

Nick just wants to go now! I know when we do go, being nearly 3 and nearly 5, will be good ages for our children. Ellie really only makes it 10 minutes in the car without getting upset (unless there is choc digestives involved!).

Sunday, October 16, 2011

spending time

I get a wave of happiness and excitement at the thought of spending 6mths together as a family. No days where the kidlets don't see Nick, because he leaves before they are asleep and is home after they are in bed. Time to let the kids be kids. No rushing. Time to play and explore.

Just us. My 4.

I am going to have to work on the no stressing/no worrying part.

caravan

What are we going to live in? Can we keep it after our trip, and use it for future trips as the kidlets get older?

I would LOVE to tow an older vintage caravan, but with zero towing experience and the need to be able to store the caravan at home, we are leaning towards a Jayco Expanda.


Image from www.jayco.com.au

The 16.49.1 looks ideal, 2 double beds and living space in between. I love the idea that if we are on the road and stop for a swim/lunch we can get easy access to the inside/kitchen. I won't have to pack and remember to pack anything we will need into the car in the morning before we set off.


We'll go second hand, and are starting to watch prices and what is around. Then we'll add our touch. My only concern is water leakage at the bed ends. But we plan to buy it at least 6mths before we leave, giving us our summer to take some smaller trips on the south coast. Fingers crossed when we leave for our trip, we have everything sorted and organised. And if we don't then we just sort it out along the way, right?

Thursday, October 13, 2011

other family blogs

I am loving reading other blogs, about families doing the 'around australia' thing. I really love this one, I love the learning and thinking process along the way.

http://foxslane.blogspot.com/

thinking

I used to have a 5 year plan, a 10 year plan for us. A financial plan. Money is important, important to provide things for our children, for us now as a family, and for Nick & I in retirement. But life is important too. I think I can sometimes get too caught up, and forget about the life, here and now part.

We are lucky, lucky that we can do this trip. Yes it is going to take us backwards financially. But we are lucky that we can go backwards. We will be packing my stethoscope and Nick's tool belt, to help us out along the way.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

top 4 questions

1. renting our house - online, local agents, furnished or unfurnished, landlord insurance, exchange program, value.

2. travel vehicle - upgrade family car or upgrade work dual cab.

3. which way - north or south. we are leaning more to north - warmer weather and endless summer. but south is less commerical and includes the great ocean road and lorne.

4. caravan - ouch, they are expensive. must research 'family' (more than 2 adults) caravans. do one up or buy more newer/done up.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

who, what, where, when, how and why?

Who? Nick, Kristy, James & Ellie.

What? A 6mth trip around Australia (or part of Australia), with a caravan, and no time line or plan.

Where? North or South from the South Coast of NSW

When? Second half of 2013, 20mths away. James will be 4 turning 5 and Ellie 2 turning 3. The year before James starts Kindergarten. The year before I return to part-time work.

How? Good question! That is what I want this blog to be, a place to record all our ideas and research.

Why? Why not really. Life is short. Some medical problems with our children, have reminded us of this. It is something we have always talked of doing. We love Australia and want to see more of it. We can. It will challenge us and let us grow. Why not?

So here we go...

I have SO many questions? What type of budget do I set? Do we rent our house furnished or unfurnished? With or without our second car? Which way North to WA or South to WA? How long will it take us? Would we get the whole way around in 6mths? or would we be rushed? What do we take and what do we leave behind? What type of caravan?

Who wants to come met us somewhere fun along the way?