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. 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?
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!'
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.
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.
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.
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.
