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Your experiences travelling around Australia with kids

Hi there
I am writing an article about families travelling around Australia for long periods.
I would really love to hear some of your experiences if you have done this recently (or in the past).
Things I am interested in specifically are:
1. Funny stories / adventures
2. Hazardous stories / warnings
3. Things you would do differently
4. Must haves for the trip
5. What you got out of the trip
6. Best places - why?
7. Worst places - why?

Thanks for any input.
Cheers

EMAIL : fsdawson@yahoo.com.au

Posted By Fiona on Tuesday 21st October 2008 @ 16:46:26

Updated : Thursday 17th May 2012 @ 19:50:59 | Words : 87 | Views : 5254 | Comments : 111

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1).

Good morning Fiona,

We are travelling around Australia in a caravan next year, for 7+ months. Our children are currently 8 & 10.

I would also love to hear from other families who have done a trip like this for tips!!

Cheers

Pam

Posted By Pam on Monday 8th June 2009 @ 08:29:25

2).

We are currently travelling australia in a fifth wheeler with our three kids - 5,6,7. Left home end of April and sold everything to experience Australia. Would love to meet others doing the same. Check out our blog - www.travellingoakeys.blogspot.com

EMAIL : oakey.plumbing@bigpond.com

Posted By Nicole on Monday 17th August 2009 @ 13:45:41

3).

Hi all we r travelling with our 2 beautiful kids. 2yrs and 3yrs. We have been going for 21 months. We left Feb 08 thinking we may last 6 months (our kids were 5mths and 22mths), well 21 mths on and we r getting anxious about going back home 2 Vic in Dec - we have rented our house out. we have done a big figure 8 of this amazing country and could talk for hours and hours and days about travelling with kids.

The best advice I think is have your kids in a really good routine before you leave. Don't over plan and be willing to change plans you have made. Have a big lunch box of "clean" food for the car - dried fruit dried biscuits etc. Dress in the same colours so everything can go in 1 load of washing. Talk to your kids about everything you see we r amazed all the time on how much they remember. It is a fantastic bonding experience for the whole family our kids get 2 eat 3 meals a day with both parents we put them both 2 bed every night, the positives are endless. We dont actually have internet on, we r visiting family so will try to get back on with more news before I go.

Take Care All!!! Happy Happy Travelling :-)

EMAIL : Jamiejackson72@gmail.com

Posted By Jamie and Marni on Tuesday 10th November 2009 @ 09:50:35

4).

We are setting off at the end of feb 2010 with 3 children 2 girls and a boy 10 8 and 7. We are travelling in a camper trailer. My husband will be working on they way round. would love to touch base with others doing the same thing.

EMAIL : rachelricho@yahoo.com.au

Posted By Rachel Richardson on Sunday 3rd January 2010 @ 06:11:29

5).

Hi. My husband and I and our 3 girls 11,7&4 are heading off in Feb 2010 from Victoria. Getting very excited and nervous. So much to do before we go. We are in a bus towing a car. I will home school the girls and my husband will try to pick up work as we go round. He is pretty handy so hopefully it wont be too hard...Would enjoy hearing your stories. May see you on the road. Raelene

EMAIL : prcallander@bigpond.com

Posted By Raelene Callander on Monday 11th January 2010 @ 23:17:13

6).

Hi there, We are also leaving for our 12 month trip around Australia in the first week of March 2010 with two boys 8 & 12 and 2yr old British Bulldog. We are travelling in Jayco Expanda, heading North to do the Cape as soon as conditions permit. Would love to hear from others doing the same.

EMAIL : chris76_rod@hotmail.com

Posted By Chrissy on Wednesday 20th January 2010 @ 11:16:32

7).

My wife and I have wanting to do this and have taken the first steps only yesterday to look at vans. We to looked at the expanda. With 3 children 14, 9 and 3 it;s great to see and know that others take the leap. We would like to know how you go about home schooling the children.

Cheers,
Alan
P.S. Reading your posts is uplifting. You should all do a blog of the good caravaning cheap sites and great things you see along the way.

Posted By Alan on Sunday 31st January 2010 @ 12:12:40

8).

Hi we are packing up renting our house and travelling around Aus with 2 kids 1 18mth and 1 3yrs. Wondering roughly what the trip is costing you per week? Any info would be great thanks, Garth

EMAIL : garthhaley@hotmail.com

Posted By Garth on Friday 12th February 2010 @ 13:50:37

9).

Hi
My husband and I are thinking about taking off later this year with our two kids which by that stage will be 3 and 1. I was slightly apprehensive with their ages but after reading you post have renewed confidence. I am interested in what type of van you are using to travel in?

EMAIL : kristi1@three.com.au

Posted By Kristi on Friday 12th February 2010 @ 16:23:11

10).

Hi
My wife & I have decided in the last week that this is what we want to do to. Very exciting and scary all the same time. Kids are 7 & 4. Would love to hear from people on costs, preparation, work etc. Any info eagerly received.
Clinton

EMAIL : chayward@skymesh.com.au

Posted By Clinton on Saturday 13th February 2010 @ 07:49:54

11).

Hi, we are planning to travel with our 4 kids 12,9,5,3, hopefully by the end of the year. We would really like to hear how other families have handled schooling kids on the road and how the kids handled it all. Any tips would be great.

EMAIL : tw.scott@bigpond.com

Posted By Trudy on Saturday 20th February 2010 @ 20:53:08

12).

Hi Kristi
Well our house is up for rent!!! We have decided to head off in July this year, like you worried about how young the girls are, 1 and 3 but after 2.5 weeks in Tas decided to go for it!!!

I have a Jayco Hawk (outback) camper trailer towed by a 2003 GU Patrol.
The Jayco is being slightly modified so I can fit the same size wheels and tyres as the patrol.

I have installed a small Air Cond in the van and bought the "Fiamma Privacy Room" to attach to our Fiamma wind out awning for some extra space. We had a full sixe annex but decided that we would never use it as it took so long to set up, the privacy room is quick and easy and can be done by myself (wife probably feeding kids!!!).

I have bought a cheap Generator as Microwaves come in handy for the kids, and it can also run the vans air cond.
We have what we call a "Baby Jail" that keeps the kids safely in the bed they share at one end of the van.
Plan on doing some off road, Cape York, Fraser island etc with the van. Would like to do a big figure 8 over about 12 months or so.

Anyway let us know of your plans, tips etc and we might see you out there somewhere!!!

EMAIL : garthhaley@hotmail.com

Posted By Garth on Sunday 21st February 2010 @ 21:12:09

13).

Hello everyone

Looked at this site back in January and there were only two messages but now there seems to be alot more of you out there doing the 'trip', very encouraging as we are about to set off with 4 kids aged 4, 2 and 5mth twins. Will have a change of email address soon and then would like to keep in contact with the other mums and dads.

Talk soon and happy tripping!

EMAIL : tombas@harboursat.com.au

Posted By Liz on Monday 8th March 2010 @ 15:19:16

14).

We hope you have already done some travelling around Australia, as we have kids age 8 & 10 and would like to travel ASAP!! We would rent our house and be gone!!! unfortunetly need to work along the way. Any advice would be appreciated.

EMAIL : sj_aj@bigpond.com

PHONE : 0419891829

Posted By Sheza on Friday 12th March 2010 @ 17:42:12

15).

Hi we have been on he road since May 09 and have a blog which may be of interest check out www.curryfamilyadventures.wordpress.com

Belinda.

Posted By Belinda Curry on Sunday 14th March 2010 @ 18:31:21

16).

Hi our blog might help look for the home schooling tab at the top. would love your feedback. Belinda.

Posted By Belinda on Sunday 14th March 2010 @ 18:36:34

17).

Hi, we are the Longdon Family, we have 2 children 12 and 8, we are travelling around Australia for 12 months and would love to hear from other family's also travelling, our blog address is www.travelozwiththelongdons.blogspot.com we started our journey in February 2010 and we are currently in Victoria and heading along the Great Ocean Road for Easter and then up to Alice Springs and then Darwin by May, we would love to hear other stories and any suggestions for our journey
Thank you
The Longdon Family

EMAIL : longdon@hotmail.com.au

Posted By The Longdon Family on Sunday 28th March 2010 @ 20:07:04

18).

Hi,

We're just about ready to hit the road in 6 weeks (end of May 2010) with our 4 children (5yo and 3yo triplets) for a 6 months+ trip around Aus. We did a 'trial' 4 weeks trip (highly recommended) and are making slight modifications to our Jayco Eagle for the big trip. We budgeted $100 per day (including petrol) during our trial trip and it worked out well.

It's great to read that so many families will be travelling around Aus, Can't wait to hear more stories and read your blogs. Can't wait to hit the road!

EMAIL : m_boukhoubza@yahoo.com

Posted By Malika on Sunday 18th April 2010 @ 22:21:55

19).

Hi We are currently travelling with our 3 children 10,9 and 7 for 2 years around. We started in Feb and are in Roma Queensland now. My husband is working as we go. Absolutely loving the trip so far. Kids just thriving :) Cheers Rachel

EMAIL : rachelricho@yahoo.com.au

Posted By Rachel Richardson on Thursday 22nd April 2010 @ 03:46:24

20).

We are travelling with 3 kids 10,9 and 7 for 2 years we have just started. when i get time i will drop you a line. Or you could follow us on facebook. I put up news videos that the kids do - they are also now on a fishing show and on you tube (posted by the "Reel Fishing Show") all stuff thats happened in the short time we have been gone - cheers rachel

EMAIL : rachelricho@yahoo.com.au

Posted By Rachel Richardson on Thursday 22nd April 2010 @ 03:50:27

21).

Hi Hope your trip is going well. We are also travelling with 2 girls 10 and 9 and our son 7. We left in Feb from Newcastle NSW and my husband is also working as we go. We plan on going for 2 years. I am homeschooling the kids and just loving it. We are now in Roma and work has been easy to find . Off to Charleville on Saturday. Cheers Rachel

EMAIL : rachelricho@yahoo.com.au

Posted By Rachel Richardson on Thursday 22nd April 2010 @ 04:00:44

22).

Hi Belinda. I read some of your blog and passed on it to a lady who is interested in travelling around Australia and is undedcided about how to school her kids. I am travelling with 3 kids 10 9 and 7 and we left in feb this year and will be gone for about 2 years. I have chosen home schooling to and love it. I found your blogg to be very informative on this subject. Your trip looks fantastic. My only other comment is that things like places to stay and things to do it seems that you are advertising for them. I assume you are paid for those entries which is absolutely fine i dont have a problem with but it would be very interesting to see what you really loved about other places you stayed that didnt have the budget to pay you to chat. In summary i find the majority of your blogg interesting but very commercial. I wish you well on your trip and thanks for the effort you put in about homeschooling i think it was spot on. Cheers Rachel

EMAIL : rachelricho@yahoo.com.au

Posted By Rachel Richardson on Thursday 22nd April 2010 @ 04:32:21

23).

hi there - we're in the early stages of considering taking 2011 and travelling australia. daughter is 14 in year 10 now, and son year 7 now. how will u educate your daughter with regard to highschool? im not finding a lot of info online. distance ed vs. homeschooling?
thanks. happy travelling.

EMAIL : an_angel_xx@hotmail.com

Posted By karen on Wednesday 28th April 2010 @ 10:41:01

24).

Hi, We head off in 7 weeks to do 6-7 months around Australia. We have 2 children a girl 10 and a boy 8. We leave at the end of June when the kids finish Term 2 and return for school next year. We have a Jayco Eagle which we are doing final preparations to. We have been following many different blogs including the Currys, the Oakleys? and many others on travelpod. I am surprised how many families are doing this trip and hope to meet many others on our trip. Now to get finalised and get ready to enjoy the trip!

EMAIL : jandion95@gmail.com

Posted By Janelle on Tuesday 4th May 2010 @ 18:28:43

25).

Hi Belinda,
I would like to know how to find you blog. We r seriously thinking about heading around australia for up to 6 mths, with 2 kids, 12 & 8. I am wanting lots of info eg. home schooling, preparation, costs (weekly), where to stay etc.

EMAIL : clare.barton4@bigpond.com

Posted By Claire on Thursday 6th May 2010 @ 12:16:26

26).

Hi there, we are also leaving in July 2010 to travel Australia with our 3 kids 9,11 & 13. We have done a fair bit of travelling in Queensland and looking forward to seeing the rest of the country. It is trully a mission to incorporate renting a house,packing and organising home schooling. I can't wait for early July..bring it on..

EMAIL : cca07704@bigpond.net.au

Posted By Cam on Friday 14th May 2010 @ 20:14:01

27).

Hi, We would love to do the big trip around Australia, Our trip would be a working holiday. We have 2 kids aged 8 & 10 and would like to hear from family's who have experienced traveling aroud Australia that had to find work along the way and home school kids and give us the courage to do the same.

EMAIL : sj_aj@bigpond.com

PHONE : 0419891829

Posted By Sherrie on Saturday 15th May 2010 @ 13:09:51

28).

Wow.. I have been told there are lots of other familiies travelling, but we really haven't met any of them!!

We sold and left our place in, in Newcastle, April 09, with 3 kids. 14months on and the kids are now 4,3 and 1. We are in moranbah at the moment (QLD) but heading to Yeppoon for a week and then off to Mt Isa, Lawn Hill and then back down to Birdsville, as we missed it and then off to Darwin.. I am toying with skipping Alice, but I am hearing great reviews.. anyone care to comment??

Kids are loving it.. our key was to pack up the DVD players... oh, we have an expanda, which has been a treat, made it up to Weipa and back!!

Would love to hear from other's... Will attempt to message other people!
happy travelling!
narelle

EMAIL : dnane.damico@gmail.com

PHONE : 0425244965

Posted By Narelle on Friday 28th May 2010 @ 20:53:24

29).

Hi,
We have been travelling since April 09.. with three young kids.. our youngest was only 1.5wks old when we moved out of our place..

We have been doing family hopping since then, helping friends and waiting out the wet, as the helping friends bit put us at the wrong way with the seasons.. We have done the cape and flinders and are about to leave QLD via Mt ISa (Lawn Hill) and then across to Darwin..

AT this stage i have a rough budget that i am about to enter into a spreadsheet.. I read in another blog, that they allow $100 a day.. which fits in with my budget..

oh.. and don't use dvd players in the car on long trips.. ours drove us nuts!!

where are you headed first?
Happy travelling..
Narelle

EMAIL : dnane.damico@gmail.com

PHONE : 0425244965

Posted By Narelle on Friday 28th May 2010 @ 21:02:03

30).

Hi we are thinking of doing the same we have 3 girls 9 7 and 2 just wondering how you are going and how are you schooling
thanks robyn

EMAIL : Robyn.dean1@bigpond.com

Posted By Robyn on Saturday 29th May 2010 @ 13:06:20

31).

HI to all those going on a trip around oz, my wife and i went around in 2008 with our two girls age 3-4, had a awsome time and would recommend it to everyone, it was that good we are in the process of planing second trip in early 2011, we had a jayco expanda outback, it was great bush camping had the honda geny fire on the side of the road.

Left brisbane, canarvon gorge, alice springs, darwin, halls creek, broome, tom price, perth, margaret river, kalgoorlie, nullarbor plains, cooberpedy, adelaide, great ocean rd, blue mt, brisbane, did lot's of other things on the way, all up did 27800km with my trusty hilux, we are now buying another jayco expanda again for our next trip, we did all that in 3 months we also did ayers rock, king canyon. bloody ripper time just get the bloody hell out there and don't look back, go the hilux and jayco i say, all those out there that rubbish the jayco, are just p... that they paid more for there van, and we tow ours to the same spots. just enjoy and drive to the road conditions. see you all out there..

EMAIL : best1cleaning@hotmail.com

Posted By jason on Friday 4th June 2010 @ 20:18:27

32).

We left WA with our two kids 12 and 8. Time was running out we needed to follow our dream b4 our daughter hit high school. We have been home schooling through SIDE. Currently we are in NSW and heading North. The funds are running out fast and we would love to have any input on where to get work.

Australia is such an amazing country, so natural and rugged, why wouldn't you want to share it with your kids!!

I now have the time to pause and really look at my kids; laugh, play and threaten to post them home when they push your buttons.

Safe Travellin!!
The Tozza Gang

EMAIL : jmtorrent@bigpond.com

Posted By Tozza Gang on Saturday 12th June 2010 @ 10:15:26

33).

Hi Guys, we are in the process of selling our house and be on the road before my son starts high school.

I have heard work is easy to find, my hubby will have to work so hopefully that will be the case.... if you have any info then please email me.... how much do you think you have spent per day on parks, fuel etc?

Happy touring

Karen

EMAIL : karen1972@hotmail.com

Posted By Karen on Thursday 17th June 2010 @ 21:30:10

34).

Hi All,

My hubby and I and our 18mth old son are going to be caravanning around Australia once our house sells. I have read all of your comments on this topic and I am amazed with how many people out there who have done/are doing what we are about to do. We are so excited and cant wait!

I have soooo many questions and concerns though and was wondering if people could suggest some really good websites that cover everything for the beginner, which includes pretty much all you need to know before you hit the road!

Well, I hope to keep in touch and get some advice, and if anyone would like to email me with any helpful information, I welcome it!

Thanks!

Katrina.

EMAIL : librakat37@yahoo.com.au

Posted By Katrina S on Thursday 24th June 2010 @ 19:19:50

35).

My Husband and 2 children (ages 7 & 5) are thinking of taking off about this time next year (2011) for 12 months. I am concerned about childrens education. I have looked into distance education and home schooling? But not sure where to begin. Any advice greatly appreciated.

EMAIL : awkmwall@optusnet.com.au

Posted By Kellie on Monday 28th June 2010 @ 13:09:27

36).

we are also travelling Australia.Have been for 12 months. Have a 14 year old and 7 year old that are doing homeschooling. Would love to talk to anyone out there doing the same.

EMAIL : tandd.carpenter@bigpond.com

Posted By Destination Unknown on Tuesday 6th July 2010 @ 16:57:54

37).

Hi, Five years ago my husband and i sold our house and travelled around Australia with our two boys who were 3 & 4 at the time. It was the best year of our life!

Five years on, (I'm 32 & 36) we find ourselves overwhelmed, stressed and exhausted AGAIN. We would love to travel again but with no time restrictions this time as we would plan to work and travel. We are scared to sell again and not sure what to do. Is there anyone out there who has similar concerns or can offer any advice?

Regards
Belinda

EMAIL : belinda774@skymesh.com.au

Posted By Belinda on Wednesday 7th July 2010 @ 23:07:19

38).

Hi Fiona,

We have been travelling for 9 weeks now with our three kids 2,4,7. The first 4 weeks were really hard for everyone to settle in but now travelling is our life for 6 months. Some travelling tips are - always have food in the car, the kids always want food as soon as we are ready to drive off.

We have stayed in at least 5 National Parks in QLD. They are cheap and the kids enjoy the bush settings and the animals. Take minimal clothes and toys as the kids find other things to do. I can recommend to be set up to travel off road as some of the best and cheapest places to stay are in National Parks accessed by unsealed roads.

EMAIL : gemmaf74@live.com

Posted By Gemma on Wednesday 14th July 2010 @ 12:12:58

39).

Hello everyone, I am a mother of a 3 year old and a 9 month year old it is my husbands and my dream to travel australia with are children any info would help

EMAIL : jenessa-b@hotmail.com

Posted By Jenessa Bolenbaugh on Thursday 22nd July 2010 @ 02:43:33

40).

We have a 6 month trip planned end of the year with our 8 yr old & 2 1/2 yr old girls (ages when we'll be travelling). We plan to leave Cairns start of Dec, travel down to Geelong (Vic) for xmas with my parents, then over to Tassie in the new year, then after: SA, back to Vic, NSW, back up to QLD. Travel itinerary not sorted yet. Am interested in any suggestions, ideas, hints. Hope you're enjoying your trip.

EMAIL : dgelae@gmail.com

Posted By 3 girls and a bloke! on Saturday 24th July 2010 @ 21:05:02

41).

Great to read everyone's stories... we would love to do the big trip with our 5 children (aged 7 to 22 months). Am interested to hear van options for larger families - have seen Jayco Expanda's but wondering if others are out there. We currently have a Jayco Flamingo with annexe but would upgrade to save on set up time. What has been your average weekly expenses including food? anyone else out there travelling with 5 kids? Are you staying in van parks or doing the free camp option? Tips would be greatly appreciated!

EMAIL : aussiesdive@yahoo.com

PHONE : 0407140808

Posted By Sam on Wednesday 11th August 2010 @ 22:54:35

42).

I am thinking about selling up everything & working my way around Australia. Is there much work out there & how much would it cost roughly for a family of 4. I have myself, husband & 17 year old daughter & 3 year old daughter. The cost of living is too high & it is just too hard to stay put now. Do you need heaps of money to take off. I need some help & advice please if anyone can give me some. I dont have a house to sell but I have heaps of furniture, that I can get money for. What about schooling. Any advice would help me.
Thanks

EMAIL : v8cutie@hotmail.com

Posted By Judith Theobald on Saturday 11th September 2010 @ 16:39:01

43).

Hi, Just in response to Schooling of Children on the road. I am not sure whether you have left yet or not. We have been on the road for the past 5 months to return for 2011 school year. Our three children 15 (Year 10 & 3 VCE), 14 (Year 9) and 8 (Grade 2) started Distance ED. It has been going really well and they enjoy the freedom of Home Schooling. It does require internet access weekly to submit work etc, which can sometimes be a challenge. If our service is not available we need to really on WiFi spots and actually Library's can also come in really handy. The other thing that can be problem is that when you are travelling and seeing places all the time there is not always that 3/4 hours a day to do school work and it makes it harder when behind. But all in all they are learning so much just being out there. I wish all the best and have a great time.

EMAIL : dkholohan@optusnet.com.au

Posted By Katrina on Monday 13th September 2010 @ 00:08:29

44).

Hi, my husband just passed this idea past me last night, now I cant stop thinking about it. 6 months to a year travelling around Aus. I have most things covered, however the schooling is freaking me out. Do you have a website I can find out about it. My chn are 8 and 11. Regards,
Lisa

EMAIL : dazzaandlisa@unwired.com.au

Posted By Lisa Ranken on Thursday 16th September 2010 @ 08:20:13

45).

We've sold up everything ready to travel with 3 kids (13,10,1) 2yrs around Aus from Dec 2010. We have a Jayco Expanda & a 2010 Prado Kakadu. Been a challenge deciding between home school vs distance education. Hope to speak to others whilst on our travels.

EMAIL : nicoletooth@bigpond.com

Posted By Nicole on Tuesday 5th October 2010 @ 12:55:39

46).

I would be very interested in seeing that spread sheet regarding the cost of a couple travelling oz and living on the road with two kids...Thanks heaps

EMAIL : mareegwynne@yahoo.com.au

Posted By Maree on Sunday 10th October 2010 @ 16:27:36

47).

We travelled around aus 5 yrs ago my daughter was 9 did distance ed found it okay a bit restricted she is now 14 and we are thinking of packing up and going again our daughter is very keen will most likely do home school we met lots of wonderful people but sadly not to many with children her age so hoping to be able to catch up with other teenagers
we are planning january - Fed 2011 hope to see you on the road

EMAIL : kerrie.d@exemail.com.au

Posted By kerrie douglas on Monday 11th October 2010 @ 10:22:07

48).

We have 2 children 3yrs & 17mths and have decided we will travel around australia next year. We have just started looking at upgrading our van. Love some feedback on what van to buy. I like the expandas but worry the beds may be too hot/cold being canvas? any other tips and hints on traveling would be greatly appreciated. SEE YOU ON THE ROAD!!

EMAIL : rosiemickb@yahoo.com.au

Posted By Rosie on Wednesday 10th November 2010 @ 14:51:45

49).

we sold our house in Tassie, gave up full time jobs to work around aust.With our boy who is 8. Packed everything into our landcruiser & 24 ft jayco sterling & crossed bass straight on 1/3/2009. Did distant ED for 5 months and loved it. Have not had any trouble finding jobs and we havent looked back. We are both working in North WA at present with free accomodation. Thinking will go to Darwin next for 12 months then east. Our plan is 10 years who knows. Loving the warmer weather thats for sure. Took us 5 years to take the plung kept getting cold feet. Now am not sure why. Just do it we love it so far and our boy is learning so much. We have met lots of people doing the same. Life is short....

EMAIL : juliehope47@yahoo.com.au

Posted By Julie & Phill & Lachie on Saturday 20th November 2010 @ 17:20:49

50).

Wow! great to see so many families are doing this. We are looking at selling up everything and hitting the road - living in Victoria now, but hoping to do this mid April. Currently looking at caravans (so glad hubby got over the camper-trailer thought!) but struggling with schooling the kids (Year 3, 7 & 9 in 2011). Apparently I have to register them for homeschooling, but need a "residential address" - which we won't have?! Can anyone advise if you've come across this and what you did?
Hope to see some of you on the road!!!

EMAIL : chuckie.burns@bigpond.com.au

Posted By chuckieburns on Friday 3rd December 2010 @ 08:42:08

51).

Hi, Hope you are loving your trip. I am interested in how you are doing home schooling. We are travelling now with two 11 yrs boys and are home school through the school. We did this as they were only going to be out of school for the last term but now we would like to keep travelling and home school them through to year 10. They have special needs and I have taught them more in 8 weeks then they did all year. Thanks Roslyn Where are you now? We are in Mt Mac Donelled, just near the Vic border, below Mt. Gambier.

EMAIL : chemfre@hotmail.com

PHONE : 0407540313

Posted By Roslyn Marston on Saturday 11th December 2010 @ 14:13:27

52).

We are leaving for our big trip in 7 weeks. If you are interested in following our adventure, visit our blog at smiffy2011.wordpress.com. We are travelling with our daughter Coby (4) and our son Rhys (almost 3). Getting very excited. Hope you enjoy reading about our adventures.

EMAIL : sevd25@yahoo.com.au

Posted By Sharon on Saturday 8th January 2011 @ 17:32:15

53).

Hi,
just wondering if you've started your travels? and what sort of caravan / 4wd you choose?

my husband, I and 3.5 yr old and 9 month want to set off for a year in July and would love any advice you can give.

good luck to you all , wish you happy and safe travels.

EMAIL : poshbali@gmail.com

Posted By Laura fernandes on Wednesday 19th January 2011 @ 01:02:58

54).

Hi we've just sold our house in tassie and are leaving in April to start our trip around oz. Am looking at home schooling v distance ed. Would love to talk to anyone out there with info or who will be on the road when we are. We will head north with our 4 and 6 year olds.

EMAIL : Amandajowoods@hotmail.com

Posted By Amanda on Thursday 20th January 2011 @ 21:25:29

55).

Hi
My husband and I are undertaking a very long term plan of travelling around Australia for a year with our two boys in just under 5 years. By then my boys will be aged 10 and 7 1/2. Planning so long term as we want to have the house, 4wd and caravan paid off and substantial money in the bank, as well as the boys to be old enough that they will remember for their life time. Will be home schooling them for the year.

We think it will be such a family bonding experience and open the boys eyes to the world out there, that they will have an appreciation for nature and culture beyond themselves.

We have been doing research already for about a year so I think we will be saturated by the time we leave!! Very excited for those of you that have already or about to leave.

Posted By Donna on Tuesday 22nd February 2011 @ 14:36:58

56).

we have just sold our house and are set to leave to travel oz with our 3 kids- 15mths, 5 and 8yrs. I will be distance schooling the kids and we would love to hear from other families who are into their trip and have those gold tips for starters like us! we are thinking the jayco sterling so we are fully equiped for the 5 of us.

EMAIL : fullermore@iprimus.com.au

Posted By The Fuller 5 on Monday 28th February 2011 @ 22:29:36

57).

Hi we are among the growing number of families packing up and taking off. We go in May and have just set up a blog
http://www.cusworthcaravancapers.wordpress

Would love people to drop in and comment, share stories & suggestions. Feel free to subscribe. See you on the road.

Helen

Posted By Helen on Tuesday 22nd March 2011 @ 17:17:11

58).

Hi Guys,

Just read your pre-trip plans. We have kids the same age and are considering road tripping with them. How has you trip gone so far? Any tips? How many hours do you manage to drive at a time?

EMAIL : leonie_matt@hotmail.com

Posted By Leonie on Tuesday 29th March 2011 @ 13:54:32

59).

Hi everyone, We are a traveling family & have now been on the road for 4.5yrs. We have loved every minute of this lifestyle. There is so much to see out there.

We have our son with us & he was 13 when we started, he is now 17. We have homeschooled with distance Ed which has worked for us all.

We are in a 25f Roadstar with a Cruiser pulling the van. As this has been our home I was going to have some comfort.We are able to camp in most places as we are set up with Water tanks, generator, batteries/solor pwr, & the van is a bit more ground clearence.
If you have to opportunity to travel, Get out there, we have never looked back,dont wait till later as later might not come......Travel safe & Enjoy

EMAIL : kylie.kckmarketing.white364@gmail.com

Posted By kylie on Saturday 16th April 2011 @ 10:27:15

60).

kylie just wondering how your son has coped with meeting other teenages and has he missed friends, also teaching high school work, how did you find it?we travelled 6yrs ago and i found teaching than a bit of a challenge and we are thinking of going again our daughter is now 15 and just having some concern with how she will go away from friends and social contact that school brings but I think the experenice travelling and sharing as a family must be more than a schooling can give

EMAIL : kerrie.d@hotmail.com

Posted By kerrieanne douglas on Sunday 22nd May 2011 @ 11:25:45

61).

Hi there,

I have never written on a forum, so not sure of how it works!

We are planning on travelling Australia, setting off at the beginning of next year. We are currently looking at what vehicle to buy and are interested in whether it is better to buy a campervan or a caravan.

We are veering towards 4WD campervan as we want to be able to go off road and it feels much easier to travel with than pulling a caravan. I am interested in your view now you are on the road!

EMAIL : tara@inspirecoaching.com.au

Posted By Tara on Tuesday 28th June 2011 @ 22:36:10

62).

We are planning to take off around Jan 2012 with our 2 year old son. We will have to work our way around. We are hoping for some advice on work and travel routes. We are leaving from QLD, not sure which way to go? Our house has already been rented out, just need to sell my car and work for the rest of the year to save some money. Any advice would be great.

EMAIL : bassett12@gmail.com

PHONE : 0415165759

Posted By Mary-Ann & Joe on Saturday 9th July 2011 @ 23:36:39

63).

Hi there, my family of 5, consisting of husband, wife, 3 kids aged 12,11,9 are putting into action our plan of travelling for an unspecified amount of time. We have looked at so many caravans, camper trailers, campervans that our head is swimming.

Can anyone offer any advice as to what type of van to get. We originally thought of a Jayco Swan but have ditched that as I wonder if we will end up getting on each others nerves too much. Now looking at vans from 18-20 foot with/without shower/toilet. We didn't want to stick to main roads but also didn't want to venture too far into the middle of the never never.

Any advice would be so appreciated. Are you too limited with a caravan as to where to go, maybe a full size annexe with the Jayco Swan. They won't share a bed, they need bunks I think.

HELP!!!

Cheers, Helen

EMAIL : henikan@bigpond.com

Posted By Helen on Monday 15th August 2011 @ 11:52:58

64).

Hi we are just finishing our 6 month trip around the edge of OZ. We have travelled in a Cavalier 14 foot camper trailer. We have had a fantastic time off road doing Gibb River Road, Savannah way and lots of black top. My personal advice is a big caravan while very comfy, may limit where you can go. Camps 6 is your best friend with lots of cheap camping options.

EMAIL : lisaranken99@msn.com

Posted By Lisa Ranken on Wednesday 17th August 2011 @ 14:45:43

65).

Well we've got a jayco swan , full annexe are are heading off shortly with a 15, 13 and 4 year old , all boys . So we'll let you know how we go . Still haven't finalised schooling plans so woul appreciate any feedback

EMAIL : davidomsby@gmail.com

PHONE : 0433 078 895

Posted By davo on Friday 2nd September 2011 @ 09:33:28

66).

Hi Fiona,

We are a New Zealand family who are planning on travelling Australia for one year beginning 2012. We have a twelve year old son who will be the only child travelling with us. My concern is that it could be a bit isolating. Do you know if there is a website that could put us in touch with other families with similar aged children that we could meet up with on our travels. I am inspired just reading about all the families who are out there doing this. Any advice appreciated. Thanks very much. Donna

EMAIL : dmvanderbyl@gmail.com

Posted By Donna van der Byl on Monday 5th September 2011 @ 14:50:43

67).

we are looking at travelling in a year or two, have a business to sell first, three daughters will need distant education? so many questions????

EMAIL : andy_tam@bigpond.com

PHONE : 0437219674

Posted By TAMMY on Thursday 8th September 2011 @ 21:56:58

68).

I am a single mother with a nine month old. I have always wanted to travel and explore australia and now it seems i have the perfect travel buddy : )Thinking of heading off in about a year and would love to hear any good advice or stories of any other single parents traveling with young children.

EMAIL : amyelia86@yahoo.com.au

Posted By Amy on Wednesday 26th October 2011 @ 14:31:45

69).

My son and I are in the planning stage. I am a single parent to one 5yo and we are savings, getting rid of pocessions and working out schooling. The plan is to travel around Aus for 8-12 months beginning Feb 2013. I hope to have a bookkeeping business up and running by than and possibly be bringing in some kind of income (not sure how this is going to pann out on the road). Eagerly reading and researching all travel blogs and forums.

EMAIL : ljenkins@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au

Posted By Lee on Thursday 27th October 2011 @ 11:58:51

70).

In 2008 my family and I (3 girls currenly aged 10,9 and 7) travelled the Kimberleys for 6 months. We worked there and sent the girls to a remote Aboriginal school - what an experience! They often talk about their time there and loved it!

In 2009 we took 3 months off and travelled in a Jayco Expanda Outback. We got as far as Bowen North QLD (We live on the North Coast of NSW) and had car troubles (our Nissan Patrol kept overheating and eventually lost 5th gear too!).

In June 2011 we travelled in a camper trailer from the North Coast NSW up to Cook Town, with most of our time spent on the Atherton Tablelands and Port Douglas (a beautiful spot!).

In 2012 we are planning yet another trip, but hope to go for a few years and see all of Australia. We are looking at purchasing a Coromal caravan with bunks, or maybe the Jayco with the triple bunks.

The hardest decision is with schooling.
We have used a distance ed school in the past and found it a pain to know where we were going to be all the time in order to receive new work each fortnight. Also, the work load was huge!

We are now looking into registering with the BOS as Home Schoolers. I would appreciate any comments on advice with schooling whilst travelling!

Happy travels everyone - it is so worthwhile!!

EMAIL : amanda-collins@live.com.au

PHONE : 0421660680

Posted By Amanda on Thursday 27th October 2011 @ 14:15:50

71).

Amanda- I have researched the home schooling thing quite a bit. It's my first choice. But I keep meeting up against the same brick wall- In NSW- you must be residing within the state to qualify. :( Kinda pointless if you ask me.

Please- I'd LOVE to know how you go on this. ATM- I'm contemplating moving to VIC for a couple of months and registering there.

EMAIL : ljenkins@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au

PHONE : 0405295148

Posted By Lee Jenkins on Friday 4th November 2011 @ 12:03:57

72).

Been thinking about travelling around Australia too. Just one child aged 18 months. Thought it might be eaier to travel now before school begins. Anyone have any advice or thoughts on this?

EMAIL : mick@australianexplorer.com

Posted By mick on Sunday 12th February 2012 @ 18:58:22

73).

Good luck Mick. When we travelled my kids were 6,4,2. The 2 year old remembers very little of the trip but it was still a great experience for her. She was very shy when we left and wouldn't leave my side at the beginning and by the end she was very confident. It is an amazing experience at any age, although you need to be very flexible and have lots of treats in the car for the long travelling days.

EMAIL : gemmaf74@live.com

Posted By Gemma on Monday 13th February 2012 @ 13:38:09

74).

Hi Mick. thanks for your comments on my blog.
When I was planning this trip, people said I was crazy doing this while the kids are so young. They won't remember it. But peoples personalities are mostly formed in the early years from their experiences. I'd like to say, my kids have become very socialable, confident and adventurous children, and have benefited from so much family time during the trip. I say, go for it, but take lots of photos, and keep a diary and memory box for the kids to put stuff in, to help them remember.
Good luck with the planning. Feel free to email me if you have any specific question. This week I'm putting up my last blog post, giving tips and estimated costs. Hope you like it.
Sharon

Posted By Sharon on Monday 13th February 2012 @ 16:30:50

75).

Hi There,

We are a family of 5 with 3 kiddies aged 13,4,and 1.5 and we are going around the block for 12 months. We are home schooling which is pretty exciting i think more for me than the kids. We are travelling in a pretty old van but has all the mod cons. We like to jazz up the travel a bit with some off site stays especially near the water and have had some fab caravan parks with all the fantastic bits and pieces for the kids and parents. Would like to talk to other families that are travelling for tips and hope that we may exchange ideas. Travel safe and enjoy !!!!!

:) Nic and Rob

EMAIL : nic.rob@westnet.com.au

Posted By Nicola and Rob on Tuesday 14th February 2012 @ 20:14:39

76).

Hi,

I am 8 months into a trip around Australia with my husband and 3 year old son. We are likely to be on the road for about another 8 months, but it might end up being more. Anytime is a great time to travel with kids, but we have found that it has been very easy and very rewarding travelling with a 2 year old (who is about to turn 3). He is easily entertained and being a shy child it has been great for his confidence and social skills.

We are keeping a blog of our trip, www.jarvismalin.blogspot.com. This has some of our best and worst experiences. But my top tips / experiences that come to mind are:

- Get your set up right. Do you want to go on 4WD tracks? Or do you want the ease and comfort of a caravan. We wanted to and have been staying in lots of national parks which have 4WD access only. So we opted for a good 4WD and a heavy duty camper trailer (Kimberly Kamper). It is a faster set up than a tent but with good sleeping, storage and cooking facilities. We also have a tinny on the top of the camper so we can go fishing and explore rivers and estuaries.
- Most of the caravan parks we have been to have been full of grey nomads. They are have been lovely but there haven't been many young people. So I would suggest getting out into the national parks as much as possible and some of the quirkier caravan park / camping grounds on farms and stuff seem to have more families and young people.
- try to avoid being near big cities and holiday locations during school holidays. The prices go way up in caravan parks and even the national parks are often full.
- Remember the wet season up north. It get's hot and stormy and many roads are closed. Plan around this if you can.

I hope some of this has been helpful.

Posted By Emma on Friday 24th February 2012 @ 02:11:28

77).

Sounds like a great trip with your 3 year old , we"be got a 5 year old on board who"s come on in leaps and bounds , we also have a 16 and 14 year old on board who have had a few issues with not being able to go to their room to shut us out . We"be been 3 months on the road , we have a 2003 land cruiser and a pop up pop out camper van , we"be done a mixture of caravan parks and camp grounds , unfortunately National parks are out for us because we also have the family fox terrier on board , we"be got a tinny on the top of the camper . We"be bit hit a bit cingular to Qld , probably at the wrong time but we intend staying in Qld till about August so once the weather settles down , we"ll be happy . I agree it's mostly grey nomads in the caravan parks who tend to be really nice but yea looking forward to meeting people a bit younger with kids etc . Overall I"d rev commend it to anyone I wouldn't be anywhere else and if it were totally up to me I don't think I"d ever go home

EMAIL : davidomsby@gmail.com

PHONE : 0433 078 895

Posted By Davo on Friday 24th February 2012 @ 20:20:10

78).

Hi all, we are looking at traveling hopefully...by July 2012. That is myself, husband and 3 y/o daughter. We are looking at a caravan as it will be home for up to 2 years. After reading the blogs, it appears that most people have the expand caravan?? We are initially looking for a van with shower & toilet. Is this necessary?? We plan to stay at free campsites as much as possible to save costs.

EMAIL : Jdwedrat@gmail.com

Posted By D&J on Saturday 25th February 2012 @ 22:34:26

79).

ive spoken to lots of people who have done it, & they all say to get shw/wc, we were going to get expanda but told they can leak & painful to set up

Posted By rosie on Sunday 26th February 2012 @ 07:39:54

80).

When we did our trip, we just took a pota pottie, with an ensuite tent. This was fine for a couple of days free camping. Even most free campsites have toilets.

For some budgeting info, check out our blog at smiffy2011.wordpress.com
Happy travels

EMAIL : sevd25@yahoo.com.au

Posted By sharon Smith on Sunday 26th February 2012 @ 09:11:04

81).

One of the trips we did around Aussie, we had a Jayco Expanda caravan, the off road model with shower and toilet. Our experience with it was, that it was very large and spacious, but we had the canvas expanding ends - which let condensation in, just like a tent does, they also couldn't be pack up wet, as they fold in on your bedding. The new model hard lids may stop most of that. The convenience of having the shower was great, but we found the toilet filled up very quickly with 2 adults and 3 girls, so we saved it for emergency only.
We now have purchased a full van with triple bunks and a fold down double bed (folds down out of the wall). We are planning to travel again July 2012. Our girls will be 11,10 and 7 when we go again, so I am just worried about schooling this time, as my eldest will be going into high school in 2013. Anyone have any experience with schooling a high schooler whilst travelling??

Posted By Amanda on Monday 27th February 2012 @ 08:54:15

82).

We traveled around Australia from June 2009 to Jan 2011 our kids ages 6 and 13 Found homeschooling suppliesow very helpful we are back for the oldest to do grade 10 and he has started an apprentiship we plan to go on the road again hopfully in 2014.

EMAIL : tandd.carpenter@bigpond.com

Posted By Teresa on Monday 27th February 2012 @ 16:50:55

83).

Can you tell me how you went about the schooling? Did you use Distance Education, or Home Schooling, if so - which company/school did you use? This is my main concern in travelling again. I want to be sure the kids have every opportunity academically, as well as the hands on experience of travel. Thank you.

Also - has anyone registered for home schooling whilst travelling? I looked into it, and you need to have a permanent address, and a room set up for schooling...has anyone got around these requirements?

Posted By Amanda Collins on Tuesday 28th February 2012 @ 08:30:02

84).

We are almost ready to depart. Head off at the end of May having been delayed a couple of times(!!!!!). Two children, boy 7 (yr2) and girl 9 (yr 3). We were going to home school, but apparently as we will be travelling outside NSW, will have to do Distance Ed. Bit of a bummer as we had gone down the track of outlining a cirriculum in tandem with their current school so we could keep the lines of communication open so they slot in when we get back (2013). From forums, I understood Distance Ed to be fairly inflexible, is this still the case? Any recent experiences? Feel free to email me, I would be eternally greatful.
lunachook@y7mail.com.au

EMAIL : lunachook@y7mail.com.au

Posted By Luna on Tuesday 28th February 2012 @ 12:41:26

85).

Hi. I am a qualified primary, secondary, special education and vocational teacher with 37 years experience. I am happy to give advice to people about travelling and education. Down the track I was hoping this would subsidise my trip around Australia but in the meantime happy to help people while I work out what people out there want advice, on so I can work out if this would be a viable business for me. So ask away!!

Posted By Amanda on Saturday 3rd March 2012 @ 15:57:39

86).

Thank you for your offer of advice. As a Mum I want the best of both for my kids - a good education, and hands-on experience that comes from travelling our Country. In your opinion what would be the best way of educating whilst travelling? We have travelled for 9 months previously, and enrolled the children at Casino Distance Ed School NSW. I found the schooling took up so much time, there was sujects included like art that came with a HUGE bag of supplies and took a lot of time to complete. In my view I would just like to have set workbooks for reading, writing and maths. The rest I think the children would prefer to cover as we go on our journey. Journelling, art work, photography, geography and even science and history can be covered through daily travelling experiences. I have three girls ages 11,10 and 7.5 years. So my eldest will be entering high school in 2013. Do you think we are jeopardising our children's education by travelling? I would love some advice!!

Posted By Amanda Collins on Tuesday 6th March 2012 @ 11:46:00

87).

Hi Amanda
How great to be taking your children on such an incredible experience. Schooling is only one part of a child's education but it is life skills that take them through to adulthood as our world is changing at a really rapid pace.

1.Casino distance ed has introduced Mobile Units this year. I don't know too much about them but they do appear far less cumbersome than previous distance ed modules. So ask them.

2. All states will require you to abide by the state syllabus. I suggest you try to understand what the requirements of the syllabus are, then talk to the distance ed principal. The syllabus usually does not specify learning activities but rather learning outcomes. So maybe you could say instead of this activity, could I collect all the letters my child writes to her grandparents taking into account sentence structure and spelling.

I would confidently ask these questions as a school's focus is the complete education of a child but do your homework(!) first. Ask again if you don't understand the syllabus.

I am thinking of writing some things you can do with various ages whilst on a long trip if people are interested.

Posted By Amanda on Wednesday 7th March 2012 @ 18:21:47

88).

Hi
Just thought I would talk to some parents who have perhaps pre schoolers to year 2 and are travelling on the road.

One of the things people ask me is what educational activity would be beneficial while we are just chiiling out and kicking back but the kids are looking for something to do.

Conceptual development is vital to a child's education. However it is something we don't teach but hope children learn.

Equipment required -stuff!

Look around the van/tent - a spoon, a shoe, a folding chair, a bowl, a ball. etc...

The idea is to teach/reinforce spatial concepts. Show the child all the stuff then ask them to show you "under". The child puts the bowl under the chair and says " the bowl is under the chair". This sounds petty but there is also next to, between, infront of, behind, before, after, middle etc.

This can turn into a real family game when done inside because it is pouring rain outside. It becomes more fun when siblings and parents get asked to be the "props" for middle, on top
of etc.

Message to parent: great to play this game with your fingers over your eyes. 2 purposes, CHEAT. Don't want kids doing "on top of the stove" but also fascinating to watch how they came up with the solution through the gap in your fingers

If you want a list of concepts, post a message and I will help6f

Posted By Amanda on Saturday 10th March 2012 @ 21:18:41

89).

What a great thread to find! We are hoping to travel in 2 years or so when my husband has his long service leave. At this stage we estimate it will be for around 12 weeks. Our childrens years at school will be year 9,year 6,year 2, kindergarten & one in preschool. At this stage our daughter who will be in year 9 is currently attending a Catholic school. As its only early days I havent spoken to the school about it yet, but just thought Id ask on here in case someone can tell me! Im wondering whether I can obtain a terms worth of work from school....or do I need to go through distant ed. From what I have read distant ed is for travelling over 12 weeks,so if we travel just under the 12 weeks does that mean we can just organise work through the school?

Id be interested in reading info on schooling Amanda.

Just out of curiosity, what type of work are people doing in their travels? My husbands work doesnt allow for travelling & flexibilty, but Im still curious as to what others do to make ends meet. We will soon be renting out our house due to work anyway, so that will be a source of income.

So exciting, wish it was sooner that we were going!!!

Miranda

EMAIL : mmmills01@bigpond.com

Posted By Miranda on Sunday 11th March 2012 @ 08:29:22

90).

Hi all my wife and I are planning to head off on a working holiday for 6 months around aus with 2 kids under 4 just wanting advice on what's the best way to go- bus, caravan or camper trailer? Any advice would be great.

EMAIL : Grantchislett@hotmail.com

Posted By Grant Chislett on Sunday 11th March 2012 @ 15:10:00

91).

Hi there, we have been planning our "big trip" for the past two years...put the house on the market, bought the 4WD and constantly looking for caravans for when the house does sell. We have 3 kids, girl 13, boy 12, girl 10 and are looking at an offroad bunk van under 20 foot. My husband and I are at LOGGERHEADS as he doesn't want a toilet/shower inside but I do as I'm concerned about the middle of night jaunts to the outside toilet. Can anyone who has done this give us some good advise as to if I'm being pernickety and over anxious or is there nothing to worry about with the toilet outside in a privacy tent attached to the caravan somehow.? Kind Regards Helen

EMAIL : henikan@bigpond.com

Posted By Helen on Monday 12th March 2012 @ 08:42:41

92).

Helen - We have purchased a triple bunk caravan, it is 20ft. It is not off road, but we have just had the suspension under the van flipped over (only cost $160) and now it has the ground clearance of an offroader. We chose to have a large shower, but no toilet. We use a bucket, sat in the shower cubicle for night emergencies, and public toilets other than that. We used to have a van with both shower and toilet, but the toilet was directly under the shower which made for a very small cubicle, and we found that with three girls in the family it would overflow as the guage showing how full it was, wasn't very accurate. We like the Windsor Genesis range that have the double bed that flips down from the wall, and has bunks at the other end. It gives you so much lounge space, and still minimal setting up. We ended up buying a van very similar to these and absolutely love it. We have tried camper trailers, Jayco Dove, Jayco Expander OUtback, Royal Flair with fold out bunk, and now we have a Scenic van and wouldn't go back to any of the others. Hope you find the van that suits you.

Posted By Amanda Collins on Monday 12th March 2012 @ 11:08:42

93).

Hi Helen, I have just returned from traveling Australia for two years with my husband & 2 children. My children are now 11 & 13. You MUST have a toilet & shower. We used the Camps 5 book (free camping) because the cost of parks would have doubled the cost of our trip. We went absolutely every where. OMG, if we didn't have the luxury of the shower/toilet and the privacy for the kids (when they felt they needed it to get changed etc), the trip would not have been as smooth, or long. My husband was against having a toilet/shower and now says that it paid for it's self within the first week. GET A TOILET & SHOWER!!! Enjoy, it was, & will remain to be the best two years of my life!!!!

Posted By Prue on Monday 12th March 2012 @ 12:20:45

94).

Thanks Amanda for your information... Sounds like you are onto something positive with travelling education - you would surely be a valuable contact for the many travellers... My biggest concern is providing the level of education required for those of high school age... Most particularly years 10-12.... In your opinion would it be detrimental for a student of these year levels to not be in a structured school environment?? Would you recommend home schooling or distance Ed?? As a parent we are responsible for providing the best possible start for our Childs future so I would hate to think that by taking them travelling at such an age we could be actually hindering it....

Thankyou for your time

EMAIL : tntg23@yahoo.com.au

Posted By Toni on Monday 19th March 2012 @ 11:16:55

95).

Hi All, my husband and i are taking our two kids (8 & 10) on a 10-12 week trip from Vic through NSW and up to Nth Qld. We have a Jayco Swan and plan on leaving May this year. We are all very excited and i have loved reading all the comments on this site - such a help. My only real concerns are the kids education whilst we are away. I think it will be a great opportunity to spend time together and really get to see as much as possible - and a great learning experience for the kids (though I havent told them that bit). Would love to hear from anyone about their experience or advice.

EMAIL : sandrarwalls@internode.on.net

Posted By sandra walls on Monday 19th March 2012 @ 20:10:37

96).

Please remember this is my personal opinion but please find below comments that may assist you in your decision
1. Life experiences gained from travel are known to enrich a child's education
2. This is especially true of adolescents for whom the increase in confidence, self image (as they have numerous experiences to recount and therefore make them more interesting to other people) and a chance to learn about other people's cultures and values are all important aspects of "growing up"
3. It is predicted that the average adolescent now will have probably 3 career changes (that's careers not jobs!!) and will probably work in at least 2 different countries. Think how much travelling, learning to be adaptable and meeting lots of different people will assist them to manage these changes.
4. Now think about each child. If the year 11 and 12 child wants to, and has the ability to, enter a university to do a course which has a very high entrance level score then don't try to educate them yourself. The structure of secondary schools is geared to a flow on to university as its first priority. The structure provided to the student supports this goal
If on the other hand the child has no idea of a career or is not academically inclined then you probably have nothing to lose. Many Tafe courses are direct entry at many points. Some universities also offer entry to students who have been out of school for a number of years.
5. As to how to educate, the same decisions apply. Year 10 Home school unless wanting to do Year 11 or 12 units.
6. Year 11 and 12. Hey aren't you trying to have a good time travelling as well. Accept Distance Ed where you don' have to even think about the curriculum. However try to complete only the minimum number of units to get a certificate. Better few done well than lots not successfully completed

Hope this helps

Posted By Amanda on Tuesday 20th March 2012 @ 18:21:33

97).

We returned last month from a 9 month clockwise trip departing April 2011 till Jan 2012 with 2 girls in Prep and Grade 3. 2012 will be remembered now as a fantastic year full of new experiences and great social encounters. We loved our outback Expanda Caravan especially the extra space with slide out lounge suite. The pros of canvas ends outweigh the cons. The bed ends essentially reduce the outside van length by 6ft and assist ventilation after hot days. We often used shade sails but probably wouldn't have set up a full annex. The shower toilet was fantastic especially for a lengthy trip and can be used for storage during transit. The van (tare 2020kg) has clearance for most creek crossings and I was able to pull through mud tracks and semi soft sand. We only travelled 4wd tracks after local enquiries regarding conditions and grading.
My diesel Prado 2007 with upgraded suspension performed well but be prepared to drop speed to 70kmh during strong headwinds or endure very high fuel consumption. I averaged 18litres/100 towing and was probably loaded close to the maximum 2500kg tow limit.

We were pleased we chose Distance Education Victoria. Although the curriculum is sometimes difficult for travelers, the teachers allowed us lots of flexibility and we really only concentrated on Maths and English. The kids enjoyed the structure and it was great to fully understand and address our children's strengths and weaknesses plus provide one-on-one tuition. Rather than a chore or distraction to the travels, we embraced the opportunity to be able to teach in an efficient manner with our daily schooling usually complete by the time the kids are starting a normal school day. The traveling makes it difficult to fully complete all units on time however with regular work submissions and teacher dialogue the school requirements can be met. We were fortunate to meet many other friendly travelers of all ages that ensured our kids enjoyed many social encounters and new friends.
Post traveling, our girls have integrated extremely well into their school with the routine of our regular homework sessions continuing. We would love to embark on another longer trip say 12-18 months and believe the huge logistical job of renting our house is well worth it.

Posted By Jon on Thursday 22nd March 2012 @ 11:35:42

98).

HI, quite a few people have been asking about what set up they need for a trip round oz. We are in the middle of our 18 month trip with our 3 year old and we have a 4WD and a Camper Trailer. We have put up a page on our blog outlining our set up, with lots of photos. Please feel free to check it out. hope this helps people get on their way.

http://jarvismalin.blogspot.com.au/p/rig.html

Have fun on your adventures.
Emma

Posted By Emma on Thursday 29th March 2012 @ 22:31:44

99).

Only discovered this thread tonight. Wish I had seen it 14 months ago. We are travelling with two girls, aged 8 & 10. We have a 24ft Regal with triple bunks (3rd bunk holds school supplies, laptops, printer, box of toys, box of board games which we haven't touched). The van has a shower/toilet and built in washing machine. At up to $5 per load in some parts of Australia, it paid for itself very quickly. Being able to have hot, albeit quick, shower at the end of every day was a 'must have' for us. We have a full annex but haven't used it once in 14 months. The awning and shade cloth are regularly used.

We have been travelling since 19 Feb 2011 and have budgeted to travel until the end of 2013 (3 years in total) when our eldest is due to commence Yr 8. We do distance education and while the workload was larger than we expected, we have since negotiated to drop everything except Maths and English. Oh, we also do Japanese and Violin lessons over the phone each week. The new Australian Curriculum is organised into 5 week units and apart from text books, is all accessible online and on USB sticks provided by the school. If we were travelling for one year only or less, I'd ditch formal school altogether!

We venture into a caravan park about once a fortnight, mainly to access water to do the washing and to enjoy power and longer showers. We received memberships to the various chains as farewell gifts so generally get a 10% discount. We do aim to spend a full week of each school holiday in a caravan park as the girls love being able to mix with large numbers of kids.

Despite the seemingly large numbers of families travelling, we must all be in different spots as in 14 months we have come across very few travelling families. We would LOVE to meet some of you!

Happy travels,
Tracy & co.

EMAIL : hudson-james@bigpond.com

PHONE : 0415421804

Posted By Tracy & co. on Tuesday 10th April 2012 @ 01:32:38

100).

It's so exciting to hear about your travels Tracey, our girls are 11,9 and 7, we also have a triple bunk caravan with shower. We have travelled on and off for the past few years, visiting the Kimberley and North Queensland. We enrolled the girls in Casino school of Distance Ed, situated on the North Coast of NSW, and also found it to be a bit much whilst travelling. I will be going through them again though, just negotiating the work load as you did. Travelling our beautiful country is awesome, it brings our family much closer together and we have such wonderful memories. We hope to start on the road again in July - maybe we'll see you out there somewhere!

Posted By Amanda Collins on Tuesday 10th April 2012 @ 11:40:34

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Hi to all the travelers out there,
Our family of 4 is planning to head off next year, in a Volvo bus/ motorhome, just waiting for our house to sell. We have no plan of how long we will travel for. Our daughter will be 16 and our son will be 14 when we plan to go. I would really love to hear from people with advice to home schooling vs distance Ed, How it works to do year 11 & 12 and how the children cope with it. We will be also traveling with 2 dogs, I would love to hear from anyone who has advice on doing this.
Love to hear from you,
Thanks, Naomi.

EMAIL : naomihedges@bigpond.com

PHONE : 0429681565

Posted By Naomi Hedges on Wednesday 18th April 2012 @ 11:32:48

102).

Hi Naomi,

Our family has travelled Australia over the past few years. It is a great family bonding experience and we all loved it. We are planning to use Southern Cross Distance Ed school in Ballina NSW for high school and we use Casino Distance Ed for our primary schoolers.

A lot of caravan parks don't allow pets, so you may want to grab a "Camps Australia" book that has all the free camp sites in it. There is also a website called Oz Trekkin' that has free sites listed as well.

Good luck to you on your journey.

Posted By Amanda on Wednesday 18th April 2012 @ 14:26:06

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Hi all, I'm a single mum about to travel for 3-6 mths with my 3 girls (12,8,4). Won't be able to work along the way so any tips for cheap / savings much appreciated. We will be roughing it mostly, keen to meet other families while on the road :-) any safety concerns? Thanks for any advice....

EMAIL : hr6300@yahoo.com.au

Posted By heidi on Saturday 28th April 2012 @ 22:35:06

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Hi Heidi - Buy a Camps Australia book - I think it's up to version 7 now, it lists all the free campisites in Australia, and also tells you if they have toilets and showers, tap water etc. A great investment as we found camping in caravan parks really expensive with our three kids.

Posted By Amanda Collins on Sunday 29th April 2012 @ 15:02:29

105).

Hi everyone,
wow its great to hear there are plenty of others traveling Australia with kids. We are planning on heading of next year for the whole year, planning on working our way around. We are hoping to try to get work on one of the outback station as we think it would be a great experience for our kids. Has anyone done this? If so how did you get work on there? Our kids are in primary school here in Vic so I'm looking into distance education at the moment, would love to hear from anyone else using them.
We will try to stay in mostly free camp sites to make it cheaper & try to save. We are also taking our 2 dogs with us so would love to hear from anyone traveling with dogs.
We tried to do this fue years back but money was tight as we stayed in caravan parks, who charge so much just for a site. Then we came across the free campsite book this year & thought we'd give it another go.

Maybe we will run into some of you :)

EMAIL : tjbellaindy@hotmail.com

Posted By Renae on Wednesday 2nd May 2012 @ 13:29:04

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Excellent , should be great fun Heidi , yes definitely get one of those books for a rough guide , also use visitor information centers as they might know other local places and get info on which rest areas allow camping and for how long , usually you can stretch the time you stay a little more than is stipulated , I think sometimes it's just a way of being able to turf out undesirables . Simple things like remembering to camp on the high ground if there's a chance of rain . Be friendly but wary in case . National parks generally charge to camp , for you and 3 kids about 10 or15 dollars a night , caravan parks could try and charge about 40 a night for a powered sight , high price for electricity and a hot shower so beef up your 12 volt/solar options , 12 volt showers are pretty cheap and a fair amount of free camps have cold showers . We"ve been going since December and not seen too many kids , lots of backpackers in vans and grey nomads so I think you might have to get a bit involved in local activities to get the kids socializing , libraries are good . Good luck and have a ball .

Posted By Davo99 on Wednesday 2nd May 2012 @ 23:09:28

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A BIG HELLO all!!
We are just to embark on a 6-12month trip with an 11 mth old bub and a 7yr old boy. Absolutely can't wait. We are renting out our house and enrolling in long distance educ through Sydney. We have a Jayco Hawk Outback a little on the small size but have decided it is going to have to work. Our plan is to depart June and head north in an anti clockwise direction. We are currently setting up a blog.....once we have I will add a post with our details on it for anyone interested in following our adventures. Renae I would be really keen to hear about how you get on with work on the Outback Stations.....keep us posted if you don't mind.
HAPPY TRAVELS all and who knows we may bump into a few of you along the ways!!

EMAIL : thestapos@aapt.net.au

Posted By Nadina & Scott Stapleton on Thursday 3rd May 2012 @ 12:54:57

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Hi Nadina & Scott

I'll let you know for sure how we go getting onto one of the stations. I was thinking of setting up a blog also about our adventures and also to get more info out there for others about the places we go & work we find.
We will most likely head off once school finishes this year in Dec. Kids are very excited.
chat soon

EMAIL : tjbellaindy@hotmail.com

Posted By Renae on Thursday 3rd May 2012 @ 19:01:48

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Hi All. I just wanted to put an idea out there for some cheap travelling. There are Camp Hosts at almost all of the campsites in WA National Parks. They get to stay for free and in return have to collect fees, clean the toilets (not much of task for a pit toilet) and just generally keep an eye on the place. I think they need to stay for about a month. They almost always are grey nomads, some of them very annoying (some nice though). However, as a travelling family we would LOVE it if we came into a campsite and found another family as the camp host. If you are just starting out on your trip maybe this is something that you might like to look into. I think all the details are on the WA National Parks website. The other states might do it too but we haven't been in the other states during the peak season so that might be why we didn't come across camp hosts.

Have fun on your journeys. We are now in the Pilbara and have met heaps of other travelling families up here. Hopefully we'll see some of you guys too.

xx Em, Rob and Jarvis (3 years old)

Posted By Emma Maratea on Monday 7th May 2012 @ 15:22:37

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hi all we are heading of mid july with two teenaged girls 12/13 from grafton i guess north but do not know how far well get before it gets to hot will have to work as well.may be around bowen? then were? all suggestions wellcome we have 23ft on road van self sufficient no time limit house rented. thanks heaps neil,and family.

EMAIL : ngauslaa@gmail.com

PHONE : 0407494466

Posted By neil,sue,samantha and emily on Wednesday 9th May 2012 @ 20:36:23

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HI all,
It's so great to hear so many families getting out there and seeing the country with their kids. My husband and I have been deciding for almost 3 years we got close in 2009 and got the car ready and then my husband thought it wasn't the best time to go. So we did cape york instead and it was great. We had 2 kids then a 3yr old and 20 month old. We have now decided to go and are planning to leave at the end of the year. We now have 3 children 6yrs, 5yrs and 2yrs (when we leave.) Any advice and tips about schooling and finding work would be much appreciated and love to chat to anyone planing a trip around the same time.
Bye
Charmaine

EMAIL : testacd@gmail.com

Posted By Charmaine Testa on Thursday 17th May 2012 @ 15:18:33