TAWK Featured Family -
'Trip in a Van - March 2016'

1.   About you

YES!  We have very young children, YES we are travelling Australia. 

My name is Rebecca, my husband Justin and our 3 children - Jack, three and a half years old, Billy two years old and daughter Charli 9 months are travelling around Australia. 

We have been on the road for 3 months and are travelling in a Jurgens Narooma Family Van. We LOVE our caravan and seeing the sites of our beautiful country!

2.   Why did you make your decision to TAWK?

It's something that Justin and I have always wanted to do, however we were caught up in the daily grind. Working, studying, paying off a mortgage and also having our 3 kids. About a month after we had our daughter, we decided to make the decision to travel as we knew we would be locked into work, schooling our kids and sport for the next 20 years or so. Home schooling wasn't something we thought we could do, however, reading more about it and talking to others, it does seem very achievable.

3.   How did you get organised and how did you prepare?

Well, firstly, we got our house on the market. It sold in ONE day, which was unexpected. So, it was full steam ahead with selling all of our furniture and car, also my husband resigned from his job. We organised a garage sale and before we knew it, it was nearly time to begin our adventure. We also involved the kids a lot and spoke to them continuously about our big Lap of Oz and what it would be like living out of a caravan.

4.  What has been your biggest joy?

Seeing how happy our kids have been! We love seeing there smiling faces and it truly is fantastic spending time together as a family. Justin has had a lot of bonding time with our baby which he missed out on while doing shift work and our boys demanded all of his attention also.

5. What has been your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?

Our biggest challenge was the first 4 weeks. We knew there would be an adjustment period but you can never really prepare for it... It is a big change for 3 little ones and us also!! We are lucky in that we have the comforts of home within our caravan, just on a smaller scale, so dealing with bedtime, bath time and toilet training wasn't an issue.

6.   Where have you enjoyed the most and Where disappointed you the most?

Enjoyed

So far, our favourite spot has been Agnes Waters QLD, we drove away from there both saying that its a potential spot we would like to end up living. The caravan park on the beach there is amazing and the whole town had a relaxing atmosphere that was infectious. However we've only been on the road for 10 weeks and there is so much more to see.

Disappointed

 No real disappointments as yet. We have been happy to visit all the places we have stayed and experience the changing landscape as we head north along the east coast of QLD.

7.   How did you get organised with schooling, what did/do you do and how did you come to that decision? (new question from Mar 2106)

Because our kids are so young, we haven't had to worry with any formal schooling as such, we mainly concentrate on alphabet, numbers and colour games. We have also started a tradition of geography trivia every time we are in the car on the way to our next destination.

8.   What surprised you most about the trip?

The most surprising thing to us, is how well we and the kids are handling travelling. Before we left and still now, we get a lot of negativity from others on why would we travel with 3 kids. And that we must be insane to do it with kids. It has its ups and downs, but no more than parenting at home. Our vehicle and Van is well equipped to suit our needs and I think that goes a long way to making the trip so enjoyable.

9.   What would be three pieces of advice to give to a future TAWKer?

1. Make sure your mode of transport/accommodation suits the needs of your family.
2. Try to keep the kids in a routine with sleep and meal times.
   
3. Talk to the kids about destinations and involve them in trip planning and itineraries.

10.   How do you think that this adventure has changed your family?

It has definitely made us closer. Justin getting to spend so much time with the kids has been amazing, Charli and him have formed a bond that he never quite had with the boys. It has strengthened our marriage as we have more time to talk and be mates, as well as enjoy each other with less stress.

We'd love you to read more about our journey, so please follow our Facebook Page and our future travels - Thanks for reading.

If you would like to become a Featured Family please complete the form at the bottom of the page.

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