Thierings on Tour

Follow along our journey as our family of 5 from Sydney travel around Australia for 30 weeks.

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    • Day 19 – Cape Hillsborough

      The morning brought an early start, as Cape Hillsborough is renowned for its wallabies on the beach at sunrise. So I dutifully set an alarm and then managed to wake all the troops for our early morning adventure. As we left our campsite daylight was barely breaking and I did question my sanity as to why I was dragging 3 kids out in the dark to look at an animal they had seen (and even fed) many times before at our local Symbio. We walked down to the beach to see that there were already many other likeminded fools there waiting patiently with a local guide and of course, the wildlife! 

      As daylight started breaking more the local guide spread some pellets of grass and grains in strategic spots along the stretch of beach to ensure that all observers had a good view and a great photo opportunity… then the sun did its magic and it truly was a beautiful morning and sunrise. So excuse the ridiculous number of photos, but it’s hard to choose and limit the snaps we got.

      With happy hearts we plodded back to camp to have breakfast and to get ready for the day. There was a little family of kookaburras perched up on the tree next to us just observing. I love seeing all the local wildlife on this trip!

      Cape Hillsborough has a number of walking tracks and lookouts around camp, but some of them require you to walk on the sand, so again you have to be tactical with the tides. The lady at reception said that around lunchtime would be best, so we used the morning to crack on with work/meetings for me and homework for the girls. The only annoying thing was the bush turkeys roaming our campsite that kept bothering the girls.

      Once the tides had gone down, we set off on our circuit around the cape. We started along the beach and it was cool to be able to walk past all the volcanic looking rocks and caves. It felt a bit like we were in the Moana movie.

      Jazzy once again took the role of leader and guide, something she thrives on and we firstly headed across the sand to Wedge Island. It was really cool seeing the bay from the other side.

      Scarly had prime realestate in the hiking backpack this time and it was very good exercise indeed! Poor Chris also had his work cut out carrying his and Izzy’s backpacks for the most part filled with everyone’s water and yes, ALL the snacks.

      Then it was back across the low tide rocks to the rainforest and up and up and up many stairs to reach the first lookout – Andrew’s Point Lookout. From Diwaia Lookout we could see turtles popping their heads out of the water. The views got better and better with every lookout we visited!

      Scarly was very tired from being carried 12,000 steps and had a nice nap in the backpack, but the other girls powered through the whole time!

      When we got back it was time for a well-deserved ice cream followed by a dip in the pool. Even though it was pretty cold, it was so refreshing after our long hike. Chris and the girls stayed there a while while I finished my work, the girls would certainly be tired tonight after all that walking and splashing…

      Scarly came with me to check on the washing and we saw one of the kangaroos just chilling in the bushes, ha ha 

      Kms travelled – 0 by car, a couple on foot







    • Day 18 – Finch Hatton Gorge

      It was a crisp morning start in the mountains when we woke up, but master chef Chris and sous-chef Jasmine delivered a delicious brekkie of bacon & egg rolls for everyone. Jazzy is so interested in helping Chris cook the BBQ every time there is an opportunity. 

      The creek looked beautiful but chilly this morning. The girls kept asking if they could go for a swim in the morning, and whilst I know that no water temperature phases them, it was just too cold. Instead we packed up the van and headed into Finch Hatton Gorge. Luckily the track to the waterfalls we wanted to visit was still open, as there has been a lot of rain and landslides in the area recently. Our three adventurous leaders set off through the beautiful rainforest. I love seeing all the different vegetation, rocks/boulders and listening to the various wildlife you can hear as you walk. The only thing I never want to see is snakes & spiders.

      It was quite the elevated track, but everyone did well and I added a mental note for myself to bring the hiking backpack for Scarly next time instead of just carrying her on our shoulders for most of this trek. I think she lasted about 50 steps walking by herself 😂

      Araluen Cascades were beautiful and all the recent rain certainly added to the experience of having more water in the waterfalls. The girls were so keen to jump in, but a few of the warning signs put us off so they just got to touch the water and splash their faces.  We had to promise them a swim later in the day instead to avoid backlash. We enjoyed some snacks (always pack ALL the snacks when you’re going anywhere with kids). Then it was back to the car to pick up our van and head off to the next destination – Cape Hillsborough. 

      We’ve got into a good routine in the car with the girls doing some of their iPad homework while I blitz through emails, Scarly naps and Chris drives. I still haven’t driven a single km with the van on the back 🤭 let’s hope it stays that way! 

      There were a few rough dirt roads on the way, but we made it and instantly loved the look of Cape Hillsborough, so booked in for a second night also. I must say, not having to pack up after one night is such a relief!

      I had a number of meetings so Chris took the girls to the pool and they enjoyed their well-deserved swim. Then in the late afternoon we enjoyed a stroll at the beach, some drinks and a cheeseboard and life felt great…

      Kms travelled – 110




    • Day 17 – Eungella National Park

      Another morning waking up in paradise! The tide was high and it meant no walking on the beach in the morning, but there was plenty to see and do anyway. Jazzy and I noticed the pelicans all gathered on the sand waiting to go in the water. It was like they were lined up to board a plane and were being polite and respectful letting those in front of them set off first before they moved up to the front. I have never seen anything like it in a natural environment before – what a bizarre but cool sight!

      After breakfast and our somewhat set work/homework morning routine it was time to say goodbye to Notch Point and set off for new adventures. The girls got to wave off their friends Bodhi and Skye one last time as they set off for Airlie Beach. Our next destination was inland to explore Eungella National Park.

      We briefly stopped in Sarina for a coffee and some sausage rolls and the girls found a cute little park to run, play and stretch their legs. It’s always good to let them burn some energy before the next car stint to avoid the sibling backseat cage fighting as much as possible…

      We parked up at our campsite and unhitched at Neem Hall, as I knew the roads into the national park were extremely windy and steep. It was a gorgeous spot with a creek running through the back. The girls promptly persuaded us to jump in for a quick dip before we went to explore the National Park. I must say the water was freezing, but also rather refreshing and everyone enjoyed a quick splash.

      Then we headed to find the platypus deck, where you are meant to be able to see platypuses in the wild rather easily. The first one was a very scenic spot, but didn’t produce the desired results. The second one was the winner and we saw both turtles and platypuses there, although the platypuses mainly stayed between the shrubbery in the water. 
      A short stroll led to another spot where there were multiple platypuses swimming, but quite far away. So we tried our first successful spot and got a couple of better sightings there this time. How special to see them in the wild, I honestly don’t think I ever have before…

      From here we headed to a lookout called Sky Window, which was a short circuit walk to some beautiful observation platforms overlooking the valley. Wow, what a view! I feel like photos never do the scale and scenery enough beauty, especially at sunset when the colours are just extraordinary. We enjoyed watching the sky change colours before heading back to camp.

      Jazzy was on sous-chef BBQ duty tonight cooking sweet potato and her own steak. She was proud as punch when it came to eating dinner and declared it was the best steak that she had ever tasted. Now that’s a big claim girl with your BBQ master papa. We enjoyed dinner and once the kids were in bed Chris and I sat outside gazing at the stars and competing on who saw the most number of shooting stars. 3 to Chris and 2 to me that night.

      Kms travelled – 195

    • Day 16 – Cape Palmerston

      What a glorious place to wake up! The older girls and I managed to jump out of the van without waking the oldest and youngest members of the family and we enjoyed a lovely stroll along the beach. So relaxing…

      Then back at camp it was breakfast and work/homework time while we waited for the tides to do their thing so that we could drive up to Cape Palmerston. There is a big section of beach driving involved so you have to time the tides and plan your trip. It was a much easier trip out of Notch Point without the van on the back and we also grabbed some firewood from a local farm for the night.

      The track was certainly windy, narrow and not very well marked, which is exactly why we wanted to explore this section by car only. The girls got a good taste for dirt roads, although they still haven’t experienced corrugation yet – I don’t think anyone or anything can prepare them for the real thing 🫣

      The beach drive was beautiful and the scenery was just breathtaking. So much incredible coastline and with the mountains and islands in the background it really is so unique.

      We made it to Windmill Bay and stopped for a quick look around. It would be such an amazing spot to stay! Then it was on to the tippy top of Cape Palmerston with an absolutely stunning view whichever way you looked. Gosh moments like this make me feel so lucky to be experiencing Australian with the family!

      Back at the beach we made a picnic stop, with time for a runaround and some dance tunes to enjoy our lunch break. Again, pinch me moments all around…

      The evening brought a bit more homework and work before Chris took the kids down to the beach to explore. Luckily their little friends Bodhi and Skye came along too with their boogie boards and the kids literally entertained themselves for hours pulling each other along on the beach.

      Another beautiful sunset followed by yet more fire pit relaxation and star gazing. Walking out onto the beach at nighttime was magical, such an amazing 360 view of the sky and plenty of shooting stars. What a great idea to stay the second night at this place.

      Kms travelled – 78

    • Day 15 – Heading into the wild

      The morning was a fairly swift dash to get out of the door at the same time as our fabulous hosts. Thank you again to Ross, Amanda, Samantha and Charlotte for hosting us!

      After a quick stop to run some errands and of course collect flower petals we were back on the Bruce Highway. It’s amazing how terrible some caravan drivers really are and not surprising that they give all caravan drivers a bad wrap on the roads. 

      We hadn’t really worked out our final destination for the day and it was a case of doing some last minute planning on the road. We went past Clairview, which has a dugong sanctuary but the tides were all wrong to see them, so we decided to only make it a lunch stop and move on.

      Cape Palmerston was another close contender, however as we started driving there I found an alternate free camp with slightly easier access for our van. Notch Point was the winner and we made our way in along the narrow, bumpy track with a few muddy puddle crossings. One was decent enough to warrant the good old “poke a stick in it to work out the depth and state of the ground underneath” method. The car and van survived the process and we made it to a gorgeous camping area.

      Screenshot

      We made an initial stop and decided to check the rest of the area out by foot to see if there were any better places to set up camp. On our walk Izzy and Jazzy saw that their friends from 1770 were also parked up here and were so excited to have some friends to play with again! 
      There were so many beautiful spots to pick from, it was a lovely backdrop to do some work and homework.

      As the sun started setting we wondered up to catch up with the other family. The girls were desperate to stay another night and I must say with the views, the calm spot and the idea of not having to pack up in the morning, it was an easy sell!

      Chris rustled up some firewood and we watched the night sky roll out. We even got the kids out of bed to look at the stars – so pretty…

      Kms travelled – 281

    • Day 14 – Zoo, Park and Caves

      We were lucky enough to be treated like royalty in the morning with all the breakfast options we could imagine and hospitality all around!

      On our way to Rockhampton zoo we made a stop at Charlotte’s work for some delicious milkshakes, coffee and babycino and the highlight for the girls was seeing Charlotte at the counter as she took our order. It was since voted as the best milkshake place in the area by the girls ☺️

      We explored the zoo and the girls enjoyed seeing some new animals such as salt water crocodiles, otters, gibbons and macaws. What an amazing place, considering it is run entirely on donations!

      After that it was time to burn some energy at Kershaw Gardens. Whilst we didn’t make it to the splash park area we had originally come for, the playground more than made up for it instead. What a playground it was!!! There were little cars you could drivearound a track, swings of every variety and climbing ropes with timers that allowed you to race each other in a game. I reckon the girls could have spent all day here.

      But we had another stop planned for the day, which was the Capricorn Caves. 

      The entrance to the caves was surrounded by dry, semi evergreen rainforest, which means that there are long bouts of dry season throughout the year. There are also some ferns growing out of the cave rocks that are unique to Australia, which is pretty cool.

      The caves are actually above sea level, so there were minimal stalagmites and stalactites growing. In fact the only one we saw was estimated to be growing at 1cm every 100 years.

      We made our way through the different paths with Jazzy always leading the way right behind the guide. There were so many beautiful parts to the caves and it really boggles your mind to think that something could be 390 million years old.

      We visited Cathedral Cave as part of the tour, which lived up to its name in terms of acoustics. They have a speaker built in with special lights to show some cool effects, followed by total pitch black. It was quite amazing to be in total darkness (a bit scary for some of the kids too). 

      After a few more caves it was time to leave this limestone (calcium carbonate) beast, which is apparently similar in composition to bones rather than sand, like I had always thought. There we are – you learn something new every day! 

      Back at Ross and Amanda’s we were yet again spoiled by a delicious pork roast dinner and the girls crashed after a huge day of exploring.

      Kms travelled – 70

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    • Day 13 – Rocky bound

      We had a slow morning at 1770 packing up at our own pace and enjoying a nice morning stroll along the beach. We were so fortunate to see some black cockatoos when we got back to the caravan park.

      Jazzy and Izzy were doing laps around the campsite on the scooters while Chris and I packed up. With all this glorious sunshine it was really hard to leave, you can see why this spot is so popular!

      The girls got treated to some sushi to get them through the drive to Rockhampton, it’s always a winner when we need to control the crowds… 
      Whilst working out the best road to drive, I noticed rave reviews about a playground along the way in Miriam Vale, so we decided to stop and break the journey up a bit. 

      It really lived up to all the hype and all of us enjoyed some play time. The water play equipment took me right back to my childhood when we lived in Germany and all the parks had it there. Then it was on to see the “Big Crab” so we could add it to our list of sightings on this trip. It really wasn’t anything spectacular but then again I don’t think that many of the “big” things are…

      Back on the road again we had a few more kms to travel. We arrived at our friends’ house in Rockhampton in the early afternoon and were greeted by Ross, Amanda, Samantha and Charlotte. I think we last saw the girls when they were Izzy’s and Jazzy’s age, now they were all grown up!

      Our girls had the best time playing with the big girls. They were lucky to be pampered with painted nails, hair braiding and even a few more rounds of Mario Kart – it’s a popular theme of our stays with friends. The girls also enjoyed playing with the cute dogs Pippa and Charlie while the adults chatted and had a cheeky beverage.

      What a treat to be welcomed into a house again!

      Kms travelled – 228

    • Day 12 – Life at 1770

      My favourite part of the day is always hearing the shuffles from over the bunk beds followed by nice cuddles in bed with the whole family. Scarly has finally settled a bit at night too and isn’t doing any more 360 turning at night in our bed. 

      Unfortunately the morning brought – yep, you guessed it – RAIN! This is starting to become a bit tedious. We tried to put on a brave face, but it definitely dampens morale and makes everyone more grumpy.

      We ducked into the local shops for a morning coffee and Jazzy set her eyes on the LARC tours for later that day.

      The morning consisted of scootering around the caravan park with her friends for Jazzy, followed by work for me and homework club for Chris and the kids. At least we had room to spread out despite the rain and each had our own pergola.

      We treated the girls with some sushi for lunch and then embarked on a LARC tour through the waterways and national park for an hour. We were lucky to be allocated the front row for our family.


      The guide Mark shared some interesting history about the name origin, with it being Captain Cook’s first landing In Queensland in 1770. We also learnt about sand bubbler crabs, the rather vicious moon snail and goat’s foot vine used by local Aboriginal communities to help with midge stings. The midges have been out of control here! I think we are all starting to resemble some kind of spotted cat with the amount of bites we all have.

      The afternoon brought a few big emotions and I’ll honestly say that full time van life definitely isn’t for the faint hearted, but we are all giving it our best and adjusting to our new way of life. To lighten the mood for the evening we headed to the lookout at the top of the hill to watch the sunset. Although the lookout facing west happened to be closed, so instead we went to the marine memorial and enjoyed a drink and a beautiful view.

      After an early dinner, we managed to have everyone asleep early too. Chris and I sat around the fire pit planning the next couple of weeks of the trip. 

      Kms travelled – 30

    • Day 11 – Chasing the sun

      Everyone had a good sleep and the day started with some positive vibes. Packing up in dry weather also lifted the mood immensely! The girls entertained themselves with songs and selfies in the car while Chris and I did the usual van/car prep and of course lunchbox packing. It doesn’t matter how much breakfast the kids have, the moment they hop in the car someone is immediately STARVING…

      It wouldn’t be a trip to Bundaberg without a stop at the famous Barrel, where the non-alcoholic ginger beer comes from. The girls loved seeing insider cameras and stories from the factory, I must say it’s a very impressive operation! Another firm favourite was the Smellography station – you pressed a button to give off a mist and you had to guess the flavour of drink that it would make. Between us all, we did pretty well! Then it was time for a taste test. Scarly weaseled her way into a few sips and was literally having the time of her life, ha ha

      Then it was time to chase the sun with destination 1770. We’re getting into a groove of me working in the car on our long driving stints and the girls doing some of their iPad homework such as reading eggs and mathletics. We just need a better system and routine for all the booklet work, but hopefully we will get there!

      Once we got here it was an instant vibe – beach access with a low tide, a wonderful family from Victoria with two kids as our neighbours and fire pits for evening time for my beloved fire bug. 

      Whilst Chris set up camp I ducked out for a couple of meetings with a view. Whilst it can be a juggle timing our arrival into places to ensure I’m somewhere permanent and stable for meeting time, it’s also amazing having such a flexible and supportive team. Shoutout to my peeps at Stem Cell Donors Australia! 🫶

      The afternoon was a chilled dip and play at the beach. The kids made some lovely friends and were busy digging in the sand for hours making a “sanctuary” for the crabs and snails they found. They also loved the pelican that was circling all the fishermen nearby.

      It was a nice peaceful afternoon for Chris and I too, although we did reflect on how different this trip has been so far to our last one 11 years ago. Back then we didn’t have a care in the world and it was certainly a bit easier traveling as a couple, but the memories we are making as a family are priceless! So that’s my soppy bit of reflection for the day… 

      The girls were thrilled with Taco Thursday and sitting around the campfire with their friends after. They even got to roast some marshmallows, so it felt like a winning day!

      Kms travelled – 147

    • Day 10 – Escaping the rain

      I don’t think the day could have started any wetter than it did, which makes packing up and moving on so much harder. At least we had the big camp kitchen to keep the kids dry while Chris and I packed up and got ready to hit the road. A real low was stepping onto the grass and hearing a giant squelch as mud oozed right up my slide and onto my leg… 

      Our plan was to head to around Bundaberg. Finally we saw blue sky and it was warm – what a change from the last week. Someone suggested a cool turtle hatching sanctuary, but upon closer research it seemed that it would be completely the wrong season and so we headed to a strawberry farm instead. 

      With the season only just beginning we weren’t allowed to pick strawberries ourselves yet, but we got to enjoy some delicious strawberry ice cream and play/hang in the beautiful gardens. What a gorgeous place!

      On the way home we made a trip into town to get some food supplies. Now there’s a reason I never go food shopping with the family at home and I certainly don’t recommend it when everyone has been going stir crazy in the van for a while. It’s like the caged animals had been unleashed and there was far too much fighting and screaming than anyone would have liked. The ultimate low however was when we were leaving the car park, the whole back row was fighting, the parents were questioning their sanity and Scarly yelled “everyone, shut up!” We didn’t know whether to laugh or cry but it certainly made me contemplate whether I should just get dropped at the police station to be charged for awful parenting. Let’s hope we can iron that one out and also do click & collect orders in the future…

      Our caravan park for the night also had a luscious tropical feel with a gorgeous backdrop of Burnett Heads, with water and boats. We put the afternoon fights behind us and enjoyed a nice steak, gem, salad combo, which certainly helped lift the mood! The only downside were the sandflies which were relentless! Poor Jazzy broke up in a rash and was scratching all night after 😢

      Kms travelled – 233

    • Day 9 – Dolphin Feeding at Tin Can Bay

      It was a very early start to the day in anticipation of feeding the dolphins at Tin Can Bay. We grabbed a quick bite before getting to Barnacles Dolphin Feeding for 7am. The lovely volunteers checked everyone in and shared lots of information about the Australian Humpback Dolphins while we patiently waited for more of the pod to arrive. 
      Some of the most interesting facts for me were:
      – they live up to 45 years old in the wild 
      – they love to collect & bring treasures on their noses as gifts for the volunteers 
      – gestation for females is 11 months but if the mother senses that conditions are too dangerous, she can delay birth by 1-2 months

      Then it was time to get in the water to feed the dolphins! As this is strictly overseen and guided by the department of the environment, each adult dolphin has a quota of 3kg of fish (a small proportion of their diet) and that’s why they have to strictly monitor the number of visitors and how many fish each visitor is allowed to feed the dolphins. First we got to feed Harmony and the girls were excited but a bit apprehensive with the first fish. By the second they were loving it, but it was time to get out. Jazzy and Izzy managed to charm their way into getting into the water again and this time we got to feed Ella, a 43 year old mother and grandmother of the pod. The girls were pros at feeding the dolphins by this stage! It’s so tempting to just pat them, but that is strictly prohibited so we kept the urges at bay…

      Then we went back to camp to have some proper breakfast and head out to rainbow beach. We decided that we would leave Fraser Island for another time due to limited time and also awful predicted weather the next day (you really need to stay overnight to make the most of sightseeing).

      So off we went, with our first stop being the Sand Blow. I didn’t really know what to expect, but what we found and saw was breathtaking! After a short walk through the rainforest we reached a platform overlooking an enormous sand dune or what looked like a section of a desert. It looked like it went all the way from a cliff edge and directly through the rainforest on the other side. So beautiful!

      We explored for a bit and then headed back into town for lunch. I had a couple of meetings so Chris took the girls to the playground and to explore. 

      In the afternoon we decided to drive out to the Double Island Lighthouse, but one of the 4WD tracks was closed so we had to go the long way. Our first 4WD adventure on this trip! 

      We went through sand, gravel and finally reached the beach. However once we got to the end of the beach one of the roads up was closed and so the alternative would have been to hike for 1-2 hours, which we didn’t know. It was getting late, we didn’t have enough supplies and the weather was turning bad again…


      So instead we had a good look around, then headed back into Rainbow beach for a quick drink before we drove back to the campsite. The heavens decided to open yet again and luckily there were big camp kitchens for us to spread out a bit.

      What a huge adventure day!

      Kms travelled -122

    • Day 8 – On the Road again

      We’re officially into week 2 of our trip! The first week has both flown past and has felt like an eternity. Time is a funny thing! 

      With all our clean washing and renewed energy for van life we left Brisbane heading north. We had our eyes set on Tin Can Bay and Rainbow Beach as a gateway to Fraser Island. We just needed to work out whether it would work timing wise for us.

      On our way up we drove through Gympie, which is known as the town that saved Queensland due to its major economic activity due to a gold rush in the late 1860s. 

      There was a museum and so we decided to stretch our legs and explore. There was a lot of old equipment ranging from gold mining, banking, printing, schooling and everything in between. 

      The girls loved seeing some of the old ways things were done, such as how newspapers used to be printed and how old school classrooms used to be. I suggested we adopt the Good Manners rules in our van…

      Finally the girls wanted to try their hand at gold panning, but quickly realised it was much harder than it looked. They were also very disappointed that they only found a couple of gold specks rather than the giant gold nuggets they had seen in the photos 😂🤭

      After a quick lunch, it was back on the road and to our final destination of Tin Can Bay. I had some noisy bird neighbours as I tried to do my meetings, but there was a huge and spacious camp kitchen which made for a comfy office space. Working on the road is the newest adjustment to our routine, but so far so good!

      Later the girls convinced me to take them to the pool despite it being late because this one was finally a heated pool! What a luxury when we’ve mainly had weather in the low 20s and lots of cold rainy spells. The mermaids did their thing and it was lovely seeing Scarly so confident in the water, sticking her head under, blowing bubbles and kicking her legs. Now this is a child that would scream and cry for a full 30 minutes in her swimming lesson just a few months ago…

      We tried (and succeeded) in an early night for Scarly! Tomorrow was set to be a big day of fun and adventure ☺️

      Kms travelled – 222

    • Day 7 – Bluey World and other shenanigans

      Happy Mother’s Day to me! Nothing like starting the day with kids fighting at 5.30am (keeping it real is a theme on this trip), but hopefully it meant the day could only get better from here and it did.

      I was lucky enough to have yummy brekkie cooked for me by all the crew. Thanks gang!

      I was watching the weather closely and we managed to venture out for a walk and play at the park in the pockets of sunshine. The kids loved being able to play at a playground finally and Jazzy nearly made herself dizzy swinging on all the swings. The big kids joined in too and let’s just hope the seesaw survived that ordeal…

      After lunch, Chris and I had a surprise for the girls that we had been planning for a while. We just didn’t want to tell them in advance to avoid the barrage of “when are we going to… how many hours until…”

      The big surprise was Bluey World. The girls were SO excited! Especially Scarly, who couldn’t hold her tongue in (a sign of her excitement and happiness, a bit like Bluey now that I come to think of it). Jazzy was also teacher’s pet as she helped the walking & talking gnome unlock all the clues until we finally found Bluey and Bingo. Izzy joined in on all the fun and I’m happy that we were able to make it a fun afternoon for all their age groups. We figured on this trip it would make more sense than the main theme parks and also a great indoor option!
      It was a worthwhile small fortune to spend to see the kids so excited and it made for a lovely afternoon outing. I even got a free cupcake for sharing my day with Chilli (I mean which mum doesn’t dream of going to Bluey World on Mother’s Day?!?)

      Back at Liam’s we had a nice dinner and relaxed. The kids got to play a bit more Mariokart and the big kids got to enjoy a drink together. So nice to be able to relax and enjoy home comforts…

      However Scarly and the nighttime battles continued – she has literally fallen asleep after the big girls every day so far this trip. Send help!!!

    • Day 6 – Brisbane bound

      Today started with yet more rain so we were strategic with packing up inbetween bouts of downpour. We’re definitely getting more efficient and the rain helps speed the process up in that way also… 

      We were able to catch up with our friend Lucy for brekkie briefly, but then didn’t really get a chance to look around the area as it was just too wet. 

      So instead we crossed over into QLD, heading to Brisbane to stay with our friend Liam. In a real house with real couches to sit on – what a luxury! Even after just a short while on the road it’s these little things that you miss about living in a home.

      We had a chilled afternoon doing some chores (homework for the kids & papa and washing & helping with homework for mama). Then the girls got a taste for Mario kart, which was so much fun for them to pass the afternoon.

      There was no exploring due to the vile weather, but instead we chilled, ate plenty and enjoyed catching up. So not exactly a thrilling day for the blog, but gotta keep it real ✌️

    • Day 5 – Most Easterly Point

      Well the rain didn’t hold back last night and whilst it was quite relaxing sleeping with the sound of the rain, it made for crammed living conditions last night and this morning.


      We were extremely lucky to have a break in the weather for long enough to pack up. The kids even used this packing time to cram some more homework in… now that’s a routine that’s going to need some getting used to!

      Then we were off again to head further North. There was a LOT of rain about today so we cruised along and made it to Byron around lunchtime. We’ve been wanting to visit the most easterly point of mainland Australia on this trip but the weather was just awful. So we decided to unhook the van and head into town for some lunch. The girls finally got their sushi! The rain seemed to ease a bit so we checked out the beach and drove up to Cape Byron Lighthouse. Jazzy has decided to count how many lighthouses we visit on this trip – 2 so far.


      The walk to the lookout has just been upgraded and whilst there were lots of stairs and lots of up & down involved, the girls did extremely well going there and back. Little Scarly charmed her way into being carried for a good chunk on the way back up, but who can say no to that cute curly tops?! The sun came out and we had gloriously beautiful weather for our little hike!

      Shortly after we were back on the road and heading towards the NSW/QLD border. We decided to call it a night in Kingscliff, but the bad weather followed us and we were confined to our van for 99% of the evening. Indoor life and lack of storage are definitely making us regret the smaller & lighter van as when we can’t have our outdoor living there is stuff simply everywhere and everyone is on top of each other…

      Having tacos for dinner (a firm favourite with all the girls) is the only thing that set it right tonight. Let’s hope we get a break in the weather and that a couple of days of home comforts in Brisbane reset the mood from this dreary weather!

      Kms travelled – 191