I've always looked for the next adventure in life and that wasn't about to change just because I was a Mum. I had always hoped to travel and share these experiences with my kids, but I guess I just didn't realise it would be so soon or permanently, but here we are, and I am loving it.
Keira and I spent a lot of time together as Cameron worked interstate for weeks at a time.
I loved our one on one, but I missed Cameron and hated that he was missing out on seeing Keira grow up.
We had always wanted to do the Australian Lap; and Keira loved camping just as much as we did so we started to plan.
We estimated we would be a few years off to allow time to save but were keen for a few smaller trips to keep the travel bug under control in the meantime.
In August 2017, when Keira was 9months old, we had planned to travel to the tip of Australia, Cape York. The camper was packed, and the land cruiser was ready.
2 weeks before we were due to leave, I received the surprising news I was pregnant.
We decided to postpone our trip and lucky we did as I ended up so sick in the first few weeks, I wouldn't have made for a fun traveller.
A few weeks later we found out we were expecting identical twins. Shocked and excited, we thought our plans to lap Australia would be years away.
A few weeks before Mia and Savannah joined our family, I brought up the idea of travelling with Cameron while he worked away. At first we thought it to be wishful thinking but the more we talked about it the more possible it sounded.
Having a baby is tough. It's challenging and tiring. Yes, it's rewarding and the best thing I have ever experienced but we were about to have twins with an 18month-old toddler.
Life was about to get crazy and quickly.
Obviously excited but having 3 babies under 2 also worried me. Cameron going back to work interstate made me sad. The thought of going out to the park or to the shops was a little unnerving but the idea of being cooped up inside four walls made me anxious.
Cameron was also upset over the idea of not being there for his girls.
We knew our camper trailer wasn't going to be practical for the 3 babies so we started looking into caravans. Initially, the idea was to travel with Cameron to his site locations and return home in between jobs while exploring as much as we could during the spare time.
2-weeks after our girls were born, we bought our new 'home away from home' - a 2017 Jayco Outback Basestation.
4-weeks later our girls and I were cleared for our holiday to Lorella Springs, NT.
A few hiccups and a lot of learnt lessons later we had survived but more importantly, we had enjoyed it.
When we returned from our family holiday, Cameron was called away to Brisbane, so we repacked the caravan and off we went as a family. This would be the real test and it sure pushed our limits. The 2-week job turned into a 5-week job and, although we had some great times, I began to realise that raising 3 babies this way was not as great as I thought.
Being there every afternoon, when Cameron got home from work, and on weekends was better than not having him there at all but it was tough during the day with the constant need of attention / entertainment from the kids. Typical parenting issues really but being confined in a caravan meant no down time at all and we were so far away from family and friends.
Cameron continued to struggle to get up every morning and actually go to work, leaving us behind. We thought us being there would make it easier, but it didn’t.
It was not the life we had imagined it to be.
After a lot of discussion, we realised it wasn't working because we were only half-committed. It had to be all or nothing. Either I return home to family and see Cameron in between jobs (perhaps find a job closer to home) or we just dive right in.
We knew the caravan life was what we wanted, we just wanted to both be there, together and for each other.
So, the decision was made. This was it.
2-weeks later Cameron resigned from his job. We knew financially this would be a strain, so we had to move quickly. We travelled back to Sydney and put our house up for sale.
3months later, on the 4th December 2018, our house was sold, belongings gone or in storage, caravan packed and we started the next chapter of our lives.
Living full-time, in our caravan, travelling Australia, together as a family.
Join us on our journey as I share my experiences of raising our 3 girls on the road - the ups, the downs, the challenges and the rewards.
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