My top 10 reasons to take a mini road trip.

Last Thursday our beloved Frankie Blue caravan came back from a few months at the caravan fixer-up-er-er and on Saturday we hitched her up and took off for a couple of days away.

Originally we had had big plans for faraway adventures, but when it came down to it, we decided a nearer destination felt more doable and just as much fun.

A mini road trip: A trip that took us somewhere less than hour away from home and for a couple of days only.

It was wonderful to be back on the road again and such a fantastic break from everyday life.

Here's my top 10 reasons for taking a mini road trip;

1) Spend time together as a family without the distractions of home.

It was great for us to be together again without the distractions of home and the farm. To really be together. To hang out with Jo-Jo. To not have to collect the eggs, bring in the fire wood and feed the animals. And it was great to remember who we are when we aren't rushing around ticking things off our to do lists all the time.

2) To slow down, explore, and walk.


I don't know about you, but at home I drive in and out of town a few times a day. Between school drop offs and pick ups, activities, shopping and social arrangements I am forever zooming about in the car. For me one of the best things about time away is the fact that there is no rush. And because there is no rush we spend more time walking. And because we are walking we hold hands and piggy back and see so many things that we would otherwise miss when we are zooming from here to there.

3) To be inspired.

To see new things, to see different things and to think about how you can take a bit of it home with you.

I loved how as soon as we saw the pom pom tree in Castlemaine, my kids were making plans for a pom pom tree on our farm, that Miss Indi was taking photos of it and the little girls were babbling excitedly about who saw it first and who made the pom-poms and who put them there and when and why.

I feel like when I am in a new place my eyes are open wider than usual to take more in. That I notice things. That my senses are sharper.

Everything we saw from the golden autumn leaves falling from the trees, to the musical playground, to the pizza oven in the school, to the knitted square wrapped tree, everything made me notice, made me think and made me happy.

4) To drive up a mountain, climb up a fire tower and brave the icy wind to watch the sunset.

Traveling makes you do stuff you just don't do in your everyday life. Traveling makes you take risks, explore and sometimes leaves you spell bound.

5) To discover your local area. 

I have a friend who is so good at this. She is always off on little trips exploring nearby towns. I am not so good at this. I find myself so caught up in everyday life that there's no time.

On our mini road trip we discovered and explored our neighbouring towns. We walked their streets, watched the people and discover the best places to have coffee (the organic place in Maldon has organic milk and coffee!!), the place to find huge, homemade wagon wheels (at the bakery in Newstead), and the best breakfast ( Saffs in Castlemaine).

Now when people talk about the Maldon lolly shop, the cute little handmade shop in Newstead or the piles of rocks in the paddocks of the central goldfields, we'll know what they are talking about.

6) To fill your basket with treasures from op shops, markets and garage sales.

Last weekend I found a gorgeous ball of natural merino wool, some vintage fabric, a baby blue Pyrex baking dish, some yellow Johnson brothers bowls and a Mason jar. I love finding the treasures but I also love how at home they become reminders of the fun times we had.

7) To enjoy new sights and sounds and styles and details and flora and fauna.

The incredible train station and tech buildings in Maryborough, the streets of Maldon, the oldest town in Victoria virtually untouched, the desolate, windswept paddocks outside Newstead...wow!

8) To fall in love with history and imagine yourself in another time and place.

Oh how I want to live in an old farmhouse. To clomp down the wooden floored hallways and drink tea while gazing out of the big, wide windows at the endless paddocks....ahhhh....

9) To be a tourist. 

It was so much fun being part of the caravan crew again. To strap on the caravan mirrors and do the caravan wave. To ask the locals where we should go and to do the touristy things. We loved having our cozy little home with us wherever we went and we can't wait to get out on the road again soon.

10) To hang out on the couch.

Last weekend I sat on the caravan couch and learnt how to do a provisional cast on and how to wrap and turn and then I knitted a whole beanie. At home things like this take days with all the distractions and interruptions but when you are away from home you have time, you make time.

Farmer Bren read magazines and the newspaper, I did the Samurai sudoku and knitted, the girls watched movies, played games and drew.


Now that we've done it once, we are all counting down the days until we can hitch up and drive off again soon. We all had a ball remembering the travelling us, reminiscing about last years' road trip and planning the next.

A mini road trip is easy, not much of a commitment and so much fun.

So how about you, do you like a mini road trip?
Will we see you somewhere down the road?
Do you take time to explore the nearby towns?
Do you know that bakery that sells the best pie, have you been to that museum, have you met that old, old lady, have you visited that antique map shop?

Travel safe my friends.

xx

stuff.

Thud!
Two months home from our great caravan adventure and I have hit the ground.
Hard.
I've had a tough week.
Nothing big. Just cold, blustery days, tired cranky kidlets, sore elbows, a random nasty comment, an overwhelmed feeling, a chill in my bones, a messy house, a realisation that that's it-we're back, it's over.
Real life.
I just wanna go to bed and snuggle up and crochet the afternoons away.
I think we probably did well to hold this feeling off for so long.

There have been some good bits too mind you.
Miss Pepper's drawings of little people and animals and monsters EVERYWHERE, Miss Jazzy's excitement over her lolly passion project, an amazing phone call and plan, Nel and the gang, Miss Indi's solo, preserving and jamming, my Mum's prize, the twilight walks, the instagram and the look on farmer Bren's face when he told me it was time to pick apples. So good.

I do know I'm lucky. It's all good. It'd just be great if the sun came out and the temp rose by about 10 degrees. It's early Autumn NOT winter.

So I'll just keep plodding on towards the weekend. Trying to focus on the good things, trying to warm up little heads with eared beanies and trying to keep warm.

I'm off to pick apples.
Yay!!

See ya. x

Home again, home again...

We are home.

Honestly I still don't know how I feel about it all. One minute I am excited and enthusiastic, the next I am flat and overwhelmed.

The girls rushed in and spent hours rummaging through their things. Playing, reading, trying on and making. I love how their special things are triggering special memories and stories. I love how they sing as they explore.

And we have moved from space to space also. Cleaning, browsing, unpacking, sorting.

Our main aim right now is to declutter. To clear some space. After six months in a caravan we are overwhelmed by how much stuff we have at home. We have placed boxes in the middle of every room and are slowly filling them up with things. Books we wont read again, clothes we never wear, toys we have outgrown. The girls are really excited by the sorting too. We are being ruthless. I feel the need to rush this process before the old hoarder Kate creeps back in and changes her mind.

And in the middle of it all, when it all got a bit overwhelming, we went off for a walk. We walked around the farm and said hello to the animals and picked raspberries, strawberries, currants and gooseberries. I remembered how much I love living on a farm. How alive I feel here. How incredible home grown, freshly picked produce tastes. How walking around this place is the best medicine for an overwhelmed head.

And I washed and dried all our favourite linen so we have snuggly beds to look forward to. I must say I am just a bit excited about sleeping in our own bed.

Thank you all so much for traveling along with us. It has been wonderful to be able to share this adventure and have your feedback, suggestions, stories and advice along the way.

I'm off now to make us pancakes with berries for dinner. I've washed a pile of Johnson plates we thrifted on the trip to use for the special homecoming dinner.

Have fun out there. x

So close to home.

Six months ago, on the day we left home, in the minutes before we left home, I stood in my kitchen and looked around. I saw the chook bucket that needed to be emptied, the cupboard that had come off it's hinges, the cobwebby windows, the cold concrete floor, too many bits of paper magneted to the fridge and all the other stuff I just hadn't gotten around to.

I am not going to ever miss this place, I thought to myself.

Over the months away I have often remembered that moment. Maybe as a reality check, possibly to judge my progress, definitely to ensure I made the most of our time away.

Today is our last day away from that kitchen, our last day away from home.

This morning, just after I woke up, I lay in bed for a while and pictured myself there, standing in that same spot in the kitchen.

In my mind I slowly looked around and surveyed the scene.

Surprisingly it felt good.

In my imaginary visit home this morning there was family chaos as usual but it felt fresh! Airy. There was music playing, there was jam simmering on the stove (could it be jam season yet?), there were freshly picked flowers on the table, vegies brought in from the garden and there was the hustle and bustle of a meal being put together. Together.

It was homey.

Could it be that perhaps I am ready for home? To go home?

Or as farmer Bren put it to me this morning; Going home is just the next part of this adventure.


Happy travels friends.
Happy homes. x

ps. We'll announce the giveaway winner in the next few days.

What if? - The homecoming version.

Early last July, on the day before we left home, I wrote out a list of 'what if' questions. All the stuff I was worried about and stressing over was on that list. I knew we were heading for an awesome adventure, but it still helped to write down the niggly fears. The stuff at the back of my mind.

Yesterday we had a still day in Streaky Bay. We relaxed, admired our gorgeous view, did some housework and made a few plans for the next little while. 

Probably because we are homeward bound, last night I decided to visit that list for the first time since I published it. And then I found myself needing to answer those 'what ifs'.

Here goes:

What if I am as impatient with my kids as I feel today?

There were times when I was. Absolutely. But I think I mainly get impatient when I have an agenda and the girls are getting in the way and slowing me down. Life on the road is so much slower than life at home. And I have had more time and my farmer boy around to back me up when I have needed five minutes out to breathe.

What if it was all really about the styling and the fixing?

It wasn't but I'm so glad we spent that time. The curtains, the pale blue walls, the bed covers, the crocheted bits and bobs, the cupboard door handles...they have all gone to making this place a home. Our little nest. The styling and fixing made all the difference.

When we go home we have vowed to try a bit of styling there too. Perhaps it is possible to make our Copper-Art house more us with some paint, some rearranging and some special loving.

What if I am antisocial and don't feel like making new friends?

I guess the best part of travelling with a caravan is that you have your home with you where ever you go. Like a turtle. When you feel like being sociable and making new friends you do and when you don't, you can go inside. Back into your shell.

At home I often had issues with being sociable because I was always busy trying to get three hundred things done before the end of the day. Being sociable meant I'd do less. Achieve less. Somehow when we get home I have to reconcile the doing and the friending. Prioritise both. I hope I can.

What if something bad happens back home?

A few really bad things did happen. In six months it was inevitable.

I lost a friend to cancer. A young Mum with kids the same ages as mine. A friend who I spent time with a few times a week. My whole community has dealt with their loss. I really haven't. I am nervous about seeing her family without her and for dancing classes and play school drop offs when we get home. I miss her.

And my gorgeous grandfather had a terrible fall and ended up in hospital for a few weeks. I got progress reports all along the way but the photos of his face and being so far away were awfully painful.

What if I have no personal space?

I didn't. There is no personal space in a caravan.

Right now as I type these words Indi and Jazzy are singing some repetitive song about an elephant, Miss Pepper is throwing a lid of a cardboard box around and farmer Bren is trying to untangle his kite strings.

What if we only have access to crappy food?

We did. Right up the centre and then down the west coast until about Carnarvon we ate from the stupid market. We did our best to choose and cook well. But we didn't find anything organic or local or direct from the farmer until Carnarvon.

What if they don't make friends?

Thank goodness they did make friends and have friends around most of the time.

Well the smallest two did. Miss Indi found it a lot more difficult. There aren't many eleven year olds on the road. Which is a shame because eleven is such a great age to appreciate and learn from traveling. Its also a shame because she really could have benefited from the independence of friendships and we could have dealt with a bit more space on occasion too.

What if something runs out of batteries and we can't charge them?

I don't think this ever happened. We have that many chargers and cords that we have a whole cupboard dedicated to them.

What if they just fight all the time?

There have spent so much time together over the past six months that there were bound to be times when it felt like they did, but the majority of the time they have been great.

What if I have forgotten how to slow down and unplan?

I have relearned and remembered. My hope now is that I can maintain this slow when we get home.

What if I forget something important?

We didn't.

What if someone gets sick or hurt?

Miss Pepper was really sick for a while in Darwin, we also had to visit a dentist in Darwin and Miss Pepper dislocated her elbow in Abany. We survived. Its all part of the story of our trip now.

What if something important gets lost or stolen?

We have a week left and I'm afraid I'll jinx it if  I speak too soon, but up until now we have been incredibly lucky. We lost some tea-spoons and a couple of pairs of thongs early on, but we replaced them and moved on. 

What if we are being too ambitious?

We weren't.

But our next plan for sailing around the world might be. We are not boat people. Not yet anyway. We'll see.

What if I have packed the wrong things?

I think I packed well. And anything we needed we picked up along the way. Except for wool. There was a desperate shortage of wool for a couple of months until we got to Geraldton. But other than that we did great.

 

And finally here's the new list; the homecoming 'what ifs'. I am pretty sure that we are ready to go home. That we have plans and decisions in place and that we are ready and full of inspiration and strength. But 'what if'??

What if I spend too much of my time driving the girls in and out of town?

What if all our homecoming plans are too ambitious?

What if our house is unfixable?

What if everything is exactly the same?

What if everything is really different?

What if I don't have enough time to get everything done?

What if the girls are just too far behind in their schooling?

What if I get swallowed up by housework?

What if I feel sad and uninspired and coming home is a comedown?

What if the stresses we left behind are there waiting for us?

What if we go home rested and inspired and full of energy and enthusiasm and what if we are happy?! Let's hope so. We do live in one of the most beautiful parts in Australia and grow organic produce for us and for a living after all.

Travel safe peeps. xx

Nullarbor.

You know what?

I really enjoyed driving the Nullarbor.

Beforehand I was a bit nervous about the endless 1,204 kilmometers of road, the crazy winds, the enormous air sucking road trains,  the middle of nowhere and the chance of more mechanical problems with Frankie Blue.

But I really enjoyed it.

It felt big. Like a mile stone. Like a caravaner's rite of passage.

I liked the wide open spaces, the enormous skies and the roads that seemed to go on forever. No distractions, no driving decisions, just 90km on cruise control and driiiiiiiiiiive.

We were pretty lucky and had the most perfect driving conditions. Overcast, grey skies, no wind and 21 degrees days.

I liked that we were all alone. Us five. A team. 

I liked that everyone seemed so happy. (Except for one massive four year old tantrum that you might have heard from where ever you are.)

I liked setting up camp behind road houses, eating simple meals and watching movies Bren had brought to surprise us.

I love listening to pod casts in the car and we listened to heaps. We also listened to Paul Kelly's A-Z all the way through.

And we talked. And when the girls were watching movies we talked without interruptions. Long conversations about where we've been and where we're going.

I liked the details on the way. The birds, the different landscapes, the trucks carrying helicopters and caravans and cars and the shoe tree.

I liked eating masses of fruit and veg before we got to the South Australian border.

I liked that I had time to think. To follow thoughts all the way through without interruptions.

I liked that sometimes we all had to jump rope 50 times before we got back into the car and sometimes we had to run around Frankie five times.

 I liked playing in the old telegraph station in Eucla that has been slowly eaten up by the sand dunes.

 I liked how great it felt to be out of the car when we had a break.

And I loved The Great Australian Bight. Watching the waves crash against the cliffs and knowing exactly where we were on the map.

And I liked that when we did have a caravan tyre issue, a cracked rim, it was in a roadhouse in Penong so we didn't have to stop on the side of the road.

It really felt like a family adventure.

We came off the Nullarbor and spent a night in Ceduna. Our first in South Australia on South Australian time. We ate at the pub and cheersed to a successful crossing.

Now we are in Streaky Bay, a few beaches down. We have a caravan site right on the beach. We'll spend the day here tomorrow and then head home.

We have one full week left on the road.

Happy travels my friends.

Spots in Belladonia.

Late Friday afternoon we finished our first leg of the Nullarbor, 242.5km, and I finished hooking my 20 crocheted circles in squares into long scarves.

We were in Belladonia in western Australia. A tiny dusty dot on the edge of highway one. There was nothing there except a roadhouse and a caravan park with a couple of straggly tenants, a western themed toilet and a scary looking motel. And there was us. Us and the scarves.

There were crocheted spots everywhere.

What fun.

What else are you meant to do on a Friday afternoon in the middle of nowhere?

To my farmer boy;
Happy twelfth on 12/12.
I adore you.
You are so ace.
You totally rock my socks. xx

To all of you;
I hope you have the most surprising and wonderful week.
I'm sure you are ace too. xx