The Overlander's Way

2360kms. Plus roughly 100 more from the Daintree. One week of solid driving.

That was us. We made it to 3 ways. The 'T' junction of the Stuart Highway that leads you to or from Queensland, Darwin, or Alice Springs. Then today we arrived in Alice Springs. 

But let us back up to the beginning of this particular journey. The first day of outback driving involved buying lots of supplies in Townsville. I'm not a complainer when it comes to an excuse to go shopping. But this time it was strictly practical. Long life food and A2 milk. Posting parcels to a lucky few. Pasta, cans and eggs. Lots of eggs.

The car was newly serviced, as was the caravan. We were full of petrol and ready to go....

It wasn't long before the scenery started to transform. The trees grew less dense and lush. The earth gave up the yellow sand and green grass for more rocky, red dirt.

At first, the traffic was thick, but once we had passed Charters Towers it began to thin out considerably. Charters Towers is roughly 100kms from Townsville. Back in the day it was the town that supported the beginning life of Townsville. It was an old town, with a bustling community. But we didn't stay long. 

We drove for a few more hours and eventually stopped at our planned destination for the night: Campaspe. A humble little roadside stop where we could have a fire! The temperature dropped enough to even consider such a thing as heating the air. So the kids lit one and we sat around it, as the temperature continued to drop and the mozzies realised a buffet had arrived.

It took 4 days to cross a third of the continent. We drove for around 4-5 hours each day. The petrol cost kept going up at each place we came across. The scenery became bare. At one point there was nothing but golden grass and a few trees on the horizon. It was dead pan flat and boring, and it went on and on.

Eventually we would come to our new destination for the night;Campaspe to Julia Creek to Mount Isa to Wonarah Bore.

We made a snap decision to keep driving at Richmond and stop at Julia Creek instead. A further 200kms for the day. It led to some funny stories in the end. And they weren't good ones. We arrived and got out and it was so hot we were melting like the Wicked Witch of the East. The children started up her lament within five minutes of arriving. "I'm melting! I'm melting!"

So amidst trying to set up and not be in the direct sun, we were also trying to calm down a screaming child and four others determined to run amok. Not so fun. We realised immediately that this self-contained RV spot was the favourite haunt of the 'peace and quiet anti-kids nomad nazis'. Yep, I made that up, but it might make quiet the club name, yes? 😜

Then to add to the chaos, the camp host lady came over to check that we were "all sleeping in the caravan. Because it's a self contained place and you can't have tents." She figured that SO MANY children couldn't possibly fit in a caravan. Duncan assured her that they could and would be staying in the caravan.

We bailed the kids back in the car, as it was too hot to stick around the van and they were only going to make enemies anyways. We decided to see what Julia Creek had to offer....

A library! What could go wrong at the library?

I suppose it should be said that nothing overly wrong did happen at the library. But the lady at the library was oppressively helpful. And also thought it her job to step in as mum each time the children did something out of line in her eyes. And we couldn't escape. She was so overly involved, that it was near impossible to prise the kids back from her and once again try to bail them into the car. We got out the door and she followed us. Mandy had a meltdown because she couldn't get into her seat in the back row, after the middle row people had gotten in first. The lady stood there. OUTSIDE the library, watching us from about 1.5m away. The seconds seemed to dragggggggg ooonnnnnn. I wanted to be out of this town. Now!

Needless to say, we placated the kids for the evening, as best we could, and were incredibly glad to see the back end of Julia Creek the next day. If you're a grey nomad though, I have a feeling you'll like this town. 😜 and do say Hello to the library lady. She meant well.

After the trauma of Julia Creek, we stopped in Mount Isa. It was so hot and sticky once again and we had had enough of the endless driving. I asked Dunc if it'd be alright to have a break for the night. Split up and someone go in the van with 2 kids and someone go in a budget cabin with the other 3.

So we did. I took E, and L and A in the cabin and Dunc had C and M. We both had air-cons on tap and a bit of peace and quiet. I knew that this oasis in the desert was a real gift of God. We had a true sabbatical, not just from the driving and traveling but a break from each other, that was helpful and calming. Seven people constantly around and it can get crazy. People have a habit of coming down with irritable elbows syndrome.

Mount Isa was kind to us. We went shopping at Kmart for a few black clothes. Having learnt from my travelling friend that light clothes were not going to survive the red desert dirt. We rested. We had our own shower! Everyone had a wash, some of them twice. We got glo-sticks and had a blackout competition to see who could throw them in a bucket in the dark.

Meanwhile, C was having a Daddy date night, and M was learning to go to sleep without his travel cot! He decided he wanted to sleep down the end bed with C, and so that is how it is now. No baby cot anymore. What a relief! But my baby is a big boy now. Wow!

Our last stop before we hit 3 ways was Wonarah Bore. We had crossed the Northern Territory border about 200kms earlier. We were out of Queensland! After a two month journey through the Sunshine State, we were in the desert.

Another roadside stop in the middle of the red dirt. It was simple and all we needed. The people near us wanted to put their generator on to watch the footy. "Go for it!", we said. So we put ours on too and had air conditioning for the evening. You have to pick your moment with generators. Most folks hate them. It worked out well though, as it helped to drown out yet another meltdown. Do we quit? We thought for the 100th time....

Do they even want to do this trip?

So we sat down with them again. Got out the map. Pointed to the things they had read about: wave rock;The longest straight road;nanna and pa and a baby cousin; water slide park in Darwin. Do you want to see any of this? We won't be back here again.

Yes. Yes we do, they said.

You have to behave then, we said.

And we prayed as a family again that God who gives that peace that surpasses understanding, would give it to us all.

And He did.

So, hello NT. We are coming to meet you.

Anybody have a spare Mojo?

We were in Lowanna. Tucked up safely in bed....

There was no one else around, bar Andrew our friend and owner of the bush block we are on.

We are in the middle of nowhere.

Then there was this incredible gunshot sounding explosion. 

It sounded like it came from the fire, which was gradually burning down to embers some 4 metres away.

We weren't scared, but it sure was a shock!

Dunc checked out the window but saw nothing unusual. We decided to investigate in the morning. It was too 'cold' outside. Well, cold to our new found sensitivities anyway. Our hard bred Tasmanian toughness was dying.

In the sunshine of the morning we found our culprit...

Someone had put an empty milo can in the fire. Most likely our smallest little fire-a-holic, who had seen enough cardboard recycling go into the flames to know how to be useful with a milo tin....

The lid had been left on, and gradually the hot air expanded until it couldn't stay in anymore. It exploded out, busting open the lid in the process and making a lot of noise.

Thankful it wasn't anything more sinister, we went on with our day..

However, that word picture stuck with me. That milo tin explosion in the fire was our April. So much pressure and stress and medical drama had built up in March and April, that we couldn't keep that hot air inside anymore. We felt it coming, tried to put it off, and failed.

As my good friend said, "I know what it's like to have an exceptional circumstance like people coming to stay for a week, and having to let go of your family's normal routine for that time. But what you have been through must have been like going from one exceptional circumstance to the next!". How spot on she was.

April was hard in every way. I'm thankful we are through it.

I'm thankful for the few strangers who encouraged us along the way.

I'm thankful for the friends back home with whom I could talk to about the hardships.

I'm thankful that although the children were the worst behaved I've ever seen them, and we were all frazzled, that God never left us. Not even for a moment.

Sometimes God uses the rock bottom times in our lives to help us lean on Him. In fact, He always uses them for that purpose.

I was more affected by the two medical issues than I thought I'd be. But God was there.

I'm thankful for the people who saw the cracks and didn't stand in judgement.

I'm thankful that despite it being impossible for others to know what living in a caravan with 5 little people (who were stressed and overwhelmed) was like at that time, that we were able to get back on our feet after some time alone.

Today I smiled. I have a smile back. I actually wanted a photo to be taken, because today it would be genuine and overflowing joy.

This trip IS a once in a lifetime amazing opportunity. We are a family. The stress is gone, the can is emptied of its hot air.

I am excited.

I am so proud of our five little people.

I'm so grateful for my husband and his love for us. 

I have an amazing life, an amazing family, amazing and unique little munchkins, and even more so, an amazing Lord and Saviour.

Hello Queensland. My name is Sara. I'm pleased to meet you.

🍄🍁🌻🌸🌼🌷💐🌺🌴🌾🌳🍄

There are Giants in the Sky!

Before we left Tassie, I took my Oma to her first Gold Class Cinema experience. She loved it.

What we saw was "Into the Woods". 

A blockbuster version of the classic theatre production. 

My children, like most would, got hooked on the catchy songs. 

We got the soundtrack....

... Now we have four children belting out the tunes throughout the day.. 

The point being that this particular part of one song aptly stated how I feel about our travelling.

"There are Giants in the sky!
There are big tall terrible Giants
in the sky!

When you're way up high
And you look below
At the world you left
And the things you know,
Little more than a glance
Is enough to show
You just how small you are..."

Travelling on the mainland has opened up my eyes. To how small I am; how big earth is; how many shops and towns and beaches can exist; that the workload of 5 children is just as much, if not more, than at home; how many diverse people God has made; how frail life is...

I don't need much of a glance to see how small I am. How easily life back home carries on without us. How easily days go by without time to keep in touch. How much work it takes to keep a country running. How many people need to know that God has already paid to have their burdens and troubles removed at no expense to themselves.

There are big tall terrible giants too. Ones we have no choice but to ignore right now. Questions that are not able to be answered; Where will we settle; Will Dunc return to his field or will we do a family business; Will we buy land or a house or rent?

We get asked lots of questions and I often don't really know the answers. 

But this I do know....

There are big tall terrible giants in the sky...and that's okay.... because God is bigger, and He already knows my answers.

Sara

xx

The first crazy week

We have finally arrived. Or it is... We have finally left!?

Either way, we are a week into this adventure on the 'mainland'.

It has been 7 days of fantastic and 1 day of terrible homesickness.

Here are some quick highlights so far:

- The Asian stall holders at the Queen Vic markets were so impressed we had 5 children that they gave them a free koala toy each. Hahaha

- Seeing Dunc's cousin Bron, husband Nath and kiddies. They very kindly welcomed us at 6am on a Sunday morning!! You guys are terrific!

- Watching the children's eyes light up at the sheer size of Melbourne!

- Successfully getting on the city tram with 5 children, and still having all 5 when we got off! ;)

- 99c cent petrol, libraries with a Wii in them, and bottle shops in the supermarket, all gave me a shock.

- Watching the children's swimming skills make a comeback at the pool and spa here in Toora.

- Being a family and finding some groove and rhythm that suits us now.

We still haven't seen any koalas, despite lots of signs. But we did see an Echidna crossing the street and Dunc accidently ran over a snake. Eeww.

Week one was overall very pleasant. The boat trip was smooth and fun. We have enjoyed exploring Melbourne; the Aquarium and the markets. 

The Mornington Peninsula felt like home. I love the sense of community over here. 

I love the services that are available and the sheer size of it all.

I love that our kids are excited beyond a reasonable level whenever we stop at a new playground.

I love that we have so much more to do and see!

We are very fortunate to be doing this. Even at those times when children won't settle at night. Even when it is hot and sticky, or wet and cold. Even when the lack of a lounge room is a huge big deal and we all seem to have elbows that are  magnetically drawn to other people's rib cages.

I'm liking this life. I hope you will enjoy coming with us!

God bless,

The Little Gnomads

A New Aspect of Travelling!

Black River, Tasmania

In the last fortnight we had our first real travelling experience. Up until this point, we have been practising only one half of the whole caravan life thing....
Let me explain!

There seems to me to be two major adjustments to this nomad lifestyle of travelling Australia with kids. The first is the 'practical' adjustment and the second is the 'transient' adjustment.
So far, we have only really been getting better at the practical aspect of it: The nuts and bolts of how to live like this; what it looks like; how to stay organised; when are the stressful times going to occur; how much food do you take with you; and is that drawer a good place for the spoons etc.
I think we are pretty much experts on this now. We have been blessed with a good, long practice run to life. A gentle and slow introduction to it....

But, this week, for the first time, we discovered the transient aspect of travelling.
By this I mean the 'We are only here once, for a limited time, so make the most of it and move on' type stuff. The sense of non-permanence, of a simultaneous first and last visit.
Due to our rather unique situation of lingering in Tassie for so long, we hadn't yet come to a place that we were not expecting to be in again at some point. But this week that changed. We will not have time to revisit the far north west coast of Tasmania. So we spent a full 7 days loving it up. It was the first and last time either of us had been there. It was spectacular and beautiful and rugged and windy and serene and fantastic, and at times, tough.

I am not naturally gifted at skipping showers. That was probably the worst part of it for me. We made do with hot water and face washers, but IT IS JUST NOT THE SAME!!!! The children got the luxury treatment of a hot bath in our 'bathtub' (literally a blue flexi-plastic tub). Lucky them! Running hot water is a gift people! :)

At any rate, we had a blast at both Black River (just outside of Stanley) and Arthur River (West Coast).    We enjoyed lots of fire pot fires and marshmallows.  We saw some very friendly Blue Fairy Wrens.  Lachlan and Emma got stuck in some super soft sand, which surpassed the top of their gumboots, and tried to steal them.
 I very almost stepped on a black snake, whilst holding Michael in my arms too! Duncan said that he had never seen me run so fast. I believe it! He was kind enough not to mention that he had never heard me scream so loud either, but I know I broke some glass somewhere in the world at that moment! I am no Crocodile Dundee.... yet....

If you ever go to Arthur River, be sure to stop in at the Ranger's Station. The most lovely and friendly ranger (Hazel) works there. She showed the children all of her animals and shells, rocks and bones etc. She was dumbfounded by how much the children knew about all the subjects she brought up. She was so nice, that we went there every day to say hello.

The highlight of this trip was the day we spent on the Tarkine Arthur River Drive. A round circuit loop of some iconic rainforests, lookouts and landmarks in the area. It took us (with 5 kids in tow) 8 hours of driving, walking, looking and eating to get through it all. It was so worth it though!! Our itinerary for the day was:

• Dismal Swamp Reserve - Duncan, Emma and myself all had a turn on the Treetop Slide! Great fun!
• Sumac Lookout - waterfall/river to see from a distance
• Julius River Forest Reserve - A lovely picnic area and rainforest walk. So pretty!
• Lake Chisholm Forest Walk - Very serene lake, set amongst more lush green rainforest
• Milkshake Hills Forest Walk - Also a very pretty rainforest!
• Trowutta Arch - This was the highlight! A cave which has opened up to become a rock arch over a lake. Huge. Pretty. Calm. Worth the 30 min return walk!

If you want more info on the arch, click here.

We collapsed into bed that night, but it was a day I will remember for a long time!!

And so.....

Although it was only a week long, we had our first transient adventure. I loved it. For the first time since we left in June, we got a taste of what the full nomad life is like. It is certainly going to be an adventure! We only have 4 weeks left of housesitting and when that comes to an end, it will be a mere 11 weeks until we set sail on the Spirit of Tasmania.

Bring it on! It is going to be good.

Sara

What do you need to pack? (Clothing)

Space in a caravan is a premium! So we have had to whittle down all our 'needs' in life, and clothing was no different!

We have seven people on board, but I think the principle of it will apply to anyone doing this sort of thing. We have found that having a full week's worth of clothing is what we needed. It is impossible to go much longer than that without doing any laundry. It would become unmanageable!! But having more than a week's worth means that we rarely wear it all, and so it was wasted space.

You may find that you need more, in which case, simply adjust the lists below to suit your needs.

So, if you are thinking of doing a trip, the following lists are what we brought along, and should give you a good idea of what you may need. 

Babies:

A full week's supply of the following (ie - 7 of each);

• Singlets
• Body suits
• Jump suits
• Socks (and a few additional pairs of full length stockings)
• Trousers / shorts
• T-shirts

PLUS, a few of these items;

• 2-3 Baby sleeping bags
• 2 pairs of PJs
• Bathers
• Face washer and a small towel
• 2 pairs of shoes (if walking)
• 3-4 jumpers, including one rain coat
• A set of waterproof overalls
• A sun hat
• A beanie
• Slippers
• Mittens
• Nappies
• Sunglasses *optional

Preschoolers:

A full week's supply of the following (ie - 7 of each);

• Singlets
• Socks
• Underwear
• T-shirts

PLUS, a few of these items;

• Trousers/shorts
• Dresses/skirts (*girls)
• 2 pairs of PJs
• Bathers
• Face washer and a small towel
• 3 pairs of shoes - Gumboots, walking boots, strap-on thongs, sandals or crocs
• 3-4 jumpers, including one rain coat
• A set of waterproof overalls
• A sun hat
• A beanie
• Gloves
• Slippers *optional
• Nappies, if applicable
• Sunglasses

Children (5-10 years roughly):

A full week's supply of the following (ie - 7 of each);

• Singlets
• Socks
• Underwear
• T-shirts

PLUS, a few of these items;

• Trousers/shorts
• Dresses/skirts (*girls)
• 2 pairs of PJs
• Bathers
• Face washer and a small towel
• 3 pairs of shoes -Walking boots, gumboots, strap-on thongs/crocs/sandals
• 3-4 jumpers, including one rain coat
• A set of waterproof overalls *optional
• A sun hat
• A beanie
• Gloves
• Slippers *optional
• Sunglasses

Teenagers/ Adults:

A full week's supply of the following:

• Socks
• Underwear
• T-shirts

PLUS, several of the following;

• Bras (*women)
• Trousers/shorts
• Skirts/dresses (*women)
• 2 pairs of PJs
• Bathers
• A face washer and a towel
• 4 pairs of shoes -Walking boots, runners or casual shoes, dress shoes (women), thongs/ crocs/ sandals
• 4 jumpers, including one rain coat/insulated jacket
• A sun hat
• A beanie
• Gloves
• Slippers *optional
• Sunglasses
• Dressing gown *optional

Other items:

• Job-specific clothing, for those who need it to work and travel (ie - fisherman)
• Wet-suits
• Life-jackets
• Clothes for pets (ie - dog jumpers)

*This list is an example only. Your individual needs will depend on the requirements of the local climate and season you are in.

"A Full Month Complete..."

We did it.

We got through a full month of travelling! 

It was a rather FULL month too.... We had sickness, laughter, adventures, boredom, full memory cards, bacon and eggs, beaches, rain, washed up bones, wet clothes, sore legs, strong winds, chocolate, family dinners, platypuses and pushy-shovey elbows.

We've had people scaling a quarry face. 

We have had quiet waiting by the lakeside to capture that elusive Platypus.

We have tripped over, climbed over and jumped on so many rocks.

We have eaten cheese and crackers, had beach picnics and rainforest picnics and park picnics, and then had to walk them off!

We have hauled giant, inflatable tubes up a 100m slope, just to scream our way to the bottom in them seconds later.

We had fun.

It wasn't always fun and games, of course. It is still real life. We had disarray, we had niggles and bumps with each other. We had "Are we there yets?", and we had clutter.

It is time for a bit of a reprieve for the next four weeks. We are house sitting, toilet training and teaching our baby to sleep through the night. Given the wild weather that Tassie has faced this week, I am mighty grateful for a house to have been in the whole time! We don't plan to stay in the caravan in August. This is a month for us to just slow down and do the above. But it is also the first time we have had to stop, look back on the things that have passed and see how we are doing. After all, a lot has happened to us in a year! We have had our fifth baby, prepared our house for sale, sold our house, bought a new caravan, quit a job, sold most of our possessions, stored the rest, and finally, walked away from the life we knew into a new and unfamiliar path. Phew....

How do I feel about having sold our home?

What has it been like, being away from my friends?

What worked well in the caravan and what could we make easier?

What are our priorities in life now? Have they changed since we had a more conventional life?

What is important to us as a family?

How do we honour God in our lives, whilst we travel and miss our home church, and the consistency that brought?

How do we make sure that this change is as smooth as possible for our children?

In reflection, there were two major things that I thought would be one way, and turned out the other....

Firstly, I thought we'd get sick of each other and need frequent breaks. I especially thought that sleeping so 'close' to each other would drive me mad. But it doesn't. It is actually quite calming being close to our sleeping children (The baby settling issues, I grant you, are a trial.). It is also very nice having us all together. Breaks end up coming up in small and frequent ways anyways.

The other unexpected is that I underestimated how much I'd feel the absence from my friends, family and church family. Maybe it's just part and parcel with being a woman? But there have been a few days these last few weeks where the heaviness was palpable. I MISSED people. You probably! I can only account for it as being the result of missing lots of people at once. We left lots of families we love all at once and it became a snowball effect.

So, if you are reading this, it is most likely that you were loved and missed! Hope it was mutual, or this is totally awkward right now!? ;) hahaha

Anyways, we are constantly just so amazed by what God is doing in our lives. We are thankful for this opportunity, grateful for His perfect timing in all things, and eagerly awaiting the unknown adventures ahead over the next 2 years.

God bless!

Sara & Duncan, and the Little Gnomads xx