Our Story

We are a full-time travel family of 6, Tom, Aimee and our four boys, Tyler, Lincoln, Jett and Chase. We have been travelling around Australia in our caravan since January 2018. We sold our house in the North Eastern suburbs of Melbourne and almost everything we owned. We wanted to live a more simple, minimalist lifestyle making memories while are kids are young and spending quality time together as a family. Doing all this whilst showing our boys this amazing country we call home.

We wanted to live a more simple, minimalist lifestyle making memories while are kids are young and spending quality time together as a family.

Doing the ‘Lap of Oz’ was always something we had talked about. Aimee travelled a lot as a kid growing up and Tom did a 6 month ‘Lap’ with his family when he was younger. Travelling was always something we were going to do as a family but we always seemed to do the overseas holidays to Europe. We needed to see more of our home country. After Aimee’s dad unexpectedly passed away we realised life was way too short to keep talking about it. We bit the bullet and made our decision to do ‘A Lap of Oz’.

After Aimee’s dad unexpectedly passed away we realised life was way too short to keep talking about it.

We arranged a meeting with a real-estate agent and our plan to sell the house was underway. The next couple of months was crazy. Fixing up the house, selling our belongings and many trips to the tip!  After a lot of blood sweat and tears the house was finally on the market. During this process we realised we had also become huge consumers! We needed the best kid’s toys (and lots of them), the best car, the biggest TV and a big house to fit it all. We were just wasting so much money on nothing but plastic rubbish. It was just weighing us down. This was also justification for us selling up. We felt we had to sell up otherwise we would never escape this lifestyle that we had created. We wanted a different vision for our kids and this was the best way we knew how. We had also always spoken about re-locating to the beach somewhere so this was a perfect opportunity. The day our house sold was such an amazing feeling. The sudden feeling of freedom set in and it was so overwhelming. The real adventure was about to begin!

We were just wasting so much money on nothing but plastic rubbish. It was just weighing us down.

We had a plan to travel Australia for 10 months and then settle in a place that felt like home to us at the end of it. Well that 10 months went super quick and we were none the wiser as to where we would settle. We saw some amazing places, experienced incredible moments but our hearts still yearned to be back on the road. After sitting in Aimee’s mums drive way in our caravan for a few months we decided to hit the road again. We were addicted to this new found freedom. Most thought we were crazy but we loved it. Sure, we have had times that have been hard and we question ourselves if we are doing the right thing by our kids. It’s always a constant discussion that we have between each other but when we then sit back and listen to the kid’s conversations it’s all about their experiences. It’s about the fun they have had and the people they meet and the amazing things have learnt and new passions they have uncovered. They are outside enjoying every bit of their childhood. There are still tears, fights and tantrums but more than anything else there is laughter and joy. More importantly we are there with them 24/7 enjoying it with them and watching them grow up. 

We were addicted to this new found freedom. Most thought we were crazy but we loved it.

We think back to the life we had before we left and just can’t imagine living the same way again. We are different people and we realised that after our short stop back in Melbourne for Christmas 2018. Our values have changed and we have changed as a family. It was time to make this our new lifestyle and not just a holiday. We signed the boys up for Distance Education through Virtual School Victoria and decided to upgrade the caravan as we needed some more space. More importantly the boys all needed their own bed for us to continue long term. After doing some research and some assistance from another travelling family we found our new home. We fell in love straight away with a Leader Gold 25ft Quad Bunk Family Van.

Our values have changed and we have changed as a family.

After a couple of years on the road one question we get asked regularly is “what is your favourite place in Australia?” It is so difficult to answer because every place and region has its own amazing features and they are all incredible to discover. For us we love the water! Our three best places have to be the Ningaloo Reef, Whitsundays and the Capricorn Coast. Each of these places had everything we were looking for adventure wise. The Ningaloo Reef was amazing as it was so accessible from the beach. The number of spots to stop camp and explore was abundant and the fact that it was also so remote made it feel that much more special. The Whitsundays had it all from expensive island getaway’s to amazing island camping spots that were only accessible by boat. The number of places to snorkel and explore is huge and every spot was different and magical in its own way. The Capricorn Coast, especially Yeppoon was just so much fun. From the Keppel Islands to the adventurous 4WD tracks that take you to stunning beaches. It was again right up our ally. We could honestly go on forever and name places like Uluru which was breathtaking and Cape York which will always be an adventure to remember.

[We regularly get asked] “what is your favourite place in Australia?” It is so difficult to answer because every place and region has its own amazing features and they are all incredible to discover.

We just love inspiring other families to get out and explore. Life is just so precious and tomorrow is never guaranteed, so visit that one place in Australia you have always wanted to get to. Plan your own lap around OZ weather its 12 months, 6 months, 4 months, 6 weeks or just adventure as often as you can.  There are no rules as to how you should travel and for how long. We have met so many amazing families, nomads and young couples along our travels all with a different story and a different way of life to travel. As long as you make amazing memories and life live to the fullest your already there.

— Tom, Aimee, Tyler, Lincoln, Jett & Chase