Travelling- All your Questions Answered

What’s your caravan like? Our caravan is a 1980 Millard Caravan. We originally purchased this for family holidays, but it is now the caravan for our biggest family holiday yet!! Where do we sleep everybody? I did a detailed post on it here Sleeping everybody in a caravan. What about storage? Another 2 posts here Storing everything-Part 1 and Storing Everything- Part 2 .

How do you cope with five kids in a caravan? It has actually been a great lesson in learning to live together. Stronger relationships have been developed and it seems more bearable now that it originally did. True, we have found it harder up where it is hotter and the kids are less likely to disappear for hours on end exploring, but we have survived. Occasionally when it gets really unbearable, we are all sent off and the parents steal a few hours alone.

What do you tow the caravan with? We tow our caravan with a 2005 Transit Van, the main reason we selected this was due to its space, having 12 seats, and the fact that it can tow our caravan.

What do you do for work? Dad is a teacher, and while travelling he has been doing casual teaching. He will put his name in at a school and if he gets a call, he has work. Joel has had work at Home Timber and Hardware in both Kununurra and Derby, and has greatly enjoyed working. Josh and Dad also worked cleaning during school holidays in Kununurra, and Josh was glad to find a job in Woolworths. He doesn't like cleaning (but he did like the money better)!!

Where have you been so far? I have created a map of our travels so far: Our Travels

How long are you going to be travelling for? We are in our second year of travelling so far, and we would like to settle before the end of the year. But you never know what God has in store for you.

How do you live without a TV? Easily!! I did a post on it: Surviving (oh horrors) without a TV

Do you find it hard to find work? In both the NT and WA so far, we have had quite a bit of luck with casual teaching. In Victoria, we only had one day of teaching, but we survived.

What are the kids doing for school? We all do home schooling. We have actually done home schooling before the trip, so it was basically the same routine. Joel and Joshua (yrs 10 and 11) are doing distance education through OTEN, and I am doing Yr 9. Chloe is doing schoolwork, and is enjoying it gobbling up all the information she can get. Tahlia is still our little baby, and she is petted enough not to be in school.
Got questions about my homeschooling. Look All your homeschooling questions answered.

here

Feel free to ask any more questions. I'm happy to answer them.

The far Horizons

The horizon can see so far away cant it? Yet, when travelling through mountains, the horizon doesn't see so far away. Sometimes, we're driving along and we just see the mountains driving along, but they seem to just grow closer and closer. Some times, the horizon seems so far away. While we have been travelling it seems that the horizon of our life is full of mountains, and we have to climb the mountain before we can see the next chapter of this wonderful life that God has planned for our family.

We are in our second year of travelling at the moment, and despite all the happy memories it brings we would like to settle down again, hopefully by the end of this year. Yet we do not know where or when we will settle down, and sometimes find it hard to enjoy where we are at the moment instead looking ahead to an uncertain future. Questions about our future fill all our minds, and it can seem a very distracting train of thought. We know that God sees all, but it seems so frustrating not to be able to see over those mountains.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope for a future. This verse is really encouraging when we are all just looking up and up and seeing the towering mountains we seem to need to climb. The peace of God just comes on you, and you know that God can tear down mountains for you, and create a pass through the mountains.

Proverbs 23:18 there is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. Sometimes it feels our hope has been cut off, like when another of our plans gets dashed, but God has a future for us, and he will make us rise with wings like eagles Isaiah 40:30-31 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.

Sometimes we just need to trust in the Lord and rest on his peace. Maybe when you fell hopeless, you just need to remember bible verses, and pray them out loud to God. He will surely hear your prayer. Maybe you need to ask for wisdom that passes understanding

Phillipians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and thanksgiving,. Present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Family Photos: Those Memories Preserved and Saved

Family photos. They’re the thing you look back on and remember some great memories, especially when you remember all the places you've taken them. Is it just us, or do you have troubles coaxing everyone to smile, stand up straight, and just get them altogether when trying to take a photo? Probably not. When you look through our photo albums and USB with photos on them, the girls are having photos taken everywhere. Then comes me, and after that Joel. Josh is one of the rarest people to have a photo taken, and I count it rare when I find a good photo of Josh actually smiling and not hiding his head. He is on the lookout for a fast get away when the camera is around.

Guess whose missing? Even had our Grandma and Grandpa
in this lovely shot.

Dad's trick is to get us holed up somewhere, and then say we can't leave until we have a photo taken, What about at Gun-warddehwardde Lookout? We took the walk up there, and Dad reckoned the only other way down was jumping. We all opted for the photo. If you’re around Nourlangie (Kakadu) take the walk and have a photo. The scenery is breathtaking as a backdrop.

Also, whenever we have a birthday it's a tradition that we usually go out for dinner. This is the perfect time for family photos, especially when some kind person takes a full family photo. It is even better if the little girls birthday, as even the big boys can’t resist the little girls when they ask for a smiling photo.

Perfect Background, at a lookout on the Arhnem Land
Plateu

You can never get a perfect family shot

We’ve taken photos at a lot of beautiful places. One of our favourite places to have a photo was at Nadab Lookout, at Ubirr in Kakadu. We caught it just as the sun was setting, and it was spectacular. We had a photo at the top of a roaring waterfall, and the lookout was beautiful in the new England area. We had another one in Litchfield, and the background was beautiful, with lush green plants on the bank of a stream. We also took one at Wentworth, at the junction of Darling and the Murray.

Family photos are so important. When we get into a house again, we would love to have several photos hanging up of all of us at some of the amazing places we've been. We have a Cannon, and have found it a great improvement to our last camera. We'll defiantly look after it better, as the camera was stepped on at the snow. We also had a video camera but the photo quality was not exceptionally good.

9 Things we love about Travelling

1. New experiences

We have had so many new experiences while travelling around Australia. Staying on a cattle station for 10 weeks, skiing at the snow for 3 weeks, travelling the Great Ocean Road, staying in Kununurra for 2.5 months, and visiting Kakadu and Litchfield. These are just some of the few experiences that we have had, and we all have some great memories. (see this post for a list of our top 15 experiences.)

2. Seeing Australia

Australia is a vast country, a land of sweeping plains, or ragged mountain ranges, of droughts and flooding rains. It is full of beauty and ruggedness, and even if you travel Australia all your life, there is still one more place of utter beauty to be found. Australia deserves exploring, and you will definitely enjoy all the beauty and vastness of it.

3. Learning more about Terra Australis

Australia is a country with a great history. You learn so much history when you travel plus you learn about the geography of Australia. A lot of people go overseas, but what about our own country? Quite a few people cant place some of the bigger towns that we have been to, even places like Broome. We need to learn more about our own country, before we learn about other countries

4. Camping in the bush

Free camping in the bush is such fun. No tiny little sites in caravan parks. What about camping right on the edge of Murray? Free-camping at Paddy's River flats, (in the freezing cold) near a sparkling clear mountain stream.

5. Learning about different cultures around Australia

While travelling around Australia, we have learnt a little bit about the different cultures of Australia. Aboriginals are an amazing people, with an even more amazing culture. They deserve to be respected, and we cannot do that if we do not have a respect of their history and culture.

6. Meeting new people/ making new friends

We have met heaps of people while travelling. In Derby and Kununurra we have made some great friends, and will miss, and do miss them. We have also met some people that are also travelling, and have enjoyed swapping stories about places and towns to visit. It is great to talk with other people, especially when we meet other families that are travelling.

7. Swimming around Australia

No, we don’t intend to swim a lap of Australia. We have all enjoyed swimming in different waterholes around Australia. Mataranka, Kununurra, Litchfield, and the Victorian coast have all been memorable spots to swim, surf, and boogyboard at. Litchfield and Mataranka, and Kununurra are definarelty our favourite places to swim at, especially when it is hot and you need a good refreshing.

8. Being with family

Family is such a great thing to have. Travelling around, you get to spend lots of time with the most important thing, your family. We have all drawn closer together, and we have strengthened our family ties.

9. Seeing God's provision

God has truly provided for us. Going to the snow, was only possible as God placed it on a friends heart to give us a donation. Also, the humorously expensive car repair was just able to be paid, and we were truly grateful.

Permaculture: All that I have Learned

While travelling, we have become interested in Permaculture. We would like to settle down, and have some land to work our way to supporting ourselves off the farm. In May, we plan to go to a Permaculture Design Certificate course. We think that Permaculture fits well with the bible, especially the ethics of care of earth, care of people, and fair share, sharing resources with others.

What is permaculture? Here is a description from www.permacultureprinciples.com:
Permaculture is a creative design process that is based on ethics and design principles. It guides us to mimic the patterns and relationships we can find in nature and can be applied to all aspects of human habitation, from agriculture to ecological building, from appropriate technology to education and even economics

There are twelve principles of permaculture. I will share also what I have learned about what the 12 principles mean. They are:

1. Observe and Interact- Nature is the perfect garden. God designed it with precision, and they can support themselves without intervention from man.

2. Catch and Store Energy- Water, Food, Solar energy, are all things that we need to catch and store. Water is becoming an increasingly important resource, and if we do not store it we will lose it.

3. Obtain a Yield- We do not want to not get anything if we work the land. We just want to not destroy the land while obtaining a yield. We want to look after the land, and feed ourselves at the same time.

4. Apply Self Regulation and accept Feedback- If we do not accept feedback, how will we know what we are doing wrong, and what do we know to improve? Maybe a system would work better, why do we get defensive when someone suggests something? Feedback is important to improve and fix things that could be improved/ fixed

5. Use and value Renewable Resources and services- If we are simply usiong non-renewable sources (coal, petrol etc.) what do we do if it runs out. Using renewable resources allows us to actually keep something for our children to use. Already petrol and diesel are getting more and more expensive, and if we can find something renewable, why dont we value it?

6. Produce no waste- We value what we have, and conserve it 'Waste not, Want not'.

7. Design From Patterns to Details- If we design from the big things to the little things, details will fill themselves in as you start to plan.

8. Integrate rather than segregate- Plant plenty of crops rather than just one (like corn). Just think of symbiosis (i've been learning about it in Biology). By putting the right things in the right place, relationships develop between those things and they work together to support each other.

9. Use small and slow solutions- Small and slow solutions are easier to maintain than bigger ones, and also 'slow and steady win the race'.

10. Use and Value Diversity- Diversity reduces vulnerability to things like pests and diseases. It also takes better use of the environment in which it lives.

11. Use Edges and value the marginal- The interface between things is where the most interesting events take place. These are often the most valuable, diverse and productive elements in the system.

12. Creatively Use and respond to change- We can observe and then intervene, using creative methods that we have observed to intervene.

I’m not an expert, that is just all I have learned. We all have discovered some great websites. Here they are if you want some more information:

Geoff Lawton- Here are some great videos, that are free

Redeeming the Dirt- We greatly enjoyed the book, Born Again Dirt. It provides a biblical perspective to farming, and it is extremely interesting.

Permaculture Voices- This website is great. There is heaps of great stuff, and it is really imformative and covers a whole range of topics.

Jack Spirko has also done a lot videos that are really informative. They are all available on Youtube. Here are the links to the first 3.

Permaculture with Jack Spirko Part 1- Introduction

Permaculture with Jack Spirko Part 2- Ethics

Permaculture with Jack Spirko Part 3 - The Third Ethic

Celebrating Birthdays- While on the Road!!

 Just today marked our 8^th birthday celebrated while on the trip. We also have had a Christmas on the road. We have been lucky, and have actually only had 2 (now 3) birthdays in the actual caravan. I had my birthday in Cloncurry (see post here: Experience of a Lifetime), while Mum, Dad’s, Josh’s and Joel’s were in Kununurra, and these were all celebrated while we were staying in a house. Tahlia had hers also in Kununurra, but in the caravan. Chloe has had hers in Dubbo and Derby (two D’s!!). So how did we celebrate and pull off Chloe’s birthday?

Last night, Chloe's head kept on popping up and over the curtain. You would hear a “Lie Down” and Chloe would dive down onto her bed again. We were trying to wrap presents, and it doesn’t help when the most secret place on the caravan is sitting on the double bed. When we had finally finished (without Chloe getting a peek) Chloe had finally fallen asleep and all the presents were stacked on the lounge.

Chloe was very happy when she woke up. We chased people out of bed (cold water in the fridge) and we all lined up with big yawns. Chloe eagerly ripped in and was (in Joel's language), quite a haul. She got cds, Dvds, a barbie, twin baby dolls, rapunzel colouring book and a fishing rod (Joel and Josh's present).

This isn't the birthday girl, but as there
was twin babies, Chloe kindly gave
 Tahlia one so the girls could
enjoy playing together. 

For a cake, we made our famous ice-cream cake. We simply soften some ice-cream, and then add lollies, chocolate, and lots of other yummy things. We once put meringues in there, on the top of the ice-cream. We then add whipped cream (actually whipped, this cake we just made had un-whipped cream and it didn't set properly) and refreeze it. To correspond with the boy's jobs, we had it in the afternoon. We managed to catch everyone but Joel, who came out for dinner later anyway.

We had a lovely dinner out, and everyone but Josh managed to catch the dinner. We had photos, and as always we had the big family photo. As it was Chloe's birthday, she got to pick her favourite pizzas, and (yay!!) we got hers and my favourite- Hawaiian. When we got home, Chloe loved to watch Barbie as Rapunzel, and then it was bed time for our big 7 year old.

Here is some practical tips for celebrating birthdays on the road:

Keep the presents simple, travelling around is probably one of the best presents you can give your children. DVD's and books are great, and they both can always be left at a caravan park, or an op shop. Also ebooks (we have all kindles) if you can, as they don't take up a lot of space. Also, you can download movies off the internet, and give them a USB with the movies on them. The girls like The Magic School Bus, and you could get as many as you can, and put them on a USB for watching them.
Here is a quick way to download youtube:
In the address bar, simply put ss before the www. Here is an example: This is the URL- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4w-U9lGGS4
Simply put ss in before the www. and it will redirect you to a free download centre. (ss in bold).
http://sswww.youtube.com/watch?v=l4w-U9lGGS4
You don't always need heaps of presents, sometimes a few well thought about gifts are good.
What about experiences? Like rock climbing, horse riding, water-skiing e.t.c. What does your child like? What are the experiences around where you are? For Chloe's 6^th birthday, we went to the Western Plain Zoo in Dubbo and we all greatly enjoyed it.You can always buy a cake if making one is too hard. As it requires nothing more than a freezer, we like making an ice-cream cake ourselves.   

Large Family Travel: Sleeping in a Caravan

Where do we sleep everybody?? Once when we had somebody knock on our door to introduce themselves, they almost fell over as the whole 7 of us piled out, one after the other (some more gracefully than others). In fact, the same effect happens to people when we all pile out of the Transit after a day of driving, half of us falling over each other in our haste to get out. How on earth do you fit in a 6 by 2 m caravan, let alone travel around in it. One of the most common questions is where do you all sleep?

In the caravan, at the back, we have 2 sets of double bunks. Chloe and I sleep on the two top beds, while Tahlia sleeps on the bottom bunk. That leaves one spare bunk, and we use it to store the printer, toys, and the winter hanging clothes. We installed a hanging rail hanging from the top bunk. It is quite useful, and we put the printer in between the clothes, stopping it from being damaged while traveling.

One of the bad things about the double bunks is the vinyl that covers the mattress. When we sweat, (like leather lounges) we all stick to it and it is quite painful to peel ourselves off. To stop us all waking up and having to peel ourselves off, we put blankets and slepingbags on the beds to stop us from having to go through the painful (I am completely serious) experience of peeling ourselves off the sweaty mattresses.

Mum and Dad have a double bed up the front of the caravan. While in Cloncurry, we rotated the bed, and we freed up more space. The bed serves as a couch as well as a bed, and mum and dad are always brushing out dirt from the bed, as naughty kids (not me) are jumping on the bed. The bed is definitely the comfiest of all, and everyone is stealing nanny naps on the bed when we can.

The boys sleep in stretcher tents. Stretcher tents are basically a swag on a stretcher, and they have been really good for traveling around. The boys got these stretcher tents for their birthdays before we left, and they camped out in them at home just to test them out.