There’s nothing like getting away and being with nature, escaping the bright city lights and taking some time out from it all in your home away from home. Whether you’re camping in a tent, camper trailer or caravan it’s easy to get the most out of your adventure and make anywhere feel like home with a little know how and planning.
Tracy Morris from full time travelling family The Blonde Nomads shares some insights on how they like to make anywhere home
As a full time travelling family we can’t get enough of exploring and discovering new places in our home on wheels. We have been around the block enough to know what we want when it comes to choosing a campsite as well as the items we love to use that help us make our 22ft caravan home.
We have mastered ‘the art’ of setting up our caravan so once we arrive at a new destination in no time at all we are kicking back, enjoying the good life and ready to explore our ever-changing backyard.
Campsite Goals
When we look for a campsite we start with the basics like making sure it is a level area with enough space to fit our caravan and have the awning out. We make sure we are not under any trees with low branches and love to park our car close by so we have easy access.
Our ideal camp spot would be close to water that is safe for our mini Blondies Marli and Ziggy to enjoy so we can relax with a drink while they keep themselves busy having a splash. An opportunity for a surf, snorkel or a spot of fishing is always a plus and being able to enjoy a campfire at night is the icing on the cake!
Location, Location, Location
Living in Australia provides us with the opportunity to enjoy so many diverse camping locations. We love that we can show our kids the wonders of the outback and aussie bush, get down and dirty in some red dust and star gaze at night around a warm fire.
…We can then hook on the caravan, jump in the car and head to the coast to swim, fish and explore the wonders of the ocean. There are so many destinations and places with varying vistas, wildlife and adventure opportunities that we love and so many that we are yet to visit - we can’t wait to explore them all.
A little Lux
There are a few items that we have added to our caravan that allows us to enjoy some ‘creature comforts’ that you would usually enjoy in a house.
Our Solar setup is definitely something that we love and allows us to generate power while free camping off-grid. We can use a variety of devices from our TV and music system to being able to charge our cameras and make a cafe style cappuccinos! We can even power our toaster and thermomix! A few other homely comforts include our 12V fans that we had installed for those hot nights as well as a full ensuite with a toilet and shower which is super handy especially with little ones. It’s also the ‘little things’ that we have added to our van like hanging plants, family photos, art the kids have created and (probably too many!!) toys and books for the kids.
Vanlife Community
Another element of our nomadic lifestyle is that it provides an amazing opportunity to meet and make new friends. We miss our family and friends and thanks to technology are in touch regularly with them but we have also met so many great people including families who are fellow travellers or living in the areas we have visited.
So many people have welcomed us into their homes, let us camp on their property or we have travelled in a convoy together enjoying new camp spots, sharing meals and watching our kids play together. It’s this special community of like-minded people who help us make anywhere home.
You can follow this adventurous family of four on their travels around Australia via @theblondenomads on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube as well as their blog www.theblondenomads.com.au