Feature: Big Oz Explorers

Ever dream of getting away from it all? Just, you know, packing only the essentials, loading up a vehicle with your family and hitting the road to call it home? For the majority of us, the dream stays a dream. But for some, the dream is too potent to ignore. That's what happened to Sian and Chris and when they became pregnant with their second child, they decided to build the dream into reality. 

It's a widely held notion that Aussies have a more adventurous spirit than the world's gen pop. Maybe it's Australia's extensive list of wildlife capable of killing you which Aussie's seem to shrug off as part of life. Or, maybe it's that Aussies are ever-present across the globe at tourist destinations beholding adventure (if you've traveled somewhere fun ie. Whistler, Thailand, Spain - you know this to be true and you've got fond memories of them too). So with an adventurous spirit and no cross-country travel to be had this year, is it any wonder that interest in caravans is exploding down under? Or is it a surprise that many of them are homes to families looking for an unconventional lifestyle that's becoming more conventional every year? Maybe it makes perfect sense :) 

Read on to learn all about the family dubbed Big Oz Explorers on Instagram and get ready to be inspired to start packing and looking into a home on wheels. 

Where are you right now, where were you before and where are you going next? 

We are currently in Darwin, NT and feeling the humidity during rain season! We rushed up this way from North Queensland with the hope to cross over the WA border and get in front of the crowds while we explore what the west coast has to offer. Both Chris and I have wanted to visit WA from the second we spoke of planning this journey!

Tell us about yourself. Why’d you choose your lifestyle? How long have you been at it? Any plans for the near future? Distant future?

In a previous life I, Sian (33) was an Enrolled Nurse and Chris (33) was a heavy machine operator. We were living the 9-5 daily grind paying weekly bills and a mortgage while saving for our usual annual holidays. We have two children Jayda (7) and Jack (1). We started to plan the move into a caravan when I fell pregnant with Jack. Neither of us wanted to miss out on Jack’s milestones and the pleasure it is to be a parent to a young child. We started seeing other young families living on the road and decided that maybe this lifestyle would be for us. Our initial plan was to sell and travel for 1 year and then reassess at the time. Within a few months, we couldn’t imagine being back in a house! Our plans are now indefinite or until we have a feeling we need to get back into an actual house. With regards to distant future plans, your guess is as good as mine! That is part of the fun; not knowing what is next…

Tell us about your rig. How long have you had it, how much distance have you put on it, where have you taken it? 

We are currently driving a 2020 Y62 Nissan Patrol. This was not our first car; we started our journey in a 2016 XLT Ford Ranger. We learnt a lot about weights and what car can tow what trailer legally. The Ranger was unfortunately not cut out for our setup so in July 2020, we upgraded to the Patrol. We have driven 12,000km since purchasing the car new and we have taken it everywhere we go! It has already earnt pinstripes in tight off-road tracks at Cape York and ventured through the famous Old Telegraph Track. We LOVE our new car and wouldn’t change it for the world, there is nowhere the Patrol couldn’t handle so far while we trip around Australia, it’s a weapon!

What product(s) of ours do you have onboard? How’s it working out for you? 

We currently have Sirocco II fans installed in our caravan. They are fantastic! It’s amazing that such a small 12V fan can produce such good airflow. When we are off grid, our Sirocco fans are running 24/7 to keep us cool. They are quiet, easy to clean and easy to use. Another bonus is that the draw from our battery is minimal meaning we can have them on all the time with no need to worry about draining our batteries. This is such an important factor for us when travelling off grid and our Sirocco Fans are truly a life and battery saver when in warm weather.

We found you through an online community you’re part of and seem to be actively involved with. What’s the vibe like these days? Are you finding more people are starting to live the way you are? 

We are actively involved with many online communities as this is how we find out valuable information and also promote our YouTube and socials to other starter travellers. I feel like when we started in early 2020, there were quite a few ‘blonde nomad’ families on the road. I believe 2021 is going to be the biggest year yet and very busy with many more families like us travelling. A lot of people were affected by Covid and have had to postpone their already planned trip until this year or 2022. The nomadic life is such a great way to live and much cheaper than being in a house and what a bonus that you get to see the beautiful country we call home as well. It’s almost crazy not to try this lifestyle!

It’s a weird time for the world. How have you been affected personally or how has your lifestyle changed recently? 

When we initially hit the road in March 2020, it was right as Covid became a pandemic and everyone was being locked down. Meanwhile, here we are with an unconditional sale of our house trying to move into a caravan! It was a hectic and stressful time for us as a family, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. During the first months of travel, we only moved as far as Covid restrictions would allow us, but over time it eased. To be honest it didn’t affect us too much as we didn’t have daily jobs or places to be, our only commitment was to the caravan and kids. The more recent events with the UK strand of Covid did affect us however when we flew home to see family in Brisbane. We were locked down in Brisbane for three days not knowing what would happen with borders when our van and car were still stored in the Northern Territory. We were lucky the Northern Territory opened to people in Brisbane and we were able to get back to our home on wheels!