Our thoughts first turned to travelling around Australia full time in about 2014. Since then we have been busy planning how we are going to achieve this. A question that we often get asked though is why we want to travel Australia. There are lots of reasons why we want to travel Australia full time so I thought I would share some of them with you. Maybe you will decide that the travelling life is for you too.
WE WANT TO SEE AUSTRALIA
This would be our number one reason. We all know that Australia is a stunning country and a country of many contrasts and we want to see it all. But we don’t just want to see what’s on the Coast or in the tourist magazines, we want to get off the beaten track and see the small towns and communities that form the heart and soul of this country. So many small country towns are struggling to survive, but if all us travellers keep visiting them they will have a better chance of thriving.
Old Pubs like this one in Coonamble, NSW are part of the attraction of travelling Australia.
WE WANT TO TRAVEL SLOWLY
We have already seen a large part of NSW and Queensland but it has always been in short, fast blocks. Usually two weeks or a month at a time. When you are on a time schedule, there are always going to be things that you miss out on seeing. By choosing to travel full-time, we will create more time to stop and explore an area more thoroughly. It’s also a great way to take the road less travelled. You never know what you might find.
By travelling full time, you can travel more slowly and see more things.
A SIMPLER LIFE
We have both been working since we were in our teens. Brenden has nearly always driven trucks, which has taken him away from his family for days at a time. This has meant that it has often just been me and the kids. But now that they are young adults and starting to make their own way in the world, it is time for us. But we don’t want to wait until retirement age to have this experience. We are looking forward to not having the responsibility of maintaining a family home and we really aren’t interested in living in suburbia anymore. We are definitely looking for a quieter way of life.
Whilst we will still have some regular bills that will need to be paid like rego and insurance, I won’t miss paying a mortgage or the hefty Gold Coast rates!
We easily live in a spot like this for weeks
NEW EXPERIENCES
Travel is the ideal way to experience new things. Some days may be the same, but most days we are expecting to see and do things that we haven’t before. We believe that travel has a lot of health benefits too. It is a great way to keep our bodies fit and our minds stimulated. We are also looking forward to meeting like minded people along the way and making lots of new friends.
Learning to drive on soft sand was a new experience for us.
FINDING OUR FOREVER PLACE
When we decide that we no longer wish to travel full time we know that we don’t want to return to the Gold Coast to live. But we also have no idea where we would actually like to live. So while we are travelling we hope that we might come across that special spot that we could see ourselves living in. We are open to all possibilities so who knows where we might end up!
What are your reasons for wanting to travel Australia full time?
What awesome plans you have Melissa! I hear what you’re saying about wanting a simpler life. I think I’d want a base to return to as well. Our kids are in high school, so we won’t be going anywhere for a while… but I can daydream 🙂 #TeamLovinLife
before you know it they’ll be all finished. It passes in the blink of an eye!
We’ve just made a sea-change to the Sunshine Coast from Sydney. I feel that finally we’ve found our forever place. I’d still like to do a series of road trips – see Aus slowly & absorb it all. I’m excited for you & look forward to reading about it as it happens.
Thanks Jo…there is no doubting that the Sunshine Coast is a gorgeous part of Australia. I like that life there seems to move at a much slower pace.
That’s so cool. I love that you’re travelling full time. I personally would prefer to have a home back to come back to from time to time, but I do like the idea of just meandering along at your own pace without deadlines or restrictions.
Not travelling full time yet but it won’t be long! We can’t wait!
These are all very good reasons for wanting to travel Australia full-time and I can identify with them. As you know we travelled for 7 months around Australia and while it was the best days of our lives it was also sometimes challenging. I think the biggest challenge was missing my kids, family and friends. Plus you do eventually miss having space because you are living in the small confines of a caravan. However in saying all this we will certainly be heading off on more big trips but maybe not for 7 months next time. 🙂 #TeamLovinLife
How exciting that you might end up living in a new place! I am always dreaming of living in the country but Dixie will not move because of his work.
Maybe one day when he’s ready to ‘slow down’ you will be able to live your dream too Anne.