From Tour Guide to Spotto Books: Jess Day’s Journey of Adventure and Education
In this episode of Big Lap Chats, Annette interviews Jess Day, better known as Outback Jess.
A former tour guide and the creator of Spotto Books, Jess shares her adventures across Australia, her approach to family travel, and how she turned her love of exploration into a thriving business.
With a passion for the outdoors and a knack for creating educational tools, Jess offers insights, tips, and inspiration for families planning their own road trips.
Meet Outback Jess
Jess earned her nickname during her tour guiding days, traveling extensively across the Outback, Kimberley, and beyond.
She met her partner, Gary Day (G'day!), during her time in the Kimberley, and their shared love for adventure has taken them on countless trips, including a full lap of Australia with their two children.
Family Travel and Road Schooling
Jess shares how she blended education with exploration, calling it "road schooling." Her kids learned practical skills like map reading, counting change, and understanding geography through real-world experiences.
She highlights the adaptability and resilience kids develop through travel.
Packing Tips for Families
Less is more: Jess advises against overpacking, emphasizing the importance of simplifying and leaving room for nature-based play.
Bring essentials like a comfort toy for kids, but trust that most items can be purchased along the way if needed.
Top Money-Saving Hacks
Invest in a small freezer to buy meat and frozen veggies in bulk at major towns to save on food costs in remote areas.
Avoid buying snacks and drinks at service stations; stock up at large supermarkets instead.
Use free camps when possible and safe to do so.
The Creation of Spotto Books
Spotto Books was born out of a need to keep her kids engaged during long road trips. These visual activity books help children spot wildlife, landmarks, and other features, turning travel into an exciting game.
Since launching during COVID, Jess has sold over 20,000 books, all printed in Australia.
While Jess keeps her top free camps a secret to avoid overcrowding, she loves sharing tips with locals and other travellers for discovering hidden gems.
Visiting local visitor centres and chatting with other travellers is her go-to strategy for finding unique spots.
Final Thought
Jess’s story is a testament to the transformative power of travel, both for families and individuals.
Her practical advice and innovative solutions, like Spotto Books, show how anyone can make the most of their Australian road trip, no matter the challenges.
Jess Day
Outback Jess
Outback Jess is widely travelled, being a tour guide in Australia for over 10 years. She was lucky enough to work and show tourists all through the red centre, NT, and SA. She loved living and working all over WA and Far north Queensland.
She has also travelled 2 laps of Australia, just for fun. She was named Outback Jess by her mates in Newy, who couldn’t keep up with where she was. When asked “where’s Jess these days?” They’d say “Outback somewhere” So Outback Jess Just stuck.
Outback Jess is founder of Spotto Books – a series of travel activity books that save your sanity on long drives. They are filled with pictures of things to spotto in Australia like yellow cars, wildlife and big things.
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All Around Oz acknowledges the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitants of the nation and the traditional custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work. {SOURCE}
