Travelling Tips

While on the road we have learnt many tips and tricks about everything from travelling with kids to what to take with you and what to see. We will be regularly updating this page with our tips so that if you are planning a trip with the family or are escaping the grandkids you will be a little wiser!

I apologise that these are in no particular order, perhaps when we return from the trip I will have time to sort them out and categorise them for easier reference.

Tip 1
Keep your chocky in the fridge! Dark chocolate remolds the best and Aldi brand is just as nice at half the price.

Tip 2
Keep a stash of lollies (jelly beans work best for us) for walks. It will give the kids a bit more energy and makes a great incentive to keep going - just up this hill and you can have a jelly bean!

Tip 3
Carry sunscreen everywhere possible. Different climates in Australia can catch you out, coming from Canberra our girls have (or at least had) lilley white skin that burns easily. We now carry sunscreen in my handbag, the car and the camper so it is always on hand.

Tip 4
DVD Players a MUST for long trips. While DVD players are great for the sanity in the car, it can also make life harder if kids want to watch movies all the time. You want the children to see Australia, not be able to recite Shrek on que. We found the easiest way to settle fights was to have a set movie time. We put movies on after lunch when they are in need of some quiet time (as are we) and they will often fall asleep while watching. Having the same time means they don't pester you all day.

Tip 5
Cameras are great for the children however there are a few things we have learnt about carrying them so far.
1. Make sure you have spare batteries and a spare memory card for each camera if possible. Our girls will go through a 1gb card in 2 days and the batteries will run out about the same time. You don't want the tantrums if they can't get their photo when they want to - and you don't want to miss them getting the photo either.
2. Use rechargable batteries and a rapid charger, the additional money you spend at the beginning will save you a fortune on the road!
3. Make sure they have their own case and a neck strap for young ones. This means they can carry the camera themselves and you don't have them all in your handbag/backpack. It also means they won't bug you everytime they want to take a shot they just take it. Good idea to train them to put it back into the case when they get the shot too.

Tip 6
HATS A MUST
Kids these days are used to wearing hats so it isn't as much drama. Make sure you have wide brimmed hats. The Akubras that we have for the girls have been the best thing they could possibly have worn as they are made for the climate and conditions of Australia. They shade perfectly and they feel special wearing them. The only problem is on windy days - I found tucking their ponytail up under the hat holds it in place better.

Tip 7
Planning your trip
Make sure you talk to people who have done a similar trip, with our without children. this is the best way to gain knowledge on the must see areas. Places can look fantastic in the 3 photos you see on the internet however when you get there, those 3 photos are the only thing to see for miles and not that good anyway. Talking to people in the camp grounds is also fantastic as the knowledge is recent especially in the wet seasons with road closures.

Tip 8
The right tyres
Make sure you have good tyres on your vehicle AND spares. We couldn't afford tyres at first as good 4WD tyres will cost you over $300 each. We found a secondhand tyre place with barely used tyres and they only cost us $100 each. A HUGE SAVING!

Tip 9
Waterless handwash is your best friend with children!
Dettol handwash is my saviour lately. When you are travelling there is never soap in public toilets and even in caravan park toilets. Kids will play in the dirt, pat animals, and generally need to wash their hand regularly. We have a small bottle in the car for travelling and a pump pack in our camper for day to day use and it is used regularly. I can't tell you enought how fantastic this stuff is, and the peace of mind it will give you.

Tip 10
Mobile Phones
While we all love to hate Telstra the sad thing is they have a monopoly on the rural market. I am happy to say however that I have found the service excellent (reception that is, not the people at Telstra). I have found as long as I am in a town I have reception, I have even been surprised by some remote locations where there is only a caravan park - Flinders Ranges, Wilson't Prom, just to name a few! If you need a phone then you need to go with the Next G network, noting even compares unfortunately.
More to come, stay tuned!