‘WE’RE LIVING THE AUSSIE DREAM...
love, laughter and toddler tantrums included!’ Teagan and Russell gave up everything to travel around Australia with their kids
Most families love nothing more than hooking up the caravan, piling the kids in the car and heading off for a holiday full of outdoor adventure. But for Teagan Van Rees, Russell Mcfarlane and their children, Ava, four, and Finn, three, it’s their way of life.
The couple started their never-ending trip in July 2019, shortly after their son Finn was born, selling their belongings, renting out their home in Perth, WA and moving into a 6.4-metre caravan.
“It’s been a wild ride to say the least,” Teagan tells Woman’s Day while on the way to the Pilbara, WA. “We started out with a car and van full of prams and nappies, bottles, baby carriers and now scooters, helmets and far too many teddies.”
ROAD TO ADVENTURE
“Now we’ve got two kids who have a wicked sense of freedom and have grown into themselves, thriving on adventure, and who know that no power means no ABC Kids!”
After 18 months on the road, the couple have now sold their home and committed to the caravan way of life.
But giving up their creature comforts – reliable internet, a washing machine and their privacy – hasn’t been easy. With no prior caravanning experience, life on the road
has been a steep learning curve for Teagan, 35, and Russell, a former FIFO worker.
“Initially it was a big adjustment – you don’t just buy a caravan and drive off into the sunset,” admits Teagan, a freelance photographer.
“Now we feel life is a little bit easier because we’re not competing with the constant cleaning, the lawn mowing, the gardening and all the extra stuff.”
Spending their days chasing sunsets, swimming in waterholes or watching the red dirt fly behind their wheels, the family love that, most days, the hardest choice is what campsite they’ll stay at next.
“We’ve stumbled across some great places,” says Russell, 46, who explains the family hope to complete a full lap of Australia.
“Other travellers move fast and try and fill a bucket list, but we take a different approach.”
Teagan adds, “We like to stay places three to five nights – we allow the kids to go and play... we’re in no rush.”
MAKING FRIENDS
And while juggling life on the road with two children under five isn’t all fun and games, spending quality time with their kids are the moments Teagan cherishes.
“It’s taught us a lot of patience – 24 hours, seven days a week with the children, we’ve had some really ordinary days when they argue and they don’t listen,” she confesses.
“But I think raising them on the road feels like the right thing.
“They’re getting a lot of exposure to things, and while the bad days are hard, the good days… well, you never want them to end.”
Visiting hundreds of stunning locations and clocking up countless kilometres, the family have made friends across the country, by striking up conversations in caravan parks and sharing their special moments on social media.
“We have met some of the most incredible humans, people that have made us feel like we belong,” says Teagan, who chronicles the family’s travels on Instagram and Facebook. “It’s been amazing.”
With no plans to put down roots anytime soon,
Teagan and Russell agree there is only one thing that would change their travelling plans: Ava and Finn.
“If the kids tell us they’d had enough and want to stop that would be it, but we don’t have any end in sight,” says Teagan.
“There are still so many things we want to see and do.”
And their biggest piece of advice for other families
‘Raising them on the road feels like the right thing’
considering a life on the road – take your time.
“From our experience my advice would be, slow down, be with your family and enjoy this time,” says Teagan.
“We are so grateful to be out on the open road.”
Follow the family’s adventures around Australia at facebook. com/carkidsanavan