Family share road trip of a lifetime around Australia
FROM its fantastic weather to the stunning beaches, there are many Brits who dream of packing up and moving to Australia.
While some never turn that fantasy into a reality, there are others who risk everything they have for a new life down under.
That’s exactly what Ceara and Lynton Rhodes did when they swapped Rochdale for Sydney eight years ago and they haven’t looked back since.
The couple initially travelled to Australia as backpackers on one-year visas but decided to stay in the country for a better quality of life.
They became residents and welcomed their two daughters, Ivy, four and Billie, two, before purchasing a house in Sydney.
The pair had always planned to travel around Australia, but never got the chance before the arrival of their children.
So before Ivy starts school next year, the couple have decided to put all their belongings into storage, rent out their home and explore the country in a caravan.
Since starting their mammoth journey in September, the family have travelled around the east coast of Sydney, past Melbourne and have even taken a ferry to Tasmania.
They plan to see all the main beaches Tasmania has to offer before travelling west.
In total, the family predict they will have clocked up 35,000km by the end of their adventure.
“We have always wanted to go travelling but ended up having kids first,” litigation consultant Ceara, 28, told the Observer.
“We knew our eldest would have to start school soon.
“Before she starts school and properly settles down, we thought we would do the whole of Australia over a year.
“We leased our house out for 12 months, bought a caravan and moved into the caravan.
“We put all our stuff into storage or sold it and we’re just driving around!”
Ceara and Lynton, who are originally from the Castleton area, arrived in Australia in 2015 and secretly wed in Hawaii two years later, before settling in Sydney.
Lynton, who works as a carpenter, says it’s unlikely the pair will ever return to the UK.
“We’ve gone that far into Australian life now,” the 29-year-old told the
Observer.
“The kids were born here and we’re both citizens now.
“We’ve really settled down here; we own a house.
“We probably won’t ever go back.” On their adventure, Ceara added: “The space is a bit small, we need to get used to it.
“But it’s good because every day you wake up and there are new beaches.
“The weather is always good, even though in Australia you do have the odd rainy day.
“The girls are loving it. They are just having the best time. They’re pretty outdoorsy anyway, which is good, but they’ve still got their toys and they’re meeting loads of people.
“There are loads of families as a lot of families in Australia do this [travelling].
“When we pull up places, there are always loads of families with kids.
“They’re out making friends and just playing. It’s so beautiful.”
The Rhodes family are documenting every step of their travel adventure on Instagram.