This time in a month

So this time in a month we will be spending the last night in our house for a while.  I am sure I will be up just as late (currently 11pm) going over everything in my head and hoping we haven't forgotten anything.  Maybe also a slight bit of nerves in the sense that we just want everything to run smoothly (well as smoothly as it can with two kids in a van).

Anyway no real updates so far, though March I am sure there will be as we start to really get the van ready and prepare for our little holiday.

First lesson learnt.

We had an expectation that we would learn as we go with this holiday.  However we got our first lesson coming back from Kayla's Baptism in St George.  Kayla is happy to sit in the car until 4pm... after that she will make you as over it as she is.  Needless to say it was a long trip home as we didn't get home until 7:30 pm.  She was happy as long as we stopped (I think she thought she was getting her way) and then as soon as we were back up to 100 she was back to being cranky.  Of course we didn't learn from our trip out there (arrived at 5pm).

So then and there Jason and I decided that we aren't even going to try and come close.  We need to be at our destination and set up by 4pm.  Most days we are travelling this will be easy as we only have 300km to go.  However on the big days (at the start and end) we are going to either leave earlier or spread out the driving a bit more.  To be honest I think we only have two big driving days which isn't too bad really.  Still it is better to be sitting at our table, beer in hand then trying to entertain a baby in the car.

So what do we need...

Like all big trips, we start with a massive list of things we "have" to take.  Then reality hits and you realise that you can't in fact fit the kitchen sink.  Well we are lucky as we are taking the kitchen sink as the van has one, however we are limited in what we can fit in it.

So obviously first and foremost to take is the van (surely we can't forget that).  We have slowly over the last year being fitting out the van so that we can comfortably travel in there with Hamish and Kayla.  Many a weekend away has been taken to decide what works and doesn't work and how to improve storage and space.  Not to mention settting up and packing up.

Today, our latest purchase was a new camera to capture those wonderful moments of our trip.  It didn't help that our old one was playing up so much and one of the lenses was accidently dropped and could no longer be attached to the camera.  Needless to say we had heaps of fun this afternoon taking photos with it.  The below photos are the outcome of our afternoon - check out Kayla's facial expression in the first.

ONE bag, that is all I am allowed???

                                                  Happy snapping away.

                                      A child's first hero - their Dad (then comes superman, Dora etc)

A road well travelled.

So we thought some details of our trip would be a great start.  We are heading off on the Easter long weekend and will return in May.  Below is a map of our rough road trip (driving in a anti-clockwise direction), but like everything it is subject to change.  How long we stay in each place will depend on two things;

1. How much we like the place
2. Always mindful that you have to allow enough time for the rest of the trip (otherwise we might never return).

The start of our holiday blog.

Well like most holidays, there is a lot of planning an preparation that goes into them.  Ours has constantly be changing, mainly to do with the lack of leave Jason's work will let him take.  Originally it was to be 3 months, then 6 weeks, and finally we have a locked in and approved 5 weeks.  Obviously as the amount of time has shortened the destination has changed too.  So where are we planning to go I hear you ask???  The Murray River, starting in SA and ending in NSW.  We are really looking forward to it and are going to use this page to share with you our preparations and our adventures as we go. 

Some people might think we are crazy going away for 5 weeks in a little Jayco Dove, and maybe we are, but to use the time away as a family discovering our great country will far outway the bad moments.  I will be reminding  myself of that on the long driving days when my 3 year old is constantly saying "I want to go home" (his favourite phrase at the moment) and my 6/7 month old will be upset from being in her carseat for so long.

Anyway please enjoy our updates.

Jason, Patricia, Hamish & Kayla