Four months on the road

January saw us spend more precious time in Tassie, celebrate Miss Matilda’s birthday, sail across the high seas again, discover the gem that is Geelong and return to Ballarat after 17 years.

It was also about spending time with some great people, be it old friends, adopted family, fellow travellers we had met along the way or family members, they all welcomed us with open arm, hearts and homes

Before we get into the highlights – let’s look at the numbers for this month (and total in brackets):

3,027kms travelled (15,064kms) + approx 860km on the Spirit of Tas!
Fuel bill for the month: $812.67 ($5,129.26)
Most expensive diesel: $2.25
Cheapest diesel: $1.92
Most expensive campsite: $89 per night (ouch – peak season!!)
Accommodation costs: $526 (2,936.86)*
States & Territories visited: 2 (5)
Pools swum in: 2 (9)
Natural waterholes/beaches swum in: 3 (6)
ParkRuns completed: 2 (
Playgrounds visited: 13 (52)
Big things: 3 (7)
Harry Potter audio books listened to: 4.2
Podcasts on high rotation: “Are we there yet?” (Check out Espy Travel). We highly recommend this for travelling families (or just families in the car a lot – it’s great!)

Highlights

We keep thinking this will be easy, it’s been a slow travel month but man we still packed in a lot! From the wonders of southern Tasmania, a week in the oasis of Mole Creek and surrounds and the east coast farewell to discovering Geelong and Ballarat we’ve had a blast again.

We hiked around Dove Lake, visited Fossil Beach and Lake Barrington. We celebrated Matilda’s Birthday and sailed across the Bass again before catching up with fellow travellers who generously fed us and showed us around their great town of Geelong.

We had genuine, old fashioned, fun at Tazmazia and the Village of Local Crackpot, Penny Royal, Museum of Play and Art and the Adventure Park in Geelong (honestly it was so good!) and discovered the beauty and personality of Ballarat.

It’s a little hard to pick highlights after all that but here we go…

E: Penny Royal, New Years Day (Drip beach!), Adventure Park, Mole Creek, Swansea, Tasmazia, Lake Barrington, MoPA, Ballarat, Spirit of Tasmania, Geelong and Cradle mountain .

G: Building / crashing Ian’s model plane , Tasmazia, Cradle Mountain, Adventure Park.

M: My birthday at Tasmazia and Lake Barrington with Freya and Thomas, New Year’s Day (Drip beach!), Cradle Mountain, Swansea, Spirit of Tasmania, Adventure Park, Penny Royal, Geelong, Ballarat.

H: I’m finding this harder and harder! But I think the others have covered the places that were awesome so my highlights will be about the people. Being treated like family by Erin, Ian, Will and their extended family, having Matilda’s birthday made extra special by them and Ollie, Freya and Thomas, catching up with Mick and Ann and being so generously welcomed into their home, spending time with Michelle and meeting her gorgeous little ones, and getting to know Annette as an adult rather than kids in the backyard are what made my January special.

(and because I chose the photos this month – you can meet them in our photo highlights!)

Lessons learnt

Say Yes! When friends and family offer to put your van up for a while. Say yes! They always mean it, they don’t mind, they enjoy the company and you will make amazing memories with them!

*this is also why – our accommodation was low again this month (for us – we know those super free campers out there smash it out all the time!)

Thanks again goes to our friends and family who have let us park-up in their backyard/street and use their place as an amenities block, laundry, camp kitchen and tv room. We will be forever grateful xox