Planning a 6 week caravaning trip from Melb to WA - are we crazy?

[Doing my best]

I think it sounds like a great idea.. Makes me want to to go on a big trip caravan trip again (we did 4 weeks when DD was 7 months)

The heat would be my biggest issue, cause I don't like aircon all the time..

[Rainbow_Mumma]

it sounds fantastic - if you are a reader i highly suggest reading this before you go a book called Almost Perfect by Kelly Denley its available in libraries so no need to buy it but its about a family who did something very similar and there experiences with it gives a great insight before doing a trip like this

[AllisD]

Are you mad? No absolutely NOT!! I would love to do a big trip like that with all my family. I especially want to do the whole drive to Broome and back trip before my oldest starts Boarding school which is at the end of next year.

We drive for 10-12 hours just to get to a town with stoplights (great excitement for the little ones) so my kids are great travellers and used to it. If you are worried - try getting a in-car DVD player. It can help especially when covering long drives of similar types of country where the kids have no interest at all.

Ohhhh I am so jealous!!!

[Megan]

Sounds fantastic to me! We are planning a similar trip in about 18 months, but we are doing the east coast over 3 months.
I have been across the nullabor a few times. It can get really hot, and the kids will need something to entertain themselves, but I would do it in a heartbeat.

[~Trish~]

Thanks for your replies everyone!

Rouge - The heat is the one thing I'm concerned about. Great idea about checking out weather patterns, I'll definitely do that.

MrsS - Thanks for the book recommendation, I'll check out our local library!

Megan - DH and I camped all along the Vic and NSW coast about 11 years ago, it was awesome!

The end of the year is the most practical schooling-wise so that DS1 doesn't have to miss much (or any). I'm tempted to think about the September holidays too, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea for DS1 to miss so much of his first school year? So much to consider!

[mbear]

but I'm not sure if it's a good idea for DS1 to miss so much of his first school year? So much to consider!

...if ever there were a time i would feel guilt free taking my kids outta school it would be kinder or yr 1....hon, they're not going to fall behind, or miss a great deal having a couple of weeks off. I have 2 sets of friends that went o/s when their kids were in kinder and they took 4 weeks and 6 weeks off respectively.....from our daughters first year at school last year (09) we really found term 4 to be a cruisey term...not much new stuff was introduced....so Sept school hols and beyond would be perfect.....

Great family holiday idea though...GL !!!!

[~Trish~]

Hmmm mbear.... I kinda like the idea of September better due to the weather. Do you think that socially it's a bad thing to miss four weeks of school at his age (he's five)? I just worry he'd lose connections with his friends when he gets back. He's such an outgoing boy, I guess he wouldn't have trouble getting back into the swing of things.

Oh I don't know! We have a week of time share that we want to use while we are away, we'd like to stay in Scarborough. I'll have to check the resort's availability over the September holidays, that will help make our final decision. It will be nice to have one week where we're not roughing it LOL!

[AllisD]

Hi Trish

I think that you may find that it is the children back at school that will miss your son more than the other way around. To them he will seem to be gone a long time and to your son it will seem so quick!

The quality time with his family and the whole experience will more than make up for the lack of schooling. If you are worried about him missing school work - I am sure that his teacher would be more than willing to give you some work sheets etc to do whilst away.

I know of a few families who have taken older children out of school for 3-6 months to trip around Australia (or do distance Ed whilst they did it) and they felt that the experiences the children gained were worth just as much as months sitting in a classroom.

Good Luck

AllisD