There’s something rather special about seeing Australia at ground level.
Not from 30,000 feet, not from the back seat of a taxi rushing to a hotel — but slowly, deliberately, mile by mile, with the road stretching out in front of you and curiosity riding shotgun.
On the podcast this week, I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with my friend Alison Rogers, who – with her husband and two children (aged 10 and 14) – packed up curiosity, patience and a sense of adventure and spent two weeks travelling by motorhome across Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales.
It was Alison’s first experience travelling this way. And as it turns out, it became far more than a holiday.
It became a lesson in connection.
Learning the Rhythm of Life on the Road
After flying from Tasmania into Melbourne just after Christmas, Alison and her family picked up their hired motorhome and began the slightly chaotic (and very familiar) process of learning what all the buttons do, how beds magically transform from tables, and why it takes a few days to find your groove.
By day four, things started to click.
Beds went up faster. Packing became instinctive. The family rhythm began to settle.
And as anyone who has travelled this way knows — once you find that rhythm, the journey becomes part of the joy.
Their route took them down the Mornington Peninsula, inland to Ballarat, north to Swan Hill, across to South Australia, through the Coorong, into Adelaide, and on to places like Glenelg, Victor Harbor, McLaren Vale and Meningie.
Around 2,800 kilometres all told — but never rushed.
Caravan Parks, Camp Kitchens and Community
One of Alison’s biggest discoveries was just how wonderful caravan parks can be — particularly when travelling with children.
In Ballarat, a quiet but beautifully run park offered swimming pools, go-karts, jumping mats, camp kitchens, friendly staff and space to breathe. The kids played. The adults relaxed. Everyone slept well.
And then there were the unexpected moments — like a stranger offering a hose extension when theirs didn’t quite reach, or shared barbecues with people they’d never met before.
Hotels don’t offer that kind of connection.
Caravan parks do.
Seeing the Country Differently
As the family travelled further inland, the landscape changed.
Wide, flat paddocks. Long distances between towns. Grain silos stretching toward the sky. Salt lakes shimmering pink and white. Hay bales stacked in ways unfamiliar to Tasmanian eyes.
At first, it felt empty.
But as Alison reflected, once they stopped, talked, listened and looked more closely — it wasn’t empty at all.
It was different.
The kids noticed state borders. Signage changed. Emergency warnings crackled over the radio as Victorian towns prepared for bushfires. Volunteer brigades stood ready.
There were lessons everywhere — about resilience, community, and how people live connected lives even across vast distances.
Big Things, Little Wonders
Along the way, the family ticked off a surprising number of Australia’s “Big Things” — from the Big Murray River Cod to giant golfers and crustaceans — and delighted in the silliness of it all.
They panned for gold in Ballarat (no retirement nuggets, but specks were found and treasured).
They cruised the Murray River on a paddle steamer.
They stopped for photos of painted silos telling stories of regional towns.
And Alison photographed everything — hay bales, old pubs, churches, wild melons glowing yellow against dry paddocks (look but don’t touch — toxic, as Google helpfully confirmed).
Sometimes it’s the things you don’t expect that stay with you.
Conversations That Stay With You
Some of the most powerful moments came not from places, but from people.
A quiet elderly man living permanently in a caravan park near Adelaide, who spent his days caring for birds and ducks that came to cool off under his sprinkler. A simple gift of an unwanted bottle of wine — and a reminder to the kids that small kindnesses matter.
A taxi driver in Adelaide whose story of persecution, survival and gratitude for Australia unfolded over a fifteen-minute ride — and left a lasting impression on young minds.
A pub run by a woman in the middle of “nowhere,” where empowering messages in the ladies’ toilets quietly told a story of pride, care and leadership.
These are not experiences you find on an itinerary.
They find you.
Steam Trains, Supermoons and Stillness
In the Coorong, off-grid at a working farm, the family watched pelicans fly in formation, camped beneath a supermoon, and experienced true darkness and quiet.
In Victor Harbor, a steam train ride revealed something curious — people stopping to wave, smile, take photos. A shared joy sparked simply by slowing down.
And Alison wondered aloud:
When did we stop waving at each other?
It’s a good question.
Wine, Art and Unexpected Reunions
McLaren Vale brought art, wine and surprise connections.
At d’Arenberg’s Cube, the family explored Salvador Dalí art alongside wine tastings — proof that travel with children doesn’t have to be dull or divided.
At a woman-led vineyard, Alison found herself reunited with a young woman she’d known over a decade earlier in Tasmania — a reminder that the world is both vast and wonderfully small.
What the Kids Took Home
When asked about their favourite moments, the answers were telling.
The eldest loved the Coorong — the most remote, scenic, off-grid experience of all.
The youngest loved water — pools, beaches, slides — and the steam train.
Both loved being together. Both were engaged. Neither asked to go home early.
Sometimes children surprise us when we give them space to slow down.
A Journey That Gave More Than It Took
By the end of the trip, Alison described the experience as:
Health-giving. Heartwarming. Grounding.
And I couldn’t agree more.
Travelling this way doesn’t just show you the country — it teaches you how to be present in it. It reminds you that imagination matters. That conversations matter. That kindness travels far.
And that Australia, seen slowly, has a lot to say.
If this story has stirred something in you — perhaps it’s time to take the long way around.
Until next time,
travel safe… and travel with us a while.
Listen to the full podcast here:
