Travel diaries: East Coast of Aus

I can’t believe our big family holiday is officially over… honestly, buying a caravan is one of the best decisions we’ve ever made! This trip has reminded me of the beauty of Australia, it's forced us to be outside in nature 24/7, it’s allowed us to make sooo many new friends and we created invaluable family memories that we’ll all hold dear forever.

And my goodness, Australia is just BEAUTIFUL. Until this trip, I’m not sure I ever really knew how beautiful it is. We are already dreaming of doing a lap of Australia in a few years. So to all my fellow caravan + camping travellers, I’d love all your best tips please.

I’ve been guilty the past few years of only dreaming of holidays abroad but this was such a good reminder to explore my own backyard and REALLY get to know it. All the nostalgia was felt while exploring these small country towns and watching the kids have the time of their lives. We forget as adults what childhood feels like sometimes and how special it is for them to experience trips or summer moments like these, they can shape you forever.

I loved watching Judie, Heidi and Poppy create their own fun. I loved being woken up by the sounds of birds and nearby families in caravans. I loved trying a new cafe every single day for my beloved iced latte. I loved meeting fellow travellers and hearing about their holiday stories. I loved the simple and fresh food we ate every day. I loved blasting the tunes on our roadtrips and discovering tiny sleepy towns. I loved the stunning beaches + coastlines and the bright blue water.

I even loved the 5 hour dash we made one night at 11pm to escape wild weather… because that’s camping life baby! And it led us to a peaceful caravan park in the bush that we would’ve otherwise missed. I loved it all.

Forget Paris, it’s time to make more bucket lists to explore Australia. (Ok, ok… I’m happy to go to Paris too).

Here’s a photo dump of our journey…

Day 1: Hitting the road by 5.15am - I’d call that a win!

First stop - Mallacoota… just the place to slow down a little and begin our adventure. Tried out the local rustic noodle house in the Main Street - Lucy’s. Delish!

Bloody love this… a fridge with books inside!

Skate park action. Always a fave with the kids.

My idea of the perfect coffee spot - Origami Coffee. Kids gave a big thumbs up to their first raspberry spider and I was thrilled with my iced latte too! (I can be fussy).

Secret Beach - true to its name we had it all to ourselves! Also checked out Betka Beach - kids loved the ‘lazy river’.

Sandy beach naps.

Next stop - Ulladulla. Jude the star of the Christmas Tree!

Mollymook Beach... Wow! Does it get any better?! Another great idea - beach toy box.

Wondering how I embrace the sand like the kids do??

Discovering Hawks Nest… let’s see what beach awaits us…

Now that’s what I call a beach.

10/10 for Reflections Caravan Park - Jimmy’s Beach. We could have easily spent a whole week here! Immaculate facilities, beaches on either side, beautiful bush setting and an awesome pool.

Brunch at Tea Garden Boatshed… Poppy making sure her dolly doesn’t go hungry too.

Hit the beach for a quick dip while Poppy slept in my arms. Followed by a swim with dolphins. Aren’t they majestic?!

Ferry ride over to Nelson Bay with The Original Tea Gardens Ferry… a lovely old boat with classic tunes. This place is paradise.

Tough to leave this place. Jimmy’s Beach has been a definite highlight!

Then onto Yamba… stayed at Blue Dolphin - kids paradise but a little too crowded for my liking!

A rare peaceful moment to myself at Yum Yum Angourie Cafe & General Store in Yamba.

Movies anyone?!

Iced lattes all day!

Amazing rock formations at Dicky Beach.

Little Miss Poppy, beach ready.

Ate well in the Sunny Coast! The Pocket, Between The Flags, Dee Den, Little Sister, That Pizza Guy… to name a few!

Moffat Beach - a fave! Lots of grass, stunning beach, playground and a few good cafes and shops.

Caravanning hasn’t stopped me picking up a few new things along the way…

Always wanted to take this baby onto the beach… kids loved it.

Always exploring at Noosa North Shore.

Not too many moments of solitude travelling with kids but thoroughly enjoyed this one… Ikatan spa Noosa.

Have always loved the soft tones of surfboards.

Finding a patch of grass at Noosa Main Beach = winning. No sand no worries.

Our best attempt at a family photo. You should’ve seen the others...

Always on the hunt for coffee.

This is how Jude calms down when he’s feeling overwhelmed… organizes his crystals.

It rained in Byron… oh it rained. But didn’t stop us exploring Bangalow and Newrybar.

Reliving my childhood via Heidi and Polly Pocket.

Stormy beach walks at Suffolk Park. Heidi wearing the Charita Skirt.

A pitstop at The Old Butter Factory Bellingen before arriving into Nelson Bay.

Wow Nelson Bay! A stunning coastline with picture perfect beaches.

Now that’s what I call a feast! Van life proving that you can still eat very well.

Made a 5 hour ‘dash’ inland to escape the wild weather, arriving to Bushlands Tourist Park in Windeyer just after 11pm with 3 very tired kiddies. But aaaahhh to have a working toilet and shower again… plus cute General Store, friendliest staff, gold panning and peaceful bush setting… some things are worth the effort.