Best trip/destination ever

Submitted: Monday, May 23, 2005 at 11:27
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Hi all, well all of your posts have got to me. I have convinced the wife to take a month off next year and the daughter from school and go on a decent trip.

With a seven year old girl and a three year old boy and a soft top camper trailer where should we go.

How about voting on your favourite trip/destination in australia. Sound like it may make interesting reading as much as it will be helpful to me.

Thanks mates

Skinny
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Reply By: Member - Jack - Monday, May 23, 2005 at 11:33

Monday, May 23, 2005 at 11:33
Hi Skinny

I love Fraser Island, and think the kids would have a lot of fun there. I get back there roughly once a year and never get tired of it. Plus you have a few options as far as accommodation, but camping there is good, albeit no camp fires there any more.

Jack
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Reply By: Member - Tim - Monday, May 23, 2005 at 12:05

Monday, May 23, 2005 at 12:05
Hi Skinny,

A few questions for you -

Where are you starting from? I want to go to the Kimberleys but just getting there from Brisbane takes up a major part of the three weeks that I can afford to take the kids out of school so we are staying within Qld this year.

What type of camper have got ? Is it an offroad model and are you comfortable towing it on sand or rough tracks?

Are you going by yourself or with someone else? The type of areas you might be happy to tackle with someone else to help get you out are different to what you might do by yourself.

We have done two big trips over the last few years - Cape York four years ago and the red centre two years ago. We have found that our kids love the travelling (they are now 14 and 16) as long as we include them in the things we see. Make sure you have information about the area you are travelling to and through so that you can talk about the history etc with them. They do like to have someone else travelling with us to talk to rather than just Mum and Dad.

There are some fantastic things to see in the centre with but in the middle of the year is tourist season and you have to be willing to put up with that. Same thing up the cape really but it didn't seem so bad. As mentioned above Fraser is fantastic but you have to be happy to tow your camper on the beach. I'm not sure that I could spend three weeks there without getting up to some of the pretty remote areas up the north and that does make it difficult with young kids and a camper.

This year we are going up to Lawn Hill Gorge and that side of the gulf and I am sure we will see many interesting places so I suppose the message could be put as follows -

1. Do your research (yeah, I know, that's what you are doing asking this question :))
2. Only travel the distances that you are comfortable with taking into account the family.
3. Only travel to places that you are comfortable with taking into account the vehicle, camper and family.
4. Enjoy it, because everywhere you travel in Oz there is so much to see and never enough time to see it all.

Wow, that ended up a bit longer than I planned. Hope you find it useful.

Tim.
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Follow Up By: Skinny- Monday, May 23, 2005 at 12:13

Monday, May 23, 2005 at 12:13
Thanks Jack & Tim, good advice. In answer to your questions. SO far we are going on our own but would welome any members who are in similar position. We have a cavalier off road soft top towed by an 80 series diesel standard. Starting off from Sydney.

Planning the trip is half the fun. Always enjoy meeting people along the way and showing the kids new things.

Thanks for your input .

Skinny
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Reply By: Sand Man (SA) - Monday, May 23, 2005 at 12:22

Monday, May 23, 2005 at 12:22
Skinny,

I would recommend a trip across to Broken Hill, Silverton then "Bush" into the Corner Country of NSW, SA & QLD. Heaps of History for the Kiddies, both Big & Small (BHP Mining, Bourke & Wills, etc) and you get a great experience of the real Outback.
Bill


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Reply By: Footloose - Monday, May 23, 2005 at 12:27

Monday, May 23, 2005 at 12:27
Skinny the best trip will be one that brings back great memories to you and your kids in 20 years time. It really doesn't matter where, just go and enjoy.
AnswerID: 112417

Follow Up By: Skinny- Monday, May 23, 2005 at 12:32

Monday, May 23, 2005 at 12:32
Thanks Footloose. True I am sure. My fear is that the memories will be good to look back on but perhaps not so good to experience. eg Dad I wish I had never come on this dumb trip..............or remember the time we went on that trip....... and it was aweful........never doing that again ............ha ha

rather than remember ...........great little place.............the one where we went swimming.........or the animals we saw.....................

Anyway your probably right, I cherish each day with the kids...far too soon they will be leaving home............still like some votes on your favourite trips though

Skinny
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Follow Up By: Footloose - Monday, May 23, 2005 at 13:31

Monday, May 23, 2005 at 13:31
Ok when kids were young we went to Cape York. Son loved the fishing on Cape York, he's 23 now and would go back again tomorrow. Daughter (now 30) laughs at the cow that followed her around and even tried to put its head into the tent at Musgrove.
There were so many things my loks loved, not because of the place but because of what happened, and the people we met.
I guess sharing stuff with mum and dad helped. We also took great pains to expose them to the areas history and peoples.
Kakadu, the Rock and Oodnadatta track, Cape York, etc etc take your pick. But remember to ask your kids also :))
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Follow Up By: Member - Brian (Gold Coast) - Tuesday, May 24, 2005 at 06:31

Tuesday, May 24, 2005 at 06:31
I agree with Footloose.... kids love seeing new places/things. They mightn't always appreciate the drive to get there, but ya can't have everything... :-)

Our eldest son went back to school after our recent Fraser Island holiday, his mates asked him where he'd been and only a few knew where Fraser is, and one had never heard of it. So he realises that he has been to some special places.

My parents took me on two holidays during my childhood... to a place called Saratoga on the NSW central coast where a friend of my dad had a "weekender". That was about 35 years ago and I still remember it vividly!

The thing we try to do is see as much of the area we are visiting as we can, and learn of the history etc..

Our boys can't remember what they learned at school yesterday, but can tell stories about holidays we had 5 years ago!

To answer your original question, Fraser Island is our "favourite spot", it's not too far from us here on the Gold Coast and we try to get there once a year at least. There is so much to see and do, and so many lakes to swim in!
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Reply By: GOB & denny vic member - Monday, May 23, 2005 at 16:53

Monday, May 23, 2005 at 16:53
goodday skinny
central australia alice springs the rock the olgas kingscanyon
we took our daughter and her kids up there our 1st trip into taht area eldest granddaughter was 6 did the 4hr kings canyon rim walk with me and her mum
she is now 13 and i dont think she or hersister or brother will ever forget with the west and east mcdonnell ranges and the alice thrown in

steve
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Follow Up By: Bob of KAOS - Monday, May 23, 2005 at 18:48

Monday, May 23, 2005 at 18:48
I agree with the above. The roads are good, there are untold things to see, apart from the 'named' destinations. My younger kids (12 and 13) loved it last year. There is a balance between bush, tourist and luxury - depending on your budget and how desperate the passengers are for a shower (or spa). The only problem is - they'll be hooked, and you'll be packing the vehicle for outback adventures at every opportunity.
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Follow Up By: Footloose - Monday, May 23, 2005 at 19:04

Monday, May 23, 2005 at 19:04
Upon reflection I'd have to agree with you Bob. Our first trip with kids was up the Oodnadatta Track and out to the Rock.
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Reply By: Member - Brian (Gold Coast) - Tuesday, May 24, 2005 at 06:43

Tuesday, May 24, 2005 at 06:43
I agree with Footloose.... kids love seeing new places/things. They mightn't always appreciate the drive to get there, but ya can't have everything... :-)

Our eldest son went back to school after our recent Fraser Island holiday, his mates asked him where he'd been and only a few knew where Fraser is, and one had never heard of it. So he realises that he has been to some special places.

My parents took me on two holidays during my childhood... to a place called Saratoga on the NSW central coast where a friend of my dad had a "weekender". That was about 35 years ago and I still remember it vividly!

The thing we try to do is see as much of the area we are visiting as we can, and learn of the history etc..

Our boys can't remember what they learned at school yesterday, but can tell stories about holidays we had 5 years ago!

To answer your original question, Fraser Island is our "favourite spot", it's not too far from us here on the Gold Coast and we try to get there once a year at least. There
AnswerID: 112534

Reply By: Moose - Tuesday, May 24, 2005 at 13:49

Tuesday, May 24, 2005 at 13:49
G'day Skinny
Researching is half the fun. Get the kids involved so they have a say - that way they can't bitch too much if they don't like it since they'll have been in on the selection.
Do plan a leisurely trip ie do not make the daily distances too great - remember that if driving on dirt you'll probably be travelling a fair bit slower than on blacktop. In any case driving a bit slower is much more relaxing.
If you're going to be heading outback be warned that distances between points of interest can be very long - kids, wife and you will tire of the boring bits. At first it's all new but too much of a good thing becomes tiresome.
If this is your first big trip then I'd suggest a trek with a lot of variety so try to include the coast, high country and outback. Maybe a bit of walking, fossicking, various tours etc. If you stuff it up on the first attempt with a trip the family doesn't enjoy you can probably kiss future extended trips goodbye. Variety is the spice of life!
Get a decent book of 4WD touring, use the net, check out the trek notes on this site, contact tourist bureaus etc etc.
Make sure you have some entertainment for the kids as older kids not used to long travelling times can become a pain.
Best trip/destination ever - no such thing mate. Australia has so much variety that picking a best is impossible for me. Just love getting out there and enjoying what's available.
Good luck.
AnswerID: 112594

Follow Up By: Skinny- Tuesday, May 24, 2005 at 14:58

Tuesday, May 24, 2005 at 14:58
Thanks Moose and all who are replying at present. Although it seems common sense little pieces of information in each posting help put the trip together. Yeah, I am nervous about stuffing it up as the last five day trip when my daughter wandered into the bush behind camp and got lost has turned her off going off the footpath. We will do numerous weekends and short trips over the next year but a 4-5 week trip takes some more thought.

Anyway thanks so far, all votes on best trip (as moose says probably does not exist) your favourite.

T.A.

Skinny
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