Family Adventures on the Open Roadhttps://tansinavan.com/https://tansinavan.com/2025/07/07/the-long-drive-home/https://tansinavan.com/2025/07/07/the-long-drive-home/We left Uluru and set our sights on Coober Pedy. With 733km between us, we chose to break the journey over two days, opting for a free camp a few hours north. Once there, Ollie pra…Mon, 07 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://tansinavan.com/2025/06/24/ehe-red-centre-exploring-kings-canyon-and-uluru/https://tansinavan.com/2025/06/24/ehe-red-centre-exploring-kings-canyon-and-uluru/We departed Alice Springs with Kings Canyon as our destination, contemplating two routes: a five-and-a-half-hour journey on paved roads or a shorter three-and-a-half-hour trip feat…Tue, 24 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://tansinavan.com/2025/06/19/outback-adventures-through-the-heart-of-australia/https://tansinavan.com/2025/06/19/outback-adventures-through-the-heart-of-australia/As we bid farewell to the vibrant landscapes of the Top End, we journeyed southward toward our next adventure. Little Roper Stock Camp, renowned for its legendary Johnny Cakes, was…Thu, 19 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://tansinavan.com/2025/06/17/exploring-the-top-end/https://tansinavan.com/2025/06/17/exploring-the-top-end/After departing from Darwin, our next adventure led us to the enchanting Litchfield National Park. En route, we paused at Berry Springs—a delightful natural hot spring located just…Tue, 17 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://tansinavan.com/2025/06/13/welcome-to-the-northen-territory/https://tansinavan.com/2025/06/13/welcome-to-the-northen-territory/Leaving Lake Argyle, we swiftly crossed into the Northern Territory where two immediate changes caught our attention: the speed limit increased to 130 km/h, and the road quality no…Fri, 13 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://tansinavan.com/2025/06/08/bungle-bungle-adventures-and-barbeque-boating/https://tansinavan.com/2025/06/08/bungle-bungle-adventures-and-barbeque-boating/Back on the main road, we embarked on our journey towards Purnululu National Park, renowned for the breathtaking Bungle Bungle Range. We had heard from friends that the road leadin…Sun, 08 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://tansinavan.com/2025/06/04/the-gibb-river-road-the-heart-of-the-kimberly/https://tansinavan.com/2025/06/04/the-gibb-river-road-the-heart-of-the-kimberly/Embarking on the Gibb River Road, nestled in the heart of the Kimberley, is a journey that promises adventure and allure. The Gibb River Road is 660km in length, between Derby and …Wed, 04 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://tansinavan.com/2025/05/31/the-dampier-penisula-and-the-untouched-beauty-of-cape-leveque/https://tansinavan.com/2025/05/31/the-dampier-penisula-and-the-untouched-beauty-of-cape-leveque/From Broome, we headed north to the Dampier Peninsula, where a striking contrast of pindan cliffs, white sandy beaches, and clear turquoise waters creates the perfect backdrop for …Sat, 31 May 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://tansinavan.com/2025/05/22/fishing-sunsets-and-camels/https://tansinavan.com/2025/05/22/fishing-sunsets-and-camels/We set off from Karijini and headed for Port Hedland. As we made our way out, a dingo gracefully crossed the road right in front of us—the first one we had seen on our trip. It was…Thu, 22 May 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://tansinavan.com/2025/05/13/karijini-red-dirt-cool-pools-and-starry-nights/https://tansinavan.com/2025/05/13/karijini-red-dirt-cool-pools-and-starry-nights/After one last, refreshing swim in the inviting, warm waters at Mesa Campground’s beach, we reluctantly bid farewell to Cape Range National Park. We’ve unanimously decided that the…Tue, 13 May 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://tansinavan.com/2025/05/01/cape-range-national-park-a-whale-of-a-time/https://tansinavan.com/2025/05/01/cape-range-national-park-a-whale-of-a-time/Leaving behind the comforts of Exmouth, we embarked on a short journey to the breathtaking Cape Range National Park, where we had booked a five-night stay at Mesa campground. This …Thu, 01 May 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://tansinavan.com/2025/04/23/hot-baths-the-coral-coast-and-a-flat-tyre/https://tansinavan.com/2025/04/23/hot-baths-the-coral-coast-and-a-flat-tyre/Our journey continued to the Wooramel River Retreat, a bushy setting nestled slightly inland. The main allure of this location was its natural artesian bore baths, which sounded lo…Wed, 23 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://tansinavan.com/2025/04/18/dugongs-dolphins-and-4wding/https://tansinavan.com/2025/04/18/dugongs-dolphins-and-4wding/We embarked on our journey from Kalbarri and headed towards Monkey Mia, a destination renowned for its daily dolphin feedings right from the beach. However, it offers so much more …Fri, 18 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://tansinavan.com/2025/04/13/kalbarri-national-park/https://tansinavan.com/2025/04/13/kalbarri-national-park/After a lot of relatively short drives after crossing the Nullarbor, the drive to Kalbarri from Sandy Cape was a much longer 4 hour trip. Initially, Google said it would be an even…Sun, 13 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://tansinavan.com/2025/04/12/a-change-of-pace-in-sandy-cape/https://tansinavan.com/2025/04/12/a-change-of-pace-in-sandy-cape/The morning after our incredible day in Rottnest, we packed up and encountered our first significant mishap of the trip. I accidentally left one of the caravan support legs unfolde…Sat, 12 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://tansinavan.com/2025/04/07/quokka-quokka-quokka/https://tansinavan.com/2025/04/07/quokka-quokka-quokka/We departed from Mandurah and made our way to Perth. Along our journey, we paused to catch up with old colleagues (for anyone from work reading along, it was Brad and Chloe White),…Mon, 07 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://tansinavan.com/2025/04/02/searching-for-cool-water-and-giants/https://tansinavan.com/2025/04/02/searching-for-cool-water-and-giants/After a wonderful time in Margaret River, we ventured inland to Collie, eager to discover its renowned blue lakes, natural pools, and vibrant town artwork. We parked in a free camp…Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://tansinavan.com/2025/03/29/margaret-river-and-the-surrounding-area/https://tansinavan.com/2025/03/29/margaret-river-and-the-surrounding-area/After leaving the cozy confines of our tiny house for the final time, we set off to explore a few remaining beaches in Albany that we hadn’t yet visited. Our first stop was Emu Poi…Sat, 29 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://tansinavan.com/2025/03/21/albany-denmark-and-a-tiny-house/https://tansinavan.com/2025/03/21/albany-denmark-and-a-tiny-house/After wrapping up our adventures at Cape Le Grand, our journey led us to Albany. We initially returned to Esperance to explore a few beaches we had missed, but the weather initiall…Fri, 21 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://tansinavan.com/2025/03/15/blue-skies-white-sand-and-wildlife/https://tansinavan.com/2025/03/15/blue-skies-white-sand-and-wildlife/After our adventure across the Nullarbor, we made a stop in Esperance to replenish our supplies. Having crossed two state borders with strict quarantine rules, we found ourselves m…Sat, 15 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://tansinavan.com/2025/03/11/crossing-the-nullarbor/https://tansinavan.com/2025/03/11/crossing-the-nullarbor/Before we departed from Perlubie Beach, Oliver took out his fishing rod and gave squid fishing a try. Driven by persistence, he spotted one trailing his lure, but unfortunately, it…Tue, 11 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://tansinavan.com/2025/03/07/three-days-of-beach-stays/https://tansinavan.com/2025/03/07/three-days-of-beach-stays/After a night spent in Hamley Bridge, we set off for the scenic Eyre Peninsula. Our first stop along the route was yet another dried-up Pink Lake—there are more of these than we ev…Fri, 07 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://tansinavan.com/2025/03/02/and-were-off/https://tansinavan.com/2025/03/02/and-were-off/On Saturday morning, we wrapped up our packing, bid a heartfelt farewell to Renjo, and readied ourselves for our journey westward. It was wonderful to have friends and family drop …Sun, 02 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://tansinavan.com/2025/01/27/yarawonga-for-australia-day/https://tansinavan.com/2025/01/27/yarawonga-for-australia-day/Over the Australia day weekend, we did what will probably be one of our last shakedown trips before the big adventure. We spent 3 days of perfect weather right on the Murray where …Mon, 27 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT