Overland with Kids

Our travel plan and route are determined (with some flexibility built-in!), the vehicle is purchased and it’s preparation underway (a bankrupting experience!), we have the beginnings of a financial support plan (we are saving like pigs!), the commitment to make it happen is high and we have a much more in-keeping mind-set (following 21.5 years experience together!) - we are on the same plane at last!

We intend an 12-month 4×4 vehicle-based overland adventure/expedition with our children from the UK to Australia, using Land Rover Defender 110 300 TDI County Station Wagon. From there our travel period depends on the state of our finances, minds and our children’s well-being.

We appreciate that moving from being armchair travellers to actually ‘doing it’ are two hugely different experiences.  We know that travelling with children particularly long-haul will provide a completely different outlook to standard concerns and needs, particularly overland.

At time of writing (April 2008) - add to this our limited experience of 4×4 vehicle over-landing to date (none!), long-haul with children (none!) and be even more horrified to know that we have no real camping experience - Anne has never slept in a tent  in her life (not even at school) and Andrew has only done it once or twice during school boy scout days! (update May 2008: 1st successful camping experience occurred). As well as being able to experience different countries and cultures together as a family, stimulation, belonging, contact, security, safety, health, education, daily routine and enjoyment are critical to the success of this trip.

Update: January 2010 - We have since prepared our vehicle and undergone a 2 month shakdown trip from Uk to Morocco (Summer 2009).