Our first time experiencing van life in a campervan with young kids, in Victoria, Australia

When cheap flights came available to Melbourne for the September school holidays (Want to know more of our budget travel tips? Check out this article.), we quickly snagged them, and started planning for a slightly different kind of trip. We’d been to Melbourne city and some of the surrounding areas with our kids when they were younger, and generally really enjoy the slower pace of life, fresh produce, and beautiful country Australia has to offer. 

This trip would be our fifth trip to Australia with two kids in tow, so our familiarity with the country gave us a little confidence to do something different — travel in a campervan. 

Our travels have proven time and time again that the best experiences are those offered by passionate, local, small businesses. So, this time, we tried to seek out local businesses to support and engage during our trip. 

Hiring a campervan with Offset Campervans

It’s possible to hire campervans from big name companies like Apollo, Maui or Star Travel, but why do that when you have owner-operators like Leon who are incredibly passionate about their craft? Leon and his team run a small fleet of well-maintained campervans, based out of a humble factory in Essendon, about 10 minutes drive from Melbourne Airport. 

In planning for the trip, we had a thousand and one questions, trying to figure out what we’d need to bring, prepare for, and know in general. Leon was patient to answer all our questions, recommend a car seat rental company and provide the details of the vehicle to them so that the right seats would be delivered, and gave a lot of helpful information. Before picking up the van, we were also told to watch an entire playlist of videos he had taken to explain how to operate the different parts of the van, and the various equipment in it. 

Our experience with operating the van as first-timers

The first thing that hit us was how huge the van was! While a regular licence is sufficient for operating the vehicle, unless you regularly drive a minibus, it’s quite a new challenge. The wheelbase is longer than typical vehicles, which means you need to move out further before executing turns, or risk scraping or mounting the kerb (which really isn’t a great idea, since the van has attachments on its side like a pull out step that you can accidentally knock out). 

Driving off, we realised how much louder the vehicle was than the EV we are used to back home. We could hear the water sloshing around in the tank, the jiggle of metal parts in the oven, and dishes clinking as the van went over humps or executed sharp turns. It took a bit of familiarisation around the area to get used to operating the van. 

The length and height of the vehicle also meant it was impossible to park in regular parking lots, unless they had provision for buses, or just a lot of empty space so we could take up 3-4 lots without hogging the space. It was a lot to take in, but Ben soon felt confident and we were off on our long ride to the Grampians. 

(Oh one more note! I was registered as a secondary driver, but I couldn’t feasibly comfortably drive the vehicle because of how large it is and how small I am! The seat is extremely high and it would not have been possible to reach the pedals unless I sat at the edge of the driver’s seat, which would have been extremely uncomfortable.)

The amazing van from Offset Campervans

All the new-ness aside, the van was provided to us in tip-top shape, and was spanking clean. As the name Offset Campervans suggests, the vans are constructed with eco-friendly materials such as using sheep’s wool for insulation, taken from by-products created when making carpets. The tables are European poplar wood, and oiled with food-grade, no VOC oil. Solar panels recharge the van’s battery while the sun is out, and diesel heating allows the van to be heated while we slept, without having to hook up to a power source. Water can also be heated by a diesel water heater, which provides hot water for washing at the sink, and outdoor shower.

We also appreciated the quality of equipment provided — stainless steel cooking equipment such as a Scanpan pot and frying pan, Bialetti moka pot, wood chopping board, stainless steel mugs and porcelain dinnerware. We had such a ball of a time cooking with the minimal but quality equipment provided.

The van had provision for an outdoor awning along the passenger side, as well as a smaller awning at the outdoor shower. We didn’t use either of these since it was our first time, and had been warned that the awning is easy to damage! In any case, it wasn’t necessary for the season we traveled in (end-winter / early-spring), which was still rather cold most of the time.

Getting provisions and stocking up the van

We had traveled light, with carry-on baggage only. It’s both our usual way of traveling, as well as what made sense for this trip, given that there is very limited space in the van. Australia has strict biosecurity laws, so it didn’t make sense to bring any foodstuff — we’d just do a big supermarket run and purchase everything we needed for the entire week. 

Apart from the usual clothes and toiletries, the only extra things we brought were some laundry detergent, reusable bags (useful for shopping, carrying clothes to the laundry, carrying food for picnics, etc), and an assortment of ziplock bags for storage. All of our stuff was unloaded into the various drawers and cabinets on the van, and our bags were put away for the week. 

At the supermarket, we bought a roll of aluminium foil, kitchen roll, toilet paper, oil, pasta, sauces, milk, yogurt, meats, fruit and vegetables, and some snacks. The van has a small fridge which we stocked up as best we could! These supplies were to last us for the first half of our weeklong trip. 

Our first campsite — NRMA Halls Gap Holiday Park

Since it was our first time in a campervan, we decided to play it safe and spend the first two nights in a holiday park, where we knew there would be amenities, other campers around, and staff during the daytime. The NRMA Halls Gap Holiday Park was so well-equipped, it honestly set the bar so high that it was hard for the other holiday parks to match up in terms of amenities. Our site was near to the camp kitchen, which had outdoor sheltered barbecues, picnic tables, sinks for washing up, as well as an indoor (heated!) kitchen area with sink, hob, fridge and freezer. We also had amenities nearby, with toilet and shower facilities, which had hot water and were generally very clean, since we were traveling off-peak and there were not many guests. 

Our first site was unpowered, since Leon of Offsite Campervans had told us that we wouldn’t need power — and he was right. We enjoyed the facilities, such as the playground, jumping pillow and basketball court (there was also a heated pool, pump track, pedal carts, and more. We also observed how other families set up camp and what they did, so we could follow. 

Our second night at this site was a Friday, and many young families came in to stay for the weekend. It was so fun to see so many children running around and playing, while parents sat around the fires, enjoyed drinks, and just chilled. Most locals used towed caravans and their own vehicles, and it looked like we were the only rental (and only tourists) there. 

It was already rather late by the time we arrived, so we quickly whipped up a pasta dinner on the stove in the camp kitchen, filled our stomachs, and were ready for some rest.

As the sun set and night fell, the temperatures dipped and we went to shower. We learnt our lesson then. We should shower earlier in the day when the sun is out, otherwise it is rather torturous to do so when it’s freezing out. Towels weren’t provided, so we had brought along our thin sports towels from Decathlon for the trip. 

Having washed up our cooking, we had to learn how to convert the second row of seats in the van into beds. Our van had 4 seats, 2 of which had child seats securely attached, as is required for children to travel in vehicles in Australia. The first day was a lot of tinkering around and figuring out how to active certain levers and screws, but eventually we figured things out and set out the bedding, and everyone could get some rest. 

Day two: canoeing on the lake

The next morning, we woke bright and early to drive off to Lake Fyans for our guided canoe expedition with Absolute Outdoors. 

Our guide Yann was waiting for us in the beautiful clear morning, with two double canoes for our family. After a bit of a safety briefing, we got into the boats and onto the water. It was clear, serene, and oh so blue. Lake Fyans used to be farmland, which was then flooded to form a manmade lake which provides freshwater for the area, as well as a habitat for many birds and other wildlife. As a result, there are trees all around the lake that once grew on the farmland but now stand on the base of the lake, with old dead branches sticking up above from which many birds perch to watch for fish and dry their wings. 

Since we traveled off-season, we were the only ones in the group, and only ones on the lake at all. Our children are young (4 and 6yo) and while they enjoyed “helping” to paddle, they were understandably not so adept. Yann was a wonderful guide, passionate about the birdlife, the area, and extremely patient and helpful in answering all our questions. On the return leg of the trip, the winds started blowing strongly and the canoe I shared with my 4yo daughter kept getting spun into the reeds and further into the lake. Yann helped tow us out of the area, and guided us all the way back to shore. 

We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful start to our trip! 

Then, it was time to go back to our campsite, this time with lots of daylight to spare, and to try to figure out what to eat for lunch and dinner. Most of our days were like this, revolving around a single activity (or none at all on other days), and meals. While the youngest took a nap, the eldest played card games and chased birds. It was time to get started on getting ready for the cold, and dinner. 

With wallabies watching, it took us jolly long to get a fire started — about an hour, since we didn’t have fire starters with us, and wood fires are just not something we do often. Still, it was fun to troubleshoot together, work through the frustration and mess, and allow the kids to watch us fail over and over again before finally tasting success. 

Exploring Halls Gap

Parking at the Botanic Gardens, we took a lovely walk along the creek to Venus Baths, which are naturally occurring rock pools at the start of the creek that runs into town. The kids dipped their toes in the cold waters, and one of them slipped and took a dip. In the warmer months, you can spend a whole morning here, swimming in the waters, but in the cold it was far too freezing to do that! 

After the walk back into town, we had lunch at a restaurant at the town centre which proved too much food, so we packed up the extras for our dinner. The centre of activity surrounds the creek, with lovely views and fresh air, a bakery, coffee shop, ice creamery and restaurants. Of course we couldn’t resist an ice cream too! 

We then drove up to MacKenzie Falls, where we took the easier walk to the lookout rather than the more difficult one down to the falls itself. It had started to drizzle and there were signs warning about slippery rock, and how the climb down would involve many stairs and be physically demanding, so we decided to skip that. After viewing the falls, the rain started coming down more heavily, so we rushed back to the van to stay dry and didn’t manage to complete any other walks. 

Camping at Smiths Mill Campground

Our campsite for that evening was Smiths Mill Campground, a public campground managed by Parks Victoria. It’s definitely cost-effective, and super remote. There was a toilet block but it wasn’t near to our site and we didn’t bother to use it as it was just drop toilets and a manual bush shower for which you needed to bring your own water. 

Having racked up a little experience on the previous nights, we fully enjoyed this remote experience in the bush, where we could only see another group of tent campers at a site across the trees from us. There were probably more wallabies than people in that place! 

Being away from our usual creature comforts forced us back to basics, and we did have to do a bit of problem solving on our own especially since cell reception was patchy, and information wasn’t readily available the way it is when we have access to the internet. I’m also thankful that our children aren’t afraid by things like the big woods or emptiness of the place, and they were able to enjoy soaking in nature without complaint. 

The weather over the rest of the trip would prove erratic, with heavy showers at times, and the sun peeking out shortly after. Thank God there were still pockets of sunshine in which we could enjoy the sights and walks, and for the van that kept us safe and dry! 

Leaving the Grampians for the Great Ocean Road

After exploring a slice of the Grampians in the first half of our week, we then drove down to Port Campbell to tour the Great Ocean Road, slowly making our way back to Melbourne. 

The difference between the Grampians and the Great Ocean Road was immediately obvious. Apart from the change in landscape, it was immediately apparent that this area was more touristed as there were signs like “drive on the left in Australia” and other such reminders scattered around. The cost of campsites in this area was also higher. 

Our first stop on the Great Ocean Road was Bay of Islands, and wow was it spectacular! It was almost just like the Twelve Apostles, just without the hoards of tourists. We enjoyed the views without having to jostle with crowds, and would definitely recommend this as a stop if you’re making your way along the coast to see the Twelve Apostles! A significant difference of note is that the Twelve Apostles is fully accessible, and there are ramps for wheelchair users to use to get to the view platforms. Other attractions usually have stairs involved. 

Camping along the Great Ocean Road

The sites along the Great Ocean Road were more expensive, even though it was off-peak season and we were often one of only few groups using the parks. The biggest perk of this was that the toilets were generally very clean and underutilised, but I am pretty sure this would not be the case in the summer months, where there would be many more people around, as well as beach users trudging sand and water all over. 

Along the Great Ocean Road, we stayed at NRMA Port Campbell Holiday Park, Wye River Caravan Park and Torquay Foreshore Caravan Park. The latter two had amazing beach access, and while the Wye River park was small, it was right on the beach — it took less than 10 steps to get from our van to the sand! 

One unique thing to note about camping in the region is that open fires aren’t allowed at any time of year. So no campfires, no open flame camping stoves, no fire barbecues. The high winds would make it rather dangerous, but we did miss having fires! 

We also drove inland to the Great Otway National Park, to visit the Californian Redwoods, and camp at Beauchamp Falls, a free campground. Unfortunately, the walk to the falls itself was closed, and the rain made it impossible to go explore other nearby areas. We ended up enjoying the amazing tranquil views as the rain cleared, finally started a fire despite it being very wet out, and still had a great time. 

Learning about local wildlife with Wildlife Wonders

On our way out of the Otway region, we stopped by Wildlife Wonders for a guided tour. Since we had wanted to engage local businesses on this trip, we knew that they would come at a higher price, and thus could not do so many activities. In fact, we only planned two paid activities for the trip — the canoe expedition with Absolute Outdoors, and the wildlife tour with Wildlife Wonders. For the rest of the trip, we stuck to free activities, and skipped any areas that required entrance fees. (On our previous trip, we had enjoyed the Museum of Play and Art in Geelong, and the Werribee Zoo!)

Wildlife Wonders is run by the Cape Otway Conservation Centre and engages in education and conservation efforts for the region. Our guide, Emma, a geologist, brought us on a walk around their premises, where we walked through various habitats and saw lots of local wildlife. Again, since it was off-peak season, we were the only ones in our group and it ended up being a private tour for our family. Perks of traveling off-peak! 

Our verdict on van life with young kids

Overall, the trip was much less challenging than expected, and everyone had so much fun. We would certainly do it again! 

Here are some things we learnt as first-timers:

• Van life involves a lot of work, and everyone needs to play their part. It’s definitely not a holiday where you can expect to be served, nor one where you can rely on one parent to do all the heavy-lifting. It took us hours each morning and evening to set up the van for sleep, and set up the van for driving again. 
• Water, electricity and fuel being limited changes our behaviour. We had to be very conservative about how we washed dishes, washed hands, and used our resources. 
• The convenience of van life meant not having to live out of suitcases, since our stuff was unpacked into the van itself. We had to remain very organised throughout, so that we could find what we needed. We also needed to keep packing up since the van can’t move off without everything properly secured and stowed away!
• We saw how little we needed to get by. A few pieces of clothing and reliable jackets, basic toiletries, cooking equipment, and ingredients, and we had ourselves a ball of a time throughout the week. We brought small travel journals and a few puzzle toys, but nothing more. The kids were happy to play on the beach without sand toys, and made up so many games for themselves with whatever they could find at each campsite.

Would you do a campervan trip with kids? Or is a road trip more up your alley? Check out our other articles about road trips in Jeju here, and Kyushu here.