Lockdown and Loss Lead to Life on Open Roads

Covid lockdowns forced most Victorians into an unchartered, somewhat isolating, territory, yet for Bryce and Amy, it led to a decision that has transformed their lives.

The Bunyip couple found that the slow days at home during lockdown with their daughters Isla, Airlie and Eadie were a nice change from the daily grind. It was at this time that Amy came up with the idea of doing a lap around Australia, but Bryce wasn’t convinced.

‘We had also found out we were adding what was to be our fourth and final baby to our family around this time. After miscarrying in my second trimester, the trip became something positive for us to focus on while processing our grief. Once we set our minds to it, we made sure every decision we made was leading towards our goal to travel Australia together.’

In 2021, Amy found out she was having another baby and welcomed a fourth daughter named Tully. She was a shining light to the family after dark times, but still they never let go of the travelling dream. In 2023, all the planning finally came to fruition.

Amy and Bryce had spoken with the kids about their plans quite often, but it wasn’t until they saw the theatre adaptation of Alison Lester’s ‘Are We There Yet?’ that the excitement kicked in. Family and friends also shared in the enthusiasm.

Amy resigned from her job, Bryce took leave from his, they bought a new van and sold their home. But life threw yet another curveball when, three days after moving out of their house and into their caravan, they were surprised to learn they were pregnant again.

‘Everything happens for a reason. I had already resigned from my job and I thought we would have to postpone our trip, but with Bryce’s calm and confident reassurance we stuck to our plans, and it worked out wonderfully,’ Amy said.

In the first weeks of their adventure, the family were exhausted adjusting to the life on the road.

‘No one told us how tiring the first four to six weeks would be.  We were in bed asleep by 7:30 every night. Adults included,’ Amy said. ‘Managing our new life, emotions, planning and adjusting was so unexpected. We were excited and enthusiastic for most parts but our eldest had a hard time settling into life. She missed her friends and the comforts of home.

‘Once we met people and she had mates, things were much easier. Some days I would cry from pride and happiness that we made this our life.

‘Our only regret was that we waited so long! Honestly, we looked at everything as an opportunity so even if things didn’t go as planned, we just adjusted and kept going.’

The family put schooling ‘on the shelf’ until they were settled into van life, and now keep a very minimal approach to structured learning.

‘We have seen so much natural growth in our children that it’s hard to consider any other approach. Not only are they gaining confidence and socialising with new people of all ages but the knowledge they have gained is out of this world,’ Amy said. ‘Real world examples of ecosystems, economies, cultures, natural disasters have provided the girls with understandings that cannot be taught by books. They also have incredible knowledge of geography and Australia.’

Besides adjusting to a new routine and missing loved ones, another challenge the family faced while on the road was navigating the health care system.

Amy had phone consultations with her GP in Melbourne until she reached 20 weeks, and had scans in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia until she was accepted into the Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) program in Perth at 26 weeks- meaning she could have a home birth through a public hospital.

‘If it had been my first pregnancy, the lack of access in remote areas would’ve been confronting. I now have firsthand insight to the difficulties in access to healthcare outside major cities.’

In November 2023, baby Cole was born at Amy’s sisters house in WA in the middle of a heat wave. They stayed there for four nights before returning to the family van.

Bryce found work in Perth in a completely different field while they took a break from travel to enjoy the newest addition of the family and explore the city and its surrounds.

‘Being on the other side of the country without a support network, whilst schooling three other children and having a partner who was often called away to work was not a restorative post-partum,’ Amy said, ‘but I’m grateful for that it has allowed us more time together as a family overall.’

They hit the road again when Bryce’s contract was finished, and Cole was four months old.

Amy said the journey with a new addition has been ‘better than ever’ and opened their eyes to new opportunities. Bryce has since resigned from his job and the couple have made no concrete plans for the future.

‘We now only book big ticket, hard to get into places and fill our days in between,’ Amy said. ‘We extend our stay if we enjoy a place and move on if we need to or the weather isn’t great. We love getting tips from travellers about where to go off the unbeaten track.’

Amy encourages everyone who has thought about travelling Australia to follow through.

‘Do it! If you think you want to go, then work out how. It might look different, but it’s never wrong. The hardest part is starting. As a friend on the road said recently- you don’t have to be brave all the time, just brave for a short time at the right time.

‘We definitely don’t think we have got it right, but we do think we are doing what is right for us. Enjoy the adventure, whether it’s a couple of months or a couple of years. This is time we will never get back and I’m here for it all.’

Author’s note:

***At the end of our interview, Amy admitted she answered the questions while sitting beside a creek in the remote Kimberly region with a group of sixteen kids nearby, ready to test the boats they’ve spent hours creating. ‘The teacher in me could not think of a better way for our children to live and learn,’ she said.***