The family known on Instagram as @trades_travelcountry – Mick, Aimee, twins Kane and Lara (15), and Ashton (12) – are living the dream of all adventurers at heart, traveling around Australia in their kitted-out 4WD and caravan. On their journey, they’re discovering the most beautiful and remote places you can ever imagine. Originally from the NSW Central Coast, their life revolves around seeing the best of Australia while homeschooling their kids on the road.
In late February, they arrived in our region, where the stunning morning light and gorgeous wildlife of the Coorong National Park welcomed them. After a few days of off-road adventures, exploring walking trails and camping spots, and indulging in delicious local food, they were blown away by the stunning natural landscapes and immersive adventures at their fingertips.
Here are this travelling family’s top 5 unmissable spots:
Their first stop after crossing the South Australian border on their epic journey from Western Australia was the stunningly rugged Coorong National Park. This magnificent, expansive park features untamed dune and lagoon landscapes, home to some friendly wildlife.
After parking up their Lyfe RV RAM2500 at the 42 Mile Crossing campsite, greeted by a kangaroo in the scrub, they let down their tyre pressure and headed down to the Salt Creek beachfront for a spot of fishing along 90 Mile Beach – made famous by the Storm Boy film.
Their highlights of the Coorong included getting travel recs from Tyson the friendly and knowledgeable park ranger, the fun of challenging 4WD tracks, and the family-friendly Jack Point Pelican Observatory Walk, making it the perfect spot for an outdoors-loving family.
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Passing through Meningie to admire the lakefront, and the Pangarinda Botanic Garden to walk through a treasure trove of our native flora, they landed in Murray Bridge for their next stint of fishing and adventuring.
During their stay at the Murray Bridge Marina Caravan Park, they discovered a new favourite coffee spot with Little Local Co. They loved starting the morning with a caffeine hit, then nestling in to a day with the whole family at Long Island Reserve or Sturt Reserve – with the boys especially enjoying the novelty of swimming somewhere different to the beach!
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Then, they traded their home on wheels for a luxe Bridgeport Hotel interconnecting family room on the last night of their Murray Bridge stay. The boys were stoked to have their own space overlooking the river and Historic Twin Bridges, and like most teenagers, being able to have a semi-private space away from their parents in luxury!
The infinity pool was a highlight, spending the warm weekend swimming laps and peering over the edge at the iconic Murray River and train bridge crossing.
Their Friday night was well spent at the Rivergum Restaurant, with Mick especially enjoying the tap beer and the live music playing in the Lounge.
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On their way up to the Mid Murray, they dropped into Monarto Safari Park for a wildlife experience of a lifetime.
The Giraffe Safari took their breath away, hand-feeding carrots to the males of the largest giraffe herd in Australia. Ashton couldn’t believe how long their tongues were as one of them accidentally licked his hand!
The Zu-Loop bus was another stand out – Monarto’s shuttle bus that departs from the new Visitor Centre, allowing you to hop on and off at a variety of wildlife viewing platforms including the giraffes, rhinos, cheetahs, lions, African painted dogs and chimpanzees.
This family recommend spending a full day here to have lunch at the café, catch the shuttle around, and visit the gift shop for cheeky souvenir.
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Mick and Aimee ended their road trip in the Mid Murray, using the Mannum Big4 Breeze Holiday Park as a base for day trips out to iconic nature destinations like Mannum Waterfalls and the Big Bend Lookout.
Their waterfront powered campsite put on a show, with glassy water and velvet skies greeting them each morning. Kane loved fishing on the banks during the day, and although he had to throw his carp in the bin, the fun of a big catch was a major highlight.
The Mannum Dock Discovery Centre gave Kane and Ashton a quick history lesson of our iconic paddlesteamers. They even got to wander down to Mary Ann Reserve and watch the Murray Princess take off. They couldn’t believe its size, like nothing they’d ever seen before!
They started their morning with a sunrise walk at Mannum Waterfalls, and ventured out to Big Bend Lookout to take in the golden cliffs at sunset, and then of course – our globally renowned dark skies.
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Overall, this @trades_travelcountry adventure family absolutely loved their road trip through our corner of the globe, and highly recommends every family comes for a holiday along the Murray River, Lakes and Coorong.
It was a brand new experience for them, and something completely unique compared to their regular beachside haunts, providing first-ever nature and adrenaline experiences for their family.
For more on what you can explore in our region, follow our Instagram and Facebook pages or visit our website. Start planning your adventure today!
(Images featured in this blog post are courtesy of @trades_travelcountry)