We are Springing into Summer with some more easy camping meals. This super easy, super healthy, Super-Duper Summer Salad recipe is a great option as a side, or meal in itself. You can add or remove ingredients in this salad to taste, making it super versatile too.
Check out our latest Episode below for full details on how to make this delicious salad!
Ingredients
Mixed baby green leaves of choice (baby spinach, rocket, kale etc)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 red capsicum, thinly sliced
1 firm but ripe white or yellow nectarine, pitted and cut into wedges
1 firm but ripe white or yellow peach, pitted and cut into wedges
1 firm but ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and cut into thin slices
1/2 cup cashews, lightly toasted
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice of 1-2 limes
3 teaspoons of honey
3-4 drops Lemon essential oil*
Instructions
Layer all fresh ingredients on a large platter, starting with the baby mixed leaves. Sprinkle salad with toasted cashews.
In a jar, mix the olive oil, lime juice, honey and lemon essential oil (if using). Shake well. Pour over salad before serving, season and enjoy!
* When cooking with essential oils we recommend using only the highest quality, purest oils available. We choose ,,dōTERRA Essential Oils for this reason.
TIP: Try grilling the peach and nectarine wedges on the BBQ for a few minutes for an added boost of deliciousness!
The Feel Good Family has been named by YouTube as today’s “Creator On The Rise”.
The accolade, awarded by YouTube to help up and coming channels gain greater exposure, will see The Feel Good Family’s channel featured on YouTube’s Trending & Explore pages.
“We’re in disbelief! Being selected by YouTube as their Creator on the Rise is a huge accolade and a testament to the hard work that we have invested into our channel over the last 15 months of travelling full time on the road”, the Feel Good Family commented.
Following what has become a booming trend for young families like theirs, Paul and Katie Guerin from Queensland’s Gold Coast packed up their lives, put their careers on hold, and embarked on the Australian dream, travelling the country in their Windsor caravan with son Jasper, aged 4.
With backgrounds in entertainment and TV production, The Feel Good Family have been sharing their ‘full time RV traveling lifestyle’ through beautifully produced weekly videos on their YouTube channel. Every episode of their Family Travel Australia series covers the best Aussie destinations, ‘feel good’ experiences and inspiration to encourage other families to get outdoors, explore Australia, and make life long memories together.
The Feel Good Family live by the mantra “You don’t need to see the whole staircase, just take the first step!”
The family are proud brand ambassadors for Apollo Tourism & Leisure Ltd and OZtrail Australia.
To join The Feel Good Family’s journey around Australia, subscribe to their YouTube Channel, and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
New episodes of our Family Travel Australia series are released on YouTube every Sunday 6.30pm (AEST), with weekly Podcast episodes airing Friday’s at 8.30pm (AEST).
The Outback had been calling us for some time, and with Queensland #GoodToGo we decided there was no time better than now to hit the road and head way out west. As a destination Outback Queensland is huge, and is divided into four regions. Having a 3 week window we decided it would be best to focus our exploration on only one region, so as not to rush our experience, and spent the majority of our time immersing ourselves at Winton in the Central West.
What we discovered was an incredibly epic landscape and dramatic contrast to the coastal regions of Australia we have previously spent so much time. We visited world class tourism attractions, quirky art installations and connected with the true blue Aussie characters that make Winton such a vibrant Outback town. Here’s our Top 3 Must Do experiences:-
1. Go on a Dinosaur Discovery
No matter what your age you will love discovering dinosaurs in Winton! Home to Australia’s largest collection of dinosaur fossils, and the world’s only known dinosaur stampede trackways, the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum and Lark Quarry National Monument are not to be missed. With new attractions opening from 2021 including a Natural History Museum and Dark Sky Observatory, this amazing experience will be as epic as the dinosaurs who once roamed this very land.
Rich in history, Winton is famously known as the birthplace of Australia’s unofficial anthem, Waltzing Matilda. Penned by A.B (Banjo) Patterson in 1895 while visiting a cattle station near town, Winton now boasts the first museum in the world dedicated entirely to a song, the impressive and world-class Waltzing Matilda Centre. Interactive and immersive, the museum offers a fantastic experience for every age and tells the story of Waltzing Matilda, Winton and Queensland’s Outback region.
3.Take In The Vision Splendid Of An Outback Sunset
Epic landscapes mean big skies, and there’s nothing quite like watching the sun transform a rugged and ancient land through its ever changing dusk colours. Winton boasts a number of incredible vantage spots to enjoy a spectacular Outback sunset, including the Rangelands where natural erosion has created channels to explore through giant rock formations. Part of a private property and working cattle station, joining a tour is the only way to experience this fascinating mesa.
New episodes of our Family Travel Australia series are released on YouTube every Sunday 6.30pm (AEST), with weekly Podcast episodes airing Friday’s at 8.30pm (AEST).
With Queensland #GoodToGo we have recently enjoyed our second visit to the spectacular Capricorn Region. We have absolutely fallen in love with this part of Queensland, and we know that you will too, so we wanted to bring you our Top 10 must see, must visit experiences and destinations within the Capricorn Region.
1.Carnarvon Gorge
Hands down Carnarvon Gorge would have to be our number one destination in our first year full time on the road. This spectacular national park boasts over 298,000ha of Queensland’s central highlands. It is located about 720km by road north-west of Brisbane, and directly south west from Rockhampton on the coast. There are a number of short-walk options based around the main gorge track, with the full circuit Great Walk totalling 87km in length. Many of the short walks are very accessible and great for families. There is a rich Indigenous history, and that was one of the major highlights for us. The ochre stencils at Carnarvon are some of the finest examples of this type of Aboriginal imagery in Australia.
Other highlights include the towering sandstone cliffs of the Amphitheatre, the Indigenous Art Gallery showcasing rock wall art believed to be over 3500 years old, the Moss Garden with its waterfall and lush rainforest, and Wards Canyon was breathtakingly beautiful and a cool relief from the 38 degree day when we trekked in. Ancient king ferns grow beside
the crystal clear waters of the Carnarvon Creek, and the area is brimming with wildlife. We were lucky enough to even spot a platypus where we camped at Takarakka Bush Resort. Carnarvon Gorge is an absolute must and the number one destination to put on top of your bucket list.
2.Pumpkin Island
Pumpkin Island is located on the spectacular Southern Great Barrier Reef and is Australia’s best kept secret! The island is located 14km off the Yeppoon coast, with Yeppoon about 650km north of Brisbane and 1100km south of Cairns. The island is a tiny 6ha and you can literally walk around the entire island. The crystal clear turquoise waters and secluded relaxed atmosphere make for the ultimate get away from it all. There is an abundance of wildlife above and below the water, and the island is eco-friendly being recognised as Australasia’s Most Sustainable Hotel. There are 7 self-catering beach cottages scattered across the island, that are all powered by the wind and the sun. The island’s Sunset Lounge was a definite highlight, and whether you are a family, a couple or even a larger group, you can hire the entire island for a special occasion.
3.Capricorn Caves
At over 400 million years in the making, Capricorn Caves are an awe inspiring example of nature at its finest. Located an easy 30 minute drive north of Rockhampton, the caves boast the highest concentration of fossils found anywhere in the world. They offer a number of different tour experiences that cater for every member of the family including daily wheelchair-accessible guided cave tours, wild caving adventures that had our hearts racing and Paul’s knees a little jelly, and abseiling down through the caves for the very brave! Onsite accommodation options include self-contained cabins, the Lodge, and a great bush camp with powered and unpowered sites for tents, caravans and motorhomes, and there is even a pool for those extra hot days.
4.Rubyvale Miners Heritage | Sapphire Gemfields
Located in Queensland’s Central Highlands, the Sapphire Gemfields are an easy 45 minute drive west of Emerald and cover almost 900 square kms. We visited Rubyvale Miners Heritage, Australia’s largest underground walk-in sapphire mine experience. We had a fantastic time trying our hand at fossicking for sapphires, and there are plenty of accommodation options including caravan parks and camping in Emerald and the surrounding areas. We stayed at a fantastic caravan park, the Lake Maraboon Holiday Village and Paul even tried his hand red clawing on the Fairburn Dam.
5.Mt Hay Gemstone Tourist Park
Located 30 minutes west of Rockhampton, Mount Hay is an internationally known destination for thunderegg fossicking and the purchase of semi-precious Australian gemstone products, cut and polished in the Mount Hay factory. This is a great family friendly fossicking experience, and there are camping and caravan sites to stay overnight. Jasper especially loved this experience and it super safe for kids to get dirty looking for their very own unique piece of treasure! Something very cool for Jasper, is that the actual gemstones within the thundereggs are referred to as Rainforest Jasper.
6.Yeppoon Foreshore
Yeppoon is the spectacular beachside accommodation hub for the region and is known as the Heart of the Capricorn Coast. If you are a travelling family Yeppoon is the perfect location to entertain the entire tribe. With a multitude of free activities including the Keppel Kracken water park and the stunning Yeppoon Lagoon, these fantastic foreshore play areas offer year round swimming with first class restaurants and cafes to keep you satisfied. You will need at least a week to relax, unwind and explore the best of this beautiful coastline.
7.Mt Archer National Park
Rockhampton’s highest peak is 604m above sea level and boasts incredible views of the entire city. It is the perfect vantage point to take in the surrounding ranges and is a wonderful location to enjoy a picnic, or take in a sunrise or sunset. The recently opened Nurim Circuit elevated boardwalk is world class, and is an easy 500m walk from the car park and showcases the best views from multiple lookouts. There is nature based playground for the kids and a number of other short bush walks. We enjoyed a toast with a glass of wine and cheese platter as a thanks and farewell for our incredible time in the region.
8.Rockhampton
Rockhampton is jammed packed with family friendly experiences! A few of our favourites include the Archer Park Rail Museum, a beautifully restored 1899 railway station and museum featuring the last remaining purrey steam tram in the world. Jasper absolutely loved this experience. We also loved visiting Kershaw Gardens, known as Rockhampton’s “big backyard”, every member of the family will love this space. There are spacious parklands, walking tracks, incredible play areas for kids, picnic areas and free BBQ’s. Another must visit is the free Zoo and adjoining Botanic Gardens. With more than 60 species of native and exotic animals the kids will love exploring the Zoo and catching some of the free keeper talks.
9.Byfield National Park
Byfield National Park is a beautiful blend of rugged mountain ranges, massive sand dunes, remote beaches and campgrounds, pine plantations and rainforest fringed creeks. Located 40km north of Yeppoon, Ferns Hideaway Wilderness Resort is a perfect base to set up camp and explore the 15,000 hectares and surrounding conservation park. Whether you want to four-wheel drive, hike, fish or walk for miles on a secluded beach, your choice of activities here are endless. We especially loved taking the Canadian canoes for a spectacular paddle down Waterpark Creek and best of all this is included free to all guests of Ferns.
10.Great Keppel Island
Great Keppel Island is a short 30-minute Fast Cat ferry ride from the Yeppoon marina and boasts 17 of Australia’s most outstanding secluded white sand beaches! With varying accommodation options on the island, The Holiday Village hosted by Geoffrey Mercer, offers self-catered ‘Budget Boutique’ accommodation for every style of traveller. From glamping tents to 1, 2 and 3 bedroom villas, or you can even pitch your own tent. Activities range from island hiking trails, fishing, snorkelling and scuba diving, or lazing under palm trees in a hammock for the day! The sounds of the crystal clear turquoise water will lullaby you to sleep in this pristine island escape! It’s definitely not Ok Keppel Island, it’s Great Keppel Island!
So there it is, our Top 10 must see, must add to your bucket list destinations within the Capricorn Region. We have loved our time here and can’t wait to visit again!
New episodes of our Family Travel Australia series are released on YouTube every Sunday 6.30pm (AEST), with weekly Podcast episodes airing Friday’s at 8.30pm (AEST).
With its picture perfect beaches, pristine national parks and perfect island getaways that rival any south pacific destination, the Capricorn Coast will entice you to adjust your current bucket list and plan a visit to this spectacular coastal region of Central Queensland.
After towing our Coromal caravan through this region a number of times, we have whittled it down to our 4 must experience destinations that will suit every type of traveller and leave you booking your return visit as soon as you arrive.
Byfield National Park is a beautiful blend of rugged mountain ranges, massive sand dunes, remote beaches and campgrounds, pine plantations and rainforest fringed creeks. Located 40km north of Yeppoon, Ferns Hideaway Wilderness Resort is a perfect base to set up camp and explore the 15,000 hectares and surrounding conservation park. Whether you want to four-wheel drive, hike, fish or walk for miles on a secluded beach, your choice of activities here are endless. fernshideawayresort.com
Yeppoon is the spectacular beachside accommodation hub for the region and is known as the Heart of the Capricorn Coast. If you are a travelling family Yeppoon is the perfect location to entertain the entire tribe. With a multitude of free activities including the ‘Keppel Kracken’ water park and ‘Yeppoon Lagoon’, these fantastic foreshore play areas offer year round swimming with first class restaurants and cafes to keep you satisfied.
From the rainforest to the reef, the islands that are a short Fastcat away from the coast live up to their famous Southern Great Barrier Reef quote of “Where great begins!”
Pumpkin Island is Australia’s best kept secret! Powered completely by the sun and wind, this ultimate island getaway has been recognised and awarded the Best Sustainable Hotel in the southern hemisphere. Covering 6 hectares of natural environment, the 7 self-catering beach cottages nestled along the water’s edge, offer a complete unwind and relax for couples, families or larger groups who want to hire the entire island to celebrate a special occasion! pumpkinisland.com.au
Great Keppel Island is a short 30-minute ferry ride from the Yeppoon marina and boasts 17 of Australia’s most outstanding secluded white sand beaches! With varying accommodation options on the island, The Holiday Villagehosted by Geoffrey Mercer, offers self-catered ‘Budget Boutique’ glamping tents, and 1, 2 and 3 bedroom villas. Activities range from island hiking trails, fishing, snorkelling and scuba diving, or lazing under palm trees in a hammock for the day! The sounds of the crystal clear turquoise water will lullaby you to sleep in this pristine island escape! gkiholidayvillage.com.au
New episodes of our Family Travel Australia series are released on YouTube every Sunday 6.30pm (AEST), with weekly Podcast episodes airing Friday’s at 8.30pm (AEST).
The thing we have noticed most is that you just don’t need as much stuff as you think you need! Being a full-time family living on the road in our Coromal caravan for the last 10 months has been the most freeing experience we could ever have imagined, and most of all it has made us become conscious consumers!
The ‘footprint’ this lifestyle leaves is enthusiastically small compared to our previous living experience of a 3 bedroom house. And the idea of being more conscious in our buying choices helps us reduce the need to be purchasing single use items, and also say no to the extra packaging that is regularly available disguised as ‘convenience’.
We have been living a low-tox life for the past 7 years as we were given no solid answers to our [in]fertility woes. We slowly removed everything we could that may have been a contributing factor, including the microwave, all plastic food and storage containers, and anything that had toxic ingredients to aid in cleaning. This led us to use all natural products wherever possible and seek out alternatives as we went.
Very fortunately during our IVF journey (more like a rollercoaster!) we were introduced to the world’s purest essential oils and their ability to have a positive impact and use in every part of our lives, from cleaning to cooking and most importantly our health and well-being! It was this combination, paired with our love for wildlife and the environment, that set us on the path to becoming what we like to call Green Nomads.
As Kermit The Frog always says “It’s not easy being green”, however RV’ing is the perfect lifestyle to make you more aware of your choices and the impacts those choices have on the precious environment we are so eager to explore. It makes you move toward a greener way of being and living, and helps you feel a responsibility for its future… become a custodian of the land!
Best of all we love the feeling of experiencing moments together as a family. The joy in seeing life through a 3 year old’s eyes never diminishes and reminds us to be present in those moments. It has shown us that we have a chance to be giving these later life lessons to our son so early in his life, by instilling a respect for nature and the incredible environment we call home.
Check out our RV CLEANING HACKS video for more information on going green.
~ Paul Guerin
New episodes of our Family Travel Australia series are released on YouTube every Sunday 6.30pm (AEST), with weekly Podcast episodes airing Friday’s at 8.30pm (AEST).
One of our easy camping meals, this is a fantastic recipe to make and cook with the kids over the campfire. It’s fun, delicious, and with only 3 ingredients, it couldn’t be any easier!
Check out our latest Episode below for full details on how to make this delicious snack!
Ingredients
1 cup self raising flour
1 teaspoon sugar
Water (add slowly until dough consistency is reached)
Toppings of choice (butter, honey, maple syrup etc)
Instructions
Mix flour and sugar together, then slowly add water until a dough consistency is achieved.
Roll damper mixture into a long snake, then twist around the top of your stick. Cook over a campfire for 3-5 minutes (depending on the heat level).
Damper will start to puff up and get crispy on the outside when cooked.
Slide off the stick and serve hot with butter and honey (or your topping of choice). Yum!
We love a good gingerbread anytime of the year, and with Christmas just around the corner it seemed the perfect time to give these tasty little cookies a go on the Weber BBQ.
These cookies couldn’t be any simpler to make, they taste amazing, and they’re a great recipe to get the kids involved in making too!
Watch our full episode below to see us in action making these delicious gingerbread!
Ingredients
75g butter
3.5 tablespoons golden syrup (or maple syrup)
60g soft brown sugar
175g plain flour
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
3-4 drops Ginger essential oil*
1-2 drops Cinnamon essential oil*
Instructions
Add butter, syrup and brown sugar to a pan and stir over a low heat until sugar has dissolved.
Add flour, bicarbonate soda, ginger and essential oils (if using) to a mixing bowl and stir together. Make a well in the centre and pour in the sugar and butter mixture.
Stir together to make a dough (we like to use our hands as it’s much easier).
Wrap the dough in cling wrap and let chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
Gently roll the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper with a rolling pin until dough is approximately 0.5cm thick.
Using a cookie cutter cut out shapes and bake in the Weber for 10-20 minutes until lightly golden brown. The gingerbread will still be soft but will harden up when left to cool outside the Weber.
TIPS:
– Don’t overwork the dough when bringing it all together or rolling it out. Overworking will result in a tough cookie.
– Be strategic when cutting out your cookie shapes to prevent having to re-roll your dough too many times, as per the above point.
* When cooking with essential oils we recommend using only the highest quality, purest oils available. We choose ,,dōTERRA Essential Oils for this reason.
We are all very aware of the dangers of fire here in Australia, particularly with the recent bushfires that have been labelled the worst fire season on record, claiming many lives, loss of property and a reported 1 billion animals!
We were in Yeppoon, Queensland, in November last year when the reality of these fires hit home. Finding ourselves in the midst of a very scary situation prompted us to create an emergency plan and grab bag, two things we hadn’t even considered when we set off on our adventure around Australia.
Now in Tasmania the cold weather means cranking the diesel heater daily to keep the van warm, and lots more indoor cooking. When we first arrived on the Apple Isle, we had the opportunity to show a friend through our Coromal Element Evolution. Being a Tassie Fire Station Officer his first question was “Where are your smoke alarms?”, quickly followed by “Where is your carbon monoxide detector?”
Still considering ourselves relative newbies to this lifestyle, we hadn’t even thought about these safety essentials! He said we wouldn’t believe how quickly a fire in a van will escalate, as it has a high fire loading in a relatively small space. Sadly tragic caravan fires do occur, as does carbon monoxide poising, as was seen recently with a young family in WA.
These inexpensive and simple to install solutions could very well save you and your family’s lives. Recommended safety tips for RV’s:
– Install photoelectric smoke alarms with a hush button (RV models are available from hardware stores)
⁃ Check alarms before every trip or once a week if full time living
⁃ Install a carbon monoxide detector
⁃ Ensure you have a fire extinguisher and fire blanket
⁃ Turn off all gas cylinders while the caravan is being towed or campervan engine is on
⁃ Turn off all appliances not being used before going to bed
⁃ Have an emergency plan
⁃ Have a grab bag of essentials ready to go
⁃ Never leave cooking unattended
⁃ Store all flammable liquids outside the caravan or motorhome
⁃ Ensure that the extension lead for connecting electricity supply to your RV is in good condition
New episodes of our Family Travel Australia series are released on YouTube every Sunday 6.30pm (AEST), with weekly Podcast episodes airing Friday’s at 8.30pm (AEST).
This delicious and super tasty Chunky Apple Crumble will warm your heart and your tummy! A great recipe to get the kids involved with making, and a quick and easy dessert for any night of the week!
Ingredients
5 apples, golden delicious or other medium to soft apples of choice
Ground cinnamon
1½ cup plain flour
3/4 cup coconut or brown sugar
200 grams chilled butter, chopped
¾ cup rolled oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
1-2 drops dōTERRA cinnamon bark essential oil *
Double cream or ice-cream, to serve
Instructions
Peel, core, and chop apples into chunky pieces, then place in a grill-proof pan. Sprinkle the apples with cinnamon.
In a bowl combine the flour, coconut sugar, butter, and oats. Using your fingers, rub the butter through the mixture until you have a very coarse texture. Stir in the walnuts then sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the apples.
Set up your Baby Q for indirect cooking (with convection tray and trivet in place) and preheat on high for 10 minutes.
Place the pan on the trivet and turn the burner control knob to the roast/bake setting. Close the lid and cook until golden, 30-35 minutes.
Spoon the apple crumble into serving bowls. Serve with ice cream or cream and enjoy!
* When cooking with essential oils only use the highest quality purest oils available. We choose dōTERRA for this reason.