It’s so much fun traveling with your parents in a campervan. My favourite parts were sleeping in it, eating dinner in it and driving around everywhere with our little home. It’s kind of like being in a cubby house or a pillow fort the WHOLE TIME. And you can decorate it a little bit with nice pillows and a doona cover so it looks cute too.
We were in a van from Apollo Campervans and I loved it. We went to lots of places – mum has written about what to do in Cowra, the best things to do in Canowindra, visiting Carcoar, seeing wombats in Kangaroo Valley and the stingrays at Bendalong. We love NSW!
These are my tips for kids who are going to go in a campervan with their parents. The most important one is first.
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Toilet times
The toilet is for number 1 only. Only do number two’s if it’s an emergency (like a really, really big emergency)…or if your mum isn’t paying attention and you can quickly get it done. But don’t get caught because if you do your mum might lose her mind at you.
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Pack carefully
Don’t bring 50 things that you claim you’re going use and then leave them in a box taking up space the van. Your mum won’t be happy.
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Choose your chores
If you pick your jobs carefully you can get some really easy ones. Mine were opening and closing the curtains each day, putting the blue tablet in the toilet after it was emptied and making sure nothing was on the counter tops when we drove away. Sometimes I forgot though. Only one plate broke.
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Showering
You can shower in your van and if your mum doesn’t make you that’s really good. You can just swim in the ocean or the pool instead. Or jump in a river.
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Find cool stuff on the way to your next stop
Look up your next stop on the map and see if there’s anything on the way that you want to visit. And make sure to read about the town you’re going to as well so you can choose some things for your parents to take you to.
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See if you can sit up the front with your parent because all the cool stuff is up there
You can charge your iPad, pick the music and be on kangaroo watch. You can also put the seat back and put your feet up and have a big sleep.
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Pack your own toiletries bag for the showers
If you pack your own bag then your mum doesn’t have to pass things under the cubicle wall like shampoo and conditioner.
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Offer to empty the toilet but charge $10
It’s not that hard to empty the campervan toilet. I watched my mum do it. I haven’t done it myself but I will for $10.
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Learn about Indigenous people
It’s really important to learn about our culture and to discover more about Australian history, or wherever you are, and learn about what it was like in the olden days. I like learning the names of things in Aboriginal language and about the Dreamtime.
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Pack your sports gear
Make sure to pack your skateboard and bike so you can ride around the caravan park. And if you get them out as soon as you arrive then you don’t have to set up because the parents will be happy you’re stretching your body after being in the van for a long time.
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Have the best time!