There is no doubt about it. We brought too much stuff. Our van is full of things we might need one day on our trip – like winter clothes and extra rugs which haven’t seen the light of day since we left. (But it is sure to be cold when we head south very soon). We also had to give away our rather large but comfortable camp chairs and John’s golf buggy which just took up far too much room in the boot of the car. We learned as we went along!

In our first month of travelling, I listed items we felt were essentials. More than 13 months in and I’m updating that list! Some are still on there but others we found were not as vital as we first thought. Now we have a much clearer picture of what are our must haves. This list is in no particular order and I should point out that if I name brands, it is because that is what we like or have. We don’t get any money for mentioning them!!!!!

1. Birthday Calendar

A friend gave me this idea (thank you Nicole). Knowing we would be away for at least a year, I made a birthday calendar through Photobookshop putting each member of our family’s photo on their particular birthday. It hangs on a hook in our caravan and is easy to see birthdays that are coming up.

2. Cheese Board

My daughter gave me a cheese board identical to this one for Mothers’ Day a couple of years ago. I used it lots at home but wasn’t going to bring it as I thought it was a bit heavy plus I didn’t want it to get damaged. At the last minute I put it in as it fitted nicely in the caravan kitchen cupboard. I’m so glad we did; we use it all the time. We use the underside for chopping vegetables etc and the top as a cheese platter, particularly when we are having Happy Hour with other campers. Some nights we don’t feel like cooking dinner and just have a glass of wine and do a cheese board.

3. Wine Glasses will Travel

Talking of wine, our family must have felt wine glasses were an important ‘must have’ on this trip. And they were right. John was given the red wine glasses in the tin by Kyran and Vanessa. They are terrific to drink out of and safe in their tin when we are driving on even rough roads. Tayler bought us the stainless steel wine glasses, which she bought from Kmart just before we left home. They are also great and, of course, unbreakable. Cheers!

4. Wiki Camps App

We would not be without the Wiki Camps app when we are camping. We depend on the recommendations of other travellers for nice free camps, good caravan parks, worthwhile museums, cafes and points of interest as well as finding out what camping sites are ones to avoid. This app has saved us a lot of time and money. We try to give back by also reviewing some of the places we visit. If you are planning a trip, do yourself a favour and download this app then use it. It is very user friendly.

5. Toiletries

These toiletries from Seed and Sprout were also a gift and they have been really handy while travelling. The soap bag is great. I just put in a fresh cake of soap when the previous one is almost finished, and use the bag as a sponge. No mess. No waste. It hangs particularly well in the inside and outside caravan showers and in the caravan park shower cubicles that have limited shelf space.

The little tin contains soap, shampoo and conditioner (the one pictured is from the website and is deodorant). I don’t use it all the time but when the caravan park shower cubicles are small, it’s easier to carry this little tin than cumbersome bottles. Besides, the products are lovely to use.

6. Bigger Tins

These tins are great for keeping pasta, rice, leftovers and so on. I also use them for packed lunches, morning tea, nuts and dried fruit in the car. The lids are really secure so I also use the round ones for liquids as they don’t spill or fall over. So versatile. Most of these are from Seed and Sprout. In one set there is a small tin where I keep $1 and $2 coins for the caravan park washing machines. In fact we started saving these coins months before we left on our holiday.

7. Squishy storage containers, bucket and basin

I love that these fold down and save so much space. We use the basin every day for washing dishes and the bucket lots for cleaning. We have a set of different coloured and sized storage containers which stack really well and squash flat when not in use. I keep all my muesli ingredients in them as they are very light. Definitely make life easier.

8. Yeti Coffee Cups and Wine Tumblers

These have been a great discovery. A bit pricey but well worth it. We make a coffee in the Yeti mugs at breakfast and I drink mine as we are travelling. John prefers to have his when we stop a couple of hours later and he finds the coffee still too hot to drink!  The wine tumblers keep my gin and tonic or white wine lovely and cold on balmy evenings. We love that the magnetic lids slide shut too. We like these so much that we actually now also have the stubby holder, larger coffee mugs and a one gallon water bottle. Highly recommend.

9. A Good Torch

I bought a Wanderer torch from BCF before we left. It cost about $120 but I thought it was probably going to be worth the money. We had so many cheap torches that would never work when we needed them. It was a good buy. It is solid and reliable and has never let us down. There is a setting where it flashes on and off which might be useful if we get into any trouble.

10. Tins of Cutlery

I bought each of us a cutlery set in a tin from Tyfords in Dongara before we left but I wasn’t really sure if it was a good idea. Turns out it was. Each tin contains one fork, knife, spoon, straw and chop sticks. We use them every day. They pack away easily and neatly. I really like the idea of having our own little set of cutlery especially when we are in a group. Love them!

11. Doormat

A small piece of artificial grass on the step of the caravan and another piece on the ground as a doormat has really helped keep the red dirt at bay. Thanks Richard!

12. String Bags

I bought three string bags for our trip but I wish I’d bought a few more. We use them in the ensuite in the van to hold loo rolls and around the kitchen to hold fruit and veg.  But I need a couple to keep in the car for shopping and another couple to take my pjs and towels to the shower block and also to take my laundry to the washing machine! Can’t have too many string bags!