Long distances with little kids?

[nab]

We're doing the Nullabor later this year. The plan is to make a beeline from Perth to Melbourne, do the family thing then cruise back over a few weeks.

We have 3 kids aged 6.5, 4.5 & 2.5. They all travel really well and love camping but the most we have done in one stint is 1200km over 2 days. We have no problems doing 700km in a day to get were we need to. But stringing 6 or 7 long driving days in a row might be a bit of an ask. We're keen and happy to do it but not sure if if the kids will feel the same...

Do you get up early, do as many kms as you can then stop after lunch/arvo to setup camp?
Do you do a morning stint and arvo stint and stop for a few hours in the morning?
Do you set a km goal and stick to it as much as possible?
Maybe a rest day half way across?
Any other tips/tricks?

We generally just go with the flow and our holidays have the most basic plans (usually a destination, no itinerary other than a date we need to be home) but we have about 10 days to get there for a family event and I would like to be prepared if they crack it halfway across...

[Beachman]

We have only done 2 trips which involved 3 full days driving (IE: 700ish KM per day) and the first day was great, 2nd was ok and by the 3rd the whinging was starting because you can only watch movies, play on the Ipad or play I spy so many times.

If it were my Wife & Kids I would either need shorter days, have a days break in the middle or fly them to the closest airport.  We live in Brisbane and we had planned to do Cape York last year, so my plan was for me to drive to Cairns solo which is 3 or 4 days solid but boring driving, then pick the Wife & Kids up at the Cairns airport. That way we all start the exciting part of the journey happy.

At the moment in QLD you can look at a map and estimate 700kms should take say take 8 hours, but with road works it can blow out to 10 hours. I remember one trip I had to turn the car off for 20 minutes waiting for road works, then it takes time for all that traffic to regain momentum.

[lukeycat]

We have only done 2 trips which involved 3 full days driving (IE: 700ish KM per day) and the first day was great, 2nd was ok and by the 3rd the whinging was starting because you can only watch movies, play on the Ipad or play I spy so many times.

If it were my Wife & Kids I would either need shorter days, have a days break in the middle or fly them to the closest airport.  We live in Brisbane and we had planned to do Cape York last year, so my plan was for me to drive to Cairns solo which is 3 or 4 days solid but boring driving, then pick the Wife & Kids up at the Cairns airport. That way we all start the exciting part of the journey happy.

At the moment in QLD you can look at a map and estimate 700kms should take say take 8 hours, but with road works it can blow out to 10 hours. I remember one trip I had to turn the car off for 20 minutes waiting for road works, then it takes time for all that traffic to regain momentum.

I'm thinking about doing the same thing next year with the wife and kids chuck them on the plane and drive to Cairns I actually find it quite relaxing driving long distances solo. We did a trip to Fraser last year from Melbourne with a 9 month old and a three year old and the most we were able to do between 1000-1100 a day without going too insane it took the first day of driving to work out the kids schedule when they started to get over it etc and we just adjusted the trip as we went.

[tk421]

Only you can tell how they'll be. You say they're used to travelling so they should be ok. Our kids are good for about 5 hours in the car.

For us the key is stopping along the way and looking at stuff if possible to break up the journey. But if you're doing it both ways you might have seen everything already?

We've got similar ages. We try and do a morning stint and stop  for morning tea for 30mins, then drive until lunch. An hour for lunch then drive as far as we can whilst they sleep after lunch. We get an hour from when they wake up before we stop again for afternoon tea or to set up.

If we don't have far to go we leave after morning tea and stop for lunch

Friends of ours just did Syd-Perth-Syd with two kids. Dad drove Syd-Per and Mum and kids  flew Syd to Perth.  They did the family thing and then they all drove back.

[Skinnee]

We drive between 8am and 4pm , stop for lunch in between and any toilet stops. We don't rush and sit on 100 towing.   The drive times minimise our chances of hitting wildlife and allow for setup and pack up in daylight hours.

[austastar]

Hi,
   Enjoy the vastness of the Nullarbor,  stop and experience the quiet  and the colours.
How many green can the kids count?
At the Nullarbor Roadhouse, look back East and check out the old road  50m wide and as rough as anything.
Cheers

Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

[glenm64]

Hi,
   Enjoy the vastness of the Nullarbor,  stop and experience the quiet  and the colours.
How many green can the kids count?
At the Nullarbor Roadhouse, look back East and check out the old road  50m wide and as rough as anything.
Cheers

Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

Agree, enjoy the Nullabor, you'd be surprised what you can find to break the trip up.
I disagree with the old Eyre Hwy being rough as. Did it last year both ways towing the van, could sit on 60 - 80kph and was really relaxing. Dingoes, camels, eagles, old Koonalda Homestead etc.
Do your research theres lots to see to break trip up. Theres plenty of caves, the old telegraph station, access to the bight where no one else goes thats spectacular, camp atop of the ridge that runs between Madura and Eucla, station farm stays with real characters. Unfortunately most people see it as a vast distance that needs to be conquered as quickly as possible.
The Hyden Norseman is a far better option IMHO than the black top to Kalgoolie, again lots to see and far safer without the trucks and traffic.

Cheers Glen

[Bird]

Look for cheap flights and fly the wife and 2 youngest kids over. Dude in our club did this last year heading west...

That will make both of your lives easier.

[shanegtr]

I'd definatly plan in a rest day. Once the kids crack the Shits in the car its not much fun for everyone else. Living in the Pilbara our kids are forced to endure long stints in the car, but even they have their breaking point. We used to do the run to Perth and back during the night time hours, kids asleep and you can run all night. We no longer do that after a decent accident a few years ago so its not something I'd recommend doing

[Shippo]

one of the best things we bought for the kids when travelling long distance was the dvd screens that attach to the headrests. They have a usb input so we load it up with movies and they keep themselves entertained. Cost about $130 from Big W and best money we ever spent!
 We always stop for lunch somewhere that has a playground so they can burn off some energy ( not sure on playgrounds across the nullabor though!). Perhaps pack a footy or soccer ball so they can have a run around when you take a rest break

[Jakster1]

Yeah we do the Mackay -Gold Coast trip every now (kids under 6 'months and 2.5yo)and then it's roughly 1100klms. Did it in a day last time down took 15 hours. But stopped in halfway on the way back and enjoyed a few days break relaxing.
Big distances are doable depending how  the kids travel but guarantee they will get over it and stat stressing everyone out. I prefer to break it up if possible and enjoy the sights along the way. But also sometimes just like to get tot where we are going.
Portable DVD players are a godsend.
Yeah and need to have a few decent stops to let the kids out to play and burn off steam for a while or they end up going feral in the car.

[Nomad]

I can get my kids to do a 12 hour day, but then have to back off t 6 to 7 hours day for the next two and then nothing for a day.
For the first day I leave early, say 3am and arrive at 3pm so they have some time to play. I let them stay up later so they sleep longer the next morning and then push off say at 8.30am to arrive at 4 ish so they have a few hours of day light to run around in, plus they get a lunch / fuel stop for half or 3/4 of an hour. But thats only if we are pushing to get somewhere. Otherwise I try and keep it to 6 hours or less.

I think your oldest is going to dictate the length of time you can spend in the car.

Big trip.....could be great fun! 

[heath74]

I'm doing the Nullarbor in June, and just booked flights for my wife and youngest 10yo. My eldest 11 loves the drive and we've done plenty together. I tend to break it up into 2-3 hour stints, get him on the map to plan our next stop, buy him a treat at the servos, always have an icecream stop in the arvo etc.

But I also don't try to push the games or conversations, just let it flow a bit.

[nab]

Cheers, a few things there I didn't think of.

My missus isn't that keen on me driving and them flying over. She reckons she would rather spending the money for flights on the road trip. She also isn't keen on me driving there by myself (done it a couple times already) but may be OK if I have company (need to check gumtree for any blonde backpackers that need a lift  ).

We have a portable DVD but sounds like separate headrest screens and headphones may help.

All my previous Nullabor trips have been drive until I'm tired the rest, repeat. This time I wouldn't mind exploring a bit. Any more tips about the railway and old tracks?
Any nice camp spots? I stayed at Newman Rocks last time and it was quite nice.
Anymore advice about the Hyden-Norseman Rd? I am keen but I haven't done it for about 8 years.

[Jakster1]

Last time I did the nullabor was before the kids came along and a highlight that I really enjoyed and remember was staying on the cliffs edge somewhere along the bight. We camped literally just 10m from a sheer cliff face into the ocean. Was an amazing experience. Can't remember exactly where, but we took a track off the highway and setup the tent. Was a bit worried about going for a pi$$ in the middle of the night and wondering off too far😄.

[duggie]

BRANDY - works every time. 

[glenm64]

BRANDY - works every time. 

Yeah but what about the kids??

Cheers Glen

[oldmate]

Yeah but what about the kids??

Cheers Glen

2 bottles

[tryagain]

When we did Perth to Karratha a couple of years ago we had to stop every few hours for the baby to feed, in that time I tried to run the kids too exhaustion, in most of our travels we normally stop at a park/playground for them to burn off some energy but a lot of the stops on that trip there was literally nothing, so it was just run run run. I am guessing the Nullarbor will be similar so might pay to plan a couple of other energy burning games/exercises to mix it up a bit. I also found a couple of lollies is a good way to get them back into the car after a stop without complaining. Yes, also DVD players and or tablets are also a God send but always feel there is a fine line between them watching enough to keep them entertained but not so much that they miss out on experiencing the occasion.

[tk421]

When we did Perth to Karratha a couple of years ago we had to stop every few hours for the baby to feed, in that time I tried to run the kids too exhaustion, in most of our travels we normally stop at a park/playground for them to burn off some energy but a lot of the stops on that trip there was literally nothing, so it was just run run run. I am guessing the Nullarbor will be similar so might pay to plan a couple of other energy burning games/exercises to mix it up a bit. I also found a couple of lollies is a good way to get them back into the car after a stop without complaining. Yes, also DVD players and or tablets are also a God send but always feel there is a fine line between them watching enough to keep them entertained but not so much that they miss out on experiencing the occasion.

Lollies - yes. We make a daily snack bag for each of them. It's up to them when they eat them. Stretches out the day and stops the constant "I'm hungry. Can I have something to eat?" noises. Took a while for them to understand that what was in the bag really was it for the day but it works well now, and gives them some sense of control over the journey

[#jonesy]

With mine there first long trip was an 7 -8 hour day.  In the lead up I told them it was going to be a long day, Melbourne to Eden. And the were NOt to ask how much longer or how far.  This  part surprisingly worked.

We left at 6 and stopped for breakfast an hour or so later and again after a few hours at a playground and then lunch about an hour from the end.

The trick would be to stop just before they turn feral.  A quick 5 minute run around and go again.  Don't stop too long thoug, as all those breaks will chew up the time at the end of the day

[plusnq]

We do a lot of touring. My kids range from 25 to 7 in age now. Hardest times are when there is a baby or toddler. Now we use iPads/iPods  with headphones, snack bags, and regular stops. When they were little we did two hours with a 30 minute toilet/ leg stretch stop. These days it is closer to 3 hours with a 15 minute stop. Drawing materials if they are so inclined as well. We always packed a soccer ball for them to kick about at a rest stop. We do 12 hour days like this but try to taper the length as the journey progresses.

[smartyingreen]

Whilst I agree that use of DVD's and iPads etc can make it less stressful at times, we have also found this to increase the tension in the car aswell.  Arguements over who is watching what, he got 3 seconds more time than i did - this sort of Shit just ruined my days over the last few years with the kids.
We have found the use of colouring in books, journals for the older ones and the bit that was most entertaining was the kids coming up with the idea of their own dreamtime stories.  When they were making these stories up - on the spot and spoken not written, they had my wife and i in stitches laughing.
So whilst i think use of the electronics can be of benefit, surely 6 - 10 hours of this stuff each day in the car is more detrimental than beneficial.
We certainly make multiple stops, usually just to get out and take a few photos and a look around.  If coming into a town we will always stop at the park, preferably with playground equipment, if not a ball and bat or something similar.
As others have said, you know your kids and know when pushing that extra hour is going to make a good day a s h i t day, and no one wants to setup camp when everyone is already in a foul mood.
The other thing to consider is once past Ceduna, consider the coast road and the extra kms - the Eyre Peninsula has some spectacular coastine that is certainly worth the effort.
Best of luck with your decision and the trip.

Smartyingreen.

Sent from my SM-T815Y using Tapatalk

[Nifty1]

Years ago I towed a 22' yacht from Melbourne to Mackay, over 3 days, with a 6 and 4 year old. (Mum flew up with the baby). I stopped every couple of hours or so, got the kids out, grabbed their hands and sprinted about 100 yards up the road and back, then back in the car. Seemed to be enough to keep them quiet for the next couple of hours. It was a great trip. You'll be fine.

[Jakster1]

If your kids have a tendency to fight or whinge or complain there is another alternative...just something I've heard along the way, never actually tried it but it's funny.
The weekend before the main event you need to pretend to be packed up and ready to hit the road as if it's go time for the road trip, go for a drive and tell them if you hear one word then we're turning around and going home and no holidays. As soon as one of them complains say "THATS IT WERE GOING HOME" and turn the car around and go home. Then when it really is time togo the following week, remind them that if they play up then the car gets turned around.  Haha😂 might even work for the wife this trick!!