A young Port Macquarie family is hoping to turn their travel dream into reality.
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Elenya Dixon and Nick Mckechnie along with their two children Lennox and Finley are currently in lockdown in Port Macquarie after the stay-at-home orders were introduced by the NSW Government on September 28.
The family has downsized from their Wauchope house into a caravan and originally set off on their journey on September 24 to Diamond Head, before returning to Port Macquarie after being notified of the health order.
Once lockdown ends the family hopes to travel through NSW, up north to Darwin and into Western Australia.
However due to uncertainty surrounding border closures, the family are taking their journey week by week.
"We don't really plan too much, we know the direction and we just go from there," Ms Dixon said.
The couple are no strangers to life on the road after initially travelling in 2018, prior to having children.
They were in Townsville, Queensland when the coronavirus pandemic hit in March, 2020 and decided to return to Port Macquarie.
Ms Dixon said they have always wanted to be a family who experience life on the road, after seeing many others successfully carry out the journey.
"We love the sense of adventure and freedom it offers," she said.
Mr Mckechnie is enjoying spending the days with his sons, rather than just a couple of hours after a long day at work.
The couple own two houses in Wauchope and are renting them out while they travel.
"It was really nice to declutter and come to the realisation we don't actually need much to live," Ms Dixon said.
They are prepared to work when they have to in order to keep their finances in check.
The couple upgraded their caravan recently so the boys could have bunks to sleep in.
They managed to buy their van just before the coronavirus pandemic hit Australia in 2020, so only had to wait three months for it to arrive.
Dane Watson of Watson's Caravans Port Macquarie said demand for caravans amongst young families has been strong.
Mr Watson said as people haven't been able to travel overseas, they've been willing to redirect their international holiday allowance to experience their own backyard instead.
While the market for caravans has been strong for the last 18 months, it has also been heavily impacted by lockdowns.
Mr Watson said as the product is made locally, if manufacturing is forced to shutdown, then there can be delays in the customer receiving their new van.
"On average it can take nine to 12 months for a new product to arrive," he said.
You can follow Nick and Elenya's adventure by tracking their journey on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram by searching Elnick.Adventures.
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