Siobhan O’Reilly is a lifetime friend of our Founder, Emma. They met as children, went to school together and were room-mates back in their uni days. Siobhan was the one who introduced Emma to her partner, Steve at a music festival.
When we heard that Siobhan, partner Matt and little River were travelling around Australia in 1980’s bus, we jumped at the chance to feature their adventure in our ‘Where is Your Paradise Found’ travel series.
They open up about the freedom of life on the open road and share their incredible experiences with powerful photos, showing the raw beauty of Australia’s vast landscapes.
Who’s travelling in your tribe?
Matt, Siobhan, River and ‘Ron’ - our awesome home on wheels, a 1986 Toyota Coaster.
What was the catalyst behind hitting the road to travel around Australia?
We both love traveling and always dreamt of one day doing a lap around Australia. Spending as much quality time with River before he starts school is a priority for us and we wanted to share our love for the open road and adventuring with him. Australia is such an incredibly diverse country, the weather is perfect for spending the majority of your time outdoors in nature and everyday is an opportunity to learn and grow together.
You’re travelling / living in a Toyota Coaster Campervan emblazoned with ‘Always An Adventure’ Tell us what you love most about life camper style?
It's simple living and everyday really is 'Always an Adventure!’ Not knowing what we are going to find around the next corner is something that excites us!
Living in the bus has also helped us re-align with natures clock which feels really awesome. We wake up with the sun and the days are spent being playful, inquisitive and filled with amazing possibilities. We move and forage with the seasons, surf and fish with the tides. Afternoons are often spent watching the sunset, starting a campfire then gazing up and sleeping under the stars.
Obviously it's not all roses. Being together 24/7 and living in a 6x2 meter space isn’t always easy. However, the beauty of a confined space is that it helps you live simply, and makes us really appreciate the things that matter most, like connecting with loved ones, meeting good people, eating nourishing food, being imaginative and resourceful. Everyday we feel so much gratitude for the life we get to live and wouldn’t want it any other way.
What has been your ultimate ‘Paradise Found’ moment?
WA is absolutely incredible! It’s literally where the desert meets the sea. We love the colours, the trees, the rawness of the coastline and the water clarity is insane! We’ve only seen the North West, but so far it’s been nothing but paradise. The National and Marine Parks, in particular Karijini and Cape Range are stunning.
Everyday we have those pinch yourself ‘Am I Dreaming?” moments, it feels too good to be true. There are fun waves, snorkelling, interaction with sea life, incredible beaches, red desert, wildflowers, gorges, waterfalls and the remoteness of it all makes everything even more magical.
Can you share one special memory or place that really blew your mind?
It’s really hard to choose one particular moment as there has been so many but Karijini National Park really blew us away. Gorges that cut into the Earth are up to 2,500 million years old and the energy there is so special. Each day was spent hiking deep into the gorges where we found incredible swimming holes - the best reward after a long, hot hike down through tight, weaving gorge walls. The colours when the sun hit the walls and water of the gorges is like nothing we have ever seen before, absolutely breathtaking!
What do you you hope River takes away from this unique experience?
Time is something we can never get back. We hope that this special time will plant a magical seed inside River forever. Something that he can take with him throughout his life. Priceless things like seeing the power and beauty of nature, the feeling of freedom, gratitude for life, simple living, equality, and an open mind through a diversity of experiences… things we hope will stay in his heart and help guide him down the road. And we hope that he too cherishes this precious time we’ve been able to spend together as a family.
