I must say camping further down south in a winter month with the little man is a new set of challenges (I regretted this trip on several occasions during the first couple of days of our journey). As new parents we certainly are very brave, lack of experience but luckily our journey continues. We thought we’d give a few tips for anyone considering a similar adventure while the laughter and pains are still fresh.

1: Be mentally prepared, do not be ambitious, take easy especially for the very first couple of days.

The first three days was very tough for us, we need to familiarise with the van, Ryan needs to adjust his surroundings, mum needs to set a new system to get things organised. There was no energy left for any driving more than 2 hours. We made couple of mistakes causing bit of frustration and an elevated anxiety. So keep the focus on setting up camper’s system for the first couple of days.

2: keep sane in a small place

Dad did a fair bit of research on this ahead of booking our van. We chose glider 4 from Wildness motor home rentals because it has a large living area with rear and front lounges. During day time rear lounge is Ryan’s play area (bonus: because of its unique setting Ryan practiced his standing pose and even started practicing walking!) and during the night time it fits a travel cot perfectly. We closed the rear lounge door with the white noise on, Ryan is sound sleeping for most of nights!

In a small living area, it is essential to have a system (i.e. everything has a place). When everything has a place, it makes a small area much nicer to live in.

3: Schedule driving times, happy times and nap times

We spent almost a week to establish our camper daily routine! 2 to 3 hours daily driving time is an ideal for everyone. 4 is definitely stretched! Ryan naps twice a day. We schedule our driving times around when Ryan is due to morning nap. We always have decent lunchtime and afternoon nap stops (often 2 to 3 hours) as everyone needs to be recharged.

The most important point is arriving campsite before 4:30pm, we can leisurely enjoy the views, cooking dinner, playing with the little fella, and setting up for his sleep around 7:30.

4: Plan where you camp (but embrace the spontaneity!)

This is an another learning for us. We naively thought we can just follow the Sun because we are driving a camper van. Itinerary is for those travellers need accommodations. It is WRONG WRONG WRONG! A detailed itinerary with consideration of little man’s daily routine, scenic viewpoints, activities and each night’s campsite is compulsory. Plus there are so many errands are time consuming but are necessary such as filling up petrol and water, clearing grey water and changing gas bottle.

Think generally about where to pull in when you stop – where your back window faces (a good view is everything), particularly where the sun sets or rises (nice views during meals makes even a roadside lay-by pretty special). Also try and park near the water and electricity when you’re in a proper campsite.

Temperature is still a potential issue in a van during night time. Layers are key for the baby and parents.

5: Make the most of it!

It took me almost 10 days to enjoy the trip completely. In this quiet night, dwelling on the past 10 days, I think I was tensed up and not be able to enjoy and relax. My little fella will get dirty, we will choose the wrong route and campsite, the van will be little bit problematic and required a workshop visit, so what! Those episodes are part of our journey, embrace it and relax!

It may take a few days (and a few arguments) to get into a routine and feel comfortable, but you will find your feet with it. As long as you’re careful, it’s all totally feasible, and being able to park up in the great outdoors with an awesome view, stargazing besides Mt cook, and new sights every day will be something that changes your baby and their outlook for life.