Caravanning family 'blown away' by wondrous Aussie sight: 'The kids were squealing'
Gemma, her husband and three kids are circling the country in their caravan. They never expected to see something quite as spectacular as this.
Australians love to road trip, it's a rich part of our culture and one this country is well suited for — particularly given its expansive size and breathtaking natural landscape.
While the humble road trip is no new concept, in fact far from it, it appears in recent times more people are ditching big city life in favour of a journey on the open road. This year, Yahoo News has reported on dozens of Aussie families who have done just that, many of whom are opting to move from the comfort of their homes, to a bunk bed in a caravan.
One such couple, originally from Mackay in Queensland, are embarking on a trip of a lifetime around the circumference of Australia — boldly taking their three young children with them too. Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, Gemma Hulme-Moir said her kids are at an age where she felt it was "now or never".
"We've taken seven months — we're doing the full lap," Hulme-Moir told Yahoo. "We started at home, went up to the Northern Territory, then down WA coast, and then we'll finish up back in North Queensland. We're about halfway at the moment."
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On what prompted such a courageous expedition, Hulme-Moir said "life just got a bit a bit tricky" between "juggling work" and other various commitments. "My husband and I both work big weeks, so we just thought life should be a bit simpler than this," she said.
"We wanted to spend quality time with our three young children. We thought let's just pause real life and let's go and enjoy some quality time together."
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Home-schooling the children along the way, Hulme-Moir said the family of five have come across some "absolutely mind-blowing" sights along their travels. Recently, they stopped in Port Gregory in WA's mid-west, and were treated to arguably the best of them all, the young mum said — the Pink Lake Lookout.
"We had heard mixed reviews that sometimes it can, you know, the colour can vary," Hulme-Moir recalled. "So we were unsure what to expect, but we were just blown away.
"It blew our minds — pulling around and seeing that, the kids were squealing in the back saying, 'is that it, is that it' and it just it looked like something from a magical land. Just seeing such a big volume of water and it being so pink, it took our breath away."
The reason for the water's jaw-dropping pink colouration is due to the presence of carotenoid-producing algae, which is a source of beta-carotene — a food-colouring agent — and a source of Vitamin A. Hulme-Moir said it's a sight the family are unlikely to ever forget.
Now in WA, the family will soon head to South Australia before travelling back home via NSW. Reflecting on the journey so far, Hulme-Moir implored other Australians to consider the move themselves.
"We're just blown away with how beautiful our own country is, and we feel lucky to be able to have to have made the leap, and to be able to get around and see it," she said.
"It's such a shame that we all get stuck in that, that daily grind and barely pop our heads up enough for air. So yeah, we've been really blessed."
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