Exciting changes & travelling with a dog around Australia

Welcome to my travel journal. I’m Sheryl – a wife, furmum, graphic designer, self-taught illustrator, self-development/spirituality newbie, and recently turned gypsy – slowly travelling the beautiful landscape of Australia with my wonderful hubby, and sweet furkid, Charlie. Late in March 2023, we ditched conventional life and moved into an 18.5-foot caravan to live fully on the road.

No end date—just seeing where the wind takes us!

Let me introduce our little caravan Ziggy the Starcraft, a 2017 Jayco touring model. Now that we’ve got things set up inside for everyday living and we’ve settled into a routine, it feels so homely and cosy. Culling all of our belongings to fit into something this teeny tiny was life-changing. It was not the easiest experience at the time but it did feel liberating afterwards, to get rid of the things that were just sitting in our cupboards not being used. It also meant that everything we kept had a purpose or had meaning and moving forward, we would hopefully be living with more intention in our day-to-day life.

Starting a travel journal

I had been feeling the urge to start documenting our travels in the form of an online travel journal for a while. Mostly for us to have something to look back on in the future, but I’m hoping you might find some value in the words and images I share. There are so many wonderful locations in our own backyard. I’m no means a great photographer or writer, I’m sure that’s obvious haha, BUT, through this journal, I wanted to shine a spotlight on the incredible landmarks, attractions, cafes, restaurants, wineries, breweries, and people we encounter along the way. To give them the support and thank you they deserve. And, hopefully also help you with planning your own Aussie adventures! If you’re travelling with a dog around Australia – we’ve found so many gems, which I hope you’ll find useful for your research and planning.

About our travel style

My hubby works a full-time remote job and is normally glued to his headset, so it means that the only free time we really have to explore together is during the weekends. Our current approach is to stay 2-4 weeks at each location, giving ourselves ample time to experience the attractions, eats & drinks of that area, and surrounding region. We’re also opting to stay mainly at caravan parks at this stage, with the occasional showground or free camp. It just makes sense for us at the moment with my hubby’s non-flexible work schedule. To be honest, I’m a bit of a glamper, to me, there’s nothing more convenient than having unlimited access to water, power, dump points, and other amenities. When it comes to the ideal caravan park, we are drawn to smaller, peaceful locations that are away from the bustling touristy hotspots. Of course, they have to be dog-friendly. And if possible, come with a gorgeous view of the ocean, farmland, forest, river or something picturesque like that. A girl can dream of having it all can’t she?!

What you’ll find here

• Where our slow travels take us—the caravan parks, free campgrounds and showgrounds we stay at.
• I love food so you’ll notice a lot of my posts will mention where we’ve dined, from casual eats to more fancy shmancy fare.
• My hubby is a big fan of craft beers so we’re always on the lookout for local independent breweries wherever we are. It currently feels like a brewery tour of Australia, for sure.
• Dog-friendly eating spots, walking trails, attractions and landmarks, so we can take Charlie with us.

I must admit, travelling with a dog around Australia has its challenges when you want to visit national parks or fine dining restaurants. However, I wouldn’t change things for the world!

About me

• I’m a very introverted and private person. Which might seem paradoxical since I’ve got a online journal detailing our travels. However, my intention is not to focus on myself but on the wonderful places we’ve visited!
• Extending on the first point, this is why you won’t see much of me in photos! I hope this doesn’t stop a sense of connection. I hope you get a welcoming vibe despite not seeing me physically.
• I love learning about self-development, manifestation, and spirituality. I’m still relatively new to it all, but if you’re into these types of things, I would love to connect with you!

The Young Creative

SIDE PLUG: If you have little ones, I’m just going to quickly mention that I have an online shop stocking fun and colourful digital products like art prints, activity sheets, colouring pages and more. All of the products and illustrations have been designed and hand drawn by yours truly. I’ve created a small collection of digital printables that have been inspired by our travels. There’s a travel journal, perfect for travelling families; an Aussie Alphabet poster, Aussie Map poster and Aussie Alphabet Colouring Pages Set, all featuring iconic Australian landmarks, plants, wildlife etc. I would be so grateful if you checked the shop out!

My furbaby Charlie

• We’ve made Charlie the face of Wanderlust Soul Journal but, just like my hubby and me, he doesn’t like posing for the camera either!
• Out of our trio, I think he loves caravan life the most because now he’s with us 24/7 and there’s always new walks with fresh new sniffs.
• He’s still unsure about the ocean, probably because he shrinks to half his size.
• Charlie’s ears perk up if you mention treat, yoghurt, cheese or walk.

And that’s a wrap!

I’m excited to share more stories from our journey, highlighting fabulous Aussie regions and the incredible things they have to offer. If our way of travel resonates with you and you’re someone who likes to adventure in comfort, I would love to hear from you in the comments.

Thanks for joining me, hope to see you again!

Sheryl