Kellie Nguyen
Family Touring & Parks Editor
Based in Coffs Harbour, NSW
Kellie tows a family van up and down the east coast with two primary-schoolers and a dog. She reviews caravan parks the way a parent actually uses them: camp kitchen, jumping pillow, whether the amenities are clean at 7am, and whether the powered site is worth the extra twenty bucks.
32 published articles · most recent October 1, 2026
Kellie tows a family van up and down the east coast with two primary-schoolers and a dog. She reviews caravan parks the way a parent actually uses them: camp kitchen, jumping pillow, whether the amenities are clean at 7am, and whether the powered site is worth the extra twenty bucks.
Articles by Kellie Nguyen
- Running the kids' devices and the fridge: a 12V power budget that worksA real daily amp-hour budget for family vans: fridge, kids' tablets, lights and the dog's fan, worked out from our own numbers on the road.
- The camp kitchen box: what actually earns a spot after two years on the roadAfter two years and two kids living out of a camp kitchen box, here's what stayed, what got binned at a dump point in Emerald, and what I wish I'd packed from day one.
- The annual caravan service most families skip (and shouldn't)What an actual annual caravan service should cover beyond a quick tyre kick, and why families touring school holidays get caught out most.
- Finding a free camp with kids: the questions I actually ask before we pull inFinding a free camp is easy. Finding one that works with two kids, a dog and one adult on toilet duty is a different job entirely.
- Powered site or free camp: what your kids' devices actually cost you in amp-hoursTwo kids charging tablets, a Switch and a Kindle every night draws more than people think. Here's the real amp-hour cost and when it tips you to a powered site.
- Sizing your 12V fridge to your battery: the sums most tourers skipBefore you buy a bigger fridge or a bigger battery, do the maths. Here's how I actually size a 12V fridge to a battery bank for family touring.
- Budgeting for the Big Lap: what a year on the road actually costs a familyReal numbers from a family of four on the road: fuel, park fees, school stuff and the costs nobody mentions before you set the budget for a year-long lap.
- A family lap of the Sapphire Coast and Southern NSW that most tourers drive straight pastThe Sapphire Coast between Merimbula and Eden is an easy tow with real payoffs for kids: clean beaches, oyster farms and short walks. Here's how we lap it.
- Which direction to lap Australia: clockwise, anticlockwise, and why it matters with kidsClockwise or anticlockwise around Australia? For families the direction you choose decides your seasons, your school terms and your fuel bill.
- Coupling up: the hitch-up checklist that stops driveway disastersA step-by-step hitch-up routine that catches the mistakes that actually cause caravans to come unstuck on the road, in the order that matters.
- The camp kitchen box: what actually earns a spot after two years on the roadAfter two years and hundreds of camp dinners with two kids underfoot, here's what stays in our camp kitchen tub and what got left at a dump point.
- Caravan park or free camp: how to actually decide with kids in the vanFree camp or powered site tonight? A practical decision method for families, built around water, dogs, dark arrivals and what your kids actually need to sleep.
- The pre-trip tyre check that takes ten minutes and saves your holidayA quick, honest walk-through of the tyre check I do before every trip — pressures, tread, age and the spot most parents skip.
- School holidays vs shoulder season: when family caravan parks are actually worth the pricePowered sites at family parks can nearly double in the July holidays. Here's what you're paying for, when it's worth it, and when to just leave.
- Annexes, awnings and privacy screens: what a family van actually needsA full walled annexe sounds great in the brochure. After years of family touring, here's what actually earns its keep versus what sits in the boot.
- School holiday free camps: how to actually find a site with kids in towFree camping in the first week of school holidays with two kids and a dog is a different game. Here's how we actually find and bag a workable site.
- Water storage for family touring: how much you actually need and where to put itHow much water a family van really needs, where to store it, and the habits that stop you running dry or hauling dead weight you don't need.
- Cape Leveque Road with kids in the van: what the corrugations don't tell youA family-tested guide to towing to Cape Leveque with kids: road conditions, rig requirements, timing and where to stop along the way.
- Mirrors, cameras and blind spots: setting up to tow with kids in the back seatExtendable mirrors, reversing cameras and blind spot habits for families towing with kids on board — set up once, check every trip.
- Term-time or school holidays: when to actually pull the kids for the Big LapShould you take the kids out of school for the Big Lap, or work around term dates? Here's the real trade-off in cost, crowding and learning.
- A family lap of the Bellarine and Great Ocean Road worth slowing down forA family caravan loop from Geelong to Apollo Bay, with real camp kitchen and jumping pillow notes from a mum who's actually stayed there.
- A family lap of the Southern Highlands and Snowy Valleys worth the detour off the HumeA slower, cooler alternative to the Hume run — Bowral to Tumbarumba with kids, a dog, and camp kitchens worth eating at.
- Off-road van storage: the layout mistakes that cost you space and sleepBad storage layout in an off-road van costs you sleep, not just space. Here's what to check before you sign, from a mum who's packed one for three years.
- Buying a caravan for kids who share a bed: the bunk trade-offs nobody mentionsFixed bunks, cafe conversions or bunk-and-annexe: the sleeping layout you choose for kids shapes daily life more than any spec sheet.
- Buying a family off-road van: the layout features that actually earn their keepBunks, second fridges, water tanks and dog space — the layout features that matter more than the marketing brochure when you tour with kids.
- Free camping with kids: how to pick a site that actually works for familiesFree camping with primary-schoolers is a different exercise to solo touring. Here's how we actually choose a site, from arrival time to the 2am dunny run.
- A family lap of the NSW South Coast: Kiama to the Victorian borderA parent's route guide down the NSW South Coast, with real caravan parks, swimming spots and drive times between Kiama and the Victorian border.
- How to plan the Big Lap in school holiday windows (without blowing the budget)Planning a Big Lap around school terms takes more than a calendar. Here's how to time each leg, avoid peak-season prices, and keep the family sane.
- How to find a dump point (and use one without being that person)Dump points are everywhere in Australia — if you know how to find them. Here's how to locate one, use it properly, and avoid the mistakes that annoy everyone else.
- Easy Camp Snacks That Survive the CorrugationsBudget camping snacks for kids and long drives that survive corrugated roads: homemade slice, savoury muffins, packing tips and dodging roadhouse prices.
- Caravanning With Pets: Parks, Rules and Keeping Them CoolCaravanning with pets: why national parks ban dogs, how to find dog-friendly parks, keep them cool and avoid 1080 baits, ticks and heat.
- The Best Swimming Holes to Cool Off on a Lap of AustraliaThe best swimming holes in Australia to cool off on a lap, from Bitter Springs to Karijini, with essential crocodile and signage safety advice.
