High school sweethearts Justin and Carissa Morgan are living the life many only dream about.
The couple and their two daughters — six-year-old Charlotte and Mac, aged four — may seem like any other young family, but they have been on the ultimate road trip in their caravan, gallivanting around Australia.
The pair ditched the 9-5 life and sold their home for a “laidback adventure” with their kids in tow — chasing sunsets, snorkelling with turtles, hiking stunning gorges and waking up somewhere new every day.
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The young family, from Mackay in Queensland, have already driven 15,500km.
And it will be around an impressive 35,000km by the time they finish The Big Lap around the country.
“Living in a ‘tin can’ teaches you how little you need to have a wonderful life — less is definitely more,” Carissa tells 7Life.
The couple met at a high school party and began dating at 16.
They started camping in their 20s but have been “seriously caravanning” for about two-and-a-half years now after hitting the road full-time since January this year.
“We didn’t want to work towards travelling in our 60s when we retire. We wanted to do that now while we’re young and healthy… and our kids can come with us,” Carissa says.
Carissa, 34, is a videographer and photographer, which means she can work while travelling, and Justin, 35, is a diesel fitter who was working in management before hitting the road.
But he’s currently enjoying “a well-deserved break after many years providing for the family”, Carissa says.
Before living life on the road, the couple had toyed with the idea as they had some close friends and family do it for short periods of time and love it.
However, the catalyst for actually doing it was the death of Justin’s stepdad.
“He ran out of time to do what he loved most in life, and we just thought, ‘If not now, when?’” Carissa says.
To fund the trip, the couple sold their home.
They were then fortunate to bunk in for several months with Justin’s mum, after they got rid of the mortgage, to “really knuckle down and save as hard as they could”.
Carissa says those six months were hard work “but it’s all more than worth it now we’re out here living it!”
Although some may think life on the road is cheaper, Carissa says that is actually not the case.
The couple say diesel “is a big killer” and that “everyone seems to eat way more food than at home and we also love a sneaky pub meal in a new or exciting place with an epic view”.
Every month, the couple spend around $1300 on fuel and the same amount on accommodation, with groceries being their biggest expense at $1600.
One thing the couple have changed their view on since living life on the road is downsizing their next house.
“We will buy a smaller house when we eventually settle again,” she says.
When it comes to belongings, the family like to keep it fairly light.
But Justin can’t “live without his fishing rod” and Carissa says that, although she likes to think she is “roughing it” a lot of the time, she does like to have one thing.
“If I can’t use my hair straightener once a week, I start to get grumpy,” she says.
What they miss the most is a flushing toilet.
“It seems like a small thing,” Carissa says.
“But when dealing with your own ‘waste’ is a daily consideration, you quickly wish you could still hit the magic button on a wall and watch everything disappear down a pipe.”
Sometimes, life on the road is not without challenges.
“There’s a saying amongst travellers, and it’s that the good days are REALLY good, but the bad days can go REALLY bad too,” Carissa says.
But she says there is an incredible “travelling community” on the road, with someone always willing to lend a hand to anyone having a rough day.
Thankfully, Carissa says, they haven’t had too much go wrong because Justin is vigilant with his preparation, maintenance and ongoing checks of their tow vehicle and caravan.
“On any (given) day, you can anticipate anything from a flat tyre to being bogged on a sandy track,” she says.
“But if you’ve done all your preparation and have the right equipment, you’ll hopefully be okay.
“However, living in a tiny space with your spouse and two children 24/7 can be full on.
“We love each other fiercely but that doesn’t mean we don’t get under each other’s skin at some points.
“Deep breaths, recognising when someone needs time apart and being open and honest generally helps.”
Although life on the road with kids can be slightly chaotic at times, Carissa says “watching their whole world get bigger is one of the reasons we are out here”.
“I mean, how lucky are our kids,” she says.
“They’re seeing this incredible country before most adults, and they’re little sponges — soaking in every new terrain they cross.
“We do small amounts of school with our six-year-old, mostly reading, English and maths.
“Our youngest hasn’t started school yet but has already learnt to write her name, snorkel with turtles, hike gorges, dive to the bottom of the pool… you get the idea.”
The family’s day starts before sunrise and normally with a run.
Then it’s schoolwork for their older daughter, Charlotte, before they head out and explore, making sure they are back at the camp to catch “an epic sunset”.
“Being able to watch the sun rise and set most days is something we don’t take for granted, living life mostly ‘outdoors’,” Carissa says.
“We are forever on the doorstep of a new opportunity, a new place to explore and a new view.
“It’s never dull, never boring, always new and exciting.”
The family will head home before the 2025 school year starts to get both the girls back into formal education and “stock their bank account up again”.
Carissa and Justin’s advice to other young families who are looking to travel but don’t know where to start, is to ask themselves: “If not now, then when?”.
“If it’s something you aspire to do but have no idea how or how to afford it — just jump in,” the couple says.
“You will 100 per cent work out a way.
“Everyone out here is doing it differently, funding it differently and making it their own.
“Set a date, commit to it and go.
“It really doesn’t get any simpler than that.”
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