FAQ

Where did you both grow up? How did you meet, and what set you on this path to travel full-time with your family?

We both grew up in the small country town of Leeton in the Riverina, NSW. We met at a house party, and if you had told us on that night that we’d spend the next 16 years together, we wouldn’t have believed you! Over the years, our camping setup has evolved from a $50 festival tent to swags, then a lift-off canopy with a rooftop tent that Simon designed and built with some mates, followed by a camper trailer. We’re now onto our second off-road caravan and loving the full-time travelling lifestyle. By our early thirties, we had saved hard, bought and renovated a house, and had successful careers in the construction and education industry. Our work life was stressful, let alone raising two young boys. The decision to sell our home, quit our jobs and build a business that would allow us to travel indefinitely was easy when we considered the alternative of doing the same thing for the next 30 years.

How long have you been on the road, and is it an open-ended trip?

We sold everything, hit the road in March 2021 and have no end date. We have big plans for the future, including travelling to more remote outback locations through Australia's interior, Overlanding overseas, and sailing the world once the kids are older. We’ve realised the nomadic lifestyle suits our family perfectly, and as long as that’s the case, you’ll be unlikely to see us settle down for long. When we do, it’ll likely be an off-grid home somewhere secluded in the bush.

What was life like before living full-time on the road, and what sort of work were you doing before you started travelling?

We both love camping, snowboarding, scuba diving and sailing. We used to try and cram as much of this into our weekends as we possibly could. Simon was a state manager for a construction company, and Liz was a primary school teacher. We ditched the tools and chalk and now run our adventure lifestyle business, including a YouTube channel, website and other social media platforms. Simon is the driver, chief editor and drone pilot, while Liz takes on the role of head photographer, navigator and logistics.

How do you take care of the boys’ formal education?

Harrison attends School of the Air, and James will start next year. We love seeing more and more families travelling. There are quite a few options available to families in terms of schooling. More reliable internet solutions have made access to facilities and resources needed for schooling simpler. It's certainly becoming more appealing and growing in popularity.

What sort of caravan are you travelling in, and have you made any modifications to accommodate you all?

We travel in a 19.6 Titanium Hardcore with a few custom modifications. Our biggest modification is a desalinator (adapted from the marine industry) to convert salt and bore water into fresh drinking water. This allows us to stay off-grid and in more remote locations significantly longer. We also DIY- installed a dishwasher and customised the dining table to provide more flexible spaces within the caravan. We applied a Bushwrapz Window Protection kit which we helped design for the van's exterior to prevent window scratches and tree damage. We ditched the gas bottles and went with a fully electric setup. Together with Enerdrive and Titanium Caravans, we designed a system with 1600W of solar and 600 amps of lithium batteries to run all our appliances and keep up with our day-to-day charging needs while off the grid for extended periods. Simon's background in construction can be seen in our custom-designed storage solutions, which maximise practicality and eliminate wasted space.

How did you come up with the name, The Lifestyle Pioneers, and what’s the philosophy behind the brand?

We set out to utilise our skill sets and share our experience to inspire, educate and equip other adventure seekers to seek and enjoy a life less ordinary. The brand was designed to describe who we are and our mission and it needed to transition with us as our business and lifestyle evolved over the years ahead. We’re creating a lifestyle by design, regaining control of how we fill our days and showing the world that it’s achievable. We’re more capable than we give ourselves credit for; some just need a little push in the right direction. The Lifestyle Pioneers brand is a couple of years old, but we’re only just getting started and excited for the future.

Your motto is to Inspire, Educate, and Equip. What does that entail?

Whether for our YouTube channel, Facebook, Instagram or a blog on our website, all our content is oriented around a single purpose. What value are we giving our audience? If what we create doesn’t inspire, educate or equip, it doesn't get published. No matter where this journey takes us, knowing exactly why we’re doing this and who we’re serving keeps us humble and focused. It brightens our day when we hear from someone who’s acted towards their ideal lifestyle because of our photos, videos or words that we share. It’s an incredibly rewarding experience.

You work hard at raising money for charity while travelling. What charity(s) do you support, and how do you raise those funds?

We’re passionate about supporting rural communities, children’s charities and mental health organisations. We donate 10% of our monthly YouTube revenue from our audience watching the ads. After many years in stressful careers, we wanted to support and raise awareness for much-needed mental health services. Movember is close to our hearts, and together with our community, we’ve proudly supported key fundraising events such as the Push-Up Challenge and Movember. Charity is important and helps us make The Lifestyle Pioneers about more than travel inspiration.

What’s your favourite part of the full-time travel lifestyle?

Our favourite thing about this lifestyle is not setting an alarm and having time to enjoy a coffee or two together each morning at our own pace. Not every day is an Instagram highlight, and living in a small space as a family certainly presents its challenges. Watching our kids grow and being part of their daily lives makes it all worthwhile. Like most travel, the best bits are unplanned experiences. Meeting fellow like-minded travellers, getting an invite from locals or just a perfect pie you find at the bakery all make travelling around Australia great fun and exciting.