So, who are we?
Nick, Amanda, Harrison and Finlay make up our little collective of O'Brien's. We are based in the center of the North Island of beautiful New Zealand and love living here. As a family we have a passion for exploring our country, getting outdoors and enjoying nature; living beyond typical range!
Nick and I met back in 2005 and have never looked back. We have never been the type of people to sit still and watch a weekend go by. Often we would find ourselves taking a road trip to various places around the North Island. Then, not long after Harri was born, we moved from beautiful, small Taupo to the city of Hamilton, where we found ourselves craving the freedom to get away even more. So, in 2018 we began the journey towards our weekend vanlife dreams!
The van has been the perfect addition to our family! It makes it so much easier to do the things we love! Whether we are chasing waves, heading to the snow, or searching for new adventures, it has made travelling as a family really enjoyable. No matter where we go, we have the comfort of our home-base with us, which is especially helpful with tired, hungry children (never a good combination)!
The Daily Grind
Now based back in Taupo, I am currently a stay at home mum with Harri and Finn, however my background is in teaching; Nick spends his 9 'til 5 in Media. The daily grind still exists for us at this stage of life, but the dream is to have more freedom to travel and explore, particularly while the kids are young. We are working on it! May hard work and determination make the dream come true!
So with freedom to travel and explore being our end goal at the moment, we would love to share our experiences of travelling along the way and encourage others to do the same. Hopefully sharing our experiences will make it easier for others, particularly by giving tips and tricks for travelling with children.
Drop us a comment and let us know where you are at in your journey Beyond Typical Range! Where are you keen to explore? What kind of information would you find helpful? We look forward to getting out and about, gathering the information, and passing this on to you!