Our first described Family Thingy was in October 2013. It was not our first family holiday or road trip. 2013 was the time I made peace with the fact that traveling with a young (or any) family should not be seen as a 'break', 'holiday' or 'time off'. Don't get me wrong, I love my family dearly and we have fun during our trips, but the Cambridge Dictionary defines a vacation as 'a time when someone does not go to work or school but is free to do what they want,...

Port Lincoln. This was our second trip to Port Lincoln for our family thingy. Our plan was to book a fishing trip for the hunter gatherers, visit Coffin Bay, and the Sand Dunes at the National Park. Stop 1 Fishing: We sent the hunter gatherers, comprising adult male 1, adult male 2, young adult male 3 or child 1 and child 3), out to their fishing trip with much anticipation. We clearly explained to them that they had to bring home the fish else we would have n...

Family thingy - The great escape. 2020 reminded us things we should never have forgotten, our vulnerability and the uncertainty of life. Human beings are arrogant by nature, we assume the best for ourselves and we are indifferent to and deny the existence of the hardships we choose not to understand eg George Floyd, the Lekki toll gate disaster at Lagos etc. However I digress. Our departure was the same as all departures before. Everyone said they heard me sa...

National Parks and ChildrenI once advocated that parents who take their children to national parks will have exhausted and happy children at the end of the day. Well, strike that. You will have exhaustion, but that will most likely happen to you. I cannot guarantee the kind of children you will have. I can guarantee that they will attempt to coerce you to purchase an overpriced stuffed wombat or kangaroo from the information centre; do not make any eye contact wi...

9ja trippers down under.... And the family thingy gets bigger with Six adults, six children and two infants (three family groups hereinafter called Family 1, Family 2 and Family 3). Hence the name change from family thingy to 9ja Trippers; Nigerian (9ja) born Australian parents taking our Australian born Nigerian children on trips to know and explore this beautiful country. Afterall how can you love what you don't know. It was a relief to leave the 44 de...