Trippin’ with kids

While travel might not be on the cards for everyone right now, and a trip to the supermarket is possibly the only epic adventure you’re getting these days, it doesn’t mean we can’t still dream or plan our next holiday, does it? Funny man Peter Helliar and his gorgeous wife Bridget have spent years travelling around Australia (and the world) with their three boys, and now they want to teach us how to have fun on family holidays - just like you did before you had kids - with their new book ‘Trippin’ with Kids’. Firstly, quickly tell us a bit about your family.

BRIJ: Our pride and joys Liam 17, Aidan 15 and Oscar 11. They are keen travellers who don’t complain about visiting museums with us and have learnt over the years that we eat when we eat whether it’s snails in Villefranche-sur-Mer or Ramen in Kyoto.

The book was initially Bridget’s idea. Tell us how it came about?

PETE: Brij pitched the idea to me when we first went to France with the kids in 2010. I just didn’t see it to be honest. More recently after lots of family holidays and more experiences with our kids at different ages, and in a variety of destinations, it began to make a lot more sense to me. I could see it and we also noted that there was no other book quite like it. So, yes it took me a decade to realise my wife is a genius!

Travel like you did before kids… sounds like a dream. What can we expect from the book?

BRIJ: It’s definitely not a play gym tour of the world. We want to encourage parents of young kids to not wait until the kids are older so there is a heap of practical advice, destination suggestions, funny anecdotes from our experiences. We want to inspire parents to create holidays that work for both parents and kids.

What are your top three travel destinations in Australia with kids?

BRIJ: Port Douglas and surrounds offers a rich cultural learning experience, snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef and the most perfect weather to lay poolside enjoying time away from the busy life back home.

The Victorian and New South Wales Alps are a great place to visit in winter for kids. Even if you aren’t a skier a few days at the snow are enough to tire even the most energetic of kids. Most resorts have ski school, the kids can get a chance at either skiing or snowboarding, ride a lift and ski the big mountain.

Kangaroo Island, along with many Australian regional towns, has been affected by the summer bushfires. The island has incredible wildlife and is a beautiful scenic place to explore. Picnic on the beach, visit Seal Bay Conservation Park and sand board down the sand dunes.

Funniest travel mishap to happen to your family? Surely you of all people have a hilarious story!

BRIJ: Driving 4 ½ hours in the wrong direction on day one of our first big family adventure in France probably tops the list. We didn’t get the sat-nav as planned with the hire car so when

Pete drove out of Charles de Gaulle heading to Honfleur in the north but saw a road sign above that read ‘PARIS’ he immediately panicked and swerved right to the exit.

PETE: I had a vision of me driving around the Arc de Triumphe roundabout like the Griswalds. I got to the first toll booth and I couldn’t work out how to open the car window. Bloody European cars!

BRIJ: We eventually arrived in the darkening hours, in the rain in a dreary looking town. We had no booking because we had no plan to be there. We tried to check into a Hotel De Ville, which incidentally is a Town Hall in France. Yep we were from out of town.

PETE: We eventually found a one room hotel but woke up and found we were in a town with a beautiful cobblestone main street, gothic churches, great café’s and street performers. It was Rouen, Normandy’s capital and a great place to accidentally visit.

You’ve tackled backpacking with the kids in Europe. Tell us about that experience.

BRIJ : Firstly, don’t let your 5 year old buy a string puppet, particularly as he insisted on walking through the cobblestoned alleyways of Krakow without allowing Rocky [the puppet] to step on the cracks. The rest was a fantastic adventure to take. The kids loved the novelty of the overnight trains, exploring the culture of different cities and towns and taking part in local life. Backpacking with kids can be a more affordable way to travel and it forces you to pack less.

What’s your fave thing about sharing travel adventures as a family?

We feel blessed to have so many memories with the kids. From an Indigenous guided walk in Mossman George in Queensland, the Salt Mines of Poland, standing on the Celtics famed parquet court in Boston to Legoland in Denmark, these memories we will have forever. Through travel we have seen them grow to be respectful, caring young men who acknowledge that all cultures should be embraced.

Peter, you’re also well known for your popular Frankie Fish kids’ novels. Can we expect more books for our kids anytime soon?

Of course. There will be a Frankie Fish book in September, The Tomb of Tomfoolery. It’s a mini adventure before the final book in the series The Knights Of Kerfuffle comes out in April which I have just finished writing and was way more emotional than I anticipated. Both the content and the process. Can’t wait for Frankie fans to read it.

Finally, where can we find your new book, Trippin’ with Kids?

Trippin’ with Kids - How to have fun on family holidays - just like you did before you had kids By Peter Helliar and Bridget Helliar is available 5th August 2020 and is published by Hardie Grant Travel.