20 minute read
SHE GETS AROUND: EVIE FARRELL
Around:Around: She GetsShe Gets
EvieEvie Farrell,Farrell, blogger,blogger, author,author, traveltravel journalistjournalist andand mummum toto EmmieEmmie
Advertisement
BY KATJA GASKELL
If you ’ ve ever considered handing in your notice, buying a one-way plane ticket, and saying goodbye to routine and hello to adventure then you ’ll want to read this. Evie Farrell and her daughter Emmie are two adventurous souls who have seen more of the world than most of us could hope to experience in a lifetime, with a particular affection for Asia.
The duo have eaten dumplings in China, skied the powder fields in Japan, explored the highlands and jungles of Malaysia, and even lived in Vietnam for a while. They spent three years on the road seeing the world, sharing experiences, and making memories to last several lifetimes. And they would have kept going if the pandemic hadn't forced them to return to their native Australia.
In 2019 Evie published her memoir about her travels with her daughter. Backyard to Backpack: A solo mum, a six year old and a life changing adventure, was published by Murdoch Books and has proven to be hugely inspirational to all families that love to travel.
We've followed Evie and Emmie's travels for a long time on their wonderful Instagram page where she has over 120K followers, and are thrilled to be sharing their travels here with you.
Evie Farrell, blogger, author, travel journalist and mum to Emmie
Can you please tell me a little bit about yourself and your family?
I grew up by the beach in southern Sydney and that’s where Emmie and I are now, in our home back in the burbs. After years of full time travel we are kind of grounded for a while as Emmie has just started high school. Mind you, the Australian border opened in December 2021 and we’ ve already been to Fiji together and I’ ve been to Dubai and Hawaii solo. We were back in Malaysia in April and have other travels planned for the rest of the year. Travel just looks different for us right now.
When did you first start to travel? And when did you start traveling with Emmie?
I did a few trips with my family when I was younger, the usual Aussie coastal holidays and cruises, but it wasn’t until I went backpacking in my early 20s with my best friend that I discovered my love of travel and how it makes me feel. Once I returned to Sydney and started working, I traveled as much as I could, often solo. I never really felt completely comfortable without it. I’m not really a homemaker or happy with routine, I just love the freedom of travel and exploring, and when I’m out and about the happiness beams out of my face.
I first took Emmie overseas when she was four months old. My relationship had ended and I needed to reset so we went to Fiji. We just continued to travel like this until she was six - to Barbados, Denver, Disneyland in California, Singapore and back to Fiji. I was working full time and these holidays and adventures were time for us to connect and be completely together.
mumpacktravel
mumpacktravel Only going places that spark joy.
When did you start traveling full time and what prompted you to do so?
We left Australia in February 2016 on what was to be about a year of traveling but ended up being three years, with a bit of time at home while I wrote my book. I’d been struggling for a long time with how to balance spending quality time with Emmie as I had a full time career and it was so hard to do both, especially as a solo parent. We had our trips away but it wasn’t enough; I felt disconnected and I worried that if something happened to me she wouldn’t have memories of time together. I had some savings I was planning to use on a new kitchen and I decided that I would use them to travel instead.
When I think back about it now I can’t believe I set it all in motion. What a huge thing to do! We did a test run to Borneo to see how Emmie coped with the style of travel we were setting off to do, and she was fine and so a few months later we set off with one backpack and two one-way tickets to The Philippines.
We came home in 2019 while I wrote our book and then set off again, back to Asia. We were in Japan in March 2020 when the world closed down so we returned to Australia and moved to Queensland. We lived on Magnetic Island for a year waiting for Asia to reopen, but finally gave up and returned to our home in Sydney. We lost that last 18 months of full time world travel and Emmie started high school this year so now it’s short trips. I would love to be back on the road but Emmie is loving school. It’s her decision whether we take off full time again, and it seems unlikely, at least for this year.
mumpacktravel
mumpacktravel Always say yes to new adventures.
mumpacktravel
mumpacktravel Always say yes to new adventures.
What kind of travelers are you?
We travel any way, from hostels and guesthouses to five star resorts! I don’t like how people often try to pigeonhole travelers or holiday-makers, as if one way of travel is better than the other. It’s all amazing!
We love theme parks and we love camping, we love staying in five star resorts and we are also happy in hostels. We rough it around Asia with our backpacks and then stay in all-inclusive Club Med resorts. I think you can travel any way you like, and all types of travel are valid, no matter how you do it. What is most important is making sure we always travel respectfully.
For me it’s all about exploring the world and learning, being open minded and accepting and teaching our kids about the world while we explore. I do think that staying in family-run guesthouses, eating in small restaurants and using local transport when traveling is the best way to give back to families and communities, and to make those connections with locals. It's such an important part of the travel experience.
We do what we can – like donating blood and supporting local businesses - but we do not engage in voluntourism activities as these do more damage than good, especially school visits that take children away from much needed education, and orphanage visits as many only exist to make money from tourists. The ChildSafe movement shares lot of information about voluntourism here.
We also don’t take photos of children – and very rarely adults – as I believe this is exploitative, especially if photos are shared on social media or used for commercial purposes without consent, and even then ‘ consent’ is often not understood or given freely. We also try to avoid any activities that exploit or hurt animals like elephant riding or visiting zoos.
What are your top three favorite destinations?
We were in Myanmar just before Covid and the military coup, and I think we were so fortunate to have had that experience and meet so many beautiful people. The devastation over there right now is heart-breaking and we do what we can to support the Burmese people.
My memories are of spiritual moments at golden pagodas, riding around Bagan on a moped together, conversations with young men and women working as guides or in local cafes, the colorful markets near Inle Lake where locals from outlying villages traveled by horse and cart to sell their produce, and bellows used to build fires so that knives could be sharpened and made in the heat. It was so simple and not yet modernized, and the people were so friendly and humble.
Emmie loves Japan and its quirkiness, and the contrast between the traditional and modern – like visiting temples and then going to the games parlors to try and win stuffed animals. The simplicity and mindfulness that runs through Japanese culture is beautiful. After racing around South East Asia it’s always nice to have an orderly, calm stay in Japan. We loved ski holidays here too at Club Med. I am not a skier and holidaying all-inclusive means Emmie and her lessons are all taken care off while I enjoy the onsen, restaurant and bar, relaxing and writing.
We absolutely love Malaysia and feel it’s very under-rated as it really has everything; sparkling cities, relaxing highlands and jungles, and beautiful islands. Malaysian Borneo is such a wild adventure.
It’s so hard to choose though, we just love Asia! Sri Lanka is so special, and Thailand has the best street food and snorkeling. Chasing waterfalls in the Philippines is next level and China, surprisingly, has the most incredible nature. I have a soul connection with Asia, I just love it and feel so connected, and I think Emmie does too.
Tell us about your book, how did that come about and what’s been the reaction to it?
I was actually very lucky, Murdoch Books approached me and asked if I’d ever thought of writing a book. I had but I had never done anything about it, and I probably never would have without having a contract and a deadline!
Backyard to Backpack – a solo mum, a six year old and a life changing adventure is all about our travels; the best parts, the worst parts and of course the embarrassing parts. It’s also about what I learned from this incredible experience. I think that was a big surprise for me. Travel is so restorative and, away from the routine and responsibility of home, I discovered more of myself and realized that while I don’t easily fit into the suburban way of life, it’s okay not to.
any travel disasters?
We’re lucky we’ ve only had one huge disaster, being robbed of everything in Spain. Yes we’ ve been sick, and we’ ve lost things and booked accommodation and turned up on the wrong day, and I've argued with taxi drivers but I’ ve learned from all of them. Even when we were robbed of everything – the robbers basically wheeled off with all our bags including all our electronics, cameras, computer, iPad – everything – we were safe and that was the most important thing. There’s nothing like losing everything to remind you of what’s most important.
Why do you think travel is important for kids? How do you think Emmie has benefited?
I think it’s so important for children to have a view of the world that is greater than their own community or country. Learning about differences helps to normalize them and understanding culture, religion and other ways of life helps kids to be more open minded. There is so much to learn and explore, and the longer children can be kept active and encouraged to be free the better! These experiences are so special and often you don’t even need to leave your neighborhood to seek out other communities and learn from them even when you ’re not traveling.
How did you cope with the Covid-19 pandemic? Were you able to travel at all?
I found it extremely difficult. I didn’t realize just how much I needed to travel to be happy until I couldn’t move. The Australian border opened in December 2021 and we were on the first flight out to Fiji! I’m starting to feel like myself again but I think it will always be a bit of a struggle until I have my backpack on and I’m setting off exploring fulltime again.
What’s your best advice for solo parents who want to travel with kids?
Do it! We may have one less pair of hands than couples but there’s very little we can’t do and it’s an incredible experience to be so close with your children while you explore.
You’ve traveled to a lot of countries. Is there anywhere that you haven’t been to yet that’s on your list?
Oh yes, so many. We have mostly explored Asia and Europe together, and we would love to backpack through Central America and explore Africa – but honestly, I could spend the next 10 years traveling Asia and never see enough of it.
What are your top three tips for traveling with kids?
Have really low expectations. Not because it will be bad but because you can’t tightly manage a trip with kids. You might get to see everything you want to or you may not – just remember the beauty is in being together and in the everyday moments spent with communities and experiencing the culture.
Pack light – you don’t need a lot and what you forget you can usually buy.
Get in the photos! This is so important for mums. Buy a selfie stick, get a tripod or ask people to take them for you. Make sure you are there so that your children can see you when they look back through these precious memories.
1000 ISLANDS
My son and daughter were sitting behind me and a pilot was to my right, in a helicopter gliding over two countries and hundreds of tiny islands in the St. Lawrence River. It was the closest I could get to entering another country during the pandemic, observing it from the air. Some islands below us were as small as a few feet across and some islands measured yards.
And shipwrecks! Shallow wrecks poked out of the clear water and some were so deep that you couldn’t see them, but the pilot assured me they were there. From above, we could see sightseeing boats traveling to Boldt Castle and through the channels and into the town of Alexandria Bay on the New York side, and Rockport on the Ontario side in Canada. This helicopter tour showed us the 1000 Islands in an awe-inspiring view from the air.
The Thousand Islands is a group of more than 1,800 islands in the St. Lawrence River (1,864 to be exact), shared by both the United States and Canada. The islands that belong to Canada are part of the province of Ontario, those that belong to the U.S. form part of New York State.
The border between the two countries zigs and zags around islands large and small. There was a rhyme to its reason when it all was divided up, I’m sure, however it’s just not overly clear when you kayak through them which island belongs to which country - unless one of the owners of a cottage on the island flies a flag. These islands, and the surrounding shorelines, are an amazing mecca for adventure; for holidaying in cottages during the summer, for scuba divers to discover shipwrecks, and for explorers of all ages to experience its splendor on land and on water.
The best way to really experience the islands, however, is by air. There is something extremely mesmerizing about seeing the 1000 Islands- the color of the water, the boats, the cottages and houses - from up high. Truthfully, this was my first time in a helicopter and it was pretty exciting. Much like having a private chauffeur in the air. The pilot knew the region, gave a personal narration and was very professional, giving the kids a memory to last a lifetime.
DISCOVERING ONTARIO
While international travel was shuttered during the pandemic, local travel and explorations were all we had. At first, it felt like we were being forced to drive around Ontario if we were leaving our homes at all. For a while, we weren’t even allowed to leave the region we lived in. Eventually, however, the feeling turned into being privileged enough to explore Ontario and show us how it had earned its tagline from so many years ago, “Yours To Discover” .
The Canadian Gateway to the Thousand Islands Region is Gananoque in Southeastern Ontario. From Gananoque, you are within a short driving distance of the bridge crossing over to the United States, to Kingston to the west, which was once considered to be the potential capital of Canada, and Cornwall to the east, located in one of the oldest counties in Canada.
Fortune was mine when I had the opportunity to take my own children to Gananoque for an end-of-summer adventure. What made the timing extraordinarily special to me was that I buried my Dad on Monday morning and then headed back to one of the places we spent a lot of time together as a family growing up. I had the chance to show my kids around and reminisce about the camping, hiking and boat tour spots of my youth and take them to a couple of new places I hadn’t yet visited. While the trip was on the tail end of a sad event, it was somewhat of a bookend to a life.
The Thousands Islands area has always held a special place in my memories. When I was a kid, we camped quite a few summers in a campground at Ivy Lea, on the Canadian side. The campground was very close to the 1000 Islands International bridge that you drive across towards Hill Island and the 1000 Islands Tower (be sure to check out the view from there) before crossing the border to the United States at Wellesley Island. During the summers of my youth, this campground had one dusty payphone and I would save my quarters from my paper route to call my friends - as a pre-teen I was devastated to leave my friends behind and camp with my family.
Looking back now, the close proximity from Belleville, Ontario where I grew up, to the Thousand Islands was something my parents took great advantage of, and I’m the richer for it. We had a Regal motorboat that we would tow behind our blue Oldsmobile named Gertrude and later a tan-coloured station wagon with wooden panels named Bessie.
We took “Bypass” the boat to the Thousand Islands and dropped her in the water at the Ivy Lea boat launch summer after summer while we camped and played with our pop-up camper trailer. Bypass took us back and forth across the St. Lawrence River to Alexandria Bay on a frequent basis. It was here I first learned about taxes and that according to my Dad, Canadians were “taxed to death” on tobacco and alcohol.
Aside from that revelation, spending time in Alexandria Bay summer after summer taught me the best patios for a burger and yearly visits to the historic and architecturally gorgeous Boldt Castle were a tradition. There are also some incredible golf courses on Wellesley Island and in upper New York State between Clayton and Alexandria Bay, which were a big draw for our adventures.
No doubt the Ivy Lea campground has changed over the past 25 years, but I know one thing would still hold true to this day the waterfront campsites have a beautiful morning view of the St. Lawrence River. If you ’re ever lucky enough to be able to book one of them, be sure to take the time at sunrise and sunset to watch the orange, yellow and red hues that cascade across the water.
ACTIVITIES & ADVENTURE
If you ’re on the Canadian side and want to take a boat sightseeing cruise around the islands, Rockport, Ontario, has always been the place to go. A quaint little town with a big history of Scottish settlers and boat manufacturing, it can also boast of being home to the best ice cream in the area. I may have, once or twice in my life, accidentally fed fish here by dropping my ice cream cone on a dock, but don’t let my past experience with clumsiness dissuade you from walking with a treat in your hand.
Inevitably, strapped to the roof of our trailer were our bicycles. The 80s and early 90s were a much different time than now. It was expected that my sister and I would get on our bikes and leave our parents alone to nap in a hammock or go fishing. It was then I discovered the now named Ontario Waterfront trail; some of the best biking and hiking trails are along the St. Lawrence seaway on the Canadian side.
One of the most scenic walking, biking or driving routes in all of the 1000 Islands is the Long Sault Parkway which can be found just west of Cornwall. The Long Sault Parkway extends for 10 kilometers over 11 islands. The chain of islands is connected by causeways and makes for one of the easiest rides, great for the whole family to spend some time exploring.
A fun game for adults is to taste-test beer at breweries on each side of the border and rank which stops along the way are the most enjoyable. From Cornwall, Ontario to Clayton, New York, emerging wineries and breweries will wet your whistle and are a far cry from the days of your Dad’s beer. Ontario’s craft beer scene has been seeing large growth and excellent small craft brews. The process and ingredients have evolved and improved over the past few decades and today's consumers are reaping the benefits.
To really explore the 1000 Islands, the aerial view from a helicopter or the view from the water level is the way to go. Consider renting kayaks from Gananoque and taking a guided tour, which takes you through Canada's Thousand Islands National Park.
The experience of paddling in and out of the channels of the 1000 Islands and inlets, swimming in sandbars, touching iron sticking out of the water from a centuries-old shipwreck, and waving to cottagers on their personal islands along the way is pure magic. A sightseeing boat will take you to Boldt Castle to explore ruins and this monument of love, and can also transport you to the mysterious Singer Castle on Dark Island. Imagine the thrilling tales a castle wall could share!
The 1000 Islands region is a welcoming place with plenty of open air and distance. Having spent so many summers exploring the region in my youth and feeling back then like it was as dusty as the payphone in that campground, it surprisingly enchants and excites me to this day.
1000 Islands Helicopter Tours: https://www.1000islandstourism.com/ experiences/helicopter-tours/
Rockport Boat Line: https://rockportcruises.com/
1000 Islands Kayaking: https://1000islandskayaking.com/
Gananoque Colonial Resort and Spa Comfort Inn and Suites Thousand Islands Harbour District
Cornwall Ramada Inn (check out the Cycle and Stay Package)
Kingston Frontenac Hotel Confederation Place Hotel
Alexandria Bay Bonnie Castle Resort & Marina Capt. Thomson’s Resort
Clayton 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel Clipper Inn
