The tides have turned. It seems more and more people are turning away from “stuff”.
Minimalism is trendy, more and more brands a focusing on quality and reparability, and the internet is teaming with poignant quotes questioning the mindless pursuit of more things.
For a closet greenie, and a hater of waste, this movement is a step in the right direction. But what seems to have replaced this quest for stuff, is a quest for experiences.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Life to me is ALL about experiences above stuff. Travel has brought me some of my most memorable moments, profound realisations and a gratitude for my fortunate life. But somewhere along the line, instead of being sold physical products, we’ve been sold the notion that experiences and adventure need to be bought.
Australians currently spend on average $161 a week on recreation. And it seems the more exotic the better. Now we can pay to tank dive with a five metre croc, fly-board, race water buffalo chariots or go volcano boarding… all in the name of living a life of adventure.
But are we really after adventure or just a mind-blowing Facebook post? Do we need to have a small fortune in the bank to experience a life rich in adventure?
My husband and I had planned to go on a campervanning holiday around the Cairns region these school holidays. I told him I needed an adventure (preferably a warm one!). We’d left the planning to the last minute, we weren’t flexible on dates or location, and it turns out everyone wants to go somewhere warm in Winter! Right there is the making of a very expensive three-week holiday! We were talking $6,000 plus when you added flights, transfers, campervan, accommodation and the odd tour or experience. That is the equivalent of me working 20 or so days!!
When my husband proposed a road trip adventure closer to home I was most offended. How could we possibly have a ‘proper’ adventure an hour away? I had become so caught up in the glamour of a tropical island getaway, I had completely lost sight of the actual reason for the trip in the first place – to have a fun family adventure, to spend loads of quality time with each other, to relax and to explore.
Kids totally get it. For a child, an adventure can happen anywhere.
A few weeks ago, a friend of mine took the kids on an after school walking adventure around the suburbs. They covered 5 kilometres complete with bush play, playgrounds, tyre swings, ice cream and a great amount of conversation. It was declared to be “the best day ever” (granted my son does say this a lot!).
On a grander scale, last year, my husband decided to take my then 5-year-old on an overnight kayak trip. They paddled to the other side of the lake (maybe 2 km at most), set up the tent and drank milo. My little man still talks about their big kayak expedition. These are the moments that kids seem to the remember, and these are the mini adventures we as adults seem to overlook.

Camping overnight on the lake
UK child psychologist, Oliver Jeffers, recently wrote that children between the ages of 5 and 10 are actually better off returning to the same, simple and familiar holiday destination.
“Sitting on the same donkey, eating the same ice cream at the same café… These familiar places and activities are the ones that forge their happiest memories,” Jeffers said.
Maybe we do in fact overcomplicate holidays, particularly when it comes to our children. Have you ever asked a child what their favourite part of a holiday was? You are bound to get an answer like ‘when we had the ice cream on the jetty’ or ‘when we made that giant sandcastle at the beach’. The answer can sometimes be crushing when you spent months planning and working for an exotic holiday.
Perhaps we should all embrace the same attitude of our little people – find joy in the simplest of things, and adventures around every corner.

Exploring Caves Beach – only 20 minutes from home.
I’m certainly not ready to pack in all my world travel aspirations just yet, and I am all for spending money on rich, wonderful journeys with my family. But I do think I may have got caught up in the hype of creating a Facebook worthy holiday.
From now on, I am determined to embrace the adventures we can uncover an hour away with a tent, or a kayak, or our trusty feet! Rather than feeling like a true adventure requires a long-haul flight, and a $10,00 price tag.
What do you think? Does adventure have a price tag?
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