For Kirrianna Poole home isn’t a house — it’s a 1962 Kombi van shared with her husband and three children as they travel the globe together.
From watching the Northern Lights in Iceland to wandering through Moroccan markets, the world has become a classroom for her kids.
And Poole says there is no end date to their “ultimate adventure”.
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Originally from Macksville in NSW, Poole’s husband Lachlan’s work as a pilot led them to move to Tokyo in 2012.
Four years later, they welcomed their son Riley.
“We spent his first year travelling to lots of different countries,” Poole told 7NEWS.com.au.
Riley had 37 stamps in his passport before his first birthday.
But their adventures came to a halt when COVID hit, prompting the family to return to Australia.
Waiting for them was the 1962 Kombi van they had purchased before returning home.
“When the whole world shut down we thought, let’s just move into our Kombi,” Poole said.
In 2019, the couple welcomed daughter Alba and, a year later, the family-of-four was living in the van and travelling around Australia, beginning their journey in North Queensland.
“We moved her into the van as a newborn and started travelling,” Poole said.
“I remember parking up at Hervey Bay for a long time. For us at the time, it was a moment to really be together.
“We just took things easy and enjoyed being back in Australia.”
The van was fitted with a full kitchen, beds, a sink and fridge, while the family stayed at campgrounds with bathroom facilities.
They also had a tent that could be attached to the side of the Kombi for extra space.
Poole said living in such a small space with two young children might seem impossible but her kids had grown up travelling, so the transition didn’t feel like a major change.
In fact, life on the road suited them well.
“We’ve always lived out of suitcases and then we moved to a place like Japan, which is very minimalistic,” Poole said.
“We haven’t gone from living in a big house with lots of stuff to a small van, so the transition wasn’t as big as it probably would be for some other people.
“The kids have never had their own bedroom and lots of toys.”
As COVID restrictions eased and state borders reopened, the family continued their travels around Australia, taking two years to complete a lap of the country.
Then, Poole fell pregnant with their third child.
“By this point, it was definitely starting to look like we’d outgrown the Kombi,” Poole said.
Poole thought their dream of continuing life on the road was over, but her husband found a vintage 1964 caravan fitted with two queen beds and a toilet.
The caravan was within the towing capacity of the Kombi and became an extension of their home on wheels, allowing the family of five to continue travelling together.
The family stayed with relatives after their third child, Elsie, was born, giving Lachlan time to finish setting up their revamped mobile home.
In January 2023, they shipped their Kombi and caravan to New Zealand and have since continued moving their home on wheels around the world.
With Lachlan back working as a pilot, the family still uses Japan as a base, but during his time off they pack up and return to life on the road.
The family has now “vanned” through the US, Europe, Africa and Asia, travelling through dozens of countries and covering an incredible 60,000km.
The family ships the Kombi and caravan ahead to each destination so the vehicles arrive by the time they land. The number plates remain registered in Australia, but they must obtain insurance in every country they enter.
“We were camping in Joshua Tree National Park and the kids had their push bikes and could ride around as if it was their own backyard in Australia,” Poole said.
“We’ve been in Japan for a while now but the next stop is Canada, then it’s down to South America, which we’re calling The Road to Patagonia.
“There’s no end date at this stage — it’s the ultimate adventure.”
Their Instagram page The Slow Road has amassed more than 150,000 followers as they document their adventures.
Their unique lifestyle means their children have never attended a mainstream school and are instead homeschooled, or “road-schooled”, through Australian-based company Euka.
Poole said she runs the program for her two older children and adapts the curriculum around their travel plans.
Of course, life on the road comes with challenges. Living in confined spaces with three young children can be difficult at times and weather conditions can often disrupt plans.
“I don’t get that space to kind of step away, so I’ve just had to learn how to meditate, drink a lot of coffee and look at the good in it,” Poole said.
“And just be grateful to have this time with my kids.”
Poole added the challenges are worth it for the memories they are creating together and the opportunity to expose their children to different cultures and experiences around the world.
“We have a routine but it’s loose — that’s the whole point,” she said.
“The world is their classroom and what they’re seeing out here, you can’t replicate in a book.
“They’ve watched the Northern Lights in Iceland, swum with pigs in the Bahamas and wandered through the colours and chaos of Moroccan markets with snake charmers weaving through the crowds.
“For now, they love it and are very happy. The idea is not to miss a milestone and always be together.”
