Some traditions change right along with you
As a child, Lani Nicholas spent school holidays at an onsite caravan in Cobram with her parents and brother.
The same families returned each year, filling their days with barbecues, swimming and water skiing until sunset. Lani preferred bouncing behind the boat on the biscuit and hanging on tight.
Lani’s childhood caravan holidays drifted away when her family moved to Darwin, although the friendships they made never did. She’s still in touch with families from those Cobram summers.
Her most recent return was with her husband. This time at Trentham Waters, where fishing on the riverbank became date night, complete with bubbles, cheese and the edible kind of biscuits as the sun went down.
With thanks to Lani from the Van Wife Diaries and the Nicholas family
When Kellie Floyd first visited Echuca Moama in 1992, she went with her parents and sister.
Kellie remembers riding a paddlesteamer, taking a horse-drawn carriage through the historic port and the surprising thrill of crossing the Murray from Victoria into NSW. Two states in the same holiday felt like a big deal back then.
Almost 30 years later, Kellie returned with her husband and two children. This time, her son was fascinated by the workings of the paddlesteamer while her daughter stood on deck waving to everyone on the riverbank. And crossing the border? The kids got just as much joy as she once did from announcing they’d entered another state.
Soon, three generations are heading back together. Some old favourites are on the itinerary, along with a few new experiences. Echuca’s “thong tree” is getting a return visit too.
With thanks to the Floyd family
For more than 50 years, the Mikelsons family and friends have headed to the Murray region just after Christmas.
The tradition started with a group of family friends staying at a Swan Hill caravan park and heading out to Lake Boga each day to water ski. Eventually, they stopped daily visits and started staying by the lake instead.
There was often a new contraption to tow behind the boat. The more adventurous it got, the bigger the bruises – and the better the stories told afterwards.
New Year’s Eve grew too, from a few local wines into a full-blown themed celebration, complete with its own organising committee. The group even celebrated a wedding on the foreshore.
Over the decades, the group has inevitably changed, but the tradition has carried on. As the family puts it, “the kids of the kids’ kids” are now discovering why everyone keeps coming back.
With thanks to the Mikelsons family
A holiday doesn’t have to look the same to still feel like yours. Swap the caravan for a glamping tent or the kids’ trip for a grown-up getaway. Keep the bits you love and find a few new favourites along the way.
