How This Luxury Motorhome Turned Our Family Road Trip Into The Ultimate Holiday

The great escape

By Jenna Ambler | 5th June 2025

Turns out, you can have your artisan coffee and drink it too – even with a toddler on board. Armed with a luxe Interstate motorhome and a loosely planned route, we ventured from a picturesque farm stay to our favourite coastal region. It was part glamping, part chaos, and all kinds of unforgettable.

With a toddler in tow, we hit the road early from Brisbane, hoping to beat the impending traffic brought on by a public holiday, school break, and the inevitable rush of city-goers heading for the coast. Fortunately, luck was on our side. We had a straight run over the border and through the lush sugar cane paddocks and mountain-lined horizons that welcome you into the Byron–Ballina Shire.

Gone were the usual scenes of a tent packed in the back or a last-minute Airbnb booking. This time, we were travelling in six metres of glamping luxury on wheels: the Fiat Interstate – courtesy of the Hipcamp app. With storage to spare, everything had been folded, organised, and tucked away the night before, leaving us with an abundance of time to enjoy the ride.

There’s a reason this region draws in millions – yes, millions – of visitors each year. You tell yourself, “Let’s try somewhere new this time,” but the lure of crystal-clear waters teeming with marine life, ancient rainforests, charming hinterland towns, and some of the best produce in the country always wins.

The only thing missing from our neatly packed setup was, of course, the produce itself – fuel for the days ahead. So, our first stop was the Mullumbimby Markets, nestled below Mt Chincogan. The showgrounds were lined with stalls from local growers and farmers, hot food sizzling on grills, and the scent of spices and fresh herbs drifting through the air, tempting us to sample everything.

With our basket full and the fridge stocked, the early morning start began to catch up with us. It was time to make the final leg of the journey to our resting place for the night. The beauty of travelling fully equipped is that going off-grid isn’t just possible – it’s encouraged. Booked through Hipcamp, Mystic Valley View in the tiny town of Meerschaum Vale was, quite literally, a breath of fresh air.

Our hosts, Tony and Glen, had swapped Sydney’s hustle for a quieter life in the Ballina Hinterland – and were promptly ambushed by our overexcited toddler demanding a full farm tour on arrival.

Guided to our exclusive parking spot, the view that greeted us was dazzling: a serene paradise with lawns lined by fruit trees, banana-leaf-munching goats, free-roaming hens, grazing cattle, and a sweeping view over the marshland valley below. It immediately transported me back to childhood memories of rural New Zealand.

The days that followed were a dreamy blur: misty mornings with hot coffee warming our hands, watching the sunrise cast bursts of orange through the gum trees. Morning visits to our goat neighbours, Gus and Darryl. Day trips to our favourite beach, Broken Head, and wandering through nearby towns – Bangalow, Lennox Head, Eltham, and Federal.

Each evening ended the same way: a quiet dinner back at Mystic Valley View, followed by collapsing into bed, exhausted but content, in the back of the Fiat.

Originally, we’d planned to head further south after four nights. But those plans quietly slipped away. The simplicity of packing up our home-on-wheels led us instead to the Suffolk Park Holiday Camp, where we spent the rest of the trip by the beach. Misty mornings were traded for the crash of waves and walks to the local bakery for coffee and breakfast. It had been years since we lived in Suffolk Park, but the familiar streets, the lighthouse in the distance, and the view of the Broken Head headland reminded us exactly why we love this place.

A week of pure joy spent with family and friends, now seen through the eyes of the next generation – falling in love with the beauty of the region just like we once did. A trip made effortless, all thanks to our beloved home on wheels.