The Dreamers - Holly McCauley

January 19, 2026

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Written by

January 19, 2026

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Written by

Welcome to the Dreamers series—celebrating the beauty, rhythm and everyday magic of family life. This month, we meet Holly McCauley, mama of three, routine-lover, ocean swimmer and quiet dreamer. Living deep in the Northern Rivers, Holly and her family move between rainforest mornings, sandy feet and slow, intentional days.

With a deep love for simple rituals, honest rhythms and raising kind, curious kids, Holly reminds us that dreaming doesn’t have to be loud — sometimes it looks like shared meals, familiar routines and imagining the life you want, one day at a time.

Can you introduce your family — names, ages, and a little glimpse into what makes each of your kids shine?

We are Nich and Holly and have three beautiful, funny, lovable kids (I still can’t believe we have three kids!!) They are Della, who just turned 9 - she is goofy and reminds me of sunshine. She loves being outside moving her body and has rocket ships in her feet, she doesn’t stop moving. Posey just turned 6 and I describe her as my beautiful and calm river. She’s soft and level and when we look at her we just smile. Sid is our little one year old boy and we are betting that he’s going to be an extrovert, who loves it when people smile at him - he has these magical eyes that make us wonder where he came from.

Tell us about where you live. What is your favourite local spot for a family swim, adventure or coffee stop/feed?

We live deep in the northern rivers in a little oasis called Rosebank, our home is a mix of bush and rainforest, you have to meander across rivers to get to it. In the summertime we are ocean people and love swimming and paddling around at The Pass or belongil beach in Byron bay in the mornings or evenings or sometimes jumping in the river at Bruns at high tide. Coffees are made at home, but the coconut ice lattes at Doma in federal are yum! I also love a tuna melt from tones in the Byron industrial estate and Miss Ho’s Vietnamese in Suffolk park for an early family dinner. For a date or drinks with my friends I can’t go past You Beauty in Bangalow.

Do you have any back-to-school or kindy rituals that help your family settle into new routines?

We always make sure we have an early, fancy homemade dinner the night before the kids go back to school. It’s usually something that’s a bit of a treat but still comforting. Think prawn linguine or squid tacos with a cocktail for mum and dad. I started this ritual when I was working full time and wanted to make last night of the summer holidays feel special. We try not to buy too many new things each year, the girls are both in a public primary school, so they don’t require many new supplies each year. Something special this year is their new Banabae backpacks and some fresh socks, which have helped with the excitement of the new school year. The new packs fit everything they need for school days plus any after school activities or beach sessions!

How does this back-to-school season feel for you as a parent watching your kids step into more independence?

I am a lover of routine, I adore the summer holidays and the freedoms they allow us (I’m currently laying under my fan with my baby asleep on me after a morning at the beach and fish and chips while the big girls play in the garden!) but as they come to a close I do crave a bit more of a predictable rhythm to our days. The girls are still so little in my eyes but watching them become more independent and transform into the people they are going to be is so rewarding. We want to raise strong, kind and self reliant children and seeing them really step up into this new era of childhood is bittersweet but

still so beautiful.

What does being a “Dreamer” mean in your household right now?

At the moment, my partner and I have really been concentrating on dreaming up the life we want to lead in the short term future. If we can imagine ourselves doing something, it feels as through we can achieve it. We are passing this into the kids by talking openly about our dreams and what adventures we hope to have as if they are already in the works. We want them to imagine anything is possible, and talking about what we wish for most is just the first step.

How do you encourage your kids to dream big while also feeling supported and confident as they head off each day?

We let them lead the way with how their are feeling each day or week. Some days there are more days of walking to school or the shops, more little adventures after school, when they are feeling softer or slower, more time at home works well for us. We also start off any big milestones (like the start of the school year) by talking about our goals and dreams, perhaps even things that no longer serve us or we’d like to improve on. This helps them to really dream big! We do this on a smaller scale at the end of each day when we are sitting around the dinner table.

What’s one simple habit or back-to-school hack that genuinely makes your days run smoother?

It’s controversial, but we pretty much do the same lunchboxes everyday and don’t offer options for either of the girls. It’s a 90s crunchy mum lunch consisting of a sandwich on wholemeal bread (or pesto pasta when we’ve run out!), sliced fruit and veg, nuts and dried fit or crackers and a home made treat like a cookie or muffin.

What are you dreaming of next as a family?

We are dreaming of our last little slice of summer holiday camping, a couple of weeks before the school term begins. This means we are dreaming of quiet beaches, bowling club beers in the afternoon, river floats, card games next to the mozzie coils, some family baby wave sessions, more fish and chips and listening to the kids snooze next to us in our tent.