The Dreamers #92 - With Kirianna Poole of the Slow Road

January 24, 2024

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Written by

The Dreamers #92 - With Kirianna Poole of the Slow Road

January 24, 2024

·

Written by

Join Kirianna and her family as they embrace the nomadic lifestyle, traversing the roads in their trusty kombi since 2017. Along the way, they’ve woven a tapestry of memories, embarked on grand adventures, and embraced a sustainable existence. Kirianna, a passionate advocate for mindful living, shares her love language of food through her book, The Slow Road Cookbook

WELCOME TO THE DREAMERS.

COME INSIDE THE HOMES OF EVERYDAY FAMILIES AND BUSINESS OWNERS DOING LIFE THEIR WAY.

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Hey Kirianna, could you tell us about you and your family?

We are the Poole family; all five of us are passionate about ever-changing kitchen views. We have been living life on the road in our kombi since 2017. I’m Mum Kiri, and my love language is food. I am constantly feeding my little bunch. I enjoy foraging for food and cooking up a storm, especially by the fire.

Lockie is the Dad and navigator. He makes all our dreams come to life. He keeps our kombi Izzie tuned and safe for our adventures.

Riley, our seven-year-old explorer, began life out of a suitcase, travelling the world to 37 countries before moving into his kombi.

Alba 4, Frozen-obsessed Gemini gal. Alba loves banana and cinnamon toast and is the apple of Daddy’s eye.

Elsie, our dream baby, slots in the middle seat of the kombi with wiggly feet, big smiles, and a mouth always full.

How did you and the family start van life? Is there anything that inspired this?

After living in Tokyo for six years as expats, we decided Riley needed to see Australia in its truest form. Roll in red dirt, see koalas snoozing in eucalyptus trees and swim with whale sharks. So we searched for our dream car to do it in — Izzie, our 1962 split-screen kombi. She was beautiful and ready for a big life with us.

What does a day in your life look like living on the road in your dreamy kombi?

It’s kind of a strange combo of both slow and hectic all at once. We start with coffee, sunrises and stretching the bones, before the race is on to pack up and get moving. Our set-up pre-caravan was an annex that required 20 or so minutes to put up and down before packing everything and everyone into our tiny kombi.

Where’s your favourite place that you have travelled to in the kombi?

Karinjini, we can’t believe we made it. We lost fourth gear along the way, and in true Poole style, we made it slowly and arrived very sweaty. We all felt the heart of Australia while there.

Congrats on the new book! Could you tell us all about it?

Thank you! As you see, it has been many years in the making while flicking through the pages. Our family grew in the making, from pregnancy cooking to witnessing the kids change over time. The book is about Australian and New Zealand ingredients that can be enjoyed while camping and at home. I wanted to inspire travellers to change their camp meal rotations and try something different.

What does 'the slow road' mean?

To take in our surroundings and appreciate life together. For my family, it is essential to live as sustainably as possible. We make changes to our life that reduces our impact on Mother Nature. Using SLOW as an acronym helps me to create food that is Seasonal, Local, Organic, and Whole.

Are there any exciting plans for this year?

So many! After a big renovation, we sent our kombi and our recently purchased vintage 1964 caravan to New Zealand. We knew we would need more space with our extra baby to camp successfully throughout the winter in New Zealand. We made a lot of modifications to tow the caravan and heat it. Now, it has been a year in New Zealand, and we have booked the kombi on a ship to Japan.

Fav Banabae pieces?

We have been enjoying Banabae for a few years and love the Rad Dad and Rad Mama shirts. Elsie loves her baby blanket and cosy onesie, Riley thinks all the caps are cool, and Alba is prancing in her eco tutu. We think you are RAD.

The Slow Road

From the small burner in her van or a campfire at camp, Kiriannas simple, delicious and wholesome recipes are perfect for families who want to eat better outdoors.

Follow @theslowroad_

Shop Kirianna's family favourites: