THE GRIFFITHS, STANWELL TOPS NSW

September 18, 2021

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Written by Rachel Abbott

September 18, 2021

·

Written by Rachel Abbott

The Griffiths are a soon-to-be family of six bursting with life as they adventure around Australia in a converted bus. Mel, a primary school teacher and the designer behind ethical clothing brand the Barefoot Wanderer, shares a little about her family life as they wait for their new bub to arrive. With a calming space to rest their heads in Stanwell Tops on the Coal Coast of NSW, the energetic family thrive off of adventure and have a West Coast road trip on their mind.

What is your name, the date and a little about yourself?

Hi, my name is Melissa, it's the 6th of September and spring has certainly sprung. I’m a Mumma of four very independent, energetic girls and have another bub brewing, who is due in January. I am a primary teacher but prefer to get creative in our back room designing ethically made clothing for my little biz. Some of my favourite things would definitely be soaking up the sunshine, long walks, good company and jumping in our bus to head off on an adventure.

Who is in your family?

Sam - The husbabe. He is one of a kind. You will literally never meet a guy as energetic and enthusiastic about life. He’s got a huge heart and an even bigger sense of adventure. If he’s not spear fishing or surfing he’s throwing himself off a cliff or wrestling random people's dogs on the beach. He’s up for a chat with anyone and often attracts some ‘strange’ characters while we’re on the road.

Marli - ‘Wild’. Her middle name is actually ‘wild’ and she certainly lives up to her name. She is full of energy, is very curious, has a keen sense of adventure and reminds me a lot of Sam, just a much smaller version.

Flow - ‘Fabulous’. She’s a ‘crowd favourite’ among family and friends due to her quirky, clumsy, and fabulous hilariousness of which she is totally unaware of. Flow lets out the most dramatic of cry’s, will speak and simultaneously spit in your face and tells the most intense, exaggerated stories.

Daisy - ‘gentle’. Daisy is soft, kind and caring. She’s my little helper and gets upset if I don’t pass the drink bottle/food/toy to her first to then pass onto her sisters. She is learning to use her voice in our loud and busy family.

Tell us about where you call home.

We are currently living at Sam’s parents house in Stanwell Tops. We actually built a granny flat out the back of their house a few years ago right before Flow was born and lived in it to save to travel Australia. Once we came home and it seemed like we weren’t going anywhere anytime soon with continuous lockdowns, so we decided to move in permanently and were lucky enough to score their three bedroom house while they moved out the back (thank you!!!). So we have now been here spending the last year and a half saving to purchase our own home. We move up to QLD in our own place in December and plan to never have enough of the warmer weather in our very own slice of turf for about a year before heading off again in our bus.

Your most memorable travel moment as a family?

We spent 7 months travelling around Australia and it was by far the greatest adventure we’ve thrown ourselves into. Daisy was only 12 weeks old at the time, Flow had just turned one and Marli had just turned 3 so it was certainly memorable every step of the way.

Baby four is on the way... exciting! How are you and your 'big kids' feeling about another addition to your family?

The girls are beyond ecstatic. It’s been so beautiful to watch their excitement grow and has made Sam and I feel even more excited for this next adventure as a family of six.

What is your best mama hack?

I'm not sure I have one in particular. I feel like I’m tricking my kids every day in some form or another. But I guess my go to for when things are getting a little too intense is to get them outside into the fresh air and the sunshine. You can't go wrong with that one.

What do you need to stay sane? To help you thrive, not just survive.

I love walking. It's my go-to thing to chill out, to get my body moving and to soak up the sunshine. I’ve been really making it a priority the past few weeks and it’s been a huge help to my overall nervous system and mental health. I also feel a tonne better once I’ve visited or called a friend for a good long chat. It's the best kind of therapy.

Where are you headed once the roads are yours to travel again?

Next stop is the West Coast! We can’t wait to get over there and camp our way from beach to beach. It’s been a lifelong goal of ours to experience this part of Australia and is something we are working towards for when the roads open back up again and we can travel more freely.

You can follow along with the Griffiths journey @thegoodlifegriffiths