about us

a bus named Bronte. a family of four. re-inventing our lives + taking a leap into the wild

Hello! We are Sam, Keiran, Ellery and Aubrey. We converted a school bus named Bronte into our house on wheels, sold our house and have become full-time #buslife travellers in Australia.

We used to live beside a lighthouse on a windswept cape in a national park overlooking the ocean. Nature immersion and a good work-life balance were our normal. Our boys took their first steps there, and spent most afternoons by the shore. Keiran was the unofficial lighthouse caretaker and park ranger on the island. We did this for five years, and then found ourselves transplanted to the city. Keiran became a stay-at-home Dad whilst Sam went to work. Between the long hours, the intensity of two small people, work pressures and trying to keep our head above the waterline of bills, we were burnt out. The longing for wild space spoke loudly and often to each of us. A truth so elemental as to be perilous to ignore. It is said that ‘discontent is the secret door to significant and life giving change’. So we are taking heed.
 
Bit by bit, we built our new home, minimising our worldly things, and preparing for life on the road. It took us two long years of hard work to complete our bus conversion project.
 
We aimed to create more time for us, less work (and a better split between us of the paid work and parenting), and more horizon in our days! A big part of the way we hope to do this is by minimising our expenses, and by living as low-impact as we can.
 
We’re kind of making it up as we go along… although one half of us has built a home in a bus before! We have no idea how long we’ll travel for – probably for as long as it makes us happy. We have a dream of finding a little pocket of land somewhere by the beach where we can park Bronte while we set up our forever home, among the gumtrees.
 

Hitting the road in October 2019, we were slowly exploring the outback of Western Queensland when COVID-19 hit and widespread travel restrictions were put into place. We had to stop for a while and rented a remote property near Charleville until the restrictions lifted. We hit the road again in June 2020 and spent the rest of the year exploring Outback Queensland and Far North Queensland!

It’s 2021 now and we’re currently in regional Victoria staying with family. In the coming weeks, we are heading to South Australia!

Keiran
Bus Driver / Home School Teacher / Stay-At-Home Dad / Photographer / Chief Web Nerd / External Relations / Builder of Things / Toilet Emptier

Loves: the outback, the beach, campfires, photography, technology, tea and buses

Favourite words: that’s ok darling, I’ll cook tonight

Sam
Policy advisor / co-pilot

Loves: wild spaces, coffee, books, yoga, making
Favourite words: ink, pearl, moon, eucalypt

Ellery
Chief Dreamer / Mischief Maker / King Lego Builder

Loves: reading, drawing, daydreaming, making up words, Lego, bike riding, treehouse building and boogie boarding.

Favourite words: ‘monkeynuts’, ‘fiddlesticks’ and ‘buffalo crackers’.

Aubrey
Leader of Play / Mischief Maker / Lego Master

Loves: copying Ellery, riding bikes, running fast, Lego, Lego, Lego and books.
Favourite words: ‘hahaha!!!’, ‘ummmm’, ‘dunno’, ‘nothing’…