Living life to the fullest

The Stokes family sets off to backpack the world for 12 months this December. Photo: Chris Callinan.

'It's really just going with all the things that say: ‘Live life to the fullest', and everybody says it – but not many people actually do it,” says Sophie Stokes.

Her family is about to. Sophie and partner Carl Dickens are about to go travelling the world with their four children – Kasha, 12, Triton, 7, Ronin, 6, and Cove, 3 – and a backpack each.

Yes, the Papamoa family-of-six has spent the last year saving, researching and planning to go on the trip of a lifetime to see the world and – ironically – spend time together.

'We just decided there has to be more to life than working to pay bills and buying stuff we don't really need, and we wanted to find inner happiness.

'We live and breathe for our kids – but we spend so much time rushing around that we don't actually have time for them.”

So the family is departing New Zealand on December 7 and will not return for 12 months.

'We thought ‘to hell with how much this costs – it will be worth every penny',” says Sophie. 'The kids were asking for our time – and what better way to give it to them than spending endless hours travelling and exploring the world together.”

While some might find travelling with young children daunting, Sophie doesn't.

'I'm not that nervous because at the end of the day, what do they need? They need sleep and food. We'll provide that. And whatever happens in between we'll just go with the flow.

'We're pretty relaxed with our kids but our biggest thing is safety – and through all of our research we will be doing as best we can to keep our family as safe as possible.”

'The rest is just going to happen.”

So what will they take with them? 'Obviously devices – we're taking three iPads, a GoPro camera, a cellphone – to keep in touch with friends and family.”

Plus travel sheets and towels, and fold-up clothes hangers – to wash and hang clothes overnight – because they'll each have one set of clothes on, a change, and a spare set, sneakers and jandals. 'Everything we take needs a function.”

'And as we go, anything we need we'll buy – and anything we don't need, we'll give away.”

Hatching the travel idea, the kids thought it was a massive holiday of theme parks – but Sophie says the youngsters have done their research and will be immersed in so much more.

'Now they're more interested in seeing the Orangutans in Borneo, elephants in Sri Lanka, and seeing the floating market in the Mekong Delta.”

Because they'll hit so many tourist spots they won't be able to afford everything. 'So we'll pick and choose things to do – and there will be a couple of treats along the way, like Legoland and Disneyland.”

Sophie also wants to choose sustainable tourist activities. 'We don't want to support people exploiting animals or go to places cutting down forests.

'We want to support businesses with sanctuaries – show the kids we don't go ride on elephants, we go watch them in the jungle in a sanctuary.”

Sophie says the kids will be off the education grid for the trip – but will be learning as they travel and will keep up with English, reading and maths.

Their parents will be able to spend time helping them learn. 'That one-on-one with them will really help them and keep them up-to-date.

While travelling, Sophie will enforce some routine in their lives. 'It's a year of travel so we still need our family unit to work together – and we work best with routine.”

Sophie says the extended family is finding it hard leading up to December. 'They are going to miss the kids hugely – but they're hugely supportive as well.”

Both sets of grandparents intend to meet up with Sophie and family twice at different locations around the globe.

Her advice to families thinking of ditching the daily grind to travel?

'We're such a normal family – we don't have a huge amount of funds behind us – so what we're doing anyone could do if they want to.

'Once you get out of that mindset of ‘this is what society thinks we should be doing because everyone else is doing it and it is expected' – then really you can do whatever you want.”

The Stokes have taken a second mortgage on their home, and Sophie has taken on part-time work, plus the family had cut down on expenses to finance the trip.

The family's hosting a garage sale at their home at 36 Oreti Crescent, Papamoa, on October 29, to help fund the trip too.

To follow the family around the globe, see: www.facebook.com/just6backpacks

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