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Hi I'm Sharon

I’m a mum to two little adventure travel kids, and wife to my soul mate. I’m the voice here and in most cases the photographer as well.

Travel runs deep through my veins. And it’s no wonder given I’ve lived in Papua New Guinea as a child, Honduras as a teenager and Dubai during my 20’s and 30’s. I’m a wanderluster to the core and always looking forward to the next travel adventure.

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Have you ever dreamed of a life of world full-time travel as a family? Have you ever thought to yourself... "what if we just packed everything up and hit the road?" ...

Recent Posts

16 BEST Things to Do in Essaouira, Morocco
Staying at the Ryad Watier in Essaouira – A Full Review
Hot Air Balloon Cappadocia – Is it WORTH it? An Honest Review!
16 AWESOME Things to Do in Kas, Turkey
Things to Do in Pamukkale – Planning the Perfect Visit

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Yemen, Socotra Island

AD | 🇲🇦 What is a riad? Follow us to @ryadwa

AD | 🇲🇦 What is a riad? Follow us to @ryadwatier in Essaouira Morocco to find out…

🚪 If you picture a stay in Morocco you imagine walking down narrow Medina alleys, turning into a narrower alley and arriving at an antique door.

🌿 Behind that antique door you open up into a beautiful riad courtyard. Then as you gradually look up you see several floors of tiered balconies, which lead into boutique rooms. It's authentic, it's personal, it's cosy, it's quintessentially Morocco.

Read our review of @ryadwatier in Essaouira and find out if it’s the right place for your next vacation ✌️
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#ryadwatier #travelingmorocco #essaouiramedina #essaouiramorocco #exploremorocco #riadlife #ilovemorocco #lovemorocco #inspiringwanderers #traveltomorocco #beautifulmorocco #instamorocco #ryad #moroccotravels #travellingmorocco #exploringfamilies #travellingfamily #travelwithfamily #besttraveldestinations #toptraveldestinations #travellersdestinations #travellushes #travelmama #shewhotravels #travelingmama #wearetravelmamas #mamastraveltribe #addictedtotravel #mumswhotravel #globaltrotter

🛟 Marrakech - You know when you wait to get to

🛟 Marrakech - You know when you wait to get to a place for what feels like your whole life?

And you finally make it and it meets all your expectations and more. We only had a few nights booked in Marrakech so had a few must-see places to visit bookmarked for our short stay.

These are the top 7 must-see places in Marakech if you are going for 3-4 days!

1️⃣ Jamaa el Fna
2️⃣ Jardin Majorelle
3️⃣ Koutoubia Marrakech
4️⃣ Get lost in the souk
5️⃣ Le Jardin Secret
6️⃣ Ben Youssef - Quran School
7️⃣ Tanneries

This list is short but sweet - it just means we’ll have to go back - and I think we might end up back there before we leave Morocco.

Anything you’d add for us to see next time we go?

⛳️ Save this post if you are planning a quick visit to Marrakech.

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📸 Ben Youssef

🇲🇦 Yallah… here we go… Morocco for three

🇲🇦 Yallah… here we go… Morocco for three months!!

👀 Follow us @myfreerangefamily!

🐌 And we’ll show you what it’s like to live, work and slow travel Morocco.

#slowtravel #travelmorocco #travelfamily #fulltimettravel #travelwithkids #backpackingwithkids #kiwitraveller #travellingkids #visitmorocco #digitalnomadlife #digitalnomadfamily #exploremorocco #instamorocco #discovermorocco #doorsofmorocco #travelblogger #travelnomad #nomadlife #nomadstories #kidswhotravel #worldtravellers #worldtravelgram #worldschoolers #worldschoolingfamily #slowtraveller #slowtravellers #kiwisabroad #travelkiwis #travellight #inmorocco

🎞 Turkey - the highlight reel! One month in T

🎞 Turkey - the highlight reel!

One month in Turkey deserves it’s own reel I reckon.

Thanks to Turkish Airline’s clever marketing we added Turkey to our FULL-TIME travel destination list.

We came, we saw, we loved… we’ll definitely be back.

Thanks Turkey… it was fun! Get our guides, itinerary & recommendations for all things Turkey over on the BLOG.

🍭 Oh and hey… FOLLOW @myfreerangefamily for more travel adventures!

Next stop Morocco 🇲🇦

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#travelguideturkey #turkeytravelplanner #turkeytrip #traveltoturkey #travelturkey #travelreel #travelkidsandfun #kidsthattravel #familieswhotravel #nomadfamily #familytravelblogger #holidaywithfamily #travelmum #adventurewithkids #travelmadfam #exploringfamilies #travellust #traveltoexplore #travelpassport #travelthroughtheworld #traveltheglobe #kiwifamily #kiwitraveller #kiwiabroad #kiwisabroad #beingatourist #macsinstatribe #kidstravelling #summertravels #traveldreams

👾 I’m not sure if it’s just me but I think

👾 I’m not sure if it’s just me but I think travel might just be getting more expensive.

🛟 I’ve just hit publish on our complete guide to road tripping in Turkey. Go check it out if Turkey is on your list… we’ve added a complete breakdown on how much we spent. A 2022 take on how much it costs to travel in Turkey! Or save this post for later.

📈 Side Topic: I have this feeling, and correct me if I’m wrong, but I think the tourism sector is making up for lost time. A two year catch up is currently underway… and prices seem to be doubling in some cases.

🗿 More specifically, we’ve found In Turkey museums have crossed out prices, then stickers over crossed out prices and then basically a final doubled price all on the same ticket.

It feels like Turkey is in the process of playing catch up. And this isn’t a gripe by the way… I think it’s probably a necessity for some, a way to stay afloat.

When I research prices online… they seem to be way out. Blogs written in 2019 for example saying they paid this much and we get quoted LOTS more.

Perhaps this is the new trend in travel and tourism? I don’t know…

Have you started travelling again, have you noticed an increase where you are?

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📸 - The balloons fly over our accommodation in Goreme.

🪶 World schooling goes a little something like

🪶 World schooling goes a little something like this!!!

🤩 We don’t have it sorted most of the time, but we mostly have it sorted some of the time. Confused yet… me too.

⚖️ Trying to find the balance of worldschooling, homeschooling and unschooling?

🕉 Here are some of the MANTRAS we remind ourselves of in order to create positive learning experiences for our free-range kids as we travel full-time.

- don’t stress the small stuff
- be present & patient
- discuss, communicate & query
- wonder, ponder & pose questions
- follow their lead
- forget perfect
- slowly slowly
- we ARE doing it!

🧞‍♂️What mantras would you add to this?
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#turkeytrip #hierapolis #experiencetheworld #worldschoolingfamily #worldschooler #worldschool #experiencesoverthings #exploringfamilies #traveltolearn #kidtravel #worldschoolers #unschoollife #unschoolers #unschoolingfamily #unschoolinglife #unschooled #unschoolingrocks #kidsthattravel #littletraveler #travelingkids #nomadfamily #pammukale #travelinturkey #traveltoturkey #travelturkey #travellinggirls #girlswhotraveltheworld #kiwitraveller #kiwisabroad #nzfamily

💛💙 A very very big thank you to our new frie

💛💙 A very very big thank you to our new friend Maria! @maria_sklyaruk @vilna.photo

I’ve said it before… I’m normally always the one behind the camera. Not this time.

💡Maria manages the hotel we stayed at in Goreme Cappadocia… and you know when you just know… you meet someone and you click!

Well she offered our little fam bam a live photo shoot.

She took us to this abandoned little open air museum, no longer visited by big groups of tourists. Only those who know about it. We walked and talked and she took our photos.

And these beauties were the result. If you are heading to Cappadocia and you want some beautiful photos, find Maria!

Massive gratitude for these photos, taken in a place I have always wanted to visit… my little crew!

Maria from all of us much love! And thanks for helping us get a few family shots that we will be able to treasure forever 💛💙

😜 Most people will show you the postcard pictur

😜 Most people will show you the postcard pictures of tiered terraces cascading down a valley.

Not us!

Let me tell you about the other side of Pamukkale…

🤘We rocked up EARLY… because Pamukkale has piqued my interest since I was a teenager and I wanted it to myself for a bit. As I do. I like to reflect and ponder in a place.

Anyhow, as I was saying. An early start, 6.30 we headed to the top gate. But alas the Iger’s were already there… big dresses, floppy hats. Sigh. BUT they didn’t stick around for long. They got there shot and were gone by 7am. Which meant that for a whole 10 minutes we DID get it all to ourself… BLISS.

I could see straight away that the terraces are now protected. No longer can tourists bath in them, but for good reason. They are one of the most unique and naturally occurring places in the world and they have been pretty hammered over the years. So it is good to see that conservation practices are strong at work.

Several man made terraces have been created for travellers to bath in. But they were bloody freezing and not my cup of tea. But we did notice the natural hot springs being directed and channeled to flow in designated sections down the terraces and into the valley.

The kids asked if they could get in… it was warm… it was clear… it looked the perfect size for the kids in between corrugated iron partitions… I said yes!

Next Mike asked if he should get in too? I said yes to him as well!

💯 And there we have it… my version of Pamukkale in Turkey. Did I love it… 100 percent!

It was a bit of a laugh… probably a bit naughty. But you’ve got to be naughty every now and again right?
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#pamukkaleturkey #cottoncastle #turkeytrip #welltravelledkids #adventurekids #showthemtheworld #explorerkids #littleadventures #explorewithkids #takethekids #worldschool #kidswhotravel #travellingfamily #travelfamily #tinybigadventure #fulltimetravelwithkids #fulltimefamilytravel #slowtraveling #familygapyear #budgettraveller #travelonabudget #lowbudgettravel #adventuretraveler #whateveryouradventure #adventureswithchildren #chooseadventure #wanderlustfamily #bucketlistfamily #travelfam #familytraveltribe

🎈 We are beginning to look a little rough!

👀 As we walk busy streets filled with tourists I occasionally find myself looking at my little free range family through other peoples eyes. And we look kind of dishevelled to be honest!

🚁 I brought this up at dinner tonight and Boo explained it quite well… “we look like we’ve fallen from a helicopter into a tree.”

💬 Another Boo quote as we watched a very well put together family of Mum, Dad and two kids on their way to a restaurant… “they look like they’re from Dubai.”

🧟‍♀️ Meanwhile, our clothes are gathering small tears and holes, our shoes are filthy (and kind of stinky), my eyebrows are a little bushier than normal and Lulu’s curls are on the verge of dreads most of the time.

🧚 When you think about it for a minute… normally travellers take just two weeks. Before this full-time travel malarky we’d pack our best clothes, get our hair cut and coloured and away we’d go… looking our best!

NOT anymore.

🌎 So if you see a scruffy little full-time travel family walking down the street in a town near you… don’t panic. They probably haven’t fallen from a helicopter into a tree. Most likely they’re just world-schoolers slowly walking the planet and doing travel a bit differently than most.

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📸 Boo looking beautifully scruffy in Cappadocia, Turkey.

👻 Boo catches some zzz’s… in preparation fo

👻 Boo catches some zzz’s… in preparation for a TWO YEAR travel adventure!

Follow @myfreerangefamily for some slow travel inspiration to off the beaten track destinations.

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#anadolujet #instaflight #somewhereonearth #earthphotography #slowtraveller #travelslow #fulltimetravelwithkids #fulltimefamilytravel #slowtravelstories #slowtraveling #slowtravelling #familygapyear #gapyeartravel #budgettraveller #budgettravels #travelonabudget #budgettraveler #fulltimetravellers #fulltimetravelfamily #fulltimetravelingfamily #budgettravelling #takekidseverywhere #welltraveledkids #jetsettingkids #showthemtheworld #explorerkids #curiouslittleexplorers #explorewithkids #takethekids #takeyourkidseverywhere

💸 How much do we have saved? We have $60,00

💸 How much do we have saved?

We have $60,000 NZD (38,000 USD) saved for our full-time travel. There we go… I said it.

I feel like this is something we don’t talk about in the full-time travel community. So I’m gonna do it!

This is our savings allocated to slow travel. The big question is how long will it last. Who knows we may end up returning back to New Zealand with our tails between our legs in 6 months from now. Savings depleted. But I hope that’s not the case.

We are trying to travel on $100 NZD (63 USD) a day, so that means we have 600 days of travel up our sleeve. And this needs to include flights, travel insurance, accommodation… the whole shebang.

BUT 3 weeks in travelling as a family of four and we’re already well over budget - like double. See our insta stories tomorrow for a breakdown on where we have spent most.

I have an app which I use which helps me see how much we are spending a month. Trabee Pocket, it’s not great, I might try find another. Any full-timers out there have a budget app that they recommend?

Anyway at this point it looks like here in Turkey we are spending on average $200 NZD a day (all inclusive). However, Turkey was always going to be over budget. Based on the length of time here, the area we wanted to cover, our method of transport etc all contributing to this overspend.

We will need to see if we can tighten the purse strings in Morocco if we are going to get our 600 days as planned. But we have a few things up our sleeve to help curb the spending. (Don’t worry we won’t put the kids to work just yet… and they’ll still get three meals a day).

🙊🙊🙊

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📷 Ephesus amphitheatre

👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 We are officially on the

👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 We are officially on the road!

🏙 We are turning this full-time travel family into a team of four. No longer just me and the girls cruising the world… Mike has finished up work in Dubai for good and we have officially said goodbye.

🐣 But what a surreal moment… leaving a city you have called home for years… the only place your children have ever called home! A place where friends have become family, a place that we have created our own family.

And I’ve just gotta say, Dubai gets a bad rap… sure it’s not perfect. Like any place it has its downsides, but for the most part we have loved our life in Dubai. It has been the perfect hub to see the rest of the world. And our kids have thrived… raised in a multicultural city that values tolerance and innovation.

🤩 In fact I could say that we have also thrived. Dubai is so much more than tall buildings, 5 star hotels, fast cars and the tourist hub it is portrayed to be. The leaders have incredible vision and drive, and this has lead to the creation of a city providing incredible opportunity for expats from all over the world.

I feel super grateful to have watched the city rise out of thin air and to have been a part of it!

🖤💚🤍❤️ So it’s goodbye for now, but I’m sure not forever. I can only begin to imagine how the city will have changed when we one day return, which I’m sure we will.

✌️Dubai… Yalla bye!!!

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#tinybigadventure #adventureswithchildren #chooseadventure #fulltimetraveller #fulltimetravelwithkids #worldnomad #livingontheroad #fulltimetravel #travelwithkidsblog #travelwithkidstips #familycantravel #familytraveller #familytraveltribe #familytravelblogger #fulltimetravelfamily #travellingfamily #travelwithfamily #travelfamily #backpackingwithkids #adventuretrip #exploringfamilies #experiencesoverthings #kidsbackpack #kiwisabroad #kiwifamily #kiwikids #travelslow #slowtraveler #slowchildhood #slowparenting

🎞 The highlight reel… One week In Socotra! I

📍One question we were regularly asked about our

📍One question we were regularly asked about our visit to Socotra was the safety aspect. Here is my take on the safety side of things and responsible tourism in Socotra…

(Read my latest blog for my complete thoughts on this… link in bio)

The natural diversity on Socotra is absolutely mind blowing.

One minute you are sitting on a beach with clear blue waters with a backdrop of giant sand dunes, the next you are crossing canyons and heading for rugged mountains full of one of the most unique trees you’ll ever lay eyes on.

Then come the wadis, the snorkelling, the caves, a sink hole, the fish life, more beaches, the villages, the people and you’re left speechless.

How can a place be so diverse…

BUT WILL IT STAY THAT WAY? One of the most vital next steps for the Socotri people is to preserve what they have. And I hope they will.

There are some great people in Socotra talking about how they can protect the Dragon Blood tree and that is no easy feat. But more than that they need to resist the controls of external powerhouses coming in and taking over tourism.

🇸🇦 🇦🇪 Given that mainland Yemen has been at the centre of a terrible war since 2014 and on the receiving end of the UAE and Saudi forces, times have been extremely traumatic and tough for the Yemeni people. This has also meant that a lot of aid from the UAE and Saudi has been sent to Socotra, which we did see a lot of during our visit.

These points combined, had me feeling the need to write a post on the current situation in Yemen and the impact of tourism in Socotra.

I have a post up now around the safety of visiting Socotra combined with my thoughts on responsible tourism on the island that tries to clarify some of these issues.

🧐 This is obviously purely my perspective and I want to stress that I am absolutely no expert. I believe when visiting a destination it is my duty as a responsible traveller to be informed as best I can, to go with an open-mind and to make travel choices that won’t negatively impact a community and a country.

🤍🤍🤍

💥 Okay I’m just showing off now… I woke at

💥 Okay I’m just showing off now…

I woke at 1.30 to get this star trail under a dragon blood tree.

The first I’ve ever tried! I was pretty chuffed with myself to be honest. With a bit of guidance from my friend @isaackhasawnehphotography and a bit of beginners luck this was the result.

I took a photo every minute for an hour, stitched them together and BOOM!

Isn’t the night sky something pretty special ✨

🤏 One of those pinch yourself moments… When

🤏 One of those pinch yourself moments…

When you realise that you made it to a place you wanted to visit for years.

I was in a very happy place waking up in Firhman under the Dragon Blood trees.

Mike and I felt very privileged to visit Socotra and were deeply humbled by her beauty.

🟢 Go hit the link in my bio for my two latest posts on Socotra Island in Yemen and how to visit in 2022/23.

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#sunrisesofinstagram #socotra #interestingplaces #socotraisland #uniquedestinations #lonleyplanet #gosomewhere #dragonbloodtree #natgeotraveler #getlostnow #borntoexplore #natureiscalling #responsibletraveller #traveldudes #kiwitravel #menwhotravel #thetravellingnomads #guyswhotravel #traveltheworldtogether #travelescape #travelreel #digitalnomadstyle #tblogger #traveleverywhere #uniqueplaces #travellighttraveloften #traveljunkies #fulltimetraveller #fulltimetraveler #worldnomad

🐉 Meet the Dragon Blood Tree of Socotra! 🌳

🐉 Meet the Dragon Blood Tree of Socotra!

🌳 IF you have been keeping up with my stories you’ll have seen me bragging about how excited I have been to get to Socotra, Yemen. And this beauty of a tree is one of the number one reasons I was amped to get there.

🤗 My friend once told me… only you Shazza would travel to a country to see a tree. Yup, that’s me, tree hugger to the core. But ofcourse on arrival I met LOADS of other tree lovers and huggers who had travelled even further than me to catch a glimpse of this super unique tree.

📉 It is native only to Socotra Island and lives for up to 600 years. But its numbers are in serious decline which makes this a bit of a sad story really.

🐐 The goats love the Dragon Blood trees. And while local Socotris do what they can, the challenge is a pretty big one given how many goats kick about on the island. And climate change has also had a massive impact on the trees. Another reason why we need to get this world working in better balance.

🩸 Why is it called Dragon Blood? Well the name comes from the tree’s blood red sap. (Keep an eye out for the stories to see it.)

👀 So there we have it… just a pretty unique tree growing in a strange and special land. I’d love to know what in the world you would travel far and wide to see?

🇾🇪 Socotra, Yemen. For years… I’ve bee

🇾🇪 Socotra, Yemen. For years… I’ve been waiting to get here. And boy it was worth the wait.

✈️ With a once-a-week flight opening up from Abu Dhabi, it just got a whole lot easier. So we took that as a sign to go!

I have so much to share and can’t wait to post the pics here and put a couple of how-to-visit guides on the blog.

🪣 So if Socotra Island is on your radar then stay tuned because geez she is PRETTY and has bucket loads to offer!

👀 And if you’ve never heard of her beauty then keep an eye out for my stories and posts. Because she might just be a place of interest after you’ve seen her views and heard her stories.

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#shewhotravels #shetravelsgreen #girlsjustwanttotravel #travelfemme #travellinggirls #girlstravelling #travelgirlstyle #adventuregirls #wetravelgirls #girlswhotraveltheworld #offbeattravel #keeptravelling #traveltheplanet #wanderon #wadi #socotra #interestingplaces #socotraisland #uniquetravelexperiences #uniquetravelcollection #uniquetravel #conscioustravel #depthofearth #lonleyplanet #natgeotraveler #natgeotravels #natgeotravelpics #wanderlust_tribe #wanderlusttravel #discovertheglobe

⏳Don’t always believe everything you see… I

⏳Don’t always believe everything you see…

Instagram paints a pretty picture but it doesn’t always speak the honest truth.

I’ve been looking for a while now, for a view that doesn’t exist. This sand swept road leading towards the Burj Khalifa and Dubai skyline.

Spoiler alert… it doesn’t exist. Photo shop peeps! My reel right here is the real Half Desert Dubai.

Look up the geotag location on this reel and you’ll see plenty of the photo shopped views I speak of.

🥸Fakers!

All deceptions aside… we did love these criss crossing roads with sand dunes (just without the skyline). When Mother Nature decides to take back what is naturally hers it can create a pretty special view.

Just over here… doing our bit to keep the travel grammers honest ✌️

@myfreerangefamily - travel family 🤙

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#familytraveltribe #familytravelblog #familytravelmoment #travellingfamily #travelwithfamily #familytravelblogger #fulltimetravelfamily #familycantravel #deserttravel #travellernottourist #travelobsession #worldwonder #intrepidtravel #desertview #nomadtravel #travellingnomads #travelnomads #travelingnomad #nomadictravel #mydubaipics #travelpix #iamatraveller #travelnomad #picsofdubai #iloveuae #dubaiview #yesvisitdubai #placestovisitindubai #fulltimetraveler #livingontheroad

🧐 Okay I don’t mean to judge, but I’ve noti

🧐 Okay I don’t mean to judge, but I’ve noticed a trend…

As we make our way around the pavilions at Expo here in Dubai I notice a stamping frenzy. Let me explain…

🛂 Expo introduced these cool passports, where upon each country pavilion you visit you get a cool little stamp in your Expo passport. Cool right?!

BUT… there are those who run in the exit door at the pavilion. And yep, you guessed it… they cheat! Grab the stamp and run with their cheap memento of a ’country’ they haven’t really visited. But pretend they have. Hmmmmm 🤨

And hey I get it! There are some 200 pavilions to get around. But at the end of it all, what is the actual point?

What’s gained from this fake exchange?

I then wonder… is this why and how people travel for real? A quick stamp in the passport and add it to the list of countries visited. Forgot to interact with the locals, forgot to try the food and forgot to have a genuine experience.

🙅‍♀️ God I hope not…

So in the meantime we will continue slowly (!) making our way around Expo collecting stamps for real and making real connections along the way!!!

Rant over… thanks for listening. Just over here keeping it real! 👋

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📸 (taken by the hubster) - me (the voice of @myfreerangefamily) in Oman 🇴🇲

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