Hey everyone, welcome back to our little outdoor corner of Australia!
With Australia Day just around the corner, I thought I’d take you along for a few of my favourite ways to spend the long weekend with family – beach, park, camping and even the backyard – and show you the kind of gear that makes the day so much easier.
If you’re planning a trip and still not sure what to bring, this might give you a few ideas.
Scene 1 – Beach Day: Classic Aussie Long Weekend
waves, kids running, car boot open full of gear.
Australia Day and the beach just go together, right?
For us, the perfect long-weekend morning usually starts with loading the car: beach tent, camping trolley, foldable chairs, esky, toys… somehow it all fits!
Once we get to the beach, the first thing we set up is shade.
We use an automatic pop-up beach tent – it opens in a few seconds, gives the kids a safe UV50+ spot to play, rest, or hide from the midday sun. No fighting with poles, no drama.
Then out comes the camping trolley. Instead of carrying everything in our hands, we just pile in the beach tent, towels, sand toys and food, and pull everything in one go across the sand. Honestly, once you use a trolley, you’ll never go back to “ten trips from the car”.
While the kids are busy digging and splashing, we sit back in our foldable camping chairs – light to carry, but strong and comfortable enough to sit in for hours. That’s when it finally feels like a holiday.
On my Shopify store you’ll find:
– Automatic pop-up beach tents
– Beach-ready camping trolleys
– Lightweight foldable camping chairs
All stocked in Melbourne and ready for quick dispatch.
Scene 2 – Park BBQ with Friends
green grass, gazebo going up, kids on the playground, sizzling BBQ.
If we don’t go to the beach, we’ll usually meet friends in a local park for a BBQ.
The hero here is always our 3x3m gazebo.
We set it up on the grass, secure it properly with pegs, ropes or water weights, and suddenly we have our own “outdoor living room”: shade for the food table, a cool spot for grandparents to sit, and a safe base for younger kids to escape the sun.
We bring a folding table and a few extra chairs so everyone has a place to eat. The kids run between the playground and our gazebo, and the adults drift between the BBQ, food table and chairs with a cold drink in hand.
For this kind of day, simple gear makes a huge difference:
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A gazebo for shade and light rain
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A folding table for food and drinks
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A few easy-pack camping chairs for everyone to actually sit and relax
On our site, look for:
– 3x3m gazebos with UPF50+ fabric
– Gazebo weight options and pegs for safer setup
– Simple folding tables and chair bundles perfect for park BBQs
Scene 3 – 1–2 Night Family Camping Trip
car arriving at a holiday park, family tent going up, kids helping.
For many families, the Australia Day long weekend is the perfect chance to try a short camping trip – one or two nights is enough to give kids a real camping experience without feeling too hard.
We like to book a holiday park or caravan park with toilets and showers, just to keep things easy.
Our setup is simple:
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One family tent that’s quick to pitch – an instant-up or automatic frame makes life a lot easier when you arrive tired.
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Sleeping bags matched to the night-time temperature. For autumn or cooler nights, we prefer bags with a comfort rating around 0–5°C. We also like using sleeping bag liners – they add a bit of warmth and keep the inside of the sleeping bag cleaner.
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Camping chairs and a small folding table, so we’re not cooking and eating on the ground.
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A camping light or lantern so no one is brushing their teeth in the dark.
For the kids, sleeping in their own sleeping bag inside a tent is often the highlight of the whole trip. For parents, having the right gear means less stress and more time to actually enjoy the stars.
In our store you’ll find:
– Easy-setup family tents for 3–6 people
– Around 10°C sleeping bags for warmer nights
– -5°C three-season sleeping bags and liners for cooler areas
– Camping lanterns and compact tables & chairs
Everything is stocked in our Melbourne warehouse, so you can come in, see the real tent, feel the sleeping bags and choose the right combo for your family.
Scene 4 – Backyard “Mini Camp” & BBQ
backyard, kids in a small tent, parents at the BBQ, fairy lights on.
Not every Australia Day has to be a big trip.
Some of our favourite memories are just backyard evenings:
We set up a small tent or gazebo in the backyard, string up some lights, roll out the BBQ, and let the kids play camping while the adults relax. Sometimes the kids even “sleep out” in the tent with their sleeping bags and a lantern – it feels like an adventure, but the bathroom (and the fridge!) are just a few steps away.
For this kind of home-based outdoor time, you really don’t need a lot:
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A small gazebo or shade for the afternoon sun
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A couple of comfy camp chairs for adults
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Kids’ sleeping bags and maybe a simple mat or stretcher
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A lantern and some fairy lights for that “holiday” feeling
Most of the gear we use for “real” camping works perfectly at home too – you don’t have to wait for a big trip to enjoy it!
Final Thoughts & Invitation
However you spend the Australia Day long weekend – at the beach, in a park, on a short camping trip or just in your own backyard – a little bit of outdoor gear can turn “just a day off” into quality family time.
If you’re in Melbourne and want to see or test any of the gear I mentioned:
You’re very welcome to visit our warehouse, try opening a beach tent, sit in the chairs, roll out a sleeping bag, or check how big a family tent actually feels in real life.
And of course, you can also order online from our Shopify store – we ship quickly from Melbourne to many areas across Australia.
Thanks for joining me on this little Australia Day outdoor VLOG.
Hope you and your family have a safe, sunny and happy long weekend! 🇦🇺🏕️🌊
