This mum and daughter duo have been all over the world together, and neither could ask for a better travel buddy.
Where was your first trip together?
EVIE: I took Emmie to Fiji when she was four months old, and when she turned six we started travelling full time. Travel is part of my identity and, because of our adventures, it’s part of Emmie’s too.
What is your most memorable trip together and why?
EVIE: Leaving Australia in 2016 with just a backpack, and a belief that everything would work out, was life-changing. I got to spend precious years with Emmie exploring the world, and there’s nothing I would rather do. Being on the first Virgin flight out of Australia to Fiji when our border opened was pretty special, too.
EMMIE: When I was six, mum and I hiked for hours to the Great Wall of China. We put a tent up on a watchtower where thousands of years ago the soldiers used wolf poo to send smoke signals when they spotted invaders. I will never forget it.
When Emmie was six, her and mum Evie hiked for hours to the Great Wall of China. Picture: Evie Farrell.
What makes the otherone a good travel buddy?
EVIE: Emmie is up for anything. Even at six she was jumping from the highest waterfall rope swings in the Philippines and forcing me on to every zip line. She can rough it and always make a stressful situation funny – truly the best attribute in any partner.
EMMIE: Mum is perseverant, and she always knows what to do when something goes wrong. If I want to do something, she says “Okay, let’s do it,” even though she will usually fall in holes or get chased by monkeys. There are no limits to what Mum and I can do together when we are travelling.
How do your travel personas align or differ?
EVIE: I need to be exploring all the time and Emmie likes her down-time, but we work hard to compromise.
EMMIE: I love to be adventurous and Mum loves nature and hiking, so when we find waterfalls I can jump off and Mum can swim in, we are our happiest.
The duo always plan their next adventure together. Picture: Evie Farrell.
How do you take time out on trips?
EVIE: When Emmie was little and we travelled full-time, I’d book resorts with kids’ clubs every month, and now she is 13 we just do our own things together. She made some beautiful friends on our Royal Caribbean cruise a few months ago, and had a fab time while I sat in the hot tub with a cocktail.
EMMIE: I just put my airpods in or pretend I’m asleep.
How does the other pack?
EVIE: When Emmie was little, I felt like a magician, reaching into her backpack and pulling out random ridiculous items she’d sneaked inside. I once followed my nose to find stinky pipis hidden in a side pocket. I’m proud to say she is a skilled carry-on packer now.
EMMIE: Mum always packs at the last minute and rolls everything into packing cubes. She packs dresses and chafing cream and she always says not to worry if she forgets anything because she’ll buy it there. She likes to travel with carry-on only, and is always trying to make me wear a backpack.
When travelling together, the pair are always quick to resolve conflict so they can get back to having fun. Picture: Evie Farrell.
How do you cope with any travel frictions?
EVIE: We can’t separate, so we have to work it out. Hugs, talking it through and having a laugh usually works.
EMMIE: We don’t want to waste time being mad with each other so we apologise and move on. Most of the time we just make a joke out of it.
Describe one travel frictionabout the other?
EMMIE: When we are at the airport, Mum is anxious until we get through and if I annoy her or am not on task, she will get mad at me.
EVIE: The only time I’m a nervous traveller is at the airport. Emmie knows this and so is always super-annoying to make me lose my shiz.
Mum Evie says the biggest thing her journeys have taught her is that Emmie is the person she would choose to travel with, every single time. Picture: Evie Farrell.
What travel plans do you have in the works?
EVIE: We’re off to Thailand with friends in July, Disneyland California in October and cruising in December with the friends we made on our last cruise.
Who’s in charge of the itinerary, or do you share the responsibility of things to do?
EMMIE: Mum usually makes the outline but I add what I want to do and we slot it in, like travelling to Okinawa in Japan to find special bonfire sea glass on `a beach there.
EVIE: We work together and always have – it’s much more fun when we’re both excited about our next adventure.
What’s one thing you’ve learnt about the other through travelling?
EMMIE: Mum does much more risky things when we’re travelling. She will put herself out there if it means I get to do something I want to do – like going on ziplines even though she hates it.
EVIE: I’ve learnt that my daughter is the person I would choose to travel with, every single time.