Back in the day LOML and I rarely used our car. Our first car (for both of us) was a little turquoise manual Ford Festiva. A super-small car that’s easy to park in the cramped inner-city, but LOML and I are ‘big people’ so I imagine many people thought we were driving by on our way to the circus.
We traded up a size to a silver Subaru Impreza hatchback when Maxi came along. Then a year later we had to upgrade again to a blue Subaru Outback because we couldn’t fit the ‘big rig’ double pram in the back of the Impreza. Yeah, I know, the sensible thing would have been to rethink the pram, but hey, we were sleep-deprived.
Two years after that* we got the black seven-seater Ford Terror to accommodate three car seats across the back and all the assorted prams, scooters, bikes and friends that a family rolls with these days. We’ve had the Terror for three years now and we still have the Outback. The Outback Terror of it all.
Before we moved out to live amongst the sticks, we never drove a lot. Now we have two cars and we have to drive one or both of those cars most days to go anywhere. I’ve never properly adjusted to that. The fact that we need not just one but two cars, most days. A little while ago we had a few weeks where we loaned the Outback to LOML’s sister and it was a really complicated, inconvenient few weeks indeed.
We rely on our cars. Eeek.
I miss being able to walk out our front door and go somewhere. We still do a big walk up to the shops or over to a friend’s place or down to the park, but it’s not the same. It’s an excursion to walk anywhere these days, rather than just the way we get around. I used to walk to the city for work from our old place, now it involves a car ride, a train ride and a walk.
It’s the only thing I don’t like about our entirely likeable home. The fact that it’s not close to anything at all. Impossible to change that, but who has hours and hours free to walk places?
* Looking back on that list now, I realise that LOML and I do seem to lack forward planning skills. Heh, heh, does that make us inefficient ‘family planners’?
[Image via weheartit – please let me know if it is yours!]
Photographer Mum says
We have 2 cars – husband has a van to get to and from work and I have the 7 seater to fit kids, prams, car seats, toys, drinks, toys & toys. On weekends we only need mine to get around in. We walk to the local shops unless its grocery day but have to drive for the school run and preschool drop off (2 suburbs away). I’d like to walk more, but at the moment it’s just all too hard…
My plan is to buy a house that is close to parks, shops and school. Then we will walk everywhere.
InkPaperPen says
2 cars for us. We used to walk all the time in Margs but our new found city life means lots of driving. I often drive somewhere to walk. That sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it??
Sonia @ Life Love and Hiccups says
We have 2 cars too the Ford Territory which I just LOVE and a van. I would love to say we walk more, but usually we are in such a hurry we drive. We love our bikes though and can often be spotted in a line on our way to the beach or lake. Xxx
Toni says
We have two cars — hubs works away and I need to ferry the kids several kms everyday to and from school, plus 7 kms each way to swimming, karate, and the shops.
It’s a major trip, every time.
I grew up in a tiny country town where I walked everywhere.
Co-incidentally, I was really really skinny then…
Joni Llanora says
We got 2, as I need one for myself to drive Anya around. But Im actually challenging myself this term to walk whilst pushing the wheelchair with Anya to school. To double as exercise and reduce our carbon footprint. We’ll see.
Jen R says
1 car, me as the taxi driver…and now we live out of town a few kms walking along the Pacific Highway…not an option 🙂
Corinne – Daze of My Life says
2 cars here but it’s a recent addition (3 kids so we got a Territory and kept our reliable Subaru). We live in the inner west, so don’t really need two cars, as we can walk most places, it’s more of a convenience.
I love being able to walk kids to school or walk to do shoping but I love having two cars too.
cathy@home says
We have one car and I do a lot of walking.
Kelly @ Polkadot Lane says
2 cars here – hubby is a tradie so his Navara is piled high with plumbing paraphernalia, and I’ve got the wagon to tote the kids around. Saying that though, we try and walk to school whenever the weather is being friendly (amid much grumbling from DS 6) and for small, local errands, when I have the time.
Nat - Muddy Farmwife says
We have 2 cars, my Kluger which I adore and Hubby’s Dual Cab ute. plus various other farm vehicles.
We have to drive everywhere. When I’m working I drive 100km to work and 100km home on one or two of my work days, it’s not too bad, as the last 60km are child free in the morning so the peace and quiet is lovely!
I miss walking so much though, when I lived in town, I would walk to work, the shops, out to dinner, everything. The things we do for love!
LionessLady says
We have changed cars so many times since we had children that it’s become a bit of a joke! I would have a guess and say in the last 7 and half years my husband and I have driven around 10 different ones between us! I now drive a Chrysler Grand Voyager which I loooooove so much even though it looks like a mobsters weapon proof bus. Seats all the children and friends and has a huge boot to fit all our crap!
Posie Patchwork says
We move all the time so it’s different. When we lived in the suburbs in Sydney i had to drive everywhere, it was annoying. In Darwin i lived on an Air Force base with primary school across the road, preschool on base & a corner store with everything, so i rode everywhere, did the children & walked the dog. Now in Canberra, we live 20km from the schools we chose, so the only walking i do is attached to a dog lead & i’m thinking of cycling to the gym instead of driving this year.
We have a car each but my husband lives interstate so i have the Landcruiser, he has the Jeep. As he’s overseas, i have both cars & alternate, lady of choice!!
When we got married, we knew we wanted 4 children so bought the Landcruiser, so we never had to change cars, we just filled up the 8 seater with children instead. 15 years later, same car, Toyotas never die, we love it & it’s been all over Australia, it’s our true family car – brought ALL the children home from hospital, every first day of school, it’s the only stable in our life.
Now, we’re moving to a farm, we’ll add horse riding to the mix of daily transport, i can’t wait, i so want a pony!! Love Posie
Kate says
I have a Prado, he has a white ute, we also have two more white utes that are farm cars, a couple of tractors, some ride on mowers and a 4 wheel motor bike.
While we were away that thing that nagged at me most was the driving. I hate that I have to drive so much. Some days I drive in and out of Daylesford 6 times.
I do have a plan to move into town and give this house to the farm manager but my farm boy’s not interested. So I’ll keep dreaming about walking the kids to school and back…x
Kelly says
We have too cars, and I still walk alot. All of the supermarkets are within 20mis walk from our place. Even he post office is close by. And the train station is only 5mins walk.
I wish I didn’t need two cars. Having one car would suit us perfectly if the school the kids go too wasn’t out of walking distance.
Vanessa says
I am a bit proud to say to say we have always been a one car family. We have a Honda Odyssey and I love it. I drive a lot as the school run takes an hour morn and night. Homme either cycles to work or catches the bus or i run him around. It is actually the weekends when we have to juggle with one car. Kids parties, my scrapbooking and now working but we make it work because we just don’t want to own a second car while living in a city.
MamaJots says
so much driving. so little walking. we have a few cars, work truck included. a garage full of motorbikes, jet skis and quads…where does it end. how nice it would be to not have to rely on these machines but i think our australian landscape calls for it, especially as a family. i am so used to being in my car now i don’t even think about it. the lunchtime walk gets my legs moving. xo.
Bungalowgirl says
We share one car and a vespa scooter which is super fun. Whoever has the kids gets the car and whoever isn’t doing drop off/pick up gets the scooter. Works really well except for about 1-2 weeks a year when we get really heavy rain in Brisbane eg right now. Oh and having scooter helmet hair is sometimes a little scary but mine is big and curly so it usually bounces back. We can walk to childcare and kindy but not to school which is a pain as we are walking less now.Before that I was queen of the double pram and pounded my way around the suburb. melx
Vanessa says
We are a one-car family as hubbie takes bus and train into Sydney for work. I like the simplicity of just owning one car. And if our plan goes ahead of a job closer to home, then hubbie is planning on cycling to work. I too feel like sometimes I’m in and out of the car too much, and some days I just prefer to walk into town which is lovely about where we live right now. But I’d love to live out in the sticks a bit more, which will rule out any more walking. It’s hard, balancing up a good rural location with walking distance to amenities….
Mum on the Run says
It’s like a military operation to organise a day to have one of our two cars serviced.
And what a novelty to be without a car.
We walk plenty – but that’s for exercise not necessity.
My shameful secret is that when I see this lovely Mum in my area at the bus stop with her three young children, a stroller and bags galore most mornings, I actually shudder.
🙂
melissa says
We have two cars, and need them due to where we work and the irregular hours we work etc.
However, we don’t use them for local trips much. Our local ‘village’ is about 1.2 km away and we usually walk.
Donna says
With you every “step” of the way! When we lived in Sydney we had one car and my husband used it everyday. I loathed driving in Sydney so was happy to walk or go by public transport. Now we have moved to the Coast two cars are a must. My husband is gone 12 – 14 hours a day so to be left home and car-less that long with a child is shuddering to consider! But we can still walk to a park thank goodness although everything else is a drive away (and I still dont like driving much, sigh…)
MultipleMum says
We have two but I could happily live with one. We gave our car to a friend a while ago for six months and it was doable with one. Of course when we got it back we stopped doing all the riding we were doing to compensate. Sigh. I walk as much as I can, but with all the kids it is a lot less than I would like. Ditch the Suby! x
Miss Kitty-Cat says
We have two cars and we use them both. The sad thing about living in much of Sydney (especially where we live) is the shameful lack of reliable, plentiful public transport. We have a bus to the city that runs once an hour during the day or else it’s a drive to the station. With the bebe I can’t walk her to the shops if I want to buy more than half a dozen things. I like walking but it’s for exercise, not to get anywhere.
We upgraded too – I went from a Honda Civic hatch to a Volvo station wagon. And I use almost every inch of bootspace. For just going to the shops.
Some days I miss being a carefree, inner city chick.
K xx
Heather says
I remember that little car of yours and I remember it just sitting out the front the entire time…on the side of the street where we didn’t have to purchase parking permits! The problem is that you can take the girl out of the inner west but you can’t take the inner west out of the girl! I adore having a large backyard and breathing in the clean air but I miss my cafes a few doors down and the life that went with that. Having beautiful friends that you could rely on down the road and around the corner, walking to the local park, pool, shops.It will always be dear to me that time of living inner city.xx
Rhonda says
Ah my son and I just had this conversation. We would like to live somewhere that we could walk more. Right now we can walk to a few places, but we would like to do it more. I grew up in the country and would walk to the ONE store ALL the time…but now we are like you guys a 2 car family and neither car is exactly what a person could call efficient! And it would be difficult if we had to give one of the cars up.
Mum_of_2girls says
We have 2 cars, I have an Imax to get my 2 girls to school 20min drive awat and the other 5 kids i look after. and my hubby has the holden astra that he drive to the train station and we normally use that car on the weekends unless we are going out with family or the bikes and scooter then we use mine.