5 Questions for the Outdoor Family – Tracey Moriarty

Oct 24

I think it’s time to meet a REAL Adventure Mumma.

It’s time to meet Tracey Moriarty and discover all about her sea-faring adventures, her tribe of 5 children and her partner of 25+ years (Ken Moriarty). It’s time to meet the Moriarty’s……….

Tracey and her 2 youngest, Manu & Moana, and their home ‘Magic’

Visiting Tracey’s home is an ‘adventure’ in itself

Tracey is currently living and home schooling her two youngest children (12 and 6 years old) on a yacht in Cairns Trinity Inlet (Australia). All 5 of her children (the eldest are 26, 24 and 21 years old) have been born, raised and home schooled on the boat. I was lucky enough to ‘visit’ the yacht and meet Tracey and her youngest kids in person (my son didn’t want to leave!).

Here’s what she shared with me…….

1. What have been some of your ‘Coolest’ Adventures (Before Kids).

“My first ‘real’ adventure started when I ran-away from home, straight out of high school, mainly because my parents had University in mind! I jumped on a train and headed north [from Perth] and found myself in Broome.”

“I got myself a job on a diving boat as a ‘Chef’ but I had never cooked in my life!!! Thankfully a wife of one of the diver’s was keen to cook so I just kept bringing out all this delicious food from the galley and everybody was happy. It was my first experience of sailing and I absolutely LOVED it.”

“After some time I left Broome for New Zealand and hitch-hiked around until I ended up in Auckland working on the boats again. I met Ken there [he was working as a Boat Builder] and I eventually sailed away with him to Fiji.”

Tracey chose to have her first baby in Japan

Tracey & Ken & their first born made Japanese News

“Ken and I arrived in Cairns in the late eighties and then we decided to sail to Japan [Tracey lived there when she was younger as an exchange student]. On the way up to Japan we stopped over in Micronesia and discovered a little island called Kapingamarangi [a tiny Atoll north of PNG and the Solomon Islands] – we’ve been back many times to visit, live and work there.”

“When we eventually arrived in Japan I was 7 months pregnant and my Japanese mother helped deliver my first child.”

2. What have been some of your standout ‘Special’ Moments you’ve shared with your children.

“Returning to Kapingamarangi with my children and living and working amongst the community. We’ve done it several times now as a family. Our fourth child, Manu, was born on the island.”

Tracey’s fourth child was born on Kapingamarangi Island

They have lived on Kapingamarangi for many years

“We also hitchhiked from Northern NSW to Perth when my first 3 kids were very young. We travelled as a family and all we had was a tent and a change of clothes. Travelling with children seems to open so many more doors.”

3. What TIPS can you offer to families who want to do MORE with their children.

“Don’t get STUCK in this spot. You CAN just go!! It is possible to go away for a year – Just Do It! The best education for your child is out there.”

“The best thing you can give your child is to give them something totally different to everyone else.”

**Tracey and Ken backpacked for a while when the kids were young**

“And remember that the FAMILY viewpoint is the Priority NOT just the viewpoint of one individual in the family.” [Tracey and Ken returned to live on the island with their 3 children even though the eldest child wanted to stay on at high school for the last few years].

4. What things would you still LIKE to experience with your children (a bucket list)?

“I want to return to Kapingamarangi and spend some time there with my younger children.”“I would also like to do a Road Trip with my youngest kids. Let them experience life on land for a while.”

**Tracey would like to do another ‘road trip’ again**

5. Where can we find you?

“Living on our family yacht ‘Magic’ in Cairns Trinity Inlet. If we’re not moored there we’re visiting Fitzroy Island or somewhere else on the Great Barrier Reef [they sail most weekends].”

“I’m also in the process of writing a book of all our adventures.”

“If you want to know what some of my children are doing now, one of them helps run a women only yoga retreat in Bali [To visit the Facebook page Click HERE - Escape Haven Retreats] and my eldest son is building his own boat."

Is your family the Outdoorsy type? Tell me some of the things you really enjoy doing as a family. Would you like to be featured (or know somebody who should be featured) on this blog?