Growing up in Rotorua, Kirianna Poole always dreamed of seeing the world, and now her whole life is one big adventure on the road.
Words Lucinda Diack, Photos Lachlan Poole.

For Kirianna Poole, the world beyond the shores of Aotearoa was calling at a young age. ‘When I was 10 my sister moved to New York and I used to go stay with her during the school holidays,’ she recalls. ‘It was then that I realised there was a whole world out there. When I met Lachlan (Lockie) we both had a bucket list of places that we wanted to visit and we are lucky enough to have ticked most of them off.’

While for some, the arrival of children may have slowed the travel bug down, not so for Kirianna and Lockie. ‘Riley was born in 2016 and by the time he was one, had been to 37 countries,’ she says.

‘It felt for a while that we were collecting them [countries]. Often, we would be overseas, and people would start talking to us about how beautiful Australia and New Zealand are and how lucky we were to be from down under. It made us realise we wanted to get to know our own countries better. We wanted Riley to learn about his heritage, history and culture.’

Kirianna laughs as she recalls her scepticism when Lockie suggested they pack up and spend a ‘couple of months’ on the road travelling in a van. ‘Lockie is a pilot and we had met when I was working as cabin crew for Virgin Australia, so we were used to living out of a suitcase and being on the road. I just wasn’t sure that I was ready to give up the world of pretty hotels.’

Hiring a van, they tested the theory down Victoria’s Great Ocean Road. ‘It was horrific,’ continues Kirianna. ‘It poured with rain and we got slammed with wind. It was hard.’ But they weren’t to be deterred, and instead set about searching for a van of their own; in particular a Volkswagen split-screen Kombi. Kirianna says that the time spent enjoying the slow road of van life varies – sometimes it’s two weeks, two months, or even a year.

We were at home in Japan when we heard about one that sounded perfect in Western Australia, so we jumped on a plane and went to have a look at it. It was exactly what we had been looking for … We fell in love and couldn’t imagine our lives without her. Sadly, we weren’t able to agree on a price so we left heartbroken.’ Natural communicators, the couple had enjoyed meeting the seller of the Kombi, sharing with him their plans to take their young family on the road and enjoy a slower pace of life. ‘We couldn’t believe it when we heard from him a few days later to say he had slept on it and wanted his Kombi to be part of our dream – he accepted our offer.’

While from the outside the Kombi, named Izzie, might have appeared to have ticked the boxes, the inside was a long way from where it needed to be to double as a ‘home’ on the road. It was being used as a wedding car, so the whole thing had to be reconstructed and configured to suit the Pooles’ needs. ‘Lockie did all the work,’ enthuses Kirianna. ‘He recovered the roof, added lights,
restored the awning, fitted out the beds – and then we were on the road,’ uncovering the hidden depths and corners of Lockie’s home country, Australia. ‘In that first lap of the country we basically chased the beaches. It was beautiful and Riley thrived. He is the ultimate beach kid and has grown up entrenched in marine life and animals.’

From there the adventures have grown to include Alba (born in 2019) and Elsie (born in 2022). ‘One of the toughest moments was just before Elsie was born and wondering if this was the end. How could we fit three children in the Kombi – was it time to stop and ‘settle’ down?’

But staying true to themselves, the young family knew they had unfinished business and so Lockie turned his attention to a solution. One that came in the form of a retro pink fibreglass 1964 Franklin caravan. ‘We had to do a bit of work to get it up to our specifications,’ laughs Kirianna, ‘and to reduce the weight of it so that Izzie could tow it; but the idea of a caravan just made sense. Now we all had our own beds and a small kitchen.

‘We had done two laps of Australia and it felt like the right time to take the kids home to New Zealand. My grandparents are still in Rotorua and I wanted my kids to experience my culture and find that connection with Aotearoa in the same way they had in Australia.’

With a plan in place, the Kombi plus caravan were shipped to Auckland from Australia; a process that took four weeks. ‘It was very surreal; we basically drove our home onto a boat, and drove it off at the other end.’

While for some, the arrival of children may have slowed the travel bug down, not so for Kirianna and Lockie.

For 18 months the young family immersed themselves in New Zealand. ‘We did two laps, with lots of different loops so that we could tick off every corner of the country.’

The result is the couple’s second book, The Slow Road: The Complete Guide to Van Life in New Zealand – covering everything from top tips to the best coffee, a packing guide, how to fill the fridge and everything in between. It is a beautifully presented guide to inspire others on their own van-life adventures.

Inspiring others has become part of the adventure for Kirianna, who for over five years has been documenting their travel online via her Instagram page, The Slow Road. A platform that has allowed her to generate an income while embracing the nomadic periods of their lives. Something she is incredibly grateful for. ‘We know how lucky we are that we are able to do this. Lockie flies 787s for Air Japan where he works on a six-month-on, six-month-off roster, and even when he is working it is often two weeks on, two weeks off, so whenever we can we are on the road, making the most of the time together.

Kirianna says that the time spent enjoying the slow road of van life varies – sometimes it’s two weeks, two months, or even a year. ‘Regardless, it is about looking beyond the limitations and dreaming big. It is about connecting and enjoying each moment.’

While the idyllic sunset pictures and slower pace of life beautifully documented in the book and online present an enviable and peaceful life, Kirianna is quick to point out they have three young children and the chaos they bring doesn’t change whether you are living on the road, or at a permanent residence. ‘It isn’t always easy and life in a van doesn’t leave much room for personal space! Lockie and I have got really good at reading each other and knowing when one of us needs some space.’

Then there are the logistical challenges. ‘We have broken down hundreds of times; we have run out of fuel because the gauge has failed, tyres have blown, and the list goes on. We have learnt to embrace these moments as some of the most magical experiences, and people we have met have been because we have been stuck somewhere.’

For Kirianna, spending 18 months travelling around her home country with her children was something she will hold dear to her heart. ‘As a proud Māori woman of Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, to write a book about my time on the road as a family was incredibly fulfilling. It made the journey deeper and more purposeful.’

On leaving New Zealand, Izzie and the caravan were shipped to the couple’s permanent country of residence, Japan, where the young family have recently spent five weeks exploring the north of the country, with plans for the south in the very near future.

The Slow Road by Kirianna and Lachlan Poole. Photography by Lachlan Poole. Published by Allen & Unwin NZ. RRP $49.99.