Recently I launched a new interview series highlighting people doing extraordinary things. After speaking with JP Livingston, who retired at 28 with a net worth over $2,000,000, I spoke with Caz and Craig Makepeace, a married couple from Australia’s Central Coast who run yTravelBlog. They’ve lived in five countries, visited 52, and turned their love of travel into one of the world’s most successful travel blogs.
Seven years ago they started with no experience and learned everything as they went. Today their blog is widely recognized and has helped them create a life centered on travel and family. In this interview they share:
- The key obstacles they overcame getting started.
- How they afford extensive travel as a family.
- How they grew into successful travel bloggers.
- What an average day looks like for them.
- Practical tips for traveling with children, and more.
They’ve traveled extensively, including an 18-month road trip around Australia with their two daughters, and they recently returned to the U.S. for a long road trip. Their work has been featured in Forbes, The Today Show and other outlets, and they were invited to a White House summit for travel bloggers.
Tell me your story. Who are you and what do you do?
We’re travel addicts and entrepreneurs who founded yTravelBlog.com. We turned our passion for travel into a full-time business by sharing stories, tips and itineraries to help others travel more and create lasting memories.
Both from the same Australian town, our travels began early. Craig played professional rugby league before a sports injury led to work in construction, while Caz started as a primary school teacher and taught in a tough area of London. Three days after our 2002 wedding we left on what became a five-year working honeymoon, living in Dublin, Bangkok, Raleigh (North Carolina) and multiple places around Australia, with backpacking trips across Africa, Southeast Asia, China and the U.S. mixed in.
After returning home we felt restless and moved back to Raleigh where Caz found a teaching job. During our second stay there we experienced a financial collapse during the global financial crisis: an investment property turned sour, a lost line of credit, significant stock losses and credit card debt. While recovering from those setbacks, Caz discovered travel blogging and convinced Craig this could be their path forward.
In March 2010 we launched yTravelBlog from our Raleigh apartment with no prior blogging experience. We hustled, learning everything from website design to content creation while balancing jobs and visas. Over seven years the blog has grown into one of the largest travel blogs in the world. Our big break came when we took an 18-month road trip around Australia with our two daughters; we’re now recreating that journey across the U.S.
We’ve been featured on Forbes and The Today Show, partnered with brands like Qantas, Ford and Canon, produced content for platforms such as Skyscanner, and attended a White House summit for travel bloggers. It’s been an incredible journey.
Did both of you want to travel or was one person the driving force?
Both of us were driven to travel. Caz was inspired by her brother who moved to London and explored Europe; Craig’s love of travel grew through overseas sports tours. Early family trips also sparked our curiosity. Travel makes us feel alive and continues to shape who we are. It’s an addiction in the best sense: we still get itchy feet and crave new experiences.
What obstacles did you face when starting out?
We began without any blogging experience and little money. Building the first two website designs ourselves led to poor navigation and branding. We had no online marketing background, few contacts, and had to learn how to promote ourselves. Relocating and working in different countries also brought cultural and logistical challenges, especially without family nearby. Still, those challenges forced growth and shaped our resilience.
Family travel bloggers—what was your first trip as a family?
Our first trip abroad with our eldest, Kalyra, was a friend’s wedding in Fiji. When we moved back to Raleigh with a young child, adjusting to childcare and a different lifestyle was nerve-wracking but rewarding. After our youngest daughter Savannah arrived, we took a two-week road trip around New Zealand when she was six weeks old—a trip that cemented our love of family road trips as a practical and cost-effective travel style.
Where do you live now and what are your plans for the next year or two?
Five months ago we moved back to the U.S. after being granted O-1 visas for extraordinary ability in travel blogging. The application required extensive documentation and time, but the investment has opened new opportunities. We chose the U.S. because it offers a larger market for campaigns and sponsorships and because many of our readers are American.
We’re currently based in Raleigh, which feels like home. Over the next three years we plan to use Raleigh as our base to explore the U.S. and visit all 50 states through a project we call “America Unplugged,” focusing on off-the-beaten-path places and authentic local experiences.
How do you afford this lifestyle? How do you earn income while traveling?
Our income streams include partnerships with state tourism boards and brands to produce blog posts, videos and live updates; sponsored content and long-term ambassador roles; affiliate marketing (including Amazon Associates and travel-related services); ad revenue through ad optimization networks; freelance writing for outlets like Skyscanner; public speaking engagements and paid conference appearances. Hosting and sponsored travel help reduce costs, and for our family, being on the road often ends up being cheaper than living in one place.
What tips do you have for aspiring travel bloggers?
Commit for the long haul. Blogging takes time—treat it like a marathon, not a sprint. Focus first on building an audience and community before monetizing. Bring your unique voice and perspective; your personal stories are your greatest asset. Don’t get into travel blogging to chase “free” trips—those opportunities come in exchange for a tremendous amount of work: long days shooting, writing, editing and promoting content. Be prepared to put in the effort.
What’s an average workday like and how many hours do you work?
We don’t have a normal day. At home we typically wake at 6 a.m., spend time on exercise, meditation and journaling, homeschool for 1–2 hours, then work on blogging tasks with breaks for family activities. Evenings often include more online work. On the road we spend whole days doing activities, producing live updates, shooting photos and videos, and completing interviews. It’s exhausting but rewarding.
How do you balance traveling, parenting and work?
Balance is ongoing and somewhat elusive. We rely on flexibility: taking turns caring for the kids while the other works, fitting homeschooling around travel, and accepting that our routine is fluid. Homeschooling gives us the freedom to travel and schedule lessons around daily activities.
How is traveling with children, and what tips do you recommend?
Travel with kids is different, not impossible. Kids adapt quickly, especially if introduced to travel early. Our top tips:
- Plan it together—include children in trip planning so they’re invested.
- Choose destinations that balance activities for kids and adults.
- Slow down—plan a gentler pace than you would solo or as a couple.
- Address the three most common causes of crankiness: tiredness, boredom and hunger. Solve those and the trip will be far more enjoyable.
How do your children receive their education?
We currently homeschool our kids, which suits our lifestyle and benefits from Caz’s background as an elementary teacher. We don’t rule out other schooling options in the future, but for now, travel provides hands-on, location-based learning and life skills that complement academics.
What has been the most challenging and the most rewarding part of this life?
The hardest part was shifting from a steady paycheck to an entrepreneurial mindset where income varies month to month. It requires discipline, budgeting and faith. The most rewarding part is creating priceless memories with our children. Our motto is “accumulate memories and moments, not just possessions,” and travel is how we live that philosophy.
Favorite places so far?
It’s tough to pick favorites. Our five-month backpacking trip through Africa was a major adventure; Cape Town remains one of our favorite cities. In Australia we loved Uluru and the Outback for their spiritual and visual significance. Southeast Asia offers great value, food and culture—Vietnam left a lasting impression. In the U.S. we love the diversity: Southern Utah’s national parks, Savannah and Charleston, and Nashville are among our favorites so far.
Three pieces of advice for someone starting a similar journey
- Start before everything is perfect. Launch, learn and iterate. Growth comes through action and mistakes.
- Be true to yourself—your values and voice will guide your decisions and content. You can’t please everyone.
- Choose your brand name wisely. Pick a name that can evolve with you and avoid overly specific descriptors that limit future growth.
If you’re starting a blog with the idea of selling it one day, avoid naming it after yourself or using a niche label that will be hard to reposition. What questions would you like to ask this traveling family next?