Taking their three children out of school for a year was the "best thing" Kevin and Belinda Sullivan of Gerringong ever did.
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The family has been touring the nation in a custom-made Sunland caravan, with Kevin and the kids performing together as "The Sulli-vans", clocking up 110 concerts and even appearing on reality television show The Voice: Generations.
"A big mantra of mine is 'it's never too late to chase your dreams'," Kevin said.
"Even though I had a career for 27 years with the police doing forensic work, I always played music. I don't know where this road will lead us but we're just having a go."
At the beginning of 2021 Belinda was recovering from major spinal surgery while her musician husband was struggling to get gigs with the pandemic still causing dramas, when Kevin suggested hitting the road to "reinvent themselves".
"For so long I worked away from home, I'd live in Sydney and work in Sydney four days a week so Kev was trying to juggle his career and bring up the kids," Belinda said.
"The best thing for me was being with my family 24/7 and being able to watch them grow and spend time with them and watch the joy they brought to so many communities [with their music]."
Through their travels she felt many communities had become "lost" because of the pandemic but said their concerts were able to "spread joy and hope".
Kevin would also shares his experience struggling with post traumatic stress disorder and connected with others who were battling with their own mental health.
"Music can be that wonderful leveller for everyone," Belinda said.
Daughter Cha Cha added when they sang, "it just makes everybody happy".
In between gigs the kids - KJ, 12, Cha Cha, 10, and Jet, 6 - would be home-schooled by distance education and could even be seen doing school work on weekends.
Kevin said their trio would cram as much in as possible when they had working internet, as their travels took them to amazing yet remote places like cattle stations or swimming with whale sharks.
Kevin will be performing at the ANZAC Day dawn service in Gerringong this April, ahead of appearing at Berry's Big Country Festival on May 7. A new album featuring the children will also be released in May.
"The past year really changed perspective on life and you sort of see things differently, we've seen the good and bad," Kevin said.
"We've been through communities affected by drought, fire and floods, and COVID and not being able to see their kids or grandkids. It's been an emotional rollercoaster and our kids have rolled through it pretty well, we're just so proud of them."
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