Kuranda mum of two Lucy Aura is living in a tent to save money during the cost of living crisis

A Queensland mother of two young children has become a social media sensation after filming her family living in a tent due to the rising cost of living. She says her she and the kids are loving a simple life ‘connected to nature’.

A mother-of-two based in Kuranda has gone viral after the rising cost of living forced her to move into a tent and she began filming her lifestyle to share with others.

Lucy Aura, mother to five-year-old Asa and seven-year-old Alana, moved into a 10-man tent in February after splitting with her partner.

“Financially, things were tough and I wanted to live close to Kuranda to send my two children to school there,” Ms Aura said.

“I started couch surfing and living with different friends but that is unsustainable and hard, especially when they’re parents too and they parent their kids differently to how I parent mine.”

Ms Aura grew up in London, in what she described as a loud city where living in a tent would never be an option.

“Before the tent I moved into a property with lots of dwellings, but the culture was a hard one to adjust too … there was a lot of prejudice towards single mums with kids,” Ms Aura said.

“And I didn’t want to be treated like that just because I should be grateful to be there.”

Ms Aura said her decision to move into a tent was at first super challenging, but the money she was saving was enormous.

Lucy Aura and her two children Asa and Alana. Picture: Facebook

Lucy Aura, mother to five-year-old Asa and seven-year-old Alana, moved into a 10-man tent in February after splitting with her partner. Picture: Lucy Aura

“At first, I had a lot of fear to process … especially when it came to men walking around campsites, but we soon learnt there is something special about being fully connected to nature in this part of the world,” Ms Aura said.

When the three first started tent living, they started at a campsite in Gordonvale before moving on.

“The site in Gordonvale wasn’t meant to be permanently lived in and it’s our job to respect that.”

Now, they are renting on private property in Kuranda for $110 a week.

Ms Aura's tent/home. Picture: Lucy Aura

Ms Aura's tent/ home. Picture: Lucy Aura

“We learn to celebrate the small things, like when we first got electricity,” Ms Aura said.

“It’s comfortable and we have everything the kids need and want, they’re connecting to nature and we are living a simple and loving life.

“Now I don’t think I’ll leave until a house comes with everything we want to live happily rather than just a roof over our head.”

Transition into this lifestyle wasn’t seamless, Ms Aura said, after spending a week in hospital with a staph infection.

“It has taught us to be careful and respect nature,” she said.

Ms Aura has started a GoFundMe page to help fund her journey with the goal of creating a space “where people who cannot cope within the current system can come to heal”.

“The kids are starting to really love it and I’m trying to put out positivity,” Ms Aura said.

“I’m harnessing all it has to offer.

“It’s about living in nature instead of being scared of it.”

Ms Aura is sharing her experiences online through TikTok (lucyaura8) and Instagram, and has over 75,000 likes on her videos.

LUCY’S STORY IN HER OWN WORDS

I have a dream. That no one should feel alone. That no one should feel unsupported. I have felt very unsupported in my life.

I am a single mother with two children and am living in a tent at this time.

Due to the current rental crisis I have chosen to live in a tent so I can commit my time and presence to my children.

So I don’t have to work all the hours that would be needed to live in a house, and feel absolutely wiped in myself so I have nothing left to give to my children.

I want to create and live within community. My dream is to create a space where people who cannot cope within the current system can come to heal. To be. With themselves and with one another, in a loving environment.

But to get there I must get fully on my feet. So I can serve to my fullest capacity.

I would love to build a deck outside the tent to have a space outside to stand out of the mud.

The property we are camping on is owned by a huge hearted lady who takes on travellers, but has very little funds of her own, she is in her 70s.

We also have an elder called Koa Windsong (google him) living here who has lived in the wild for decades and is a wisdom keeper for all things nature.

I would love to build an ablutions block here with shower and compost toilet, and share the techniques with those who wish to learn.

Originally published as Kuranda mum of two Lucy Aura is living in a tent to save money during the cost of living crisis