1. Stay in a hotel<\/strong><\/h3>\nThis tip\u2019s optional, right? You\u2019re family, after all, and can\u2019t wait to spend some quality time together. Why not stay at someone\u2019s house and save a bit of dosh?<\/p>\n
No. NOOOOOO. Everyone needs their space, especially if you\u2019re meeting people for the first time (or haven\u2019t seen each other in years). Stay in a hotel<\/a>\u00a0to give yourself some breathing room so you enjoy the family time even more.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/images.trvl-media.com\/media\/content\/expaus\/wotif\/ads\/2017\/wotif-insider\/travel\/600px-wide-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
2. Bring a wingman<\/strong><\/h3>\nMisery (or weird social awkwardness) loves company, right? No, I\u2019m teasing \u2013 you\u2019re going to have a great time. But if thinking about all the introductions, re-introductions, and small talk makes you nervous, don\u2019t be shy about bringing a close friend or partner. Bonus points if they\u2019re a childhood friend, as your fam will probably be stoked to catch up with them too. Just make sure you get the organiser\u2019s okay first.<\/p>\n
3. Play a game (seriously)<\/strong><\/h3>\nSome grouchy grumps say they don\u2019t like games. But to them I say phooey!The right game or activity will break the ice, create awesome new memories, and \u2013 worst case scenario \u2013 give everyone something to do if the conversation dries up. Simple games like charades and trivia are easy to organise \u2013 just plan teams and questions in advance. Or for something really special (like a day cruise or excursion), check out local\u00a0tours and experiences<\/a>.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/images.trvl-media.com\/media\/content\/expaus\/wotif\/ads\/2017\/wotif-insider\/travel\/600px-wide-3.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
4. Have an escape plan<\/strong><\/h3>\nYour reunion is going to be brilliant. Really! I\u2019ve got a good feeling about it. But it doesn\u2019t hurt to have an escape plan, just in case. I\u2019d recommend two \u2013 a little one for escaping dodgy conversations (\u201cOh, yes, Uncle Joe, I\u2019d love to see your boil. I just need to make a quick call first\u2026\u201d) and a big one on the off-chance thateverything goes pear-shaped (\u201cThe whole family\u2019s going to perform an impromptu bagpipe recital? Wonderful! Let me get my pipes out of the car\u2026\u201d).<\/p>\n
5. See the sights<\/strong><\/h3>\nHey, it\u2019s not all about the whole extended mega family. If you\u2019re travelling for a reunion, make sure you leave some time to go exploring on your own, or with your partner or immediate family. \u2018Cause if you\u2019ve done the travel, you\u2019ve earnt the sightseeing.<\/p>\n
6. Stock up on Aussie treats<\/strong><\/h3>\nGoing overseas for your reunion? This is where you can win some serious brownie points (or exact some serious revenge). Come prepared with a swag of iconic Aussie treats. Buy kids\u2019 love with Caramello Koalas, suck up to your nan with Tim-Tams, or punish your jerk cousin with a spoonful of Vegemite. Because once a dobber, always a dobber.<\/p>\n
7. Use name tags<\/strong><\/h3>\nLook, there\u2019s no shame in this. You haven\u2019t seen most of these people since you were knee-high to a (creepily human-sized) grasshopper, if ever. For big reunions, use different coloured tags for each branch of the family tree. And watch out for jokers who\u2019ll try to spend the night under a different name. We see you there, \u201cRudiger\u201d.<\/p>\n
8. Brush up on your family tree<\/strong><\/h3>\nIt\u2019ll remind you who everyone is, plus they can be really interesting. If no-one in your family has traced yours, why not have a crack at doing it yourself? They look impressive, but are often super easy to start. You\u2019ll look like a history whiz and be the hero of the reunion. Or second hero. After the person who brings the drinks \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/images.trvl-media.com\/media\/content\/expaus\/wotif\/ads\/2017\/wotif-insider\/travel\/600px-wide-8.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
BONUS! Three tips for starting your family tree<\/strong><\/h2>\n1. Sign up to a genealogy site<\/strong><\/h3>\nSites like Ancestry.com<\/a> often have free trial periods, and you\u2019d be surprised how much you can learn in even a couple of hours. If you have British or European ancestry and know your parents\u2019 birthdays and grandparents\u2019 names, you\u2019ve probably got enough to trace your fam back hundreds of years \u2013 seriously.<\/p>\nGenealogy sites are less helpful when your ancestry is not British or European, or if there\u2019s a history of adoption ordonor conception in your family. But many of these sites offer DNA testing, which maps your unique ethnic heritage and \u2013 if you choose to upload your results \u2013 allows you to find distant rellies all over the world.<\/p>\n
2. Learn your history<\/strong><\/h3>\nOkay, so you don\u2019t have to hit the text books, but the more you know about where your family\u2019s from or the time period you\u2019re interested in, the more you\u2019ll understand any info or records you find. Knowing your history will also give you some clues on where to find records and info if genealogy sites aren\u2019t working for you.<\/p>\n
3. Find more info<\/strong><\/h3>\nFound something really cool in your family tree, like a connection to a historical event, famous person, or murder? Awesome! But you\u2019re going to need the full story if you really want to impress people. Dig around for old newspaper articles in archives like Trove<\/a>\u00a0or the British Newspaper Archive<\/a>. Make sure you write down the names of the archives you\u2019re searching in and the terms you\u2019re using as you go, otherwise you might end upgoing around in circles.<\/p>\n Read more about your roots <\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Meeting or catching up with long-lost (or long-avoided) family can be a blast. Not to mention a great excuse to travel somewhere new, or go back to a place you haven\u2019t been since you were a kid. You reminisce over old times and shared relatives, see different sides of people you\u2019ve known or heard about …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":3613,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,80],"tags":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3607"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3607"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3607\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3865,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3607\/revisions\/3865"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/p>\n
2. Bring a wingman<\/strong><\/h3>\nMisery (or weird social awkwardness) loves company, right? No, I\u2019m teasing \u2013 you\u2019re going to have a great time. But if thinking about all the introductions, re-introductions, and small talk makes you nervous, don\u2019t be shy about bringing a close friend or partner. Bonus points if they\u2019re a childhood friend, as your fam will probably be stoked to catch up with them too. Just make sure you get the organiser\u2019s okay first.<\/p>\n
3. Play a game (seriously)<\/strong><\/h3>\nSome grouchy grumps say they don\u2019t like games. But to them I say phooey!The right game or activity will break the ice, create awesome new memories, and \u2013 worst case scenario \u2013 give everyone something to do if the conversation dries up. Simple games like charades and trivia are easy to organise \u2013 just plan teams and questions in advance. Or for something really special (like a day cruise or excursion), check out local\u00a0tours and experiences<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
4. Have an escape plan<\/strong><\/h3>\nYour reunion is going to be brilliant. Really! I\u2019ve got a good feeling about it. But it doesn\u2019t hurt to have an escape plan, just in case. I\u2019d recommend two \u2013 a little one for escaping dodgy conversations (\u201cOh, yes, Uncle Joe, I\u2019d love to see your boil. I just need to make a quick call first\u2026\u201d) and a big one on the off-chance thateverything goes pear-shaped (\u201cThe whole family\u2019s going to perform an impromptu bagpipe recital? Wonderful! Let me get my pipes out of the car\u2026\u201d).<\/p>\n
5. See the sights<\/strong><\/h3>\nHey, it\u2019s not all about the whole extended mega family. If you\u2019re travelling for a reunion, make sure you leave some time to go exploring on your own, or with your partner or immediate family. \u2018Cause if you\u2019ve done the travel, you\u2019ve earnt the sightseeing.<\/p>\n
6. Stock up on Aussie treats<\/strong><\/h3>\nGoing overseas for your reunion? This is where you can win some serious brownie points (or exact some serious revenge). Come prepared with a swag of iconic Aussie treats. Buy kids\u2019 love with Caramello Koalas, suck up to your nan with Tim-Tams, or punish your jerk cousin with a spoonful of Vegemite. Because once a dobber, always a dobber.<\/p>\n
7. Use name tags<\/strong><\/h3>\nLook, there\u2019s no shame in this. You haven\u2019t seen most of these people since you were knee-high to a (creepily human-sized) grasshopper, if ever. For big reunions, use different coloured tags for each branch of the family tree. And watch out for jokers who\u2019ll try to spend the night under a different name. We see you there, \u201cRudiger\u201d.<\/p>\n
8. Brush up on your family tree<\/strong><\/h3>\nIt\u2019ll remind you who everyone is, plus they can be really interesting. If no-one in your family has traced yours, why not have a crack at doing it yourself? They look impressive, but are often super easy to start. You\u2019ll look like a history whiz and be the hero of the reunion. Or second hero. After the person who brings the drinks \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
BONUS! Three tips for starting your family tree<\/strong><\/h2>\n1. Sign up to a genealogy site<\/strong><\/h3>\nSites like Ancestry.com<\/a> often have free trial periods, and you\u2019d be surprised how much you can learn in even a couple of hours. If you have British or European ancestry and know your parents\u2019 birthdays and grandparents\u2019 names, you\u2019ve probably got enough to trace your fam back hundreds of years \u2013 seriously.<\/p>\nGenealogy sites are less helpful when your ancestry is not British or European, or if there\u2019s a history of adoption ordonor conception in your family. But many of these sites offer DNA testing, which maps your unique ethnic heritage and \u2013 if you choose to upload your results \u2013 allows you to find distant rellies all over the world.<\/p>\n
2. Learn your history<\/strong><\/h3>\nOkay, so you don\u2019t have to hit the text books, but the more you know about where your family\u2019s from or the time period you\u2019re interested in, the more you\u2019ll understand any info or records you find. Knowing your history will also give you some clues on where to find records and info if genealogy sites aren\u2019t working for you.<\/p>\n
3. Find more info<\/strong><\/h3>\nFound something really cool in your family tree, like a connection to a historical event, famous person, or murder? Awesome! But you\u2019re going to need the full story if you really want to impress people. Dig around for old newspaper articles in archives like Trove<\/a>\u00a0or the British Newspaper Archive<\/a>. Make sure you write down the names of the archives you\u2019re searching in and the terms you\u2019re using as you go, otherwise you might end upgoing around in circles.<\/p>\n Read more about your roots <\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Meeting or catching up with long-lost (or long-avoided) family can be a blast. Not to mention a great excuse to travel somewhere new, or go back to a place you haven\u2019t been since you were a kid. You reminisce over old times and shared relatives, see different sides of people you\u2019ve known or heard about …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":3613,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,80],"tags":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3607"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3607"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3607\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3865,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3607\/revisions\/3865"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Some grouchy grumps say they don\u2019t like games. But to them I say phooey!The right game or activity will break the ice, create awesome new memories, and \u2013 worst case scenario \u2013 give everyone something to do if the conversation dries up. Simple games like charades and trivia are easy to organise \u2013 just plan teams and questions in advance. Or for something really special (like a day cruise or excursion), check out local\u00a0tours and experiences<\/a>.<\/p>\n Your reunion is going to be brilliant. Really! I\u2019ve got a good feeling about it. But it doesn\u2019t hurt to have an escape plan, just in case. I\u2019d recommend two \u2013 a little one for escaping dodgy conversations (\u201cOh, yes, Uncle Joe, I\u2019d love to see your boil. I just need to make a quick call first\u2026\u201d) and a big one on the off-chance thateverything goes pear-shaped (\u201cThe whole family\u2019s going to perform an impromptu bagpipe recital? Wonderful! Let me get my pipes out of the car\u2026\u201d).<\/p>\n Hey, it\u2019s not all about the whole extended mega family. If you\u2019re travelling for a reunion, make sure you leave some time to go exploring on your own, or with your partner or immediate family. \u2018Cause if you\u2019ve done the travel, you\u2019ve earnt the sightseeing.<\/p>\n Going overseas for your reunion? This is where you can win some serious brownie points (or exact some serious revenge). Come prepared with a swag of iconic Aussie treats. Buy kids\u2019 love with Caramello Koalas, suck up to your nan with Tim-Tams, or punish your jerk cousin with a spoonful of Vegemite. Because once a dobber, always a dobber.<\/p>\n Look, there\u2019s no shame in this. You haven\u2019t seen most of these people since you were knee-high to a (creepily human-sized) grasshopper, if ever. For big reunions, use different coloured tags for each branch of the family tree. And watch out for jokers who\u2019ll try to spend the night under a different name. We see you there, \u201cRudiger\u201d.<\/p>\n It\u2019ll remind you who everyone is, plus they can be really interesting. If no-one in your family has traced yours, why not have a crack at doing it yourself? They look impressive, but are often super easy to start. You\u2019ll look like a history whiz and be the hero of the reunion. Or second hero. After the person who brings the drinks \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n Sites like Ancestry.com<\/a> often have free trial periods, and you\u2019d be surprised how much you can learn in even a couple of hours. If you have British or European ancestry and know your parents\u2019 birthdays and grandparents\u2019 names, you\u2019ve probably got enough to trace your fam back hundreds of years \u2013 seriously.<\/p>\n Genealogy sites are less helpful when your ancestry is not British or European, or if there\u2019s a history of adoption ordonor conception in your family. But many of these sites offer DNA testing, which maps your unique ethnic heritage and \u2013 if you choose to upload your results \u2013 allows you to find distant rellies all over the world.<\/p>\n Okay, so you don\u2019t have to hit the text books, but the more you know about where your family\u2019s from or the time period you\u2019re interested in, the more you\u2019ll understand any info or records you find. Knowing your history will also give you some clues on where to find records and info if genealogy sites aren\u2019t working for you.<\/p>\n Found something really cool in your family tree, like a connection to a historical event, famous person, or murder? Awesome! But you\u2019re going to need the full story if you really want to impress people. Dig around for old newspaper articles in archives like Trove<\/a>\u00a0or the British Newspaper Archive<\/a>. Make sure you write down the names of the archives you\u2019re searching in and the terms you\u2019re using as you go, otherwise you might end upgoing around in circles.<\/p>\n Read more about your roots <\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Meeting or catching up with long-lost (or long-avoided) family can be a blast. Not to mention a great excuse to travel somewhere new, or go back to a place you haven\u2019t been since you were a kid. You reminisce over old times and shared relatives, see different sides of people you\u2019ve known or heard about …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":3613,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,80],"tags":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3607"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3607"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3607\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3865,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3607\/revisions\/3865"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/p>\n4. Have an escape plan<\/strong><\/h3>\n
5. See the sights<\/strong><\/h3>\n
6. Stock up on Aussie treats<\/strong><\/h3>\n
7. Use name tags<\/strong><\/h3>\n
8. Brush up on your family tree<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nBONUS! Three tips for starting your family tree<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Sign up to a genealogy site<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. Learn your history<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Find more info<\/strong><\/h3>\n