One of the most extraordinary experiences of my life. The Van Life… Aussie style.
Backing up a bit…August 4th, 2022, I’m getting coffee with Kara, a friend I was just starting to get to know. She was going to be moving to Australia soon, so we had to get a final coffee before she took off. At that time, we had only had a couple of coffee hangouts and did a few photoshoots together, but I knew we would be great friends. (they always say when you know, you know. hehe) Despite already having a successful small business in Fargo, North Dakota, I admired her for her strength to move across the world. At the time, I only dreamt about doing things like her.

An hour or so into us vibing at 20 below coffee, I decided to visit her in Australia. We chatted about potential dates, when I could visit, all of that fun stuff but I don’t think she thought I’d actually do it. Twenty minutes later, I purchased a one-way ticket to Australia, and from that spontaneous decision, Kara realized we would be great friends. (bonus points for spontaneity)

Speeding up time a little bit… On November 30th, I sipped my first cocktail in Australia. I had never been farther than Central America. I felt like I was living a movie. To hear what Kara had been up to in Australia for the last handful of months seemed unreal. My mind was being blown every second and I got to spend the next couple weeks living this dream.

The first week of my time in Australia (before hitting the road) was spent in Noosaville, Queensland. A quaint beach town that’s great for holiday shopping, riding the waves, vibing at the beach, hiking at Noosa National Park, shopping + food at the Emmundi Markets (which had tasty dumplings), and exploring Noosa’s restaurants and bars.

We stayed at a cute beachy hostel, YHA Noosa Heads | Halse Lodge, only a 5-minute walk from the town center + beach. A backpackers oasis with two acres of gardens + rainforest. It was my first experience staying in a hostel, and I loved it. It completely changed my mind about co-living spaces.
An inexpensive stay, you meet travelers from all over the world, free wifi, communal toilets, showers + lounge, luggage storage, and we even got to wake up and do a yoga class with a handful of the other travelers. My mind was being opened up to a whole new world of possibilities in the travel realm.

Of course, two professional photographers, had to take advantage of the rainforest garden right outside of our hostel. After a warm rain shower we slipped our sandals on, grabbed our cameras and headed into what felt like a jungle.

The rain never stayed too long which was perfect but the rain was also a blessing. While we waited on the rain to let up we would work in coffee shop as I always have an abundance of client galleries to edit and send out while on my travels. Thankfully Australia has some of the best coffee so there were endless options to sit, sip and edit.

With the rain came pink skies, rainbows and lots of photographs.

My Top 5 Noosaville Restaurants + Bars

Piccolino: Restaurant + Cafe for breakfast or lunch. The avocado toast was my favorite!

MilkBar Grocer: a market feel, it offers, lunch, tasty treats, snacks, fruit, drinks and more… a great spot to grab food to go and sit on the beach.

Blended Health Bar: smoothie + juice bar with delicious Acai bowls. Perfect for something healthy + soothing for a hot day.

Noosa Waterfront Restaurant + Bar: Kara ordered the best ravioli I’ve ever eaten in my life. I ordered steak and of course local wine!

Moonstruck Noosa: to die for cocktails with a social atmosphere.

The second part of our trip we collaborated with Drifters CamperVans from the Sunshine Coast and spent 8 days traveling along the East Coast of Australia in a groovy van.

Make sure to take pit stops at overlooks! The beautiful views on the road are endless.

We rented Drifters CamperVan named Hendrix and ohhh was he a beauty.

Starting from the Sunshine Coast we adventured (on the opposite side of the road) along the east coast all the way to Sydney and back up to the Sunshine Coast.

Hendrix adventured to:

Maleny Botanic Gardens

After seeing the breathtaking Gardens farther inland we were off to Brisbane to visit some of Kara’s friends!

We took the Van to a park in the center of Brisbane right next to the water called, Captain Burke Park where we cooked breakfast burritos, sat at a picnic table and planned our next stop!

Next stop was Currumbin Beach where my sunburn and surfer girl vibes started to take flight. The UV was 12, my fly away hairs became curls and my Teva sandals were covered in wet sand. (Highest UV I had ever experienced)

A beautiful rock point on the Gold Coast where we stopped for a photoshoot.

Cape Byron State Conservation Park where we saw lizards, hiked to the most easterly point of Australia and I got very burnt. Wear sunscreen kids!

A picnic in Burleigh Heads with cheap wine, a full moon and impeccable views.

Hat Head National Park we explored the ocean hillsides, cliffs and hiked a tiny trail along the edge while Kara stomped on the ground to keep the snakes away. (There was kangaroo poop everywhere and we thankfully encountered no snakes)

The Hunter Valley – Comyns + Co. where we did a lovely wine tasting.

After the Hunter Valley we headed to Sydney with a quick pitstop for food in Gosford.

Once we got to Sydney we headed to:

The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.

Intentionally renowned artist Do Ho Suh had his exhibition on display at the Museum of Art Australia. I could have walked around for hours staring in amazement at his installations of architectural structures created with fabric. Every piece, from larger than life installations, tiny men holding up a floor, hundreds of faces on a wall to delicate creations with string and fabric. It was inspiring.

Strolled through the Rocks Market and Vintage Market. Plan your trip to Sydney accordingly so you can walk through the vintage markets. Top notch vintage finds! I also found dumplings, not as vintage but yummy.

Cocktails at the Rocks Rooftop Bar. The best views of Sydney!!

Walked to Sydney’s Opera House where there happened to be a 5SOS concert going on right outside. We may have peaked our heads in for a few seconds before we were waved away by security guards.

A day trip to Bondi Beach where we got a day pass for the Bondi Icebergs Pool. We kept an eye out for Bondi Rescue of course.

After Bondi Beach we made our way back up the east coast to the Sunshine Coast.

One of our last nights we camped in Brooms Head and woke up to a golden sunrise. If any of you know me getting up in the morning is not one of my best skill sets. Kara (a literal queen) made sure I got up to see one our final sunrises in Aus. It was worth every second!!!

The perfect 8 day trip down the east coast of Australia in a sprinter van. The best way to explore the land down under.

Tips + Tricks for Australian Van Life:

1. Australia (similar to the US) you cannot park and sleep in your CamperVan anywhere. You have to stay at a designated campsites or holiday parks. Download the app WikiCamps or CamperMate to find campsites or holiday parks near you.
2. Book your campsite at least 1-2 nights before your stay. We booked some of our campsites the day of and we found it extremely difficult and more costly to book last minute.
3. Book campsites with public bathrooms + showers. Not all CamperVans have showers and proper facilities.
4. Plan your route prior to departure or take mine 🙂
5. Mind the wildlife. You’ll find your neighborhood kangaroo sunbathing in lawns and jumping across the road.
6. Use the van kitchen. Find a grocery store and stock up on snacks + food for your adventure. Our van had a mini fridge so we were able to keep refrigerated items and save more money on food. Cook simple meals!
7. Keep your packing light. You never need as much as you think you’ll need! Australia can get hot! I found myself wearing swimsuits with cover ups more days than I expected.
8. Try to stick to the Coast for most of your travels- it’s too beautiful not to! You will never be disappointed with the views while you roadtrip to your next destination but do make a pitstop at a nearby vineyard for a wine tasting!!
9. Prepare for the worst. While your van often comes with standard insurance, you may want to think of the worst and how much accidents could cost. From a stone to the windshield or a potential call for help in the middle of nowhere, make sure you look into what you’re covered for, what you’re not covered for, and what kind of cover you might need.
10. Don’t forget to take photos!!