10 Months Down the Road

I’ve been in Australia for 10 months now and feel like I’ve packed several lifetimes worth of adventures into that time…As I re-read some of my early posts on this trip, I can see how my time on the road has shifted my perspective…Here’s how I’m feeling about my vanlife adventures 10 months down the road:

· I have completely embraced and, dare I say, MASTERED, the art of free camping! My first free camping experience was in Western Australia not far outside of Karratha and really was out of necessity as I’d spent the entire day driving from Karijini National Park (over 500 kms) and then hanging around an emergency room all day after that…WA was the first state where I started noticing 24-hour rest areas with toilets where you are permitted to spend 24 hours without being hassled. And as I zipped past these places, they looked pretty good and I thought, “I’d stay here..” and so I finally did and it went just fine…Victoria and Tasmania have been very kind and generous in the free camping arena and I estimate 75% or more of the time I’m free camping these days…I actually find it kind of annoying to have to pay to stay in a caravan park at this point…How’s that for a seismic shift from the beginning of this trip where I wasn’t sure I would EVER free camp?!? Of course, I only free camp where there are toilets and then use wet wipes to clean off the important bits and then pay to take a shower every 3-4 days. It usually costs $1 AUD / minute and are often found at laundromats, visitor centres, etc.

· I consider myself a planner by nature; anticipating what’s coming and being ready for it. When you live in a van, you’re living in the present moment; right now. And planning ahead is good like, “do I have enough fuel to get from A to B?” but I feel like I’ve moved to an entirely different level of being in the present through living in a van. By moving through different landscapes on a daily basis, you are constantly changing your surroundings and don’t know what’s ahead so you’re constantly adapting to whatever you find in your new environment, things you can’t plan for because you just rocked up to a new place. This can be exhilarating or terrifying but you probably won’t last very long in a van if you can’t find the thrill and excitement in this daily kaleidoscope of changing landscape and adaptation. One of my favourite experiences is still being awestruck by the natural beauty of Australia…I’ll be lumbering down some gravel road in Vinnie on my way to some cool nature hike or a free camping spot of some sort and as I look out at the landscape I just pause and catch my breath a little marveling at how beautiful a stand of trees is or an arc of beach…

· I’ve been working with my FOMO (fear of missing out) for years now but reached my “saturation” point for experiences and activities around mid-September 2025…I generally drop into the local visitor centre whenever I’m spending a day or more in a particular place to get local recommendations for things to do and see in the area (this is on top of reading my Lonely Planet guide books to get a general sense as to what’s unique and interesting in a place before I arrive)…And the locals are unfailingly very passionate about their heritage and history: “You must visit OUR shipwreck museum which is COMPLETELY different than the 42 other shipwreck museums you’ve already potentially visited!” or “Our thimble museum is WORLD CLASS and simply cannot be missed!” They then usually slam you with enough information to keep you busy for about a week even though you asked for their “Top 3” recommendations. I’ve basically stopped visiting visitor centres (except when visiting national parks!) and with a few exceptions, am just rolling with whatever I can fit in when I’m in a place, that’s what I do (and PS – I do appreciate the passion and zeal of the people staffing these visitor centres…). I definitely still read my guide books and know which things I want to do / see in a place but everything after that is just super flexible…

· I really do feel like a local at this point! (If you missed my post about why I feel like I’ve earned permanent residency in Australia, you can find it here: https://kangaroogirl.blog/why-i-feel-like-ive-earned-permanent-residency-in-australia). And I often have people ask me what part of Australia I’m living in…I dig it!

· I’ve expanded my Australian slang and incorporated a lot of it into my dialect…”G’day mate! Can I drop by this arvo for a squizz at your ute?” (Translation: “Hello person’s name! Can I drop by this afternoon for a look at your truck?). I surprise myself when chatting with others by dropping Aussie slang in somewhat randomly…And Aussies are world-renowned for shortening everything by adding an “o” or “y” (EX: afternoon is arvo) or calling someone the opposite of some characteristic such as calling someone with red hair “Bluey.”

· One of my biggest learnings on this trip is just how different each state of Australia is…I’ve written about this in some of my other blog posts (https://kangaroogirl.blog/vinnie-rego-woes) and it’s made me really curious to learn more about why this is…When I ask Aussies for their opinions and ideas on this, I usually strike out hearing they “don’t know” and “never really thought about it.”

· One of the best things about living in a van is being closer to nature and syncing your rhythm’s with nature’s rhythm’s…Your body naturally starts syncing with sunrise and sunset. Each morning is a symphony of birdsong (I just love the laughing kookaburras!) gently easing me out of slumber and every evening more birdsong that marks the passing of time like church bells…For some periods over the past year I’ve been routinely awake at 5am as that’s when the sun was rising and the birds were chattering; at others, it wouldn’t start getting light until after 7am and my body just naturally shifted to match that…

If I could add another year to my visa right now, my next move would be to go back to the places I really loved and do short-term rentals in those locations and re-establish routines while “standing still” in one place…Things like nearly daily bike rides, being able to cook in a full kitchen (having a blender again!!), getting to know the locals and the “vibe” of a place on a deeper level, maybe meeting and dating an Aussie! And you know I would be just fine having a toilet and shower at my disposal all of the time! Places I wouldn’t hesitate to spend more time in: 1) Byron Bay, 2) Agnes Water, 3) Magnetic Island, 4) Port Douglas, 5) Broome, 6) Fremantle, 7) Esperance, 8) the East Coast of Tasmania.