Thoughts on Van Lifing Around Australia

Those of you following my adventures around Australia through my blog will note that I'm three weeks behind in my posts. What can I say other than I'm still acclimating to van life, I often don't have very good wifi/cell reception, and, frankly, I'm kind of exhausted at the end of each day...I'm on some sort of constant sensory overload with driving on the left-hand side of the road, driving a 20 foot rig with a bike rack, figuring out where I'm going next and then finding a place to stay (yeah, I'm not ready to "free camp" yet and, frankly, may never be ready for that even though my mate Chris bought me a shovel which every bushcamper needs!). The competition for camping spots, ferry rides, and outdoor adventures has been intense and who knew I needed to book my ferry passage to Tasmania I'm planning for November in April?!? (PS - I was lucky to get the tickets I booked last night!!). So all of this has contributed to my feeling overwhelmed and falling behind on the blogging about my adventures...

Here are some of the things I'm noticing in my first few weeks being "fully launched" and living in the van:

• I need to factor in time to research where I'm going next and find places to stay...I'm learning that I like about a two week buffer, meaning I like to have the next couple of weeks planned out in terms of where I'm going and knowing that I'll have somewhere to stay when I get there...Everything else that happens when I'm in these places (with the exception of scheduled events like sea kayaking) is "wandering at will" and doing whatever I feel like doing...As long as I have this "buffer" then I feel like I can stop thinking about that and be more in the present with doing whatever I want to do...

• My internal clock is shifting...I wake up with the sun and birds around 6am and find myself sleepy by 9pm (sometimes even earlier if I've done a bunch of hiking, exploring, etc.). And right now it's dark by 6pm here and is technically Autumn but sure doesn't feel like it!

• On the couple of occasions where I've had to get an Airbnb because I was in a large city or there simply weren't any campgrounds available, I miss being in the van as it already feels like my home...I also don't have any luggage in the van (where the hell would I keep it?? Thanks again Angelina!) so I have to pack up a subset of my stuff to take into the Airbnb and invariably forget stuff like my toothbrush in the van! It's just easier to be in the van...Plus I get all the cool extras like nature sounds (the birds are just incredible!!) and the Southern Cross (when it's not raining!!). Having just said this, I did stay in a fabulous Airbnb with a couple in Brisbane and the bed was super comfy and they were very friendly and delightful to spend time with so that whole experience was lovely and worth "abandoning" Vinnie for a couple of nights.

• It can get lonely after several days in the van and hiking on my own...It's nice to connect and have a good chat with people along the way like the couple in Brisbane and my friend Ari also in Brisbane...

• I have to stay vigilant for things like not letting my petrol drop below 1/2 tank (or at least not very far below 1/2 tank) to make sure I don't find myself stranded somewhere, checking the oil every other time I put petrol in, refilling the water tank (40 litres) and then remembering to reset the gauge which tracks the usage so I know when it's getting low, paying attention to tire inflation, checking to see what the leisure battery voltage is at, remembering to stow everything before moving the van or finding the box of cherry tomatoes strewn all over the back of the rig, making sure the bike rack is secure (I could go on but you get the idea here), etc., etc., etc.

• As soon as an Aussie identifies me as American, they want to start talking about Trump and how terrified they all are...I get it; I'm terrified too but surprised just how much of the news cycle here is devoted to covering American politics...

• Also as soon as an Aussie hears I'm going all the way around Australia in a campervan, they kind of mist up and tell me they wish they could do that too...And I hope they do as all my Aussie mates from back in the 80s had already done this by the time they were in their early 20s...Maybe it's because I met all of them while traveling overseas which is what they were doing!

• I LOVE how much Aussies love their beaches and why wouldn't they? They are simply fabulous! My mate Chris once told me after first meeting almost 40 years ago that Australia had more than 10,000 beaches and they were all pristine and clean and empty and I didn't believe him...Well they haven't been empty the last two weeks with kids on school holidays and the long Easter weekend but I get what he means and he is right about that...

• I'm digging how many farms, distilleries, hippies, etc. are committed to returning the land they own that was cleared for cattle grazing sometime over the last 100+ years to it's natural state which is sub tropical rainforest...The "before" and "after" photos of some of these places I've visited are just stunning...Huzzah for people committed to nature!

That's it for now...Get ready for a bunch of posts detailing places I've been over the past three weeks!