An Australian Odyssey: Van-life and Surfing from Sydney to Brisbane

Renting a van and driving up the East Coast of Australia with your best friend is a bucket list item, one I am very thankful to be able to say I checked off. However, looking at just pictures and videos of our trip, you would think we encountered no obstacles during our trek up north. You would think wrong.

To be clear, that week was absolutely incredible, filled with delicious homemade meals made out of the back of the van and long days of surfing and laying on the pristine Aussie beaches. But what you don't see on the highlight reel was washing dishes in public bathrooms, not taking showers for days on end, and getting eaten alive by mosquitoes while attempting to cook and brush our teeth.

Despite these less-than-optimal experiences, waking up, sitting up from the back seat, and looking out at the sunrise on the Tasman Sea, with the promise of a day filled with surfing on the horizon, was an unbeatable feeling. After tuckering ourselves out in the waves, loading up the van, brewing one last cup of coffee from our dehydrated coffee beans and chai tea mix, and hitting the road, we maintained its glamour. Playlist after playlist, with "Take It Easy" by the Eagles and "Wagon Wheel" by Darius Rucker being featured repeatedly. The seamless transition between napping and driving added its own charm.

This adventure was worth having ten times over.

The journey kicked off in Sydney, the Australian capital and the perfect rendezvous point for Riley and me—she jetted in from Kathmandu and I from New Zealand. As we met at our hostel that night, plans to hit the town were promptly ditched in favor of a marathon of swapping stories perched on metal bunk beds for a good two hours. Once 11 o'clock passed, we hit the hay and woke up the next morning to adventure around the city. Our hostel is located in Potts Point on the inland side, closer to the more chaotic part of the city dubbed "Broadway." But just one block away from our hostel is a picturesque street of cafes and shops that leads to the wharf, where you can walk a path to the opera house.

Sydney Opera House, Photos taken by: Riley Clark (KeepItWildxRiley)

Sydney surprised me with its Florida-like humidity, warmth, and lush vegetation. The sweet-smelling air, the white linen draped on most of the young, attractive city-goers striding along the sidewalk– Sydney felt like a mash-up of various places I'd encountered. Some of the architecture resembles Louisiana somewhat, with colorful houses and ornate porches. Other parts are made of beautiful red brick, looking somewhat more like New York. When we crossed the Harbour Bridge onto the other side of the city, Mattawunga, the feel was more like a wealthy part of Northern California, such as Marin. Riley and I, in an unexpected feat of wanderlust, walked fourteen miles that day, lost in the rhythm of a new city.

Shots of Sydney

The next day marked the official commencement of our road trip. Rising early, we made our way to the Jucy rental van location and laid eyes on our neon green and purple Toyota Sienna. A minivan with a twist– seats that morphed into a bed, no center console due to this adaption, as well as a mini kitchen instead of a trunk. We especially appreciated the "keep left" sticker that adorned the windshield. The van was christened "The GreenBean," and off we went. One grocery stop and a bathroom break later, we entered the Blue Mountains, our first stop on this epic journey.

As the Blue Mountains unfolded before us, we realized they should have been named the "Blue Canyons." Resembling the Grand Canyon, the Blue Mountains feature red rocks as well as lots of tropical green vegetation, such as ferns and small beach trees. Our hike along the 3 Sisters Trail led us to three imposing rock pinnacles jutting out from the lower reaches of the canyon. Then, it was off to the Grand Canyon trail for a 5-mile trek down into and out of the canyon through trickling waterfalls. That night, we camped at a site in the mountains that was down a winding ride into a tropical pocket of small spaces to park. We ate curry from scratch that we cooked out the back, chopping up all the vegetables and sipping our Byron Bay Beers while listening to the trickle of the stream nearby. We sat astride a large downed tree that fell across the stream and ate from our large pot.

Left: Me beneath the 3 Sisters. Middle: The 3 Sisters. Right: Bottom of the Grand Canyon trail. Photos taken by: Riley Clark (KeepItWildxRiley)

A night in the mountains

The next day, we did the Waterfalls hike, where a mere two miles in, we stumbled upon the perfect cliff-jumping site. The Empress Falls cascade into a deep pool, where next to it is the perfect overhanging boulder, about 9 feet tall. After sending a couple of backflips and enjoying the cool water, we continued on the trail. By late afternoon, it was time to drive back to the coast to start our trek North to Brisbane. We stopped at The Entrance, an hour and a half from The Blue Mountains, where we camped at a bay-side park populated by pelicans.

Backflips at Empress Falls. Photos taken by: Riley Clark (KeepItWildxRiley)

Waking up, we drove to Newcastle, rented surfboards, and surfed at Nobbys Beach, where we found strong 6-foot waves. A bit of a shocking way to start surfing after a long break, we took a few gnarly falls and exhausted our arms enough that after 3 hours, we called it quits and decided to drive up to Port Macquarie (3-hour haul.) We parked the Green Bean on an ocean cliff, where we cooked our Mediterranean meal and woke up to an amazing sunrise on the Tasman Sea. Walking down from our cliffside spot, we rented boards from an approachable Aussie surf instructor whose favorite pastime was throwing up shakas. Riley and I surfed Flynn's beach until the wind made us so cold our lips were blue. But for an awesome swell of 2-3 foot waves, it was worth it.

We left at 4 pm, our destination? Little Italy. 

 The intriguing rest stop aptly named "Little Italy" is a picturesque parking lot off the highway, boasting a grand building surrounded by faux Italian statues. We ate our Mexican dinner - a fusion of all our leftovers mixed together with a generous amount of avocado and spicy salsa - on the asphalt, looking out at the forest bordering the motorland oasis. We quickly jumped up, however, as a kangaroo hopped through the trees. After calling out to the creature and failing to catch it, we retreated to our makeshift bed inside the Green Bean.

Kangaroos! Photo taken by: Riley Clark (KeepItWildxRiley)

Comfy-Cozy. We were lucky enough to have our sheets match the exterior of the Green Bean.

With the first rays of dawn, we awoke with a renewed sense of adventure, ready to hit the road to our next destination: the sun-soaked paradise of Byron Bay. After the 45-minute drive, we walked into the town of Byron Bay, grabbed coffees, and rented boards. We surfed all day, so encapsulated by the white sand beaches, heaps of beautiful surfers, and crystal blue waters that we forgot about the power of the shining sun. Burnt to a crisp, we put on our long, airy pants and loose-fitting tops and traipsed off to happy hour at a rooftop bar. The vibes were young, wealthy, and tropical, resulting in our enjoyment of fruity spritzes. The next day, we surfed again throughout the morning, heading into town for an acai bowl brunch, and surfed again in the afternoon. We surfed until we bled, literally. With no wetsuit, our inner thighs chafed against the 8ft boards to the point where we could no longer continue. But it did not matter; we were exhausted and happy, and our backs and arms were calling it quits.

Photos taken by: Riley Clark (KeepItWildxRiley)

We headed back to an abandoned field off the highway to spend the night, surrounded by lush, tropical forest, and a few stray chickens, as well as about 6 million mosquitoes. That morning, we headed 30 minutes north to a quiet beach where we made coffee and did an early morning ocean dip, then continued onto Brisbane. By noon, we arrived at the Jucy Van return lot and said goodbye to the beloved GreenBean, our neon chariot. We were very thankful to say we did not crash her, and we are now fearful that we will return to the US and begin driving on the wrong side of the road.

The Beloved Green Bean aka. Jucy Rental Minivan