Wildflowers

We remove our luxuries; hot showers, toilets that flush, TV, electricity, comfortable bedding, and then call it a holiday?

Let’s eat food out of cans, wash our underwear in the sink, wear thongs in the shower (“dammit I took my thongs off by accident”), sit by the citronella candle light as night approaches…and say we’re living our best life?

Truth is, there is something about living the simple life that IS just so bloody relaxing.

Hannah and I nervously booked a HiTop Britz van for the week. “So long as you drive it once we hit Sydney.” “I’m sure someone will help us reverse it.” “4.6 metres isn’t that long, is it?”

Sure, we had some issues. We sent the van back for seatbelt repairs, only to be told to pull gently. 💁🏻 whoops. We both booked Osteo appointments immediately upon return home. We accidentally drank a little too much the day before we had a huge drive and hike into the Blue Mountains, and who knew dragging a kayak up hill was going to hurt so much?

But the highlights were priceless, making this one of my favourite trips to date.

We travelled dirt tracks, highways, back roads, wrong turns, free camps, caravan parks, sites with an ensuite (roughing it 😉), sites with long drops, views of hills and beaches so white it hurt my eyes.

Desperate times saw us shopping in a pet store for a bed more comfortable “umm do you have any doggy beds big enough for humans?… no, ok, bye”

And fancier times saw us sipping martinis on the dock of the bay.

Lazy nights saw us both fall asleep watching a movie, to wake realising it was only 8.30pm, or playing cards (snap, because we are, like what, 10?) by the glow of the fairy lights.

Big days of walking through shrubs, getting lost, hiking, playing on swings, eating fish n chips, listening to Jack Johnson sing about Pina Coladas, drinking coffee, searching for toilets (that bloody coffee does it every time), giggling, folding tables up and beds down, and saying “HOW BEAUTIFUL” and “Are you sure we turned the gas bottle off?” x1000 times a day.

From Melbourne to Sydney. We felt genuine sadness closing the van door for the final time.

Not even the comfort of my own bed, a hot bath or binge catch up on The Bachelor can top my week as a wildflower.

The freedom. The salty air. The sand. The sea.

With my personal sun, Hannah.

Until next time little van 🚐

Note: You’re all free to go back on the roads now.

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DAY 1. Melbourne to Lakes Entrance