Test Run Pt. 1 — NICOLE RICHIE

As we all know, nothing is ever perfect the first time around. We must adjust, make improvements and learn from past experiences in order to make something better, more efficient and more suitable for our needs. In order to do all of these things we must use trial and error to get something as close to perfect as we possibly can. So before Justin and I head out on our cross country expedition, we’re doing some test runs to see what we like, what we need to change and ultimately how to make this the most comfortable and homey living space for both of us.

So we set out for the road.

We left Brisbane early, packed our things into the van, and headed inland towards Nimbin, a town in northern New South Wales. On the way we stopped off to grab some groceries, which wasn’t much, but enough to last us the next three days. We planned to make pasta with a lamb ragout on the first night and then to use the leftover lamb the next day for tacos! We got some veg, a little fruit and bread for breakfast and then head out into the mountains. The scenic road took us through the beautiful Mount Warning and the surrounding ranges. It was as if each corner we turned we were more blown away by the magic of mother earth and the beauty that stood before us. Finally we arrived in Nimbin. Now as most of you know the herb remains very much illegal in Australia. But Nimbin is known as “Australia’s progressive alternative lifestyle movement”, aka a little hippie town in the middle of the mountains. We walked through the head shops and bought some much-needed essentials, we even found a cute little rug that goes perfectly with our outdoor setup! It got pretty warm as we were exploring so we figured we’d find a cool little spot to relax and go for a swim. Justin knew of Hanging Rock Falls, a little watering hole outside Nimbin so we put it in the GPS and set out to cool off!

Then for the first time we got lost. Admittedly I am a little bit of a control freak, so usually getting lost makes me a bit nervous. This is something that coming in to this trip I didn’t want to let hinder my experience because I know that we will get lost a lot. The beauty of van life is that it we’re able to make anywhere our home and that kind of freedom is extremely comforting. So, as we continued down the road that neither of us was sure we were supposed to be on, I tried my very best to let go. If I hadn’t, I might have missed the beautiful creek and troop of lazing Kangaroos we saw along our “scenic route”. After a little detour we found Hanging Rock falls. The path to the falls was surrounded by giant ferns and beautiful palms and opened up to a magnificent rock pool. We spent the afternoon jumping from the top of the falls and swimming in the cool water. Later that evening we setup camp for the first time, which really made it feel like home. I cooked up dinner and after our meal we hung out under what felt like a million stars. That night I slept like a baby. We woke up at sunrise and set out for Girraween National Park, a beautiful rock filled mountain range in Southern Queensland. We spent most of the morning driving along winding country roads, filled with spectacular mountains and beautiful wildlife. At around 1 we stopped for lunch on a mountain ridge in the middle of a 12km dirt road, set up and had some leftovers. The whole day I just kept thinking, this is really living.

Girraween National Park, QLD/ 📷: Justin Bumpstead

When we arrived in Girraween I had my first real experience with Kangaroos. I don’t know about you, but Australian wildlife has always been fascinating to me. The fact that marsupials don’t even exist on our side of the world makes them so intriguing; needless to say, I was very excited to see some Roos! We arrived a little later in the afternoon so we weren’t able to go on the 4-hour trek to see the Sphinx rock, which is the hotspot for tourists. So instead we decided to set out on one of the shorter treks, hoping to see the Giant Arch and one of the rock pools in the park. We ended up walking about half an hour in a big circle, only to find that the rock pool was all dried up and the Giant Arch was along another one of the paths. After having a good laugh we decided we’d try to find the Giant Arch and then a spot to set up camp. As we started out on the path we came across a family of Roo’s drinking from one of the few waiting pools that was still filled with water. It was so quiet that at first I didn’t even realize they were there. Justin pointed me in the right direction and I caught the fathers’ reflection in the pool. Shortly after, a little joey popped up behind what we assumed was the mother and we watched them all drink together from this small pond. We watched as they gracefully lapped up the water and enjoyed their family time. I’m not going to lie, it was intimidating at first. Being so close to these majestic animals I felt very small and a little intrusive. The father, obviously protective of his joey, puffed his chest out when he first looked up and noticed us watching them, but after a moment or two he went back to drinking from the pool. It was a remarkable moment for me, only having seen Kangaroos from the passengers seat while they were grazing in the nearby fields. I felt unbelievably lucky to be able to share that moment with these amazing animals; maybe it was their way of welcoming me to Aus.

ROO FRIENDS!!, Girraween National Park, QLD/ 📷: Justin Bumpstead

We camped out that night in a parking lot up near the Dr. Roberts Watering Hole, about a 15-minute drive up into the park. We were the only people around for miles. It was pretty late by the time we started cooking and the dark brought swarms of bugs. While we were cooking our tacos that we made with the leftover lamb, we let hundreds of mosquitos into the van. Just a tip, never leave the van open when he light is on unless you want to go to sleep with a hundred bugs. It wasn’t the end of the world but we both woke up covered in bites. That morning we got on the road before the rangers could find us and made our way towards Springbrook National Park. It was super hot in the van that day and the drive wasn’t easy going up and down the mountains through the Scenic Ridge. Oh, did I forget to mention the old girl doesn’t have Air Con? We were both a little irritable as we made our way into Springbrook that afternoon. We had planned to do a hike at Purling Brook Falls, but after our long day of driving and exploring, we decided we only had enough energy to get to the lookout. The Falls were magical and we agreed that we’d try to make it back to this spot next time we get into this area, but tonight we’d head to the beach for some much needed R&R. We arrived in Burleigh Heads just in time for sunset and enjoyed a cold beer on the headland. The mixture of the sky’s dreamy pastels and ocean blues made all the stresses of a day of driving in the hot sun fade away. To make the night even more special we decided to celebrate the first leg of our adventure by going for a delicious meal at an adorable Italian joint coincidentally called Justin’s Place. We ate well and toasted to the next chapter of our lives. Overall this first test run taught me that in order to make this lifestyle work we have to be open to change and be unafraid and prepared for the unknown. Of course this won’t change in a day, but like I said, I’m working on it.