Tips & Tricks to help you plan your next adventure
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This little trail near Agnes Water in Queensland is an absolute delight! FAST FACTS Location: roughly 2km south of Agnes Water, Queensland Length: 400m Accessibility: Boardwalks and stepping stones, not accessible for wheelchairs and prams.
Although it is only 400m in length this trail will not disappoint. The trail follows a series of boardwalks and stepping stones to allow you to explore the wetlands without disturbing the vegetation. Along with the gorgeous paperbark trees, you'll find lots of birdlife and butterflies hanging out amongst the growth, it's pretty darn special!
To reach the trail head head south on Springs Road from the town of Agnes Water for roughly 2.5km and lookout for the large Reedy Creek reserve sign on the right hand side of the road.
The trail is close by to the Red Rock Trail. Another good walk in the Agnes Water region!
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Djyinda walk
The walk down to the base of the falls is called the Djyinda walk. It's 3.2km in length and delightfully* steep! I mean, makes sense, the falls are almost 300m in height and the hike starts at that level and descends to the base. With that in mind, be prepared to engage your quads on the way down, and get a little out of breath on the way back up! The track surface is unstable in parts so I'd suggest having a fair amount of fitness, or at least allowing yourself plenty of time.
Check out my activity on Strava below for more in depth stats on the hike. *If hiking up steep sh*t is your thing camping
 Bitter Springs is home to the bluest water I have ever seen, and that my friends, is not an over-exaggeration. Bitter Springs is located in the Northern Territory in Elsey National Park, 120km south of Katherine. Bitter Springs are close to Mataranka and although this is a long way from everything, it’s worth it. The water is a balmy 34 degrees all year round making it a very comfortable temperature to spend a lot of time in.
The water flows steadily downstream, meaning you can hop in at one end, float along to the other end, and hop out. There is often a lot of crew doing laps on pool noodles and others with snorkels checking out the resident turtles. For the hiking and walking nerds out there like myself, it is worth noting that there is a little loop trail at the springs also. It's only 500m or so in length but worth checking out to see the springs from all angles.
When we visited Bitter Springs we stayed at Bitter Springs Camping and Cabins. Upon last check, it was $30 for an unpowered site and $35 for power. The campground is a 500m walk from the springs and has everything you need, including frozen mango for purchase, this is a bloody delightful treat on a hot day.  As always read the signage and check the NT Parks website before diving in as the swimming holes are closed seasonally due to crocodile management. Yes, that's right, I said crocodile management. Check if the springs are open here   Zoe Falls is located on Hinchinbrook Island in tropical North Queensland. The Falls are stunning, and the huge pool beneath them is just the right temperature to cool off in the North Queensland heat. Yet, as nice as the falls are, the real special thing about Zoe Falls is the infinity pool above it that overlooks Hinchinbrook Island.
Zoe Falls are located a short stroll (roughly 1km) upstream from South Zoe bay. South Zoe can be accessed a couple of ways depending on how much time you have, and how much of Hinchinbrook Island you’d like to see.
As always in North Queensland, be crocodile aware. Check out the Queensland Parks site on South Zoe Bay here for any current warnings. Check out our blog post on hiking the Thorsborne Trail here.
Looking for a little outdoor adventure whilst in Kangaroo Valley? Something to take up a couple of hours time, but not your whole day? Well, my friends, you've come to the right place, I think I have the answer. The Three Views Walking Track in Morton National Park.
Located less than 20 minutes drive from the centre of Kangaroo Valley town this hike is a fun and rewarding trail with, you guessed it, three epic views. The views are:
The trail is slightly under 10km long if all three viewpoints are visited. You can cut it down to less to suit your own time and distance goals. The trail is pretty flat for the most part with very little elevation gain, making it a nice and easy one for a variety of levels of fitness. If you only have time to visit one of the viewpoints we highly recommend Shoalhaven River View. This viewpoint was beautiful and open giving wide-ranging views over the national park and surrounding area. 
The time it took us to complete the Three Views hike was a little under two hours. Being such walkable terrain with very little vertical gain it was a pretty quick trail to complete.
It's also important for us to note that the track is very exposed, so if you're hiking in the summer months bring plenty of fluids and watch out for our reptilian friends (snakes)!
Happy Hiking!When you think of Australia, most people think of epic beaches and untouched coastlines, and they're not wrong. We do have incredible beaches, But we’ve also got a lot more than that. Think infinity pools, crater lakes and waterfalls. Here are, in my opinion, 5 of the best places to swim in Australia. Zoe Falls Infinity Pool, QueenslandThis is a goody, and you’ll have to put in a little effort to get to it. Zoe Falls is located on Hinchinbrook Island, an island off the coast of Northern Queensland. The island is home to a famous (and possibly our favourite) multi-day hike, the Thorsborne Trail. At the top of Zoe Falls is an infinity pool overlooking the island, surrounding rainforest and ocean, it’s pretty darn spectacular. To visit, you’ll have to either do the Thorborne Trail (read all about that here) or do a day trip from Cardwell or Lucinda - from my quick google search, a day trip starts at around $150. I guess I forgot to mention that the falls beneath the pool are pretty incredible too! Check out our blog post on Zoe Falls here  josephine falls, queensland
BITTER SPRINGS, NORTHERN TERRITORYBitter Springs truly is somewhere special. Located in Elsey National Park, 120km south of Katherine near Mataranka, these thermal springs are epic, and have the bluest water I have ever seen. The water flows steadily downstream meaning that you can hop in at one end and float along to the other and hop out. There is often a lot of crew doing laps on pool noodles and others with snorkels checking out the resident turtles. Due to crocodile management and high water temperatures, the park is best visited in the Australian Winter when the temperatures of the spring are a pleasant 32 degrees. Check out our blog post on Bitter Springs here  EDITH FALLS, NORTHERN TERRITORYAnother ripper of a spot in the northern territory. Edith Falls is in Nitmiluk (Katherine) National Park. The falls themselves are small however the hugs swimming hole located they’re located at is pretty special in the middle of the desert. Hot tip - Stay a day or two at the campground so you can explore the upper falls and swimming holes!  LITTLE BLUE LAKE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
FALLS CREEK TO MOUNT HOTHAM ALPINE CROSSING, MULTI-DAY 3 DAY AND 2 NIGHT HIKE IN VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA
Like mountains? Freshwater streams? Carrying heavy sh*t in a backpack? Well my friend, this epic multi-day hike in the Victorian high country may very well be the one for you. This bad boy is 3 days, 2 night of gorgeous high country views and alpine terrain. The trail is 37km, starts out in Falls Creek, travels through Alpine National park and ends at Mount Hotham. This track we hiked is a short section of the much, much larger "Australian Alps Walking Track." Being an end to end hike you'll need to do a car shuffle if doing with friends, or book transportation between Falls & Hotham, more info on that below. We did the hike in late December 2022, the weather was pretty spectacular but could be a mixed bag at any time of year. Two weeks prior to starting our hike it was snowing, and in the days after our hike it was over 30 degrees. Like we said, the weather in alpine country is always a gamble so it's best to be prepared for all sorts of scenarios - aka carry warm shit and plenty of water! So here is an overview of the information that this post offers:
FAST FACTS
Distance: 37km in total
Time: 3 days and 2 nights Day 1: Falls Creek to Cope Hut (14km) Day 2: Cope Hut to Dibbins Hut (14km) Day 3: Dibbins Hut to Hotham (9km) Where: Alpine National Park, Victoria Marked Trail: Very clearly marked with yellow arrows Water: Available at campsites, either tank or river Loos: Available at campsites, BYO paper Phone Service: Intermittent, unreliable, bring a PLB As always, make sure you let someone know of your intentions and expected arrival dates. It's always nice to know when you're in remote country that there is a somewhat responsible adult who can raise the alarm if something goes wrong. END TO END SHUTTLE TRANSPORT
As we said above, the hike is an end to end hike, meaning that you start in one place, and finish in another. Resultantly, you'll either need to do a car shuffle with friends and have one at either end, or, book transport between the ends. Or you're really keen, hike out and back.
The hike begins in Falls Creek so we decided to leave our cars there, and book transport for the way back. Alternatively you could do this in reverse, and leave your cars at the end so that you're ready to rock when you finish. There are pros and cons to both directions.. we'll try to simplify it. If you park your car at the beginning (Falls Creek) you can start the hike as early as you like - great if it's forecast to be hot. Where as if you leave your car at the end, and book a shuttle to the start from Hotham, then you are only able to begin the hike at the time you are dropped off, around 11am(ish). However, if you park your car at the start (like we did) then you will probably need to book a nights accomodation in Hotham at the end (we've got an easy, cheap recommendation). If you don't book a night in Hotham then you will have to get up ridiculously early on your last day of hiking to race for the shuttle out of Hotham (and back to your car at Falls) that morning. Whilst the last day of hiking is steep, it isn't super difficult. However, we wouldn't advise this as hiking is never as fun when you have a deadline, especially when it involves packing your tent up in the dark. Also, weather pending the last day has some of the best views, so you probably don't want to miss them by hiking too much pre-dawn. As you know, we went with the transport back to Falls after the hike option, and booked a shuttle with Snow Dog Transport. It was $80 per person. Hamish who runs Snow Dog was super easy to communicate with, friendly and helpful. He let us know what he thought would be best given our time constraints, suggested accomodation in Hotham for us and was an all round nice guy. We'd highly recommend him and his company, it made everything very easy for us. So overall - we were very happy in the end with our choice parking at Falls, organising accommodation in Hotham for a night and then transport back to Falls the day after we finished out hike.
FOOD IN HOTHAM
Okay so we'll be straight up, in the Summer months, at least when we were there, there were not a lot of options. There isn't a supermarket so getting supplies to DIY is difficult. That being said, the local pub The General is open and has plenty of options for all sorts of dietary requirements. If you are on a tight budget however, there is a very small general store attached to "The General" with some frozen foods, and long life food - think noodles, etc. This could be useful for a basic restock if you are hiking back or continuing on with your adventure.
It's a nice atmosphere and a great place to get a celebratory beer, fizzy drink or whatever your heart desires after the hike. We had lunch AND dinner there on the day we finished and were happy with the food each time. The General also has a small general store inside it. We were able to buy soap and shampoo there, as well as a few first aid items. They have some food too but very basic supplies - handy if you're desperate for something!
HOW TO BOOK (and our favourite tent platforms)
So firstly, when we booked this hike we were under the impression that you needed to book a spot, we have since been told that you don't. You're able to hike this trail freely and camp near any of the huts if you can find a spot. That being said, there are tent platforms at each designated camp spot and these need to be booked in advance - this is what we did.
Both of the camp spots along this trail (Cope Hut & Dibbins Hut) have 5 tent platforms available to book. These are booked via the Parks Vic Website. The sites cost $17.40 for the night and mean that you set your tent up on the pad directly, which is great if it rains, and is is also awesome for minimally impacting the environment around the tent site. That being said, the tent pads were awkward to use. There is a system of bolts and wires to attach your tent to the pad but we found it clunky and that majority of the pads were missing half the bolts, so we ended up tying our tents down using our guy ropes. Not all tent pads are created equal, and at Cope Hut this is particularly true. We found that both site 2 and 5 had the best views and we'd highly recommend booking these spots! At Dibbin's Hut they were all somewhat similar, so I wouldn't be too fussed about which site you had here.
Overall Cost
Aside from the cost of getting to and from the hike location, all the gear and food needed.... below are the out of pocket expenses for the hike.
Snowdog Transport - $80 (per person) Marouka Lodge Accomodation - $40 (per person) Parks Vic Camp sites - $34.80 (for 2 people) = $137.4 per person (plus everything else you need) HIKE REPORT.. ALL THE JUCIY DETAILS & PHOTOSDAY 1 - FALLS CREEK TO COPE HUT
Day 1 for us started off in Falls Creek (you can do this hike in either direction) at the trailhead at Heathy Spur Carpark. As discussed above, you can leave your vehicle here, or get dropped here by transport if you have left your car at the other end.
We did the hike with our great friends Ali and Seb - they were doing it for Ali's birthday and before they invited us along we'd never heard of it. But throw out the idea of a multiday hike adventure and we're in! After the obligatory "here we go" selfie in front of the trail sign, we started off hiking around 9am. It was already hot and looking to be a gorgeous, albeit toasty, day. The trail begun with a short gradual climb, winding its way up to views of the lake. It was pretty spectacular.
The first half of the day has you wandering through alpine fields of gorgeous wild flowers, it was pretty damn stunning! We stopped for lunch along the way on a small covered bridge and had a pot of coffee, it was nice to be out of the sun and have a chance to wash our faces in the little aqueduct.
After lunch the track followed the aqueduct for the rest of the day, although flat and potentially a little boring for some, the stunning views out to the side over the surrounding mountains made up for it.
Once we reached Cope Hut we set up our tents, had a snack and settled in for a few games of Monopoly Deal. We cooked our dinner and headed up to Cope Hut for sunset, it was a delight!
Cope Hut has a water tank and drop toilet! BYO loo paper.
DAY 2 - COPE HUT TO DIBBINS HUT
Day 2 begun with watching the sunrise, porridge and instant coffee - I don't personally know a better way to start the day.
After breakfast we packed up our tent and gear and headed off. The path begins across an open alpine field with plenty of wildflowers. It was pretty windy, so we hiked up to a little spot out of the wind for a coffee break before cruising up to Pole 33 where we were rewarded with some pretty spectacular views.
From Pole 33 we carried on and came across a herd of brumbies. Although they're undoubtedly a pest in Alpine Australia, they're still pretty darn majestic and beautiful to see. The trail carried on and we cam to a large open trail with views of Hotham and feathertop, it was pretty spectacular!
The trail then heads down to Dibbins Hut, located by the river. To get there you go through some pretty stunning fields of flowers and beautiful old snow gums. Once we got to camp we set up our tent and jumped in the river for a refresh. It was only 8 degrees but there isn't much better than a cold refreshing swim when you are covered in grime from hiking. We ended the day with more monopoly deal, a fire and tasty dinner.
There is a drop loo at this hut, and you can get water from the river!
DAY 3 - DIBBINS HUT TO HOTHAM
The final day begins with a steep climb up a spur from the river at the bottom of a valley. Although it isn't too long, this is the most difficult part of the hike. The trail leaves the campsite, passes Dibbins Hut and climbs up hill until you get to Derrick Hut. When we headed off it was quite misty so we didn't get any views on the climb until a little later when the sun came out.
We stopped for a coffee and snack break at Derrick Hut before continuing on our way to Hotham.
Once we reached Hotham we headed straight to The General for a celebratory beverage and lunch. After lunch we made our way to the Marouka Lodge, where we had booked a 4 person room for the night before getting picked up by Snow Dog Transport the following morning.
Hiking to the summit of Fitzroy Island was a highlight of our most recent trip to Far North Queensland.
Fitzroy island is off the coast of Tropical North Queensland and is accessible by a 45 minute ferry trip from Cairns. We used Fitzroy Island Adventures to get there and were super happy with their service. Whilst this hike is epic, it is important to note that it is pretty steep, and only suitable to those with a moderate level of fitness or, in absence of that, a large amount of grit. There are plenty of shorter (and flatter) walks and hikes on Fitzroy Island, however for us, anything with 360 degree views always takes the cake.
Overview
Where to start:
The campground is located around 100m to the left of the wharf when you get off the ferry. From the campground there is a sign marked Summit Track, as you may have guessed this is where you start (or end, depending on direction).
Here you can fill up your water bottle, go to the loo or even sit down and have a snack at the picnic tables.
Once you begin the trail is pretty self explanatory, you keep on climbing up the stairs until you reach the summit platform, enjoy the view, take a cheeky pic or 3 and then begin the descent. If you're lucky like we were you may get the trail almost completely to yourself!
The descent on the road is equally as steep as the stairs, so it's worth nothing that neither way is easier than the other.
Once you've finished your trail there are plenty of other things t do on the island. Snorkelling and checking out the beaches being high on the list of things we suggest. Nudey Beach is gorgeous, and the snorkelling is stunning if you time the tides right.
Have fun!  Whoever said that good things come in small packages was certainly onto something. For a state that is only 69,000km square (25% of which is UNESCO World heritage listed) with only half a million inhabitants, Tasmania sure bats above its average in terms of natural beauty. Think lakes, rivers, mountains, crystal clear water and white sand beaches mixed in with every adventure activity you can imagine, it makes for a pretty special place. This 2 week itinerary is by no means exhaustive of all that Tasmania has to offer, for a state with as much as Tasmania, 2 weeks is really only scratching the surface. However, with this time frame you can still see some epic places, as long as you're happy to hustle! With that in mind this itinerary misses out on quite a few awesome spots, we'll pop them in at the end - its just that they're a little further off the beaten track than 2 weeks travel allows for.
ITINERARYThis itinerary is based on flying into Hobart and out of Launceston. If you're flying the other way around you can just flip this on its head! It is also important to note that you should do as little night time (dusk or dawn included) driving as possible. There is a lot wildlife on the roads in Tassy and resultantly a lot of roadkill, and accidents. Its safer for you and the native population to try and avoid any driving in the dark.
 HOBART & SURROUNDSWhat to do:
Where to stay: If you're camping there are unfortunately not many options close to Hobart. We stayed at the Showgrounds on multiple occasions but for $25 a night (not including showers) it was definitely not cheap. If not camping there are a gazillion options including hotels and some super cute stays on Airbnb
MOUNT FIELD NATIONAL PARKThis is slightly out of the way, but boy is it worth it. The waterfalls are incredible and the hikes are gorgeous. It's only a 90 minute drive from Hobart so it totally doable as a day trip, however we highly recommend staying one night at the camp ground and wandering over to the falls late at night to check out the glow worms. What to do:
Where to stay: Gorgeous national park campground with hot showers and a basic camp kitchen.
BRUNY ISLANDWhat to do:
Where to stay: Camp at The Neck for $10 a night for 2 adults
FORTESCUE BAY & PORT ARTHUR (TASMAN NATIONAL PARK) Fortescue Bay is a beautiful bay in the Tasman National Park. There are multiple day hikes from the area as well as plenty of opportunity for fishing and beach activities. This bay is also the ending spot for the Three Capes Track (a beautiful, yet expensive national park hike that you can book in and do). What to do:
Where to stay:
FREYCINET NATIONAL PARK & COLES BAY What to do:
Where to stay:
BAY OF FIRES What to do:
Where to stay:
LIFFEY FALLSThis one was a surprise to us! We used it as a stop over one night and hiked to the falls in the morning, not knowing what to expect. And damn! We're sure glad we did - these falls were epic and not a soul to be seen! Camping is free!
CRADLE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK During the day there is a bus that takes people in and out of the park, which is included in your Tasmanian National Parks pass. It can drop you off at a few different spots depending on which hike you'd like to do. There are so many great ones it's hard to go wrong, but here are some of our favourites: What to do
Where to stay:
LAUNCESTONWhat to do:
Where to stay: We didn't spend much time around Launceston so don't have lots to report on here!  EXTRAS WE VISITED (AND LOVED)For those that have a little extra time up their sleeves!
PLACES WE DIDN'T GET TO BUT WANT TO VISIT
 
As the name suggests, the campsites are walk-in only. However, if thats not your thing don't be put off just yet. The hike is very short, with all 8 of the campsites being scattered along a 2km trail that follows the crystal clear Walker Creek, meaning the furthest site is still less than 2km from your car. Each camp site has a table, water access and space for a tent or 2. Ours also came with a complimentary water monitor (a type of a swimming lizard). The creek is deemed croc-free in the dry season once it has been cleared, however as usual with all swimming spots in the NT it's best to be alert, but not alarmed. You can walk along Walker Creek as a short 3.5km return day hike OR you can pop you name down on the blackboard on your way in and secure yourself your very own private campsite (complete with some form of plunge pool and maybe even a waterfall!).
The Camp SpotsAll 8 sites are pretty spectacular! When we arrived there wasn't anyone else in any of the sites so we got to pick which one we liked the most. We chose site 3, which was our favourite due to the huge pool and small waterfall! There was also some shade which was nice during the day. Site 4 was also nice, and sites 7 & 8 were super private (at the very end of the trail). Site 2 was probably our least favourite and also the least private as the trail walks straight past it (the rest are short side trips off the main trail).
The Reservation System
Note that Walker Creek camping facilities are pretty basic, so come prepared with your own drinking water or means to treat the stream water before drinking. The sites share a couple of drop toilets which may be a little walk from your campsite - you'll need to bring your own loo paper too!  For more ideas of things to do and see in the NT check out our 4 Week Northern Territory Road Trip Itinerary
Nitmiluk National Park in Australia's Northern Territory is a real treat to outdoor enthusiasts.
With its variety of hiking and mountain biking trails, waterfalls, swimming holes and canoeing options it's pretty darn spectacular. The park also hosts the famous 62km multi-day Jatbula trail. The trail can be completed over 5 or 6 days and books out months and months in advance. We were meant to do this hike at the end of August this year, however the trail was closed (for the first time ever) due to catastrophic fire danger. I was bummed, but it just means we'll have to head back another time. The park is split up into two main visitor areas; Leliyn (Edith) Falls and Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge. Edith Falls is 30km to the north of Katherine, where as the gorge is to the east of town. Both areas are accessible by all vehicles and there are campgrounds at both Leliyn (Edith Falls) and at the Katherine Gorge Visitor Centre, as well as plenty of campground options in Katherine town. 
Camping Options:
The Nitmiluk Campground at the gorge visitor centre is pretty pricey, at $23 per person for unpowered sites. They do have a pool and all the usual campground trimmings however, and at the time we stayed, free-to-use washing machines. What you're really paying for here is the proximity to the gorge and activities though which is very handy. If this is out of your budget though there are some cheaper options in town.
The campground at Edith Falls is far cheaper at $12 per person (there are only unpowered sites) and is a few 100 metres to the 'plunge pool' aka the giant swimming hole. Saturday nights at Edith Falls are pretty fun with opt-in well priced group meals and live music!
Hikes
There are a couple of hikes here that you can do from the pool, both of which take you to a new and exciting swimming pool. Remember to start early in the day and take plenty of water as the temperatures here exceed the high 30's very regularly.
Leliyn Trail (Upper Pools) : 2.6km loop This loop heads up and around the back of the main fall and takes you to the upper falls and pool. It then returns via the Bemang lookout. The upper pools can be a little quieter and are a nice spot to spend the day. Sweetwater Pools Hike: 8.6km return This trail heads along the beginning of the upper pools hike before splitting off and following the Jatbula trail to the Sweetwater Pool.
Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge
Nitmiluk National Park has over 10 stunning gorges. You are able to hike or canoe out to different areas and camp overnight. As well as hiking, there is a new network of mountain biking trails that was opened in July 2020. They are still under construction and when completed, will boast over 10km of trails through the park.
Hikes
The hiking trails of the Southern Walks (the hikes at the Katherine end of the park) stretch out over lots of kilometres and all link up. The hikes all start at the visitors centre so depending on how big of a day you after you may need to camp out somewhere overnight to get to the furthest gorge (it's over 10km one way on foot if you take the shortest route).
A few popular day hikes are:
Find a PDF from NT Parks of the Southern hiking trails here
 Buckle up, this is an overview of our 4 day itinerary in Kakadu National Park and it covers a lot of ground. The park is spread over a huge amount of land, so resultantly there is quite large distance between places and a fair bit of driving time! We'll cover waterfalls, wildlife and rock art, along with a couple of hiking trails thrown in for good measure. It's also important that we mention our itinerary is by no means exhaustive. There are loads more campgrounds and things to do that we didn't get to. On our trip around Australia, we had our trusty little VW transporter which was wonderful, but not a 4WD which really limited some things we could visit in Kakadu. Head over to the Parks Australia - Kakadu website or more in-depth information on everything in the park. First things first you'll need a Park Pass. When we visited (September 2020) entry was free due to COVID-19 and its impact on the tourism industry. The pass usually costs $40 in the dry season and lasts for 7 days by default, this can be extended to 14 days at no extra cost. As always when visiting a national park ensure you check the parks websites for any warnings or closures. Trails can be closed for a variety of reasons including fire danger and extreme temperatures. We visited Kakadu during our 4 week trip of the Northern Territory in August/September 2020. To see our 4 week road trip itinerary click the button below!
 Day 1: Mamukala Wetlands, Cahill's Crossing, Ubirr & Merl Campground
Day 2: Bardedjilidji Walk, Cooinda Campground and Yellow Water Sunset Cruise
Day 3: Yellow Water Sunrise Cruise and Maguk Plunge Pool & Waterfall
Day 4: Barrk Sandstone Walk and much, much more in a 4WD!
 
Like wine? and like riding your bike? Or perhaps you just like drinking wine and not having to drive a car. Whatever the reason you've ended up here we think the Riesling Trail has a little something to offer everyone. This post goes over our Riesling trail cycling itinerary along with the wineries we visited, the food we ate and the wine we bought!
The trail is 35 km and runs from Auburn to Clare (or vice versa). It passes by a lot of great vineyards and wineries and passes through some beautiful countryside. Depending on the winery that you visit they may or may not charge for a tasting (usually around 5 wines). If they do charge, then they'll usually take the amount off any bottles of wine that you purchase. Now we won't pretend that we're super knowledgeable about wine so we won't delve into the details of everything we drank. However, someone who is super knowledgeable about wines is our friend Chloe from Crush at Social. You can find her blog post on the regions best wines here. Note: If you didn't come prepared with your own bike don't stress, you're not alone. There are a few bike hire places in town. We'd suggest hitting the visitor information centre in Clare and getting some info there! Camping and Accomodation Options
First things first, you'll need somewhere to stay in the Clare Valley. There are plenty of Airbnb options available along the trail and in the towns it passes through. Or if you, like us, are camping then there are 2 good options that we checked out.
The Riesling Trail - Our Day on The Bikes
Shut The Gate Wines
Our first stop was just down the road from the visitors centre. Shut The Gate Wines offers free tastings, and has a small goods store with a selection of meats, cheese, olives etc - everything you need for a picnic.
We purchased some 2018 "The Forager" Shiraz for $28. It is delicious.
Tim Adams Wines
Next up we headed to Tim Adams Wines. A tasting flight costs $10 per person and this $10 is taken off any money spent on wine (over a certain amount).
Worth noting is that they offer a wine and cheese tasting flight in which they match 5 artisan cheeses with 5 single vintage wines for $35 - this appeared to be pretty popular! Here we splurged a little. We bought 2 bottles, The 2016 Ladera Tempranillo ($40) and The Fergus, a blend of Grenache, Tempranillo and Malbec ($28).
Sevenhill Cellars
Next up we headed to Sevenhill Cellars. this one had been recommended to us by a few people, not only for it's wine, but also for its history and setting. Sevenhill Cellars was the first winery in the Clare Valley and there is a stunning church on the grounds, surrounded by vines. It's a pretty beautiful place.
Here again the tasting flight costs $10, but this is taken off any wine you purchase. We bought The Inigo 2018 Malbec for $28.
Pikes Brewery (and Winery)
Also worth a mention is Pikes Brewery. We visited here the day before our bike adventure and got a tasting paddle along with some hot chippies! The beer was great, we're told the wine is great and the setting is pretty special.
The Flinders Ranges are the largest mountain range in South Australia. Starting roughly 200km north of Adelaide at Port Pirie the range stretches for over 400km up to Callabonna. Given the vast area these mountains cover there are a lot of great spots to hike, run and explore so it can be kinda overwhelming deciding where to go, especially if you're short on time.
We visited the Flinders Ranges in a few spots and did a couple of great hikes. Our highlight however would have to be spending a few days at Wilpena Pound and exploring around there. There are hikes for all ages and fitness abilities We stayed at Wilpena Pound Resort, and at $26 per night for an unpowered site - hot showers, coin laundry, IGA, camp kitchens, included on site we thought it was pretty good value. Apparently there is a pool on site too, although we didn't go looking for it as it rarely got above 10 degrees whilst we were there. Wilpena Pound was also in a wonderful location, close to plenty of trails for day hikes, as well as the super-long multi day Mawson and Heysen trails passing right through the campground here. There is also a large amount of national park campground available throughout the Flinders.
St Mary's Peak
Wangara Lookout Hike
So far we've been super impressed by what South Australia has to offer and we can't wait to explore more of it!
 If waterholes, waterfalls, hiking, fishing, camping and cold beers are some of the things you enjoy doing, then a visit to the NT could be right up your alley. Our 4 week Northern Territory road trip itinerary has a little bit of something for everyone. Holidaying in the Northern Territory feels a little bit like what I imagine it’d be like to holiday in the wild west. The speed limit along the one and only highway is 130 kilometres per hour and there are distances of hundreds of kilometres with nothing more than a roadhouse or 2. The temperatures frequently soar over 35 degrees celsius and almost everything there can kill you, and to be blatant, quite often it wants to. Yes, I'm talking about the prehistoric lizards that inhabit almost every body of water you'll come across. Also worth noting is that this route is ALL accessible by a 2WD. Whilst having a 4WD definitely opens up the areas you can see in the NT, there is still a hell of a lot to see in a regular car. We'll also mention side trips and places to add if you're in a 4WD - because as usual, there are some epic things to see off the beaten track.
Itinerary overview
4 Week Northern Territory ItineraryDarwin
Litchfield National ParkIf you're into chasing waterfalls then Litchfield NP is the spot for you! Don't forget to check out the NT National Park Website to check what areas of the park are open before heading out for your fun.  What to Do:
Where to Stay:
Kakadu National ParkFirst things first, check out the Kakadu National Park Website. This should give you information on what areas are open and closed, as well as access to maps that will help you plan out your time there. It's a large park with long drives between sites so it's worth having a game plan of what you want to do and see before you arrive! Read our Kakadu National Park Itinerary here.
Edith Falls (Leliyn - Nitmiluk National Park)What to Do:
Where to Stay:
Nitmiluk (Katherine) GorgeWhat to Do:
Where to Stay:
Also whilst in the area stop in to the Katherine Hot springs! Check out our post on Nitmiluk (Katherine) National Park here. 
MatarankaWhat to Do:
Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles)What to Do:
Alice Springs What to Do:
Where to Stay:
West McDonnell Ranges (Tjoritja)What to Do:
Where to Stay:
To read in depth about the West Macs, Kings Canyon & Uluru area check out our one week Uluru to Alice itinerary here from our trip in 2017.
East MacDonnell RangesAlthough visited much less than the West Macs, the East Macs gorgeous landscape is not to be skipped. In a 2WD you can get to Trephina Gorge where you’ll have the choice of 3 beautiful campgrounds right where the hikes set off from. The road keeps on going and there is more to see however it becomes unsealed and potentially 4WD only from a little after the gorge.  What to Do:
Where to Stay:
Kings Canyon
 Uluru & Kata Tjuta Two very special places right in the middle of our country. Kata Tjuta was definitely an NT highlight for us. Click HERE for our in depth post about hiking and exploring Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park from our trip in 2017.  What to Do: Uluru
Kata Tjuta
Where to Stay:
NOTE: We travelled throughout mid August to mid September and it was very hot! We would recommend coming earlier in the dry season to have temperatures that are more likely to allow you to hike and get out and about during the middle of the day if you like being active. There is also more water in all the waterfalls and pools earlier in the season too!
Enjoy, in our opinion, the Territory really is the wildest place in Australia. 
So you're thinking about hiking the Thorsborne Trail on Hinchinbrook Island? Then you've come to the right place.
This hike is absolutely stunning and is packed with a huge amount of beauty over it's 32km. Think crystal clear pools, epic views, waterfalls and wildlife - you won't be disappointed. Read on for our guide on everything you need to know about booking, hiking and enjoying the Thorsborne Trail!
Information Overview:Before You GoWhat to PackThe HikeNeed To Know
How much does it cost?
The camping permit's are $6.75 per person per night. So for the entire 3 nights it was $20.25 per person. Wildly cheap when you are camping in a place like this!
The boat transfer per person is between $155 - $170 return depending on the operator. Ours were $165 each and we were super happy with the operator we chose! (See below for info on our ferry choice). Keep in mind these are longish trips, so although it may seem like a lot of money, you re on the boat for quite a while! Which direction should I walk?
How many days will I need?
Next up you'll need to decide whether to hike over 3 nights, or 4 nights. We did 3 nights and found this to be a perfect amount of time.The hike distances each day aren't huge and can usually be covered in a few hours, so with a somewhat early start (8:30ish) most people will be at their next campsite by lunchtime or early afternoon.
That being said, some people have suggested doing 4 nights and spending two nights at South Zoe Bay so that you can spend an entire day hanging out at the waterfall. Its up to you! Booking your permit with QLD Parks
The Thorsborne Trail is understandably a popular little route, and as it's limited to 40 people hiking per day in total, permits sell out well in advance. Resultantly it's pretty crucial that you purchase your permits from the QLD Parks website as soon as you know what dates suit you. You don't need to specify which campgrounds you plan to stay at for your trip, just how many nights you'd like to book on the island in total, so it gives you freedom to stay somewhere longer if you like it!
You can book your permit here. The QLD Parks campground reservation website can be a little fiddly to operate, after being in the state for a month and using if for multiple locations we finally got the hang of it.. (we think). 
So first up you'll want to search for Thorsborne Trail in the location section (see photo above) as well as put in the date you'd like to start and the number of days you plan to have on the island.
Note: It is certainly physically possible to hike the Thorsborne Trail with only one night on the island, or to even run it in just one day, however most of the highlights of our trip were due to having a bit of extra time to explore side trails and having the time to swim in the many amazing natural fresh waterholes, so we suggest leaving yourself 3 nights to enjoy the trail.
Boat Transfer to Hinchinbrook Island (from Cardwell OR Lucinda)
Next up you'll need to book your ferry transfer to and from the island.
There are 2 companies, one leaves from Cardwell; Hinchinbrook Island Cruises and the other from Lucinda, Absolute North Charters. We went with Brad from Hinchinbrook Island cruises and could not have been happier with his service. Brad was super friendly, punctual and informative. He gave us history about the island and surrounding area on the trip over, as well as stopping to spot crocs on the trip back! When we pulled up at Ramsay Bay for the beginning of our hike he even supplied us all with insect repellant to use before leaving the boat, in preparation for the sandflies! As a bonus for going from Cardwell there is a free long term carpark very close the wharf that makes it super easy to pull up, grab your bags out and get on the boat. It was roughly 60 minutes from Cardwell to our starting point at the North of the island, and 90 minutes on the way back from the South of the island to Cardwell. If you are to get transport from Lucinda it's 10 minutes to the South of the island and 90 minutes to the North. 
What To PackGear
Note: These are the suggested items you are going to need to bring, and as an example we've listed our personal versions of each.
Sleeping:
Cooking:
Extras:
*We didn't have one of these but they are super handy for when you get into a sticky situation, and especially important for people travelling alone. Garmin has a variety of options that start out around a couple hundred dollars, a small price to pay for peace of mind (for you and your family). 
Food
First up - be practical. Everything you carry in needs to be carried out - there are no bins on the island! So the smaller and lighter weight the containers and packages your food comes in the better.
Here's what we took with us. This list is not exhaustive and doesn't even scratch the surface on backpacking food options, but it worked for us! Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
Snacks:
Alternatively there are lots dehydrated options for all meals available from a variety of providers. Back Country meals are around $12 for a single serve or $18 for a double serve (and can quite often be bought on sale). They have breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert options - and they're pretty darn good! Only problem for us was finding vegan options. It's also important to note that their serving sizes are pretty small. Most people that we meet have a double serve to themselves quite easily, especially after a long day on the trails.
First Aid & Toiletries
The HikeDay 1: Cardwell → Ramsay Bay → Little Ramsay Bay (6.5 km)
Our day begun in Cardwell. We'd stayed at the Meunga Caravan park the night before (at $8 a night per person with plenty of space, clean facilities and hot showers we highly recommend this spot!) so we just had a short drive to the Port Hinchinbrook public boat ramp. We got our packs out of the van at the neighbouring long term carpark, did a final check of our gear (yes we had 4 days worth of peanut butter sandwiches) and we were off!
Brad from Hinchinbrook Island Cruises met us and a few others who were headed to the island with him also at the car park at 6:45am and we headed to the boat. From there it was probably 60 minutes, we stopped a couple of times for Brad to point out some landmarks and give us some history of the island which was awesome. We also saw a huge tuna jumping at a bait ball on the ride over which was very impressive. Once we arrived at Ramsay Bay Brad got us all to put on some insect repellant as the sandflies can apparently be pretty bad here. We jumped out of the boat, got our obligatory photos at the start of the hike next to the national park sign and we were off!
First up we cruised along Mulligans Bay towards Ninas Peak (that high point close to the water in the photo above). At the end of Mulligans Bay we cut in to the trees and walked through dense forest where we were surrounded by hundreds of butterflies!
We followed the path (and the very obvious and frequent orange arrow markers) until we got to a clearing that had a path climbing off to the right, next to a fairly obvious large space to leave our bags. This side path was to Nina Peak, something we definitely didn't want to miss. The Nina Peak side trip was short but steep, it was only roughly a km return but packed a punch in vertical gain, definitely worth leaving your pack at the bottom!
After Nina Peak we hiked onwards to Nina Bay, and then Boulder Bay - aptly named due to the large amount of boulders you need to hop over.
For those who want to take the hike a little slower and stay for more days there is a campground located at Nina Bay.
From Boulder Bay we headed onwards to Little Ramsay Bay, the beach that night #1's camp ground was located on.
Once we arrived at the campground we picked our spot, pitched our tent and hung our bags up on the pack racks. These pack racks are installed for everyone to use so that your bags are off the ground. The island is inhabited with native bush rats that will chew through your bag or tent (or anything!) if there is food inside, so save yourself the hassle (and cost) of having your equipment nibbled at and hang your gear up. Next up we needed to refill our water stores.
Day 2: Little Ramsay Bay → Zoe Bay (10.5 km)
Day 2 we rose nice and early to watch the sunrise, no need for alarms, the birds and light outside will let you know that it's morning time.
After a breakfast of nut & seed porridge (as always) and coffee we packed up our stuff and headed off around 8:30. We wanted to get moving somewhat early so that we'd reach the South Zoe camping area nice and early so we could head up to the falls and get the afternoon there. Only a short way into the days trip there is a side trip to Banksia Bay. It's only 600m return and worth it if you'd like to check out the yellow native orchids that grow in the area. Banksia Bay is also a campground for those that skipped Little Ramsay. There is not another hikers campground until South Zoe after this one. Although there are other campgrounds on the island they can be used by sea kayakers or boaters only. To be completely honest, this was the least enjoyable day of hiking. Although it was only just over 10km, there were multiple creek crossings (always best crossed at low tide due to crocs), long stretches of swampy mangrove areas (think shin deep in mud in croc country) and thorny vines that were pretty good at getting caught on your hat, shirt and pack. Hence we were happy to get to the campground at the end of Zoe Bay. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't terrible, but of the 4 days, this day felt the most like a slog! It took us around 3 hours.
Roughly 1 km past the Sth Zoe Bay campground is Zoe Falls, and it makes the days hike totally worth it. At the base of the falls is a huge crystal clear blue pool that you can swim in (no crocs here!). It is divine, and just what was needed after a couple of hours hike.
The trail continues up to the top of the falls where there is an infinity pool overlooking the falls and beaches below. If you get there early in the day you can have it completely to yourself. It was pretty special!
The Falls and these pools are a huge deciding factor for why some people decide to take an extra night at Sth Zoe campground on the hike, and then spend a whole day relaxing here. As we were at the Falls by midday we were totally satisfied with our afternoon in the sun, but can understand why people choose to break the trip up! 
Day 3: Zoe Bay → Mulligans Falls (7.5 km)
Once we reached our campground at Mulligans falls we again set up our tent, hung up our packs, jumped into our swimmers and headed for the falls. Another huge pool awaited us along with another beautiful waterfall.
Day 4: Mulligans Falls → George Point
Across the creek Seany spotted a coconut tree, and after not finding any large enough on our prior few days walking he was very happy to find and drink a couple.
We carried on to George Point and waited for Brad to pick us up. Stoked on an epic few days hiking on an incredible and for the most part, untouched landscape. 
The Warrumbungles National Park in central west NSW is something you need to add to your bucket list. Not only does it have some of the most stunning hikes we've ever done in Australia, but it is also Australia's only dark sky park, meaning that the sights at night time are equally impressive.
Famous for both the Grand High Tops and Breadknife hikes, the Warrumbungles landscape scattered with large rock formations, is unlike anywhere else in Australia. There are hikes for all levels of fitness, making this park fun for the whole family. To access the NSW National Parks Brochure on Warrumbungle National Park click HERE HOT TIP: Always check the Local Alerts for the park you are visiting to check out what areas are open and closed to help you plan your visit. 
Campgrounds
There are 2 car accessible campgrounds in the Warrumbungles National Park; Camp Blackman and Camp Wambelong. As well as these, there are multiple walk or hike-in camp sites.
Camp Blackman
Camp Wambelong
We chose to stay in Blackman 2. This decision was largely based on the view of Split Rock from our campsite, as well as the showers - who doesn't want a hot shower after a long day hiking? DID YOU KNOW? Due to COVID-19 all NSW National Parks campgrounds need to be pre-booked (even the free ones!) As a lot of the campgrounds are remote (and with minimal, if any, cell service) it helps to book before you get there - especially for the popular ones!
Hikes
An overview of all the hikes we did whilst in the Warrumbungles.
As well as a description and some stats, we've popped a link to our Strava activity files on there to give a little more in-depth information on distance, elevation and time. Still on our list of hikes to do in the park is Mount Exmouth! 
Breadknife and Grand High Tops (return via West Spirey Creek)
Gould's Circuit & Bluff Mountain
If you add in Gould's Circuit and Bluff Mountain to your Grand High Tops Adventure then the entire hike will be closer to 18km. Gould's Circuit is mostly single track and easy to follow, whereas Bluff Mountain is steeper and not all on formed track - bushwalking experience required.
Both additions were well worth it and we highly recommend adding them in if you're up for a bigger day out! All up our round trip was around 5 hours including lunch & photo stops. Gould's circuit (via Febar and Macha Tor) can be accessed without having to do the full large loop, and works out to be a 6.3k circuit from Pincham Car park. This hike is graded as moderate to steep.
Split Rock Circuit
Burbie Canyon
Tara Hands Cave
Whilst we were unable to complete with walk with a local guide due to Covid - 19 restrictions, we strongly recommend you do this via the Aboriginal Discovery Program that is normally offered at the park.
Well, what are you waiting for? Book your trip to the Warrumbungles ASAP! You won't be disappointed.
 CAMPERVAN CONVERSION - VOLKSWAGEN TRANSPORTER VAN SWB T6 2017 MODEL Wanting to convert your van into a home on wheels? If you're interested in learning how to do it, or you're just interested in seeing what we're up to... Whatever has brought you to this page; Welcome! We decided to do this post after a lot of our online searches turned up not a lot of specific information on kitting out your own van. We found plenty of videos overviewing the process, but none that really delved into the juicy details. We couldn't find information on what to buy, what tools and materials we'd need or when to get help with from an expert. So we decided to do it ourself, and track the process, hopefully helping you folk out along the way! In this blog post we'll try to demystify fitting out your own van. The "How To", the "What To Use" and the "What to Buy." We'll also be breaking down what we spent on the entire fit out... always handy to know what you're up for! Full Disclosure: Sean is a carpenter, so we had the tools handy, and a lot of the knowledge about products. Although, we'll be honest, because the shape of the van isn't straight or flat anywhere, and it is unlike anything Sean has ever built, it was still a total new learning curve for him (and obviously me)!
This is the second time we've kitted out the van. Whilst we liked the general floor plan and functionality of our first layout (drop down table and pull out bed), we didn't have anything lining the walls or floor, and hence had no insulation or sufficient storage for long term living. Our original layout compromised a little on 'livability' as the van had to function for Sean to use working as a carpenter, as well as suffice for the odd weekend road trip. Whereas our new layout focuses on long term living as we're heading around Australia (as soon as COVID-19 allows). We re-used the frame for the bed and drawer base from our first fit out with some minor adjustments, and were also able to recycle parts we didn't like and re-use the materials in other ways. Our OLD layout: To check out our blog post on the first fit out* click here. *This includes info on how we did the bed originally, as in this new kit out we've used this original frame and just adapted the bed slightly. Van ConversionToolsThis is what we used. Obviously we're not expecting everyone to go out and buy a brand new 'brad nailer' for the best part of $1000. Not all these tools are 100% necessary, you can make do with what you have, it just might be a little rougher or take longer. Also, ask a mate to borrow their tools. Who knows, you might even get some help thrown in with them. But make sure that if you borrow your mate's tools that you take care of them.
Materials
Electricals:
Next we removed all the internal wall panels. This gave us access to the internal wall cavities for us to insulate, as well as helped us assess where we'd be able to fix the walls off to. This is important as we didn't want to fix into any of the metal panels that were external, for obvious reasons (rust, water etc) as well as not wanting to hit any of the electrical components with a stray screw or nail!
Insulation:Next up we insulated. We used EVA foam floor mats. They're light, connectable and cheap. We attached them to the walls and ceiling with instant nails. Easy! We looked at a variety of insulation options. We begun this project at the beginning of COVID-19's spread and hence we were unable to buy any protective face masks anywhere, which limited what types of insulation we could use, namely fibreglass "wool" batts, as you can't install that stuff without the proper PPE. We ended up choosing to go with the EVA mats as they were small, thin (we don't have a huge van for two people so don't want to lose a heap of space in wall cavities), lightweight, and readily available. I'm sure there are much better options out there, so if you have a better idea or know of a better product, please feel free to let us know for next time. We luckily live in Australia and hence have very mild winters compared to the rest of the world, so "R-values" weren't the be all and end all. ------------ We also painted the ceiling panels of the van white. We decided to keep the original panels for now rather than use ply as we didn't want to lose any head space that we didn't need to.
Flooring:Next we began prep work for the floor. We decided to remove the original rubber mat we had in the van and use ply flooring instead. To attach the ply to the floor we stuck down battens using liquid nails. Sean ripped down a few lengths of 70 x 35mm pine into thirds and we used these as battens to attach linings to for the floor and walls. As you can (hopefully) see in the photos, the floor had channels and grooves running along it. We used these grooves to run battens the entire length of the flooring where we could, and shorter ones in other sections. The liquid nails needs 12 - 24 hours to sufficiently harden and strengthen. So we chucked a sheet of ply on top of it, along with a few heavy items and left it overnight. Note - in our van the metal floor panel is only one skin, hence we only glued these battens down and didn't use fixings to avoid penetrating the external skin of the van.
Next up we started tracing out the ply for the floor. We were lucky as we had a rubber mat in our van before, so this gave us a great stencil to use for our ply. If you don't have a mat or flooring in there already, cardboard can be really handy to use. It can be a bit of a tiring process, but it's worth getting it right by trialling with some free recycled cardboard vs stuffing up a $50 sheet of ply. After we'd traced the outline we used a jigsaw to cut the ply to shape. We then popped it into the van, and made a few more adjustments with the jigsaw depending on where wasn't fitting. Due to the width of the van, one piece of ply wasn't wide enough, so we used the same technique of tracing for the other side of the van and cut the second sheet to size.
Once we'd cut both sheets, and fit them in place, we used liquid nails and the nail gun to attach the sheets to the battens. We used the shorter 25mm nails here so that we could attach the floor ply to the battens without it penetrating through to the metal underneath.
Walls:Next up was the walls. We again used battens underneath to give us something to fix the ply off to. The battens were attached with liquid nails and metal screws. As our ply walls are going to have shelving on them we wanted them to be strong enough to bear some weight. Luckily we were able to slide some small pieces of timber up inside some of the wall cavities. We could then fix to them through pre existing openings in the metal, hence avoiding putting many fixings directly into the body of the car. This is somewhat hard to explain or capture in a photo, and maybe you don't care if your van is an old beater, but we wanted to avoid any excessive damage to the shell where possible.
Once the battens were in, we had something to fix our ply off to. Next was the task of tracing the wall shape (same as we did with the floor). This time didn't have a pre-existing rubber mat, so we used cardboard and some of the wall panels we had removed earlier to put insulation in. Again this was a process of trialling the ply in the car and then making any necessary adjustments to areas that didn't quite fit right. Due to the three dimensional curves of the van and trying to flex 7mm ply to fit them, this was one of the most tedious and frustrating parts of the job. Think lots and lots of trial and error. We also cut in the holes for where our electrical components were going to come out. This included a hole close to the front for our main switchboard, a small hole at the back for a couple of USB ports and a tiny hole for the fan wiring. Once we were happy with the fit we used the nail gun to fasten the ply to the battens, taking extra care to avoid any electrical wiring that could have been hidden underneath.
Fan Next up we popped a fan in. We bought the Sirocco Complete 360° Airflow. It was quiet and rotated to all kinds of angles. This wasn't the cheapest option but it does what we wanted it to do. This one has to be hard wired in, which was easy for us as we got the guys at Battery Business to put the wires in place so Sean just needed to connect them. There are plenty of other options for fans that charge through other means (USB or cigarette sockets for example)
The Bed FrameWe’ve gone through a few different bed designs, and each time we’ve kept the same frame and just changed the top mechanism. During this process we have experimented with different types of materials that Sean has been able to salvage from his various job sites that were otherwise going to go in the skip. We finally think we've found the easiest to set up. The frame was built using 70 x 35mm pine. We attempted to cut this frame in tightly around the wheel arch such to minimise space lost. Again with having complex three dimensional curves and no real straight reference point to work off, this is a bit of a fiddly job, with probably more trial and error lifting the frame in and out a few times just to check what fits. Once we were happy with it sitting over the wheel arch and the side of the drawer opening underneath the bed, we covered the frame in 7mm ply. We cut in a few lift out panel on top for storage spaces underneath the bed. One of these is used to house our 2nd battery, the other for storage of items we don't have to use regularly, as this box is a little harder to access under the mattress.
We added a weight bearing drawer at the back for storage, with removable drop in panels so that we can use it as a pull out table for cooking.
Then we screwed the frame to the ply floor in a few spots to keep it in place. *The final part of the bed construction will be the hinged top. This will come up a little further down the post as it will fold out and be supported on our rear cabinet, and fridge storage space. Fridge and Surrounding CabinetryBehind the seats we decided to build a cabinet that housed our fridge on sliders, as well as a lift top box for storage. The fridge was in a shallow drawer with sliders. The walls were made out of 7mm ply, and the top with 12mm ply so that it was strong enough to be sat on. It was framed with 70 x 35 mm pine ripped into mostly half sections - i.e. 35 x 35mm. We made a shallow drawer to pop the fridge in. We cut out a space in the back of the drawer for the fridge's power cables to go through when sliding it in and out of the van. The sliders are the same as the ones we used in our rear 'kitchen' drawer, and they're rated to hold 80kg.
Rear CabinetOur original van layout included a drop down table that we found very handy for eating inside on a wet night, working at the computer or other very important things like playing cards. So when redoing the van we wanted something similar, but with extra space for storage. Firstly we boxed out the other rear wheel arch and built the structure for our table and shelving out of 35mm x 35mm treated pine. We measured up the space and then built the structure outside of the van. This made it easier to fix the structure together before attaching it to the floor.
Next we lined that section with 7mm ply and popped a few lift out holes in the top so that we could access underneath for storage.
We then attached strips of hardwood to the outside of the structure to act as support for our fold out bed. We also added a strip to the "fridge box" and a couple more supports on the side of the main bed frame, such that the extra weight of someone sleeping on the bed wouldn't only be supported by the hinges.
Drop Down TableNext up we added the drop down table and storage to the rear cabinet. The shelves were made out of 12mm ply. We added one shelf behind the drop down table, and one on top of that cabinet for jars etc.
The fold out table section was secured in the upright position using a sash fastener (commonly used in double-hung windows). It opened via two small hinges, and had extra support from two pieces of sash cord fixed inside the cabinet.
Fold Out Double BedFor the double bed we attached a piece of ply using a set of piano hinges. The fold out part was supported by the rails on the fridge box and rear cabinetry as seen above.
Finished!  ExtrasFlooringWe used an oil stain on the floor so that it would be a little darker and harder wearing. Bonus - It makes it way less obvious when the floor is a little grubby.
MattressWe cut and re-sewed our folding mattress to fit our bed shape. This meant that when the bed was folded up we could use the mattress as our couch, and when the bed was open the mattress would open and slip into its slot as our double bed. Our mattress was originally from IKEA, it was called the NYHAMN.. We bought it a few years ago however it looks like they still stock it here.
CurtainsNothing skilful with the material here, we had some old IKEA curtains at home, we hemmed them and cut them to the size of our windows! We attached the curtains to the car via screw in eye holes and sash cord. The screws were through the inner layer of metal on the car only.
Thanks for reading! I am sure there is a lot we didn't cover, or go into enough depth about. So if you have any questions, please hit us up - we are more than happy to answer any questions. For now, find us on Instagram or Facebook to see what we're up to!   You've seen the photos, you've heard the stories and now you want a piece of the action for yourself. And who wouldn't! Canada's Berg Lake Trail is arguably one of the most sought-after back country camping permits available for Canada's summer months, and spots sell out quickly! The trail begins near the Mount Robson Visitors centre and climbs steadily to the glacial fed Berg Lake. Along the way you'll be surrounded by mountains, cruise past waterfalls, hike over suspension bridges, have lunch staring at glaciers and see lakes bluer than anything we saw in Canada, and if you know anything about lakes in Canada you'll know that that is really saying something! Fun Fact: The view of Mount Robson from the Visitors Centre is absolutely breathtaking on a clear day, and totally worth a stop on your road trip if you don't have time to fit hiking any of the trail in.
The trail is 23km in length and rises from 853m (2800ft) elevation at the trail head to 1649m (5410ft) at Robson Pass, a total elevation gain of almost 800m (2600 ft). Along the way there are 7 reservable campsites. We ran in and out in a day as a training run, it was a lot of fun but a very big day! Unless you're into running or hiking very long distances in a single day we'd definitely recommend taking a few nights along the trail to really enjoy it. We think it's be preferable to get to Berg Lake and have a night or 2 there to explore the trails surrounding the area.   The 7 reservable camp sites along the Berg Lake Trail (marked by the green stars on the map above): Sites are reservable at the Discover Camping website and reservations are can be made as early as October 1st each year for the following season. For example: To book a spot for July 2020 you will want to be ready to book on October 1st 2019. It can seem like a bit of a hassle having to book that far in advance, but oh boy is it worth it
I'll break the hike up into 3 bite sized pieces.
 Berg Lake Trail Head to Lake Kinney:In A Nutshell (From The Trailhead): 7km, 131m (800ft) elevation gain Nice and easy. This portion of the trail winds through forest track along the shore of the Robson River with some small but very manageable rises in elevation. You'll be rewarded handsomely with your first glimpses of Kinney lake and Mount Robson, and I promise you will be happy you've made it this far. * For those who are not interested in doing a huge multiway (or very long single day) hike we really recommend Kinney lake! It's easily achievable for hikers of all abilities and the lake itself is extremely beautiful!
Kinney Lake to Emperor FallsIn A Nutshell (From The Trailhead): 16km, 762m (2500ft) elevation gain From Kinney Lake on to Whitehorn Campground you will continues to hike up hill slowly, from the trailhead to Whitehorn you will have travelled 11km and gained only 250m (800ft) in elevation. A modest gain in elevation. However the next portion of the trail is where it starts to get a little trickier. From Whitehorn to Emperor falls it is only 5km, but in that 5km you will gain 518m (1700ft), more than double the climbing you've already done in half the distance! AS stated, this next part is steep, but there are plenty of stops and viewpoints along the way to rest. Don't forget to check out the falls and give yourself a pat on the back, the hard part is done!
Emperor Falls to Berg Lake (& The Various Campgrounds around it)In A Nutshell (From The Trailhead): To Marmort Campground 19km, 792m, To Berg Lake Campground 21km, 788m, To Rearguard Campground 22km, 793m, To Robson Pass Campground 23km, 796m The next section from Emperor Falls to Berg Lake is relatively flat with only 30m in elevation gain over the final 7km of the hike. You will first get to Marmot campground on the shores of Berg Lake first. You'll get your first glimpses of the incredible glacier feeding the lake and if you're lucky views of the peak of Mount Robson looming over you. From Marmot Campground it is another 2km along the lake shore on to Berg Lake Campground and then both Rearguard and Robson Campgrounds are only a few kilometres further.
Berg Lake Trail was our favourite stop in all of BC and Alberta on our 3 week road trip. We absolutely loved it, and highly recommend anyone doing as such or as little of it as appeals to them.   Okay.. So we know that you really don't need a reason to go on a road trip.. ever. Especially not one in a place as jaw-droppingly-gob-smackingly-beautiful as Canada. But if you are for some reason holding back on getting out there and seeing what Canada has to offer, here are 8 amazing reasons you need to go explore it now. Right now. As usual, these are not listed in order of best to still-awesome-but-not-the-best. The order is random and every single reason to visit Canada is great and totally dependant on the person visiting.
We explored all of these goodies whilst on a 3 week road trip through BC & The Rockies. Check out our itinerary suggestions here.  1. Outdoor Activities This includes, but is certainly not limited to:
2. Wildlife Lions and tiger and bears Oh My! Okay so there aren’t lions.. or tigers... unless you count mountain lions; they’re elusive, however they are there... But, there are bears! And there is a huge array of other wildlife visible throughout BC & The Rockies. Caribou, Eagles, Big Horn Sheep, Bald Eagles, Squirrels and so much more are all visible just hanging out on the side of the roads! 3. Roadside Scenery There is nothing quite like rounding a blind corner in your van and seeing the whole skyline in front of you open up, filled with peaks of different heights and colours. Throw in animals all over the place and driving pretty much anywhere in BC is a treat for the senses. Check these roads out for all the good stuff:
4. Beer! Too many breweries, too little time. Almost every single town has a brewery and as far as we can tell so far almost all of their beers are great. There are also plenty of “tallboy” cans of quality suds to be found for enjoyment in some more remote locations on the road. Our favourite Brewery:
The Okanagan Valley is also very well known for its wine. We didn’t get to suss out any vineyards but a day riding bikes around and drinking wine is always fun right? Fun Fact #2: You can buy wine in a can. You're welcome.
5. Picnic Spots Food with a view. Is there any better way to enjoy a meal? Plenty of road side pit-stops and loads of well-deserved-end-of-hike vantage points. There are infinite possibilities!
6. Lakes Lakes in every shade of blue you can imagine.
7. Trails Trails lined with wildflowers, running along the shores of lakes, over the summits of mountains, across suspension bridges and leading to waterfalls, what more could you ask for. Trails long or short, taking days or minutes, it's up to you and there is something for absolutely everybody. There is so much land to explore, and what better way to do it than on your own 2 feet?
8. Mountains Last but certainly not least. There is not much to write about this point, it’s pretty self explanatory; they’re everywhere, they’re beautiful, they’re hike-able, they’re climb-able and some are even gondola-accessible. I count this as one of the 5 reasons to visit BC mostly just because they’re absolutely-breathtakingly and it’s a really special feeling you get when looking down from the top of a peak, somehow it manages to put the whole world into perspective, if only for a minute.
So what are you waiting for? Book those flights, and reserve that Jucy van ASAP. You will not regret it, I pinky promise.   We all love a good road trip. And nowadays we all love getting a good photo (or 10) to show off the magnificent places we’ve been visiting. British Columbia and the Rockies make this easy because, well.. Canada is just way too beautiful. Seriously. And although photos never truly capture the absolute magic of seeing these places in person, they’re pretty damn good at giving the person viewing the photo a taste of the incredible place being portrayed. And without further delay, here are our Top 10 Photo Locations in BC & The Canadian Rockies Note: These are not numbered 1 to 10 in rank of most beautiful or anything like that, they’re actually ranked in the order we viewed them on our road trip, the itinerary of which can be found here. 1. The Sea to Sky HighwayThis is a 2 hour stretch of road leading from Vancouver to Whistler via the resort town of Squamish. There are LOADS of spots along this road worth photographing (and just seeing with your eyeballs).
2. Duffey Lake RoadRoad leading North from Pemberton to Lillioet. Jaw dropping mountains around every corner. And the opportunity to maybe see wildlife. How good!
3. Wells Grey Provincial ParkForget what TLC taught you. This is the perfect place to chase waterfalls. Hike in or easy drive-right-up-to viewpoints, Wells Grey will not disappointment your thirst for waterfalls.
4. Mount Robson Provincial ParkMount Robson is quite possibly the most beautiful mountain I’ve ever seen. And you can see it right from the visitors centre, or from the road in on a clear day. No walking required. However for the more adventurous we can't recommend enough trekking up to Berg Lake.
5. Berg Lake TrailA 23km one-way trail leaving from very close to Mount Robson Visitors Centre. This is doable as a long trail run or multi-day (camping at night) hiking trip. This was our favourite place in Canada. The first campground is only 6km in (12k return hike) and is situated on the bluest lake I’ve ever seen. Go deeper into the hike to be rewarded with more mountains, waterfalls, glaciers, wildlife and more. I honestly don’t know if there is anything not to like about this hike.
6. Jasper National ParkMountains, bears, hikes, viewpoints, eagles, sheep, waterfalls, lakes and much more.Seriously, nearly all of the wildlife that comes to mind when you think of Canada is here. Too many places and trails to name but beauty around every corner.
7. The Icefields ParkwayWith lots of stops along the way, this stretch of road will keep you busy getting shots plenty of shots. Give yourself a day to fit in a few hikes and all the sites 
8. Banff National ParkLake Louise, Lake Moraine, Johnson Canyon, mountains, bears and more. Lots and lots of nature and that’s what you’re coming to Canada for (we assume anyway).
9. Yoho National Park & Lake O'HaraEmerald Lake & Takkakaw Falls are both easily accessible. Lake O'Hara not so much, but boy is it worth the hassle. See more about getting to Lake O'Hara here.
This list is by no means exhaustive and can easily be added to with a little time exploring. I’m sure you’ll find a million spectacular locations just like these. Happy snapping!  As you can probably tell we have teamed up with Jucy again for our Canadian road trip. They rent vans out of Point Roberts just outside of Vancouver (It's actually part of the United States so remember that if you need a visa, or visa waiver of any form). We have found this size van great for us as you can park anywhere a normal car can in towns with the bonus of a few extra creature comforts a camper van provides over just a rental car. If you're interested, check out their site here.
 Got 3 weeks in Canada's West and want to see, do, smell & touch as much as possible? Into hiking, the outdoors, good coffee, awesome book stores, seeing wildlife and eating & drinking tasty things? Look no further. Read on for our 3 weeks whirlwind road trip of BC and the Canadian Rockies. From Vancouver to The Rockies and back this road trip will take you to mountain summits, past waterfalls, around lakes and via some of the best coffee we could get our paws on. And as a bonus we'll throw in a whole heap of wildlife. Bears. I'm talking about seeing bears.
Itinerary Overview: Week 1:
 VANCOUVERAfter around 40 hours in transit due to a delay and a resultant missed flight and a nights sleep in LAX (thanks for that Air New Zealand), we landed bleary eyed but happy in a sunny Vancouver. We didn't have loads of time here but we tried to fit in a few of the 'Must Do's', and we weren't disappointed. To Do, See, Eat & Sleep - A Highlight Reel Stanley Park Run, walk, stroll, bike, roller-skate.. Whatever your choice of transport Stanley Park is worth checking out. A large green island covered in trails and encircled by a 9km flat-as-a-tack path following the seawall. There is also a very pretty rose garden on the island that makes for a perfect picnic or chill-and-read-your-book location. We also managed to spot sea otters and sea lions here.  Granville Island Granville Island feels a little bit like a carnival, with lots of colour and interesting things to look at. The Public Market is full of fruits and veg along side meat, seafood, treats, coffee & more. It's worth a look at if you're into buying a whole heap of delicious berries really cheap. The island also has loads of art galleries and craft stores. Worth an afternoon stroll.  Grouse Mountain The Grouse Grind and BCMC are two trail challenges for those who like to get high over a short period of time. Both gaining around 800m in elevation over less than 3km these trails are steep, but totally worth it for the views at the top. And if you’re feeling lazy once you get up you can always head back down on the gondola.  Lynn Canyon An insta-famous suspension bridge & a myriad of trails surrounded by lush green. An easy getaway from city life. Though technically on the Sea to Sky Highway this is so close to town it's worth chucking it in here.  Deep Cove A cute place for a picnic, hike or canoe. A few groovy stores and world famous honey donuts. A nice arvo activity! Hike: Quarry Rock, 4km return trip, 100m elevation gain. BEER & VEGAN FOOD IN VANCOUVER We only had a couple of days in Vancouver, however we managed to find some epic food and drink in that time. Here's our favourites! Restaurants & Treats:
SEA TO SKY HIGHWAY - Vancouver to Whistler via Squamish & Surrounds The Sea to Sky Highway runs from Vancouver to Whistler. It's 2 hours in driving distance, but that short distance is packed with lots and lots to do. Hikes, lookouts, gondolas and more means there is something for everyone in the car. Unfortunately the 2 days we spent along this road it rained. Lots. Hence, we didn't get to check off all the things we'd planned, but here are some of the things we did get to do and a couple of things we missed out on but strongly recommend based on what others have told us. Depending on the weather and how many hikes you want to do you could easily spend a few days along this stretch. Do whatever suits you, that's what holidays are all about.  Things To Do Heading North:Shannon Falls Provincial Park
 Alice Lake Provincial Park Camp, hike, swim, canoe, kayak, you name it Alice Lake Provincial Park has got it. As one of the closest (and most beautiful) parks in the surrounds of Vancouver this campground books out early in the season. Head on over to the Discover Camping Website to make your reservation asap. Hike: Four Lakes Trail, 6km round trip, 200m elevation gain. Easy & beautiful. Sleep: $35 for a drive in campsite (no hook-ups) and $23 for a walk in campsite (tent only)
 Garibaldi Provincial Park
Whistler
Duffey Lake Road From Whistler you'll be heading North East towards Clearwater and Wells Grey provincial Park before then heading east to the world famous Jasper and Banff National Parks. We recommend taking Duffey Lake Road that runs from Pemberton along winding roads to Lillooet. The road is stunning surrounded by towering peaks and views around every corner. If you're lucky you'll see some wildlife along this way too. Worthy Stops: Pemberton
WELLS GREY PROVINICAL PARK & CLEARWATER Once in Clearwater you're at the gateway to Wells Grey Provincial Park. The Park itself is a one road in, one road out set-up making it difficult to miss any of the highlights. You can easily hit all the main sights in one day if you're low on time, that's what we did and we didn't regret it. There are 2 campsites in the National Park and both looked beautiful. These are again booked through the Discover Camping Website. Beware of mosquitos.. they're hungry and they're everywhere! Alternatively you can stay at the Clearwater KOA Campground, it's nice and does all the things a good campground should. Wells Grey Highlights Spahats Falls & The Shaden Trail
 Moul Falls
 Dawson Falls
From Wells Grey & Clearwater you'll head north east to Mount Robson Provincial Park, our personal favourite stop of the whole trip. MOUNT ROBSON PROVINICAL PARK (BERG LAKE TRAIL) Mount Robson is the highest peak in BC, and on a clear day it's absolutely jaw dropping. And that'd just when you check it out from the visitor centre. If you want the real deal, the real million dollar view then you should take the time and effort to check it out from the shores of the glacier fed Berg Lake I promise you will not be disappointed. I'll go into more detail about the trail and hike itself, along with the variety of campground available along the way in a separate post that can be found here. But for now I'll just give you a brief overview of the trail you absolutely have to do. Berg Lake Trail: 23km one way, 1000m elevation, 7 campgrounds. You can either do this over multiple days and camp along the way, or do it as one big trail run. Both are amazing and the views are incredible. read more about how to do the Berg Lake Trail here. Note: The campsites for the hike book out early! Make sure you book these as far in advance as possible at the Discover Camping website.
Weeks 2 and 3 of our road trip coming soon!  As you can probably tell we have teamed up with Jucy again for the Canadian leg of our trip. They rent vans out of Point Roberts just outside Vancouver. We have found this size van great for us as you can park anywhere a normal car can in towns with the bonus of a few extra creature comforts a camper van provides over just a rental car. If you're interested, check out their site here.
In the weeks leading up to Ultra Trail Australia 2018 registrations opening Sean and I toyed with the idea of signing up for the 100.
"It might hurt... but we could do it.. couldn't we?" We'd both finished a few road half and full marathons, as well as city 2 surf and the usual Sydney fun runs, so naturally going longer was the next step. And we were excited about it. And then we ran the 2017 Blackmores Marathon. Or should I say we ran part of it. We both DNF'd (due to being really under the weather), and such by the time UTA registrations rolled around we both signed up for the 50k and that was daunting enough. We followed a training plan from Krissy Moehl's book; Running Your First Ultra. It was super helpful and great to look back on to confirm to ourselves that we were on or at least near the right track, and we had been putting in the right miles. For start group seeding we used our ITRA (International Trail Running Association) ratings. I'll be honest, I'd never heard of these and wasn't aware we had them until UTA shot around an email saying they could be used for seeding. It turns out the Sydney Trail Series runs at Manly Dam we'd completed over this Summer gave us a rating and Sean was slotted into Group 1 and I was in group 2. We were both pretty chuffed with this, and it meant on race day I'd be starting only 7 minutes after Sean, so not too much waiting around in the cold Blue Mountains Air. Fast forward to May 19 2018, Game Day, and it was scary. Exciting, but scary. And that cold Blue Mountains air was cold. Really, really cold. FYI: This is a more like a Race / Entire weekend in the Blue Mountains Report as well as some general info about the event itself. Click HERE to go straight to Saturday if you want just my take on the 50k race. Or if you're just interested in the gear I used, click HERE
Thursday May 17th:
Sean and I headed up to the Mountains on Thursday night. We checked into our campsite (we were sleeping in our van for the weekend) and headed to the Fairmont Hotel. We had bought tickets to the Trails in Motion Film Festival screening for that evening and it was great. I highly recommend catching one of the screenings around Aus, all the films were awesome.
In particular Patagonia's film Takayna about the Tarkine Rainforest in North Western Tasmania was a great one to get people thinking about the impact as individuals can have when we use our voices together. And better yet, how runners have been helping out! This area looks absolutely beautiful, and pretty unique for an Australian landscape. Travelling to Tasmania was already very high on our list, and some of the footage in this film has seriously bumped a Tassie road trip right to the top of our "what to do next" list. Watch the film for free when it comes out and sign the petition to gain World Heritage List Status for the Tarkine here. Friday May 18th:
Friday morning we woke up and went for a little jog, just to check the legs were still working after tapering. The legs were good and the views were even better, every time we come up here I'm always enthralled with the beauty of this place.
After our run we headed into Katoomba for some breaky before going back to Scenic World and the UTA expo to watch the Pace22 winners cross the line. The Pace 22 winners were incredible. Both the male and female records were smashed, the mens by 7 minutes and the womens by something like 14... which is absolutely INSANE over a 22k race.
We went up to the expo, picked up our bibs and checked out the stalls. We wandered around with our friends Fi & Linda (Hi guys!) Headed back to camp to make lunch - BBQ tofu & salad rolls never tasted so good! We then packed our race bags ensuring we had all the mandatory gear (there's a shit load of mandatory gear even for the 50...) Later that night we went to the compulsory race briefing before heading back for an early dinner - minestrone - and sleep.
Saturday May 19th GAME DAY (& Finally my actual UTA50 Race Report):
Saturday morning we woke up early. As in at 4:30am. Sean was in the first group of the 50k runners and I was in the 2nd so we started at 6:32 and 6:39 respectively. We got out of out sleeping bags and into our race gear with a few extra warm layers thrown on over the top and headed up to the communal camp kitchen for breakfast.
Before a race we aways have the same thing Porridge. Oats, chia seeds, linseeds, walnuts and bananas or berries topped with a cheeky dash of brown sugar and soy milk. It warmed us up and gave us some protein to start the day. We both hit the loo a couple of times (standard for all runners thanks to pre-race nerves) and then walked to the start line. We were staying at the Katoomba Falls Tourist Park and it was literally 400m from the start line! We bumped into a few friendly faces, said our hellos and good lucks before watching the 100k runners take off. It was finally here, and it was exciting! Before we knew it it was time for Sean to line up and then myself. 
Leg 1: Scenic World → Fairmont → Wentworth Falls → Queen Vic (28.4km)
The race begins with a 7km or so road section. It's hillier than it looks on the elevation graph and it was important to remind myself to keep it cruisy, the harder (much harder) terrain was coming and the last thing anyone wants to do is burn themselves out early on a couple of road hills.
The road section worked well for self-seeding the people and meant that for majority of the course ahead there was very little waiting or bottlenecks. At around 6km you come back past Scenic World and the start of the run to a big crowd that cheers you on, it's early on but it stills feels great to have people smiling and clapping for you. After the road section we ran along the Prince Henry Cliff Walk around to Echo Point and down the Giant stair case. This was nice easy trail terrain and for the most part people were moving pretty well. A couple of slow moments on steeper sections but traffic basically flowed all day. The Giant staircase was the first section where I was going a lot slower than I'd have liked, but that was to be expected with lots of people and a really steep set of stairs. Being a trail race they don't close off sections of trail to the public, so racers are expected to share trails with the other hiker out there. Luckily we were in early groups and didn't encounter any issues here at one of the busiest locations in the Blue Mountains. Needless to say, the view was great! 
Once at the bottom of the staircase we ran down Dardanelles Pass through to Leura Forest at a good pace before reaching Leura Cascades (a seemingly never-ending section of stairs, going back down, more stairs, down again and then finally heading up).
I personally think Leura Cascades is more difficult than the Furber Stairs however we'd only run about 11km when we reached these stairs, whereas when you reach the Furbers you've done 49.. or worse 99 if you're doing the 100! Right before the cascades I managed to roll my ankle a little bit. Note to self, don't turn around to chat to people whilst running on semi-technical trail... It hurt quite a bit but seemed to disappear from my thoughts once I began climbing the stairs. Thank goodness! Once at the top of the cascades we carried on along the prince Henry Cliff Walk, across the sky bridge around to Gordon Falls and onwards to the Fairmont, the first water stop at 17.2km.
The Fairmont had a fair few people cheering us all on, always a welcome sight and sound after any distance run. I popped a couple orange hydralyte* tablets in my flask, refilled my water and headed onwards.
* Note these are not the real hydralyte brand.. Sean and I found a product with the very same ingredients at Aldi for a quarter of the price. Speaking of Sean, here a few photos of him over the next section of trail (From Fairmont to Wentworth Falls) he passed by the photographers roughly an hour before me, potentially even more!
The next section from The Fairmont on to Wentworth Falls is some of the more technical and resultantly for most is a little slower going. This however is my favourite kind of terrain. I'm slow on road, however I don't seem to slow down too much on trail so it means if I'm lucky and having a good day I can catch and overtake a few people on this kind of terrain. Rather than eating their dust on tarmac. It's always good for the head space when you over take a few people rather than be overtaken!
Around Wentworth Falls I noticed a little twitch medially on my right knee, it felt like the warning signs of cramping. I popped a salt tablet in my mouth and sucked on it for the next 5 or so minutes. I don't know if these really work or if the effect is just placebo, but either way it seemed to make the twitch go away (or at least trick me into forgetting it) and so I continued on without any cramping.
I hustled on and got to the Queen Vic checkpoint. I again refilled my flask and headed onwards to Leg 2 of the course. Straight down Kedumba and almost straight back up the other side. The home stretch, no pulling out now! 
Leg 2: Queen Vic → Jamison Creek → Furber Steps → Scenic World (Finish)
Running down Kedumba is generally either looked forward to or feared greatly. If you're a good downhill runner, and you've put in the training such that your quads won't die on you it's awesome, a long stretch of downhill with no stairs.. You beauty! However if you haven't done much downhill training it can be a frustrating long, slow, toe-destroying trudge.
I'd done a few training runs with Kedumba incorporated so I knew what was coming, and I was mostly looking forward to it. A break from going uphill! I ran the whole way down however I'm pretty sure the road was longer this time than any other time I'd run it. I was certainly happy to see Jamison Creek at the bottom. Here's a couple of photos from a training run down Kedumba, just to give an idea of the beauty, even if it is quad-destroying.
The next 8ish kilometres to the Sewage Treatment Works was mostly uphill, with a few annoying downhills (we can't seriously be going down this just to go up again right?). However, to be honest, after the seemingly never-ending downhill of Kedumba it was nice to be breaking it up. Sometimes the thought of going uphill is exciting because it means you can walk! This whole next section is pretty beautiful and boasts some awesome views of the three sisters. Sometimes you forget to just take in where you are, and where we were on this run is pretty stunning.
I stopped quickly at the Emergency Aid station at the helipad (41.2km) and refilled my soft flask for the 3rd and final time, I then carried on for one of the longer climbs of the entire event. Just before the sewage treatment works I noticed a twitch in my quad and sucked on another salt tablet. Again it magically made the twitch go away.
The last section up from the Sewage Works is actually really nice, and for the most part (pretty much until the Furber Steps) pretty runnable! It's soft easy trail with a few tiny stairs thrown it. And again, like the entire course, it's beautiful.
I ran majority of this entire last section through Leura Forest except for a few hills that I hiked at what I thought was a quick pace, in hindsight I'm sure it was a little sloth like. None the less I made it to Furber steps, and onwards to the finish line.
Those steps were so much damn harder than I remembered, but that finish was far sweeter than I could have ever imagined.
Sean finished with a time of 5:47 and I finished with 6:55. We were both pretty stoked! Sean had hoped to go quicker but suffered pretty bad cramps from about 15k in and had to walk a lot more of than he'd have liked. There's always next year! We'll be back.
The rest of the afternoon was spent watching our friends finish. It was such a buzz to see everyone at the end of their race after reaching their goals. It felt great! Everyone did amazingly well and the whole weekend was so much fun with such a great crew! Myself, Sean, Lisa, Rob, Beau & Linda all did the 50 whilst Fi, Andrew & Brian smashed out the full 100k!
Sunday May 20th:
Sunday morning Sean and I woke up feeling pretty good, we got out of bed, showered and made some breakfast. Yes you guessed it; porridge & tea again.
We headed over to Scenic world and grabbed a couple of coffees. As well as watching people still coming in from the 100k race it was time for arguably the most important run of the weekend (and 100% the cutest); the Injinji 1km Kids race. We watched the grommets running around having a ball and found our friends (Hi everyone!). A few of the girls Lisa and Fiona had placed 1st and 2nd respectively in their age groups so we were there to cheer them on (and get some great shots) as they climbed the podium! A special shout out to all these beautiful people for making our weekend (and the training lead up) so much fun, easy and enjoyable!
All the Gear & No Idea (Mandatory & My own Kit)
Ultra Trail Australia is known for being a beautiful and super tough race, but it is also nearly as well known for it's extensive mandatory gear list for both 100 and 50km events.
See below for what I specifically carried to meet the gear requirements for the 50km. Light = fast, but also remember that you might need to wear some of these things in an emergency situation or even on a freezing race morning so it's pretty important to get some good kit. Whilst we're not ones for spending pennies wastefully, for some kit items it can be worth dropping the extra cash for quality. Try to think of it as an investment, because if like us you catch the trail bug you'll have good gear to take on training runs and races for years to come. Mandatory Goodies:
All the rest:
Well done getting this far! See you at the next one!
 Yes we've done it. Like every man and his dog (or seemingly every super hot couple we've seen on the old Insta' and their super cute dog) we've bought a van and we're in the process of converting it to a camper. And to tell you the truth; its the best damn thing we've ever done! Or at least one of the best things we've done.. We've done and seen some pretty great stuff if we do say so ourselves. Read on to see a play by play of us decking the van out. You may soon notice that I use the terms 'us' and 'we' very loosely throughout these conversion posts. When I say "we then put in a the bed frame" what I really mean is Sean did all the work involved in putting in the bed frame and I took a couple photos. To be fair on myself I did measure some things for him... But I'm 95% sure he double checked them when I was inside the house fetching him a cool drink. Here are some photos of what we started with and the finished product thus far! We think it's coming along a treat. If you like what you see then keep scrolling for more info on how we've done it so far!
Tell me more, tell me more. Like what kind of car?We bought a Volkswagen Transporter Runner. This is a SWB (short wheel base for those who much like myself had no idea that vans came in different lengths until 6 months ago) transporter with absolutely no frills... well it does have bluetooth speakers and a reversing beeper thing. It's great and the perfect shell to make a home-on-wheels in!
Now for the Juicy Details aka a very brief overview of the kitting out! After scouring Google, Instagram, Pinterest and all of the gazillion sources we now have at our fingertips for ideas we finally decided on the layout we'd use. The key design aspects we were after included: - Dual purpose use - Whilst this is a sweet holiday road trip or weekend getaway mobile for us, this little beauty has to also cart around a bunch of tools and building equipment on a day to day basis for Sean's work. - Ability to sit comfortably upright on the bed/chair (Sean is over 6' tall) - Being able to practically use the storage space underneath. - Be able to walk through space from driver/passenger seat to back of van easily. - Be able to store long objects (surfboards, some longer building materials) safely within the van. We went with a long bench down the driver side of the van with 2 lift up tops and a pull out draw underneath. This would then have a section that during the day and non sleep times would slot in and act as a back support allowing the bench to be a 'couch' and during night time this back section would drop down to make a double bed. Pictures will help explain what I'm trying to describe here so carry on reading. Sean made the frame such that it would fit over the wheel arch. We wanted the bed high enough that we could functionally store stuff underneath it and also low enough so that when it wasn't in bed mode (more on that later) we could sit upright on it without Sean hitting his head on the ceiling.
By removing some internal panels of the van, Sean was able to sneak a few key lengths of timber into some voids within the car body. These then could act as fixing points to anchor the bed and shelf frame sturdily to the structure of car without needing to drill through the metal car body at all. Whilst most people don't really care about this (which is fair enough), our current setup is by no means final for this car's lifespan and we wanted to be able to be flexible for whatever the future might involve, i.e., kids, resale, etc.
Next up was covering the bed frame. Since we had decided to make 2 lift top boxes, this was a little more difficult than if you only wanted a solid frame with drawer underneath. Without lift top compartments you could just cover the whole top with ply and call it a day. For us it was worth the extra effort however, so that we could access things under the bed/platform easily without having to get out of the van. Perfect for those rainy nights when camping, but also practical for Sean to access his work gear (again with the dual purpose). Instead of buying ply, we used timber floorboards to make the platform over the bed frame which were offcuts and left overs from a house Sean worked on. This was a bit more work, but we saved a little cash and resources that would have probably just ended up as firewood or in a skip.
We also decided to do some shelving/storage along the back passenger side of the van. To do this Sean again built a structure that fit over the wheel arch and was attached to the car solely via sneaking timber inside the wall panels, and fixing to said timber, kind of clamping the shelf to the car. The structure was designed so that it would have a couple of shelves and a drop down table. Again pictures will help as my carpentry wordsmith skills are weak.
On this side wall structure (which is the skeleton of our shelves) you can see there is a lip close to the top of the wheel arch. This is also on the bed frame. They're there for the second bed section (converting it from single to double) to rest on. As I stated earlier whilst not in bed mode this section slots in along the wall on the bench side to make a back rest. The drop down bed/couch back is in 2 pieces to make it more manoeuvrable (and lighter as I have chicken arms). The leg is also attached via a hinge so that it is down when used as a bed and folded back when used as a couch back.
Next up was putting shelves, walls and the drop down table on the storage unit! We went with 3 shelves. The putting in of the shelves was pretty straight forward and doesn't really need too much of an explanation. One of the shelves (the bottom one) we've left open with just a small lip on it to stop things falling out. When in bed mode it acts as a perfect little bed side table. The next shelf up is where the drop down table is level with. And the top shelf will have a small lip added on to it also and will be a handy storage level for food and cooking supplies.
Now for the drop down table. This was an important aspect of the design to us so that if we were to pull up somewhere in the rain we could eat and cook inside the van when necessary. Side Note: It also acts as a great place to pop your laptop and watch a quick doco before bed if that's your thing. A few pointers about the table: - The table is attached to the wall unit with hinges. - It remains closed using a latch closure, much like you'd see inside your cupboards at home! - It is supported by rope that ties onto the shelf above the table. This keeps the table flat when open.
Whilst there is still plenty of work for us to do to reach the vans peak usefulness capacity, at this stage we're pretty close! Eventually we'll be adding a drawer under the bench that pulls out at the back, and a few other bits and pieces. But for now it's totally useable as a home for us on our weekend getaways.
  Palm Beach is the most northern suburb in Sydney, and although it's 1-2 hours from the city centre (depending on transport option) it's totally worth a visit when you're in Sydney, Australia! As well as a beautiful beach and the fabulous Boathouse Cafe there is the famous Barrenjoey Lighthouse hike. The relatively short (but very steep) hike takes you to the most northern point of Sydney and gives you a 360 degree view of your surrounds. It's pretty darn sweet!  How to get to Palm Beach from the Sydney city centre:You have a few options, depending on time and whether you want to see anything else along the way. Your first option is obviously driving, although majority of visitors to Sydney city will not have a car so the next options all involve public transport. Public Transport from Sydney City to Palm Beach, Sydney
Once you get to Palm Beach the best stop to get off at (the closest to the beginning of the hike) is outside the Palm Beach Golf Club, ask you driver which stop this is to save yourself getting off at the wrong stop! Mind you, if you do get off at the wrong stop you won't be too far away, the beach and town is small.
Barrenjoey Lighthouse Hike Directions: Once you hop off the bus you want to head North towards the lighthouse. If you've gotten off at the golf course you want to take the road that runs along the golf course all the way to the end. You'll have the golf course on your left, and then you'll pass the Boat House cafe. Note: Just north of the Boathouse Cafe there is a public bathroom and a drink bottle refill station. Fill your bottles here! There is no water at the top of the hike! Once you've passed the boathouse Cafe then you will see the beach to your left, walk down on to the sand and keep heading toward the lighthouse. Towards the end of the beach there will be a path to your right that will take you up to the lighthouse. There are 2 track options. The Smugglers Track is shorter (400m) with more steps and the other, the Barrenjoey Track is longer (800m) but less steps. Both are very steep. I recommend going up the Barrenjoey Track and down the Smugglers, that way you'll get better views on both the ascent and the descent in my opinion.  Many people take on the steep hike just to get the famous photo showing both Palm beach and Pittwater, and although this is breathtaking, the views in all directions are equally as amazing. To the South you get Palm Beach & Pittwater, to the North you get the Central Coast, West you get West Head and the Kuringai Chase National Park and East you get the Tasman Sea. As a bonus, if you happen to be in Sydney during humpback whale migratory season and are feeling lucky, Barrenjoey can be a pretty awesome spot to see one.
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BecAn Aussie who loves travelling, hiking, trail running and pretty much any activity you can do outdoors. 
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