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

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:

• Shoalhaven River View
  
• Tallowa Dam View
  
• Lake Yarrunga View
  

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)!

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 
• Transport (Shuttle) Information
• Accomodation in Hotham
• Food & Supplies in Hotham
• How to Book (and the platforms with the best views, in our opinion)
• Overall Cost
• Hike Report Day 1
• Hike Report Day 2
• Hike Report Day 3

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.

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. 

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!

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.

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)

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 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!

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.

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. 

This 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.

​What to do:

• Day trip to Hartz Mountains National Park (and hike Hartz Peak - this was epic!)
• Mount Wellington Summit 
• MONA
• Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
• Salamanca Markets (Saturdays)
• Lots of amazing bars and restaurants - google is your friend here

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

This 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:

• Hike to Russell and Horseshoe Falls (or do the three falls circuit to loop these two in with Lady Barron Falls and the Tall Trees loop)
• Go glow worm spotting after dark at Russell Falls
• Hike the Tarn Shelf circuit
• Spot Waratahs when in season!

Where to stay:
Gorgeous national park campground with hot showers and a basic camp kitchen.

What to do:

• Check out 'The Neck'
• Try spot an albino wallaby
• Hike the Fluted Cape track
• Bruny Cheese & Beer Co for a cheeseboard and tasting paddle
• Bruny Island Honey - for the most delicious dark chocolate honeycomb ever and super tasty leatherwood honey!
• Pennicott Cruise - we didn't do this but have heard good reviews
• Cape Bruny Lighthouse

Where to stay:
Camp at The Neck for $10 a night for 2 adults

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:

• Hike to Cape Hauy (and Cape Pillar depending on fitness levels)
• Hike to Bivouac Bay
• Day trip to Port Arthur
  We did the ghost tour but I wish we had also done the Isle of the Dead tour

Where to stay:

• Camp at Fortescue Bay for $13 a night for 2 adults
• NRMA Port Arthur Holiday Park - this was super handy for after the Ghost Tour as it was close and meant minimal night time driving

This 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!

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

• Cradle Summit
• Dove Lake
  
• Overland Track (4-7 days)
• Ronnie Creek for wombat viewing!

Where to stay:

• Discovery parks campground for camping, expensive but nice enough facilities!

What to do:

• Cataract Gorge
• Go to nearby Narawntapu National Park

Where to stay:
​We didn't spend much time around Launceston so don't have lots to report on here!

• CAMPING AT WALKER CREEK IN LITCHFIELD NATIONAL PARK
  


• ​Does camping in the Northern Territory with your very own private waterhole tickle your fancy?  If so then Walker Creek in the Northern Territory's Litchfield National Park is absolutely not to be missed.

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!).

All 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).

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.

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!

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 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.

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:

• Pat's Lookout
• Jedda's Lookout
• Butterfly Gorge
• Southern Rockhole 

We did a run one morning and visited all these spots in 15km, so it would be a nice day hike if you started out early!

Find a PDF from NT Parks of the Southern hiking trails ​here

​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.

If 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. 

First 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.

​What to Do:

• Swim across the large pool to the waterfall
• Hike to the upper pools (2.6km round trip)
• Hike to Sweetwater pool (9km round trip)

​
Where to Stay:

• Leliyn Campground ($12 per adult)

​What to Do:

• Hike - there is a large network of trails here. Pat's lookout is short and has an incredible view.
• Mountain Bike ride the new trail network
• Canoe through the various gorges
• Camp - Plenty of hike (or canoe) in sites!
• Jatbula Trail (a 5 or 6 day hike from Katherine Gorge to Edith Falls)
  • We were meant to do the hike in late August but the trail was closed due to catastrophic fire danger. We're heard that it's awesome, so we're pretty bummed we missed it this time.

Where to Stay:

• Nitmiluk Gorge Caravan Park ($23 per person unpowered) - Quite expensive, however handy to access the gorge, walking trails, tours etc.

Also whilst in the area stop in to the Katherine Hot springs!

Check out our post on Nitmiluk (Katherine) National Park here.

​What to Do:

• Bitter Springs - a crystal clear, warm, slowly flowing river. Jump in in one spot, float down in the current and pop out down the other end.
• Mataranka thermal springs

Where to Stay:

• Bitter Springs Campground ($30 unpowered site)

​What to Do:

• Hike - a variety of lengths available.
• Enjoy the unique scenery

Where to Stay:

• Karlu Karlu Campground ($3.30 per adult)

​Although 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.

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.

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.

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.

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. ​

This 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. 
​

• Measuring Tape
• Pencil
• Stanley Knife
• Notebook & Pen (SO many measurements!)
• Circular Saw - Could also use a handsaw for many things but this will be messier, and take A LOT longer.
• Jigsaw - Great for rounded cuts and minor adjustments
• Drill
• Impact driver (not 100% necessary but very handy)
• Brad Nail Gun - (Again, not 100% necessary. You could of course use a hammer and nails, but again will take A LOT longer)
• Cardboard - Old boxes will do just fine (For tracing outlines and trialling shapes before cutting ply sheets)
• Straight edge / spirit level (can also use a string line with a little ingenuity, or any long length of straight manufactured timber)
• Caulking gun

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!

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.
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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.

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.

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.

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)

Behind 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.

Our 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.

Next 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.

For 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.

We 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.

We 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.

Nothing 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!