Brains in our heads and feet in our shoes

“Congratulations!

Today is your day.

You’re off to Great Places!

You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself

any direction you choose.”

- Dr. Seuss

On 3^rd September 2018, with brains in our heads, feet in our shoes and all of our worldly possessions on our backs, Nick and I set off to Australia. 

Me and Nick outside his Mum's house just before setting off!

The long anticipated journey got off to a bit of a tumultuous start with me getting travel sick less than half way to London in the back of our friend’s car who had very kindly offered to drive us there (sorry, Tom!) Thankfully, after that, the journey could only get better. Two solid days of travelling and a total of 24 hours of flying time later, we finally arrived in Tasmania.

At the airport, we were met by a family friend of Nick’s who was kind enough to let us stay at his house for the night and cook us dinner. Being very exhausted and jet lagged by this point, this day passed by in a sleepy blur. Before I knew it, we were being handed over the keys to the campervan that is being generously lent to us by a relative of Nick’s, and we were on the road!

We drove all the way from Hobart to Devonport where we boarded a huge, overnight ferry that took us back to Melbourne. After having been travelling for so long, we decided to treat ourselves to a cabin and it was so nice to have our own room with a shower and a bed to relax and sleep in until we got there! We got up early and went up on to the deck to see a beautiful view of the early morning Melbourne skyline as we docked into shore.

After arriving in Melbourne, we checked into a campervan site that took us back to the early days of Trek America with memories of KOAs and campfires. After getting set up, we boarded a bus into Melbourne city centre where we explored the city, rode the tram and, on the advice of Bill Bryson, lost $20 playing roulette in the Crown Casino. Damn you, Bryson.

Exploring Melbourne

That night was our first night spent in the campervan. After shopping in Woolworths (not to be confused with the Woolworths of our youths in the UK. RIP) and wanting to ease ourselves into van living, we prepared an easy dinner of chicken in a bag, microwavable mashed potato and a ready made salad, promising ourselves that by the end of the trip, we will be rustling up freshly made kangaroo burgers and expertly grilling shrimp.

Our first dinner in the campervan

After dinner, we figured out how to work the TV and passed the night doing laundry and playing card games before making up the bed for the first time. 

Having arrived in their winter, Australia is a lot colder than I ever imagined it to be. A combination of our early start that morning and the cold weather encouraged us to get an early night, ready to drive the Great Ocean Road and begin our journey north towards the sunshine in the morning! 

For more photos like the ones included in this post, follow my Instagram: @shannonreeves94