Is Van Life all it's hyped up to be? Aussie edition

For the past 2 weeks I've been living in a van (at a stretch, it's basically a 7 seater with the seats ripped out!) and I've got a lot more weeks to go. So is it all it's cracked up to be? Is it as fun and as glamorous as Instagram is making out?

Weather

Camping, glamping and any outdoor living/life style will always be more enjoyable in the summer sunshine. If you are considering van life, I'd suggest spending a night in your car with just a standard duvet. It's cold bab, very cold. We've had nights as low as 6 degrees in Southern Australia. It really impacts on your enjoyment levels!

Sleeping, cooking, cleaning and going to the bathroom all in the cold, wind and rain really isn't fun. You can make the best of it, laugh it off, but when you get back to your van and climb inside to realise that it's not much warmer in there...it's really disheartening.

On the other hand, when it's so hot and humid that you are lying there dripping in sweat, knowing your next shower won't be for a few days...it's quite disheartening!

You really have to make the most of the weather you get. Be prepared with warm clothes, extra blankets, USB heaters, USB fans, park in the shade/sun accordingly and open/close windows. This is based off the tiny van we've rented, if you go more upmarket you might have central heating!

On the flip side to that, there is nothing better than setting up your camp chairs in the early evening sun and watching the world go by. Outdoor living when the weather is good is one of the best experiences.

Animals

As I was typing this a fly flew straight over the top of my glasses and into my eye. This is the reality of living an outdoor life! Does it bother me? No not really. Does it bother Tim? Yes. He hates bugs and I'm not really sure how he's enjoying this lifestyle so much!

You can buy all sorts of things to combat the bugs:

-bug spray

-mosquito net

-mosquito bracelets

-mosquito/bug repellent incense sticks

-small nets to go over food and drink

To counteract the bugs though you've got the most amazing wildlife! We've stayed at campgrounds with wild Kangaroos, Wombats and Possums. On the road we've seen Koala, Wallabies, Platypus and Echidna! The birdlife in Australia is out of this world too! Birds you'd see in zoos in the UK are wild here and in abundance. I love it.

Toilets and showers

Again, if you have a fancy van you will have a shower and toilet. If like us, you are a smaller van, you will have to source these facilities elsewhere. In Australia, there are lots of free campgrounds and rest areas that have toilets, picnic tables and electric BBQ's. Some even have drinking water but very few have showers.

We've found the best way around this is to filter campgrounds by their facilities, this way you can find low cost campgrounds with hot showers. This way you can also come across hotels/pubs/hostels that offer free camping in their garden/car park and use of the showers for a small fee. Gym day passes are also a great option to shower, and get a cheeky work out in whilst you're there! Finally, you can also read lots of reviews for rest areas and download the BP petrol station shower pdf. Some bigger ones have free showers within the rest area/service stations. This is to encourage truck drivers to fill up there, but it also works with travellers! We've showered twice in fast food restaurants at service stations, they're a god send!

You can also buy a camping solar shower, pop your swimwear on and shower in the great outdoors or search for a public beach/pool as they often have cold showers available free of charge.

Free public toilets are widely available in Australia, even in city centres. We've not struggled with finding toilets at all on our road trip so far. Everyday I'm still shocked at how frequent free public toilets are. Well done Aus.

Space

If you do van life with a loved one, make sure you really REALLY do love them because you will be on top of each other the entire time. If you want a lie in but your partner wants to get dressed, you need to get out of bed so they can access the storage. If you want to sit in the van and relax be prepared for your partner's feet in your face or elbow in your side. It's quite intense at first, especially if you're used to having quite a lot of room. Luckily me and Tim lived in a 1 room studio flat before this so we are used to living on top of each other.

You'll also need to downsize, quite dramatically! We've got one storage bin for clothes, shoes and backpacks and another one for food and cooking equipment. That's it. That's our storage! Our toiletries hang in a fold out bag on the back of the passenger chair and our jackets hang from the drivers chair.

The one thing about our van that irritates me is that we can't stand up in it. Getting changed bent over really isn't easy! Most of the campground toilets are quite large so there's the option to change in there, but sometimes they're quite a walk away!

For me, the exchange of space for ultimate freedom is totally worth it. We've got a full sized queen double in the van with enough storage for the pair of us. If I could just stand up in it, it'd be perfect!

Glamorous?

Nope. But all it's cracked up to be? Absolutely! This is by far one of the best experiences of my life so far. We are both thriving with this lifestyle and want to continue it when we return to the UK. Although I think it would be tricky in the UK/Europe as we are not as giving with free facilities and campgrounds.

Have you experienced life on the road? Tell me about it down below! Follow along for more here on Wix Blogs, TikTok @travelbeeblog and Instagram @bilbo.h. Dont forget about our exclusive 20% discount at Pineapple island! Use code BILLIE at checkout:)