My husband and I are currently on a trip across the country, through deserts, coastal bush, inland lakes and dense bushland.
And as we start making our way back home, I'm pleased to say that I'm wrapping up the six-month journey a lot wiser than when we started.
For better or worse.
A lot of my regrets have nothing to do with sights we didn't see, or 4WD tracks we didn't take, but rather: the things we didn't invest in to take along with us. Things that almost certainly would have made our lives a little easier or would have opened up more opportunities for us to explore.
For the record, I certainly wouldn't have seen the value in these things before we set off. So please, take advantage of my hard-earned hindsight, and make sure you pick up these things before you go.
1. A wetsuitor springsuit
Australian water is colder than you think. Yes, even in summertime. Especially in South Australia where the three gorgeous peninsulas (Fleurieu, Yorke, Eyre) boast some of the best snorkelling and swimming you can find outside of the tropics – just with non-tropical water temperatures. Trust me, you don't want to miss out on a lengthy dip.
For my part, I would choose to either forego swimming because of the frigid temperatures or run in, hold my breath, dunk, and get straight out. Neither was ideal.
Pick up a springsuit (a short wetsuit) so you can truly take advantage of the Australian coast, no matter where you are.
Learn from my mistakes: you need it.
2. Aqua shoes
In the same vein as to why you need a wetsuit, aqua shoes will open up your possibility for adventure. You can safely walk over coral, and traverse sketchy outcrops and rocky rivers. I can't tell you how many times I kicked myself for not having a pair of these.
Don't be like me, buy these:
Jack's Aqua Sports water shoes
3. A bucket hat with a string
You might think these look a little bit dorky (they totally can), but a well-secured bucket hat more than makes up for it in practicality. When the winds aren't in your favour, holding your hat down (yes, even a tightly fitted baseball cap), gets really annoying.
A full-coverage hat can accompany you on the kayak, on long hikes, at the beach. And if you pick up one like this from Status Anxiety, you can make it look super cool.This one from Quiksilver isn't so shabby either.
Status Anxiety Golden Days Bucket Hat
4. A drone
Australia's landscapes are breathtakingly beautiful and I can guarantee you're going to want to take photo after photo to ensure you remember it all. But photos from the ground only do so much. So many times, we would make it to a place and I'd say to my husband, "I wish I could see what this looked like on a drone."
Not necessarily for the 'gram, but for us.
My cousin is doing the same trip, visiting many of the same locations as us, and they've come away with an entirely new perspective on their travels thanks to the drone.
You don't have to get the fanciest one – this DJI Mini is broadly considered to be one of the best beginner drones – but you can consider it an investment in your memories.
5. A car seat organiser
Because it's just my husband and I, the backseat of our car has become somewhat of a dumping ground. It's currently where towels, snacks, laptops, shoes and books are dumped and go to die. Never to be seen again. Open our back doors and you'll be lucky not to have it all tumble out at you.
If I had my time again, I'd be getting proper storage for the backseats. A bit like this one. Or this one for the side of the seats.
When you live out of your car, keeping your car organised is seriously important. Having a spot for all the random essentials (toilet paper, hand sanitiser, rubbish, utensils, etc.) will save so much time and frustration.
6. Battery pack
While our solar set-up has been great at keeping our devices juiced, as has our car charger, I've been haunted by the idea of one of them failing.
I wish I had just picked up a battery pack for emergencies (say, for example, a long hike where you need your phone to follow the map) or to top us up when it's a gloomy day and the solar is lagging. But mostly, for peace of mind.
This Anker Portable Charger is relatively inexpensive, reliable and fast-charging.
7. Rechargeable mozzie repellant
The maddening onslaught of mozzies is now something I'd pay any money to avoid.
I've heard great things about the Thermacell ESeries Rechargable Mosquito Repellant and wish we had just picked up one before we left.Instead, we were left scrounging around small-town general stores for citronella and spray, hoping this would do the trick. It holds no candle.
Don't be like us. Just be prepared and get the good stuff.
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