Australia in Pictures – 30 Photos from 3 Months of Van Life

After 12 years of travelling the world, bouncing between continents and chasing the planet’s best landscapes and adventures, on June 1st we finally hit the road to explore our own backyard.

Through our jobs as professional content creators and bloggers, we’ve been fortunate enough to visit some incredible destinations, from the glaciers of Antarctica to the alpine meadows of Tajikistan, the beaches of the Cook Islands to the ancient cities of Iran, and countless spots in between.

But despite all our international endeavours, Alesha and I had actually spent very little time seeing what Australia has to offer.

All that changed this year, and when we found ourselves stuck in Sydney as the world came to a stop, we decided now was the right time to pivot our business and focus on our home country.

Even after spending more than a decade in over 60 different nations, nothing prepared us for just how stunning Australia would be.

Living out of our campervan, Marlee, we’ve driven about 8000km so far in New South Wales and Queensland, and have barely scratched the surface of what makes this country so spectacular.

The plan was to visit as many places as possible, from outback towns to coastal villages, ancient rainforests to sprawling deserts, endless beaches and jagged peaks, documenting our experiences through photography, videography and storytelling as we went.

While Australia is essentially closed off to the outside world, it’s become our mission to promote tourism within our borders after the turbulent year our country has suffered. First with the bushfires, then floods, and now the global pandemic.

We didn’t know what to expect when we left Sydney, and now 3 months after we started our road trip having only seen a portion of two states, we realise there is more to experience in Australia than we can fit into a lifetime.

The images below tell only a fraction of the story of what we’ve seen along the way.

They may not do our home country justice, but we hope you enjoy them as much as we’ve enjoyed capturing the beauty of Australia.

And while you’re at it, check out our full guide to van life.

All photos were taken on Sony A7Riii and A7Riii cameras, and a DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone.

Ellinjaa Falls
Ellinjaa Falls in the Atherton Tablelands, Queensland.
Humpback Whale Port Stephens
A humpback whale breaches off the coast of Port Stephens, NSW.
Kangaroos Sunrise
Kangaroos at sunrise at Cape Hillsborough National Park, Queensland.
Surfer Kiama
A surfer catches a wave at Jones Beach near Kiama, NSW.
Mount Archer Sunset
Sunset over Mount Archer in Rockhampton, Queensland.
Crystal Falls Dorrigo
Looking out to the Gondwana Rainforest from behind Crystal Falls in Dorrigo National Park, NSW.
Tangalooma Wrecks
The Tangalooma Wrecks as seen from above. Moreton Island, QLD.
Workmans Beach Agnes Water
Alesha watching a stunning sunrise at Workmans Beach. Agnes Water, QLD.
Bombo Quarry Headland Kiama
First light hits the basalt columns of Bombo Quarry Headland. Kiama, NSW.
Spirit Of The Rainforest Milky Way
The Milky Way soars above the Spirit of the Rainforest accommodation in Nambucca Valley, NSW.
Wombat Bendeela Campground
Couldn’t resist taking a photo of the first wild wombat we saw on the road trip. Bendeela, NSW.
Zillie Falls Panorama
Zillie Falls in the afternoon light. Atherton Tablelands, QLD.
Great Keppel Island Queensland
Alesha and I walking down Long Beach on Great Keppel Island, Queensland.
Warrumbungles National Park
Fascinating rock formations at the Warrumbungles National Park, NSW.
Moreton Island Sunset
A tranquil sunset at Moreton Island, QLD.
Paperbark Forest Agnes Water
The ethereal Paperbark Forest in Agnes Water, Queensland.
Currumbin Rock Gold Coast
A surfer leaves the ocean at sunset in Currumbin, Queensland.
Thala Palm Trees Queensland
Parking the van up for a quick rest break in the Thala Palm Tree Reserve near Port Douglas, Queensland.
Koala Joey
A koala and her joey at the Australian Reptile Park on the Central Coast, NSW.
Twin Falls Springbrook National Park
Twin Falls as seen from above. Springbrook National Park, Queensland.
Marlee Campervan Milky Way
Jarryd enjoying the clear skies above the Capricorn Caves near Rockhampton, Queensland.
Natural Bridge Springbrook
The Natural Bridge Falls in Springbrook National Park, Queensland.
Wreck Beach Sunrise
Alesha walking on Wreck Beach at sunrise. Port Stephens, NSW.
Millaa Millaa Falls
Millaa Millaa Falls on the Atherton Tablelands, QLD.
Mount Archer Sunset
Watching the sunset from the top of Mount Archer. Rockhampton, Queensland.
Kiama Lighthouse Sunrise
East coast sunrises are spectacular. Kiama, NSW.
Crescent Head Drone
Crescent Head on the NSW mid-North Coast.
Kangaroo Petting Australian Reptile Park
Alesha pets a kangaroo at the Australian Reptile Park. Central Coast, NSW.
Zillie Falls Queensland
Another angle of Zillie Falls in the Atherton Tablelands, Queensland.
Fingal Head Lighthouse Milky Way
The Milky Way above the Fingal Head Lighthouse in NSW.
Wattamolla Falls Royal National Park
Wattamolla Falls in Royal National Park, NSW.
Picture of Alesha and Jarryd

Alesha and Jarryd

Hey! We are Alesha and Jarryd, the award-winning writers and professional photographers behind this blog. We have been travelling the world together since 2008, with a passion for adventure travel and sustainable tourism. Through our stories and images we promote exciting off-the-beaten-path destinations and fascinating cultures as we go. As one of the world's leading travel journalists, our content and adventures have been featured by National Geographic, Lonely Planet, CNN, BBC, Forbes, Business Insider, Washington Post, Yahoo!, BuzzFeed, Channel 7, Channel 10, ABC, The Guardian, and plenty other publications. Follow our journey in real time on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

Hi, We’re Alesha and Jarryd!

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6 thoughts on “Australia in Pictures – 30 Photos from 3 Months of Van Life”

  1. Fantastic photos, just love looking at them all . xx

    • Thanks so much Wendy 🙂

  2. EPIC!! Can’t wait to explore more of our beautiful country next year – when hopefully we Melburnians can escape our city 🙂

    • Hi Rebecca, Hope you are doing well. It is a crazy time. We are all thinking of your guys. You definitely have so much exploring to do when you get out of lockdown. We live in a beautiful country. 🙂

  3. Hi Alesha and Jarryd,
    Your pictures are absolutely stunning! And they brought back so many memories of our own campervan adventures. Life is so precious and we’re so lucky to see all this amazing and beautiful places Australia has to offer. Keep “vanning”, inspiring and enjoying Australia. Safe travels!
    All our best,
    MenekÅŸe and James

    • Thanks so much, guys. It was so nice to meeting you both. Australia is such a beautiful country. I can’t believe we have not done this earlier. Safe travels guys and keep golfing. 🙂

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