Camplify Uncovered | Josh Lynott & Michael Dunstan

At the beginning of 2022, Josh Lynott set himself one main goal: to get out. The months that followed saw him climbing mountains in Pakistan’s Karakoram, running trails on the Portuguese island of Madeira and facilitating a workshop in Tasmania combining mindfulness and trail-running.

Meanwhile, Michael Dunstan was busy working on ‘Impermanence’, his sophomore album. Released in July, the album pays tribute to the fleeting nature of life and the importance of accepting every moment for what it is, much of it inspired by Michael’s love of trail-running.

Given Josh and Michael share a deep appreciation for nature and trails, it made sense for them to take this epic truck conversion for a trail-running adventure in the Blue Mountains. The only catch? They’d never actually met in person. But once they were home, we caught up with Josh to find out whether the Blueys – and his newfound friendship – was everything he’d hoped for.

How did you and Michael link up?

It’s a pretty new friendship, actually. My old housemate really liked Michael’s music and sent me his Instagram profile. I saw that he was a runner and we got chatting about running because I was training for a short race while he was training for an ultra marathon over in Western Australia.

While I was in Portugal, I ended up registering for an ultra in Madeira and sent it to Michael, so he signed up for next year as well. We figured we better actually meet up and get our training underway, so we met for the first time, got into the truck and off we went. Turns out we’re very similar people, and after camping together in the Blue Mountains, we’re definitely solid.

Tell us about the truck – it looked incredible.

Oh man, Mr Fuso, the truck, was unbelievable. Everything was so well thought out and it was such a sustainable set up. There was a compostable toilet, a shower and electricity, but our favourite feature was definitely the dropdown deck. The whole side of the van opened up, so we could have a cup of coffee in the morning while Michael played guitar. We’d read there in the evening and it was such a talking point. Everyone would pull up next to us and be like, ‘That’s effing grouse.’ I reckon we could’ve sold about ten trucks if we wanted to.

Where did the trip begin? And where did you go in the Blue Mountains?

We spent the first night in the car park at Clovelly Beach, in Sydney, because Michael got in late. Once we made it to the Blue Mountains, we camped around Blackheath because we wanted to be as close to the trails as possible. We were out there for close to a week and it was perfect. We felt like we really hit our stride on the fifth day.

In terms of trails, my highlights have to be Devil’s Hole, which is a dark canyon and feels like another world, and the Pinnacle to Perrys Lookdown trail. We spent a lot of time around Perrys because there’s an amazing set of stairs that we ended up doing reps of. My legs were hurting so much; one day, I was driving the truck and going so slow because I could barely push the accelerator.

I’d definitely recommend experienced runners do an A-to-B run, like Pinnacle to Perrys. You start on one side, drop into Grose Valley, then come up the other side – it was stunning, such an adventure. And you’ve got to check out Rustico, this pizza place in Katoomba, for food after your run.

What’s so special about trail running?

For me, it’s all about being connected to nature, which allows for a mindful approach to running and life. It’s a great way to slow down – something I’m super passionate about – and if more people spent time in nature, I think we’d all be a little happier, a little healthier and a little kinder.

We live in such an incredible, beautiful country, but the trails are still so quiet. And it’s that sense of the unknown that really appeals to me. You’re not only spending time developing your aerobic base and physical strength, but also having an adventure. To share that with someone is such an amazing experience.

There’s also no time pressure with trail running. You can hike for a while if you want. If there’s a steep hill, walk up it. The terrain varies so much that splits are irrelevant and numbers don’t matter. What’s important is feeling present in the environment and trusting your intuition.

A final question, and perhaps the most important one – what does a second friendship date look like for you and Michael?

More trails, always. Either training or racing. And if not, I guess I’ll see him in Madeira.

Loving the trails like Josh and Michael ? Hire the same truck here , or browse Camplify’s full range of campervans, caravans and motorhomes to choose your own adventure.