Queensland adventure: incredible travel team experiences

We set off on a trip that wasn’t unlike any of the ones we’d done before. We (used to) travel for a living – documenting our trips with guides, imagery and video – never giving the secrets away, but still allowing people in to see. Our little team was made up of me, Cait & Tom – both incredible photographers who’ve paved their way and carved out a name for themselves in an uncertain industry – and me, a model and writer who can’t quite believe I get to work and adventure with two of the best people I know.

We were given a rough itinerary and two beautiful vans called Olivia and Byron from the good folk at Camplify. These are not your normal vans; these are magical vehicles that felt bigger than our studio flat in Byron. The couches, the induction cooker, the linen bedding – oh god the bedding! – all made for the comfiest home for our week on the road.

When people say ‘Queensland’ generally the picture it emotes is way up north – Cairns, Airlie Beach, The Whitsundays etc. We decided to spend more time in the middle – exploring beaches, bush, creeks and crescents that may not get as much traction.

We picked up the vans from their owner Lucy – a person of pure delight who helped us navigate the vans and was always just a text away if we ever needed her. We spent our first day at Habitat – an eco-camping retreat that backs onto the Noosa Everglades. We kayaked upstream which was canopied by dense bush and scattered with wildlife, and we swam in the melaleuca-stained waters whilst listening to the constant buzz of cicadas.

From there we travelled up to Rainbow Beach and spent the evening on the great dunes; on one side of us watching the sun set over the mountains, and the moon rise from the ocean on the other.

We then drove to Agnes Waters and the town of 1770, where we spent two days swimming, stand up paddleboarding (with dogs!), and planning how we could buy a house here. Agnes Waters is crystal clear seas, pristine beaches, dense bushland and more. It’s a special spot made even better by the pure goodness of all the people we encountered.

Then it was time for a night in Hervey Bay where we parked up on the waterfront, cooked some veggie burgers, played cards and turned in early. The next day, it was time to leave the vans for a night and head to Lady Elliott Island.

L.E.I is like this little secret at the beginning of the Great Barrier Reef. As we flew toward it, we knew we were about to experience something pretty special. The eco-island is completely run off clean energy, and the staff are passionate about maintaining this level of sustainability. The surrounding reef is a Green Zone and is home to 1200 species of marine life, and we saw (nearly) all of them! We snorkelled for hours, swimming passed turtles, manta rays, sharks, colourful fish and a coral reef that was very much thriving. This was the last night of our trip and we spent it sitting on a deserted beach and watching the sunset over the great Pacific Ocean, feeling very grateful to be witnessing such magic.

I think even though we expected this trip to be fun and full of beauty, we were still caught off guard by it. Sure, we expected Queensland to be full great places, but it still left us speechless. It is a state that really does have it all: luscious rain forests and crystal-clear waters; silky sand, dry red dirt and creeks that meet rivers that then splurge into seas. And the roads; some rough and deserted and some very well known, but all that led us to all these places of wonder.

Thank you Camplify for getting us on the road and allowing us to be able to experience Queensland’s beauty in the comfort of two very trusty vans.