We knew committing to a Vanlife event over the October long weekend in Natural Bridge, QLD was going to be a big one considering our starting point was Sydney.
Thursday night, I packed up our Mercedes-Benz Sprinter LWB demo vehicle, keeping camping gear pretty basic with a bigger focus on food and snacks! The camper itself was easy to prepare - fuel, fresh water, full battery, BBQ, bedding, cookware and utensils. Forecast was looking perfect with no extreme heat or cold snaps on the radar.
Friday flowed smoothly with a 4am start, a couple quick stops for fuel, lunch and to pick up my friend (and pup) in Byron. From here it was only an hour and half inland, through the windy, picturesque Hinterland. Traffic was incredibly kind considering we travelled over long weekend and school holidays with approximately 830km of driving. Momentum only slowed to get through Coffs Harbour and the Jabiru did not miss a beat. Highway driving was relaxed, smooth and the vehicle kept me alert without feeling like the safety systems were overtaking my driving style. The handling and comfort was exceptional with the GVM upgrade (re tensioned leaf springs and additional leaf springs).
We drove into camp around 3:30pm arriving with fully charged 48V 2x 5kwh batteries and parked up next our other Jabiru friends Pheona & John in the 4 seater layout and joined soon after by Louise in her Trakkadu pop top. No surprises, set up was easy - seats swivelled, side door opened, sliding side door screen pulled closed, camp chairs and table taken from the boot storage spot and Alfresco kitchen slid out from the passenger side rear of the camper. Only one thing left to do, prep the Aperitif and snack: EVOO Potato Chip Charcuterie inspired by @Getgraza on Instagram (see recipes at the end). Bedtime was early after that much driving and the hour time difference from NSW. Front blockouts set up magnetically over front windows and press studs for windscreen, all double glazed motorhome window blinds closed and king bed made. Knowing we'd spend most of the time outside socialising or using kitchen facilities internally I kept the bed made up as full king size.
It was easily the best sleep I've had in a while, waking (what I thought was quite early) with a 7am sleep-in on triple layer foam bed and complete daylight outside (don't tell Scott who was at home with the kids). You wouldn't have known it was so late from how dark it was inside.
Breakfast was simple yogurt, fresh berries and granola. John in his Jabiru J4 mastered what looked and smelt like the most perfect coffee from his 35 year old Bellman coffee maker on the induction cooktop. We lazed, chatted about Trakka adventures, especially with Pheona & John so well travelled and enjoyed plenty of sunshine for ultimate solar charging. Lunch was provided by the Vanlife Diaries team, an incredible spread of BBQ chicken and beef with yogurt, fresh salads, sweet potato and handmade pita. As the afternoon set in, we sat and began our latest crafting project, which I'm embarrassed to say... I'm still yet to finish. It did however provide a mindful afternoon activity. We listened to live music as night fell and whipped up an easy chicken dish on the Ninja electric BBQ grill plate (very much like the cook up we did for our latest cooking demo). I slumped into bed with both house batteries and social battery fully charged.
In order to beat the public holiday traffic southbound, Sunday 8am after breakfast was our designated departure time with the plan to arrive home around 7pm (and be able to spend the Monday with kids). On longer travel stints like these, I prefer to drive without cruise control to stay alert. I caught up on all podcasts and got my mind excited about organising a Trakka Family meet up for 2026. It's been a minute since our 50th Anniversary and Birdsville Big Red Bash camp outs. It was so good to be out using the MY25 Jabiru, always a pleasant change from the office setting and strong reminder of why we're so proud of what Trakka produce.
A big thank you to my friend Jana, to John and Pheona and Louise for joining in the last minute fun, sharing wonderful Trakka memories and reflecting on the Trakka history and the progress being made (particularly over the last seven years) as a second-generation family business. We’re so grateful for this passionate community exploring Australia and sharing their Trakka experiences!
- Alex
EVOO Potato Chip Charcuterie
Ingredients:
- Boulder Canyon Olive Oil chips - tear open chip bag top to bottom and side to side (this is your serving vessel)
- Perello Olive & Pickle Mix with Chilli
- Anchovies (for those looking for an extra kick)
- Prosciutto (torn into smaller pieces)
- Garnish: Parmesan (very finely grated)
The Perfect Dirty Martini
- Cocktail shaker
- Ice cubes
- 60mL Ciroc vodka (keep in freezer)
- 8mL Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth (definitely do not want more than 10mL)
- Pitted Olives & small dash of brine - any of the Perello variants are preferred
- Into serving glass/insulated cup, ice & water to chill (tip out when ready to serve)
- Measure alcohol and brine into shaker
- Add ice
- Stir (do not shake)
- Strain into chilled glass/insulated cup
- Add olives and/or thin strip of lemon peel for a twist
Essentials I forgot to pack:
- Awning handle (looking forward to MY26 upgrades with the introduction of electric awning operation, where I can rely on a button and no winding). A walk through camp and it wasn't hard to find another Fiamma awning
- RV chocks (we were lucky to find a relatively level parking spot, just good to have in case)
- Pillows.. had the pillow cases (lol) - Pheona and John kind enough to lend us their spare set