My First Campervan Adventure

If you had asked me before this trip whether I’d ever rent a campervan, I probably would have laughed, even though so many people recommended it.

Camping has never really been my thing. I liker a proper bed. I like having my own bathroom. I appreciate a hot shower after a long day of exploring.

And yet, Australia became the place where I stepped outside that comfort zone thanks to my friend Doreen. We rented a campervan and spent ten nights driving from Melbourne to Sydney.

It turned out to be one of the most memorable parts of my entire trip.

Not because everything went perfectly. Quite the opposite. The first night was… rough.

I think we both only slept a few hours. Between getting used to the campervan, sleeping in such a small space, and sharing it with another person for ten consecutive nights, it definitely wasn’t the most restful sleep of the journey.

The next morning we tackled the Great Ocean Road, already running on very little sleep.

Exhausting?

Absolutely.

Wort it?

Without question.

Another first was driving on the left-hand side of the road. Not only was it my first time doing that, but I was driving a campervan that felt enourmous to anything I had driven before (and I was used to big cars in the US).

For some reason, we were both most nervous about roundabouts. As it turns out, they were actually much easier than regular intersections. The bigger challenge was remembering which side of the road we were supposed to be on whenever we turned onto a quiet street.

Having someone beside you casually saying “Left side!” every now and then turned out to be surprisingly helpful.

One thing I hadn’t expected was how strange it felt to have all my belongings with me at all times. Normally, I leave my backpack, laptop and documents safely in a hotel room before heading out of the day.

Now, everything traveled with us.

I’ll admit that made me a little nervous at first, I even took my laptop with me on our first little trek to a viewpoint, but I quickly dismissed that. Thankfully, nothing ever happened (I once had my carry-on including a laptop stolen out of the trunk of a locked rental car, so I guess my anxiety was not completely uncalled for).

Some of my favorite moments weren’t spending driving at all. They were spontaneous stops. Pulling over because the coastline looked too beautiful to ignore.

Sitting by the water with a coffee.

Listening to the waves while reading (or doom-scrolling to be more honest).

Taking our time because there was nowhere else we had to be.

People often imagine campervan travel as cooking dinner outside every evening and embracing full camping life.

We didn’t quite become those people.

We decided early on that we’d mostly eat out and happily use the campsite bathrooms instead of the tiny toilet in the van.

It was probably a good compromise.

So, would I do it again?

Honestly, I’m not sure.

I think, at heart, I’m still someone who enjoys having four proper walls, a comfortable bed, and a nice bathroom waiting at the end of the day.

But do I regret renting the campervan?

Not for a second.

Because some experiences aren't memorable because they’re comfortable. They’re memorable because they show you a different way of traveling, and we had so much fun on the trip.

So I’m really glad I said yes.