Week two…

// Scotts Head

Such a beautiful place. The joint was absolutely packed full of ‘Grey Nomads’ and it was super hot in the lead up to the weekend. I was camped beside the beach which was delightful of a night as the cool ocean breeze swept through the van and it was magical to fall asleep to the sounds of the waves meeting the shore.

I spent every day down the beach; reading, writing and sometimes just sitting watching the tide roll in and out. I’ve heard many spiritual teachers bang on (that’s the technical spiritual term for sharing their wisdom) about nature being a beautiful teacher, and I have to say, I now understand what they mean…. Everything just seems to find a way to flow. The waves as they approach the shore, aren’t deterred by the rocks – the water finds a way to flow and move in, out and around the rocks until it reaches its destination. There is always a way.  Anyway, enough of the spiritual deep and meaningfuls for the moment.

I made friends with my neighbour Russell, his wife and their dog Princes. A little family from Wynnum would you believe? I’ve found all the grey nomads love to have a chat and they take me under their wing. Russ gave me maps and told me all of the beautiful places to visit along the Great Ocean Road. He also gave me the ‘hot-tip’ for bypassing Melbourne by jumping on a ferry. Amazing.  Russ referred to me as “MKR” (My Kitchen Rules), as I would prepare all of these healthy meals and drink green smoothies – I think he thought I was crazy at times.

One day whilst down there I decided to go on a little adventure to a place called Grassy Head. I had read about a national park out there and was keen to go up to the lookout. What I didn’t realise was a 4WD was required to get you up the top of the 12km dirt road. I thought I would give it a crack anyway. I mean I don’t have a 4WD, and this Unicorn definitely wasn’t built for off-road adventures but it was kind of fun and rebellious to take it off road.  I got about 3.5km in and realised it was a pretty shit idea as the van was copping a flogging, so I did a 500pt turn and headed back down the road.

I had every intention of staying at South West Rocks to go scuba diving, however, when I rang, every single park was full as there was a triathlon on that weekend. And when I rang the scuba store, the weather wasn’t great for diving. So I popped out there to check out the old Gaol and then headed south for Crescent Head and spent a night there by the river.

//Port Stephens

This place! I fell in love. Absolutely stunning coastline and beautiful people. The water is this beautiful, rich turquoise colour and the sand is gorgeous and clean. I stayed at a place called the Emerald Tikki Village. It’s a smaller park, and not as luxurious as some of the bigger ones, but in saying that, I absolutely loved it. The owners were so accommodating and helpful. Always more than happy to have a chat and tell me all of the amazing things to see and do. And the groundsman was an absolute classic! Out the back of the property are these amazing sand dunes. The war film ‘Sahara’ was filmed there back in the 90’s. I’ve read these dunes are the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. I went out there every afternoon and ran up and down them like I was a small child. I would run and laugh and not stop saying things like “oh my gosh” and “this is wonderful”.

I hiked up Mount Tomaree on day one – the view was divine. There is so much history at Port Stephens. The headland, part of Fort Tomaree, played an important role in Australia’s east coast defence systems in World War II and around 500 army, navy and air force personnel served their time here.  Still in place at Fort Tomaree are the gun emplacements, however, most of the Fort’s buildings have been removed. The view from the top of the mountain was absolutely stunning!

//Wollongong in a day

Stayed for one night with my cousin in Wollongong. The summary: got drunk, spewed and had about 2 hours sleep – not very Zen at all I know! The following morning was lovely though as we went for a long walk along the foreshore, had deep and meaningful chats, drank fresh juice and inspired the shit out of one another. Oh, and, his apartment overlooks the ocean AND Win Stadium, which is home to the Dragons NRL team. They just so happened to be training as we wandered home after our walk and I got to see a few in their budgie smugglers.  Now, for me, there is something super sexy about a big rig of a bloke in budgie smugglers. I know right!? I can’t help it.

I left there just before lunch and headed south toward Kiama to check out the blow hole before continuing on to Jervis Bay and surrounds – which I will tell you all about next time.

// Lessons and insights:

– Make sure I unplug the power cord before I drive off.

– I have been reminded of how little I actually need in order to be happy. I feel so content in this van and although it was delightful to stay in a fancy apartment for one night, coming back to the van the next day felt as though I was coming home. I seriously have everything I need with me right now – and it is VERY minimal.

– It’s ok to wash EVERYTHING together in one big load. Like towels, clothes etc. It actually felt quite rebellious and freeing. Although, my clothes do have fluff all over them now. LOL.

– It’s ok to wear the same clothes for a few days in a row. No one cares. Especially me!

– I have been pondering the importance of leaving a legacy in the world. Leaving this place a little better than what I found it, and to truly feel as though I made a difference in people’s lives.

– Freedom. It’s legit. Waking up each day and asking myself: “what will I do today?” –  the only decisions I am making at the moment are around whether to go to the beach, for a walk, read, chill or drive to my next destination. So great.

Big love xx

http://jacquelinearmstrong.com/769-2/

Here is the low-down on what went on in week one….

// Yamba and Angourie

My first stop along the coast was at a place called Yamba – a beautiful little fishing town in Northern New South Wales. There was a really chilled-out, surfs-up kinda vibe about the place which I loved.

Once checked in to the campground a bloke on a little golf buggy took me down to my campsite and showed me how to connect the power and where the water was. The whole connecting to power thing freaked me out at first, but now I am confident as f*** with it!

After a restless sleep, I woke and drove out to a place called Angourie which translates to “Noisy Ocean”. Such a stunningly beautiful place. I’d read about Angourie blue and green pools and was keen to check them out. These beautiful spring water-fed water pools are surrounded by bush – only metres from the beach and are the remains of the old quarry used for the break wall. I was so excited to get in and frolic in the spring water! I walked along the path and arrived at the ‘Blue Pool’, which was covered in algae and resembled more of a brownish coloured pond. I wandered over to the ‘Green Pool’, it was much clearer and cleaner, however, there was signage from the local Council advising people not to swim as the algae can be harmful to humans. After a few moments, I decided I’d go back to the van, slip on my awesome new hiking shoes and go for an epic bushwalk. The Yaraygir Coastal Walk begins in Angourie and finishes at a place called Red Rock (which features later in the blog), I wasn’t up for the 65km hike, but did about 7km instead. I hiked to a place called Dirrangan Lookout; a gorgeous spot with panoramic views of the ocean. I set my back pack down on the bench and looked out over the ocean, in awe of its beauty. In that moment I was reminded of something I have always wanted to do, which was to scream from the top of a mountain! Now, it wasn’t quite a mountain, nor was it a scream, but I gave it a crack. I found the process of letting it out quite confronting actually. Initially, I paced around back and forth and began to cry. I had all of this self-talk happening and was saying things like: I can’t do this, I just can’t do it. And then arrived a moment whereby I got all sassy with myself and gave myself a little pep talk. I was like: RIGHT JACQUELINE, you didn’t travel all of this way to NOT do these things. Just fucking do it. Let it out. And with that I stood, staring at the ocean and let out an almighty “RAAAHHHHHHHH”. Then I laughed a little – well a lot actually and put on my back pack and set off back down the track munching on my trail mix.

// Red Rock

Day three led me to a place called Red Rock. This is one of the most beautiful places I have been in Australia. There is a stunning turquoise coloured river on one side and a gorgeous stretch of beach on the other. Red Rock gets its name from the massive red-stained rocks at the headland. To the local Gumbainggir people, it is known as ‘Blood Rock’. In the 1880’s Europeans are said to have chased the Gumbainggir people from their camp at the river to the headland, where many innocent people lost their lives in what is referred to as the Blood Rock Massacres. Red Rock is considered a very sacred site and a place for reflection. A memorial stands at the top of the headland to mark the event and to recognise the brutality that occurred. Gumbainggir elders, particularly women, still avoid the headland to this day. I walked to the headland, took off my shoes and walked around on the headland in my bare feet. Something I learnt in Bali, is that you never wear shoes in places considered sacred. I sat down on a piece of beautiful red rock and I wept for about an hour. I don’t know what I was crying for; for me, for them, for the world…. It felt very cleansing and purifying and I felt as though I couldn’t leave. Each time I got up, I was drawn to sit back down and stay with it. I remember looking out at the ocean at one point and asking “what do you want me to know?” just as the sentence finished in my mind, two dolphins appeared right in front of me – pretty cool.

After spending quite some time at the headland, I walked back down to the river and decided to jump in to cool down. I left my keys at the fish and chip shop and walked down to the river. The current moves very quickly through the river, and if you allow it to, will carry you all the way to an opening where the river meets the ocean. I decided I’d give it a go. When I first got in, I was resisting it a little. It was almost as if I was trying to doggy paddle or something and then came a moment when I completely surrendered, laying on my back and allowing the water to carry me – it was delightful.

// Dorrigo and Bellingen – in two hours!

So…. This is where shit got a little interesting. From the moment I booked this trip, I have been saying when anyone asks where I am going: “I am not sure, but I am sticking to the coast road.” I decided to venture inland on this day as I had heard so many great things about Dorrigo and Bellingen. The drive up to Dorrigo is via a long winding road. Upon arriving at the top, I found myself at an altitude of 792m – the air was beautiful and fresh. I had read about a beautiful little campsite at a place called Dangar Falls, so I decided to drive out there. When I arrived, I realised I was the only camper on this acreage property, with no one else around and no on-site office. It was a gorgeous plot of land, I just didn’t feel in my gut that it would be wise to stay there on my own. So I travelled back down the road a little to the only other campsite at Dorrigo. When I arrived, it was absolutely bucketing down with rain – the type of rain that comes in your car when you open the door! I got out and ran to the office, which was an old timber log cabin looking thing. The office was unattended. I phoned the number on the sign and a lady answered, she said: “we’ve just gone out and won’t be back until 6pm (in 3 hours), find yourself a spot and we will come and see you later.” I drove up to the sites and didn’t feel comfortable there either. So I sat in the van and cried for a few minutes wondering where I was going to stay. I found a place that looked gorgeous on the Bellinger River and gave them a call – the lady was beautiful, although a water front site was very expensive: $50 per night! But I was running out of options and it was starting to get late in the afternoon so I decided to go there. After a nervous drive in the pouring rain down the winding road, I arrived at the campground. The lady was beautiful and ended up giving me a waterfront site for $35 – that’s abundance baby! I was so grateful. The amenities block was brand new and each person got their own little ensuite. I’ve heard people talk about “glamping” I think I know what they mean now J. I slept beautifully that night as it was a lot cooler and I woke with a fresh mind and attitude. Ahhhh….

// Learnings so far…..

– When it rains, and I leave the back door up, it will collect water. So when I go to close it, it is crucial I do it using the internal door handle to allow the water to run away. OTHERWISE, I will be drenched and resemble a drowned rat! (Would’ve been great to watch!).

– It’s really f****** hard to put sunscreen on your back when you are alone. If anyone has any hot-tips I would love to hear them!

– A pocket knife isn’t that daunting and is very useful.

– Grey nomads are awesome and love to have a chat.

 Big Love xx

p.s. I have fixed the link in the first email so head over and check it!

Good morning Beautiful People,

I thought I would start by doing a little intro video of the van. Originally, (and temporarily), I named it ‘The Van of Zen’, but with a little help from my friends its now called ‘Unicorn’.

Click here to meet ‘Unicorn’

Unicorn is so fitting; they’re magical, mystical, rare (some may even say they don’t exist!), and quite frankly I fucking love them!

So, enjoy the tour and I will be back soon with an update on my first few days traveling with my noble steed.

Big Love

xx

I realised this morning that a lot of the content I post can be quite intense and is usually a direct reflection of what is happening in my life at the time. I also realised I have become a little tense lately and so I thought I would lighten things up today and share something fun and exciting I am working toward in the new year.

On 6 February 2017, I am heading off on a solo adventure down the East Coast of Australia, campervan-style, to explore the beauty that exists within this great land of ours.

I attended a work breakfast a couple of weeks ago and listened to a man who turned his passion into a business. To say this bloke was inspiring would be a complete understatement. The way he’d created a life he loved for himself filled me with energy and elation. I wanted to know his success formula and the story behind what led and inspired him to completely change the way he lived his own life. He shared this and so much more. I left with a colourful list of dreams with a few blank spots needing to be filled in.

I sat on my teeny couch (aka ‘The Rock’ – a story for another time!) that evening in my Gold Coast unit, and filled in the blank spaces. As I filled in the blanks, a theme and a journey began to emerge before my eyes and before I knew it, I’d decided I was going to travel down the East Coast of Australia, with a guitar I didn’t yet own (or know how to play!).  The following day I went to the local bookshop and purchased a guidebook on traveling down the East Coast of Australia. I contacted a muso friend asking if he knew of anyone who had a random acoustic guitar laying around that they would be willing to sell me. And I began to share my plans with those close to me. Within a matter of days I’d purchased my guitar and I now attend lessons every Thursday night.

I started reading about all of these amazing places and began marking pages in the guidebook with bright coloured post-it notes. Being the coast, there are obviously lots of beautiful spots by the sea that I will visit along the way. I kept reading about all of these amazing spots to snorkel or scuba dive and I thought to myself: why don’t you try scuba diving? I’ve always loved the water and the ocean, but have feared the depths and the darkness. I feel it’s time to let that fear go. SO, that’s exactly what I am doing! I have booked myself in to a scuba diving course from 16-19 September 2016. It’s a mix of theory, pool work and open water dives. I am mostly excited but a tiny bit nervous.

In terms of planning the actual adventure, I am kinda playing it cool. Not really getting into any hectic planning as I think a lot of the trip will emerge as it happens, in the moment. For now, I have leave booked, a guitar, map and a loose plan. Just need the vehicle and then I am good to go!

I would love to hear from you guys on this topic of adventure and travel. Is there somewhere in the world you’d love to visit? What is your travel/adventure dream? Share below and inspire us all!

Jackie xx