Van Journal Week 3: The Easter Rush

Van Journal Week 3: The Easter Rush

Without new experiences, something inside us sleeps.

The Bay of Fires had been good to us. Too good. We enjoyed perfect weather while unforgettable sunsets got better every evening. We experienced the best of it on the last night, a perfect au revoir, before continuing along the east coast.

• alt=“LONE BAUM SONNENUNTERGANG BAY OF FIRES TASMANIEN“>
• alt=“BUCHT DES FEUER-SONNENUNTERGANGS“>

We had spent ages this week planning and capturing the best hiking trails, waterfalls and attractions to document on our trip through Tasmania. When it comes to hiking, there aren't too many long trails between St. Helens and Freycinet National Park.

However, there were a few highlights including Evercreech Falls and the Apsley Gorge Track.

Epic remote campsite in Evercreech Forest

We followed dirt logging roads and detoured from St. Helens towards Evercreech Forest. Originally, Evercreech was just supposed to be a quick visit to see the waterfall and the famous White Knights, Australia's tallest white gums.

However, when we arrived we knew we had to stay at least one night. The entire reserve is a small clearing next to the Evercreech stream with man ferns and towering gums on all sides. The best thing was that we were completely alone for the entire duration of our visit and didn't see a soul.

There was also no internet connection out here, which meant we weren't distracted and allowed us to enjoy the moment a bit more.

• alt=“BRUSHTAIL POSSUM IM EVERCREECH STATE FOREST“>
• alt=“CAMPING AM EVERCREECH FOREST RESERVE“>
• alt=“CAMPING AM EVERCREECH FOREST RESERVE“>
• alt=“EVERCREECH FÄLLE, EVERCREECH STATE RESERVE, TASMANIEN“>
• alt=“WHITE KNIGHTS WALK EVERCREECH STATE RESERVE“>

Switch off in Bicheno

After Evercreech we completed a short hike in Douglas Apsley National Park before stopping in Bicheno. This location is perfect for van lifers and Tassie tourers as it offers all the facilities you need while on the road. These included hot showers, a beach for swimming, landfills, gas stations, free drinking water, supermarkets and a bakery.

We actually spent a whole day relaxing, getting some work done and taking care of all the inevitable tasks that come with living in a van.

The only thing Bicheno doesn't have is a free campsite. So far in our two weeks in Tasmania we hadn't paid for camping once. We built our van to be completely self-contained and off-grid. Of course we wanted to make full use of our newfound independence.

Instead of secretly parking in Bicheno, we parked under a bridge right at the start of Coles Bay Road. This wasn't just a random bridge we found, but a suggested free campsite on the Campermate app.

Freycinet National Park

The next big destination on our list was Freycinet National Park. This is where Wineglass Bay is located, perhaps one of Australia's most famous beaches. What interested us more, however, were the epic hiking opportunities on offer.

First up was Mount Amos, which is arguably the best viewpoint in the area. Unfortunately our first day in Freycinet was very cloudy, so we waited until the second day for a sunrise mission to the summit.

We certainly weren't disappointed with this one. A perfect morning sunrise illuminated the view over the peninsula. We made the decision at the summit to explore Freycinet for a full week to make the most of this incredible destination.
alt=“MOUNT AMOS SUNRISE HIKE”>
alt="SUNRISE AT MOUNT AMOS SUMMIT">
alt=“MOUNT AMOS HIKE”>

Escape the Easter hustle and bustle

After all these years of living and working on the road, we view holidays differently than most. Long weekends, particularly in Australia, mean thousands of people are out and about taking advantage of their well-deserved days off.

For us, we usually take the time to hide and avoid the crowds. While we were able to hit the trails, our poor timing in choosing perhaps one of Tasmania's most popular parks meant we would rather wait out the Easter rush than queue up for the mountain views.

So over the next few days, until Easter is over, we'll be holding back and working on getting some long overdue content published on this blog.

Next week we are planning our first multi-day hike in Tasmania on the Freycinet Peninsula Circuit, which we are really looking forward to.

alt=“BAY OF FIRE TASMANIA”>
alt=“HIKING ON MOUNT AMOS IN THE DARK”>We set off to Mount Amos in the dark
alt=“FANCY REEF THE GARDENS BAY OF FIRES”>
alt=“WHITE KINGS OF EVERCREECH STATE RESERVE”>
alt=“RIVER CROSSING EVERCREECH STATE RESERVE”>
alt="EVERCREECH FALLS RAILWAY">
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