Here we were on this glorious day, all swimsuits, sunglasses and smiles, heading off to the Airlie Wharf where our Whitsundays voyage had to begin in the early morning hours. I couldn’t be more excited after 42 years of turbulent life slowly building up to this very moment. All the dreaming I had dreamt about the Great Barrier Reef when I was a kid, has finally come to fruition.

Waking up at 5.30, sunrise watching, sand walking and busy being happy – this is how the first half of our first camping trip went. There was a wonderful feeling of freedom and simplicity which we found almost immediately, despite having to drive for 5-6 hours daily and staying at each campsite for only a night. 5000km back and forth on the road for just 10 days is an ambitious endeavour which surely requires resilience and sacrifice

I will never forget our first night of camping. We arrived just before dinnertime, parked on the allocated spot, hidden in a leafy crescent, and went to see how does the place work. Moving cautiously, we explored the amenities block, the kitchen and the BBQ spot, and the behaviour of other visitors. The Byron Bay beach was just a couple of steps away, the thick greenery hosted wallabies, enormous butterflies, flowers and fat parrots. Everything smelled like freedom.

Planning a long coastal trip is a big challenge in itself, even more so if it’s on a foreign continent. Once I had come up with the idea of us driving to the Barrier Reef and back, I spent countless hours in reading, google-ing and other scientific research. Selecting the right vehicle was essential, for it had to be comfortable for four, yet easy to manage. Caravans and large house-like motorhomes went out early of the competition, the natural winner of which was a tidy campervan with a rooftop tent.

All real jedis are alike unto nature and trips. Curious minds who like to explore. It doesn’t matter whether it’s while reading, daydreaming, flying or riding a car, they just need to reach new horizons. That’s why we told ourselves last month, that it’s time for us to do something revolutionary and go on a travel quest. Not an easy task, given that we’ve hiked and biked a lot, have crossed many borders and have flown over deserts and oceans.