Fulltime Vanlife - Girrakool National Park on the Central Coast, NSW, Australia
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- Опубликовано: 3 авг 2024
- Join me on an Aussie vanlife adventure as I venture south from Lake Macquarie to Sydney, stopping in at Girrakool National Park on the Central Coast. Despite the holiday crowds, I embarked on two breathtaking walking trails - the Girrakool Loop and the Piles Creek Loop, totaling over 7km of scenic beauty, moss filled rock overhangs, and serene waterfalls.
Afterward, I indulged in a tranquil lunch by the water of the Hawkesbury River at McKell Park in Brooklyn before heading into the city for another bike ride at Bare Creek Bike Park on the following day.
Along the way, I'll share some handy vanlife tips, recommendations, and personal experiences to enrich your own travels. Strap in for a detailed discussion on how my Renogy 50A DC DC MPPT charge controller works and the short comings that resulted in me having low charge during cloudy weather.
Curious about vanlife? I'm Jason, a former Mechanical Engineer turned full-time van dweller, exploring the wonders of Australia one adventure at a time. Dive into my solo vanlife journey and let's discover the beauty of nature together!
Solo Fulltime Vanlife vlog
Chapters:
0:00 Myuna Bay
3:54 Arriving at Girrakool
4:27 Next morning
6:08 Girrakool for real
11:08 Piles Creek
13:43 Unknown waterfalls
16:24 Girrakool loop walk
18:14 Andamira waterfall
19:24 McKell Park Brooklyn
20:03 Solar charger discussion
26:45 Glenrose night hideout
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Another great video full of wonderful views of waterfalls and the lovely trees , thank you so much for taking us with you on theses walks , they brighten my days
Thanks. That was certainly a beautiful walk! 😊
Great video/s Jason. They actually depict REAL van life with all of it's joys, nuances and downsides. Thanks again for these entertaining and inspiring videos, Sean.
Thanks Sean, always a pleasure and really appreciate yours and everyone else's feedback!😊
I left a comment about 8 or 10 videos ago mentioning you should visit Dead Horse Bay. It's just on the boat ramp side of Brooklyn and you enter this small track that starts behind the toilet block. Climb between the boulders to get onto the track and it will take you to the most beautiful beach you've ever seen. This is a secret location only some locals know about. Happy travels.
I'll have to have a look. I did see the bay on the maps and thought about taking the kayak around to it, but walking might be better. Pretty open waters for my little kayak 😂
It's been a looooong time since I've done the Pile Creek Loop, and it's so overgrown now from what I saw in this video. I think a bush fire came through the area some 3-4yrs prior to when I did it, so the area was relatively open (view wise) compared to what you saw. Impressed on how much of the natural fauna you actually know the name of. Me, apart from the more obvious ones like Wattle, Eucalyptus, etc. I only know their generic term (ie. fern, wild flowers etc).
Yeah, there was certainly no shortage of plants there. It would have been good to actually see the view. Just shows how well the bush recovers. If there was a fire several years back, probably explains the lack of bigger trees.
Wow loving your channel. Im going to go back to the start and watch them through. Nice to see a van life in Australia (and not USA LOL) and in particular nsw. 👍
Thankyou very much! Great to have you following along 😊
recently found your channel and subbed ... and going back thru your vids @3:00 you were literally 2 minutes from my place when you spun around the roundabput after going to the 4wd supercetnre, love your videos and commentary, cheers Garry
Sounds like you live in a pretty good spot! Everywhere is so nice around there.
Glad you're enjoying the videos, really appreciate the support 😊
Seeing you like dumplings 🥟 I recommend a dumpling sauce you might like to try which you can get in the Asian Aisle in Woolies. Brand is “Weichuan” 190ml. Note there is a hot (red lid), and non hot bottle. Around $5 per bottle. Wish I can send you pic of the bottle. Not sure how here.
Sounds interesting. I'll have a look for it. I usually dip them in vinegar and Sichuan pepper oil, but can't hurt to try something different 😁
@@MakingStuffGoingPlaces you can even add it to your stir fry. Quite a versatile sauce base. So 😋
Girrakool take two was definitely better than take one 😂😂. I’m assuming take one was Kings Birthday. Tuesdays are always better 🤙
Yeah, you're exactly right. I had no idea it was a public holiday 😂
Now that we are into Sydney's winter and its been overcast & raining, how are you finding your battery level?, are you getting any anxiety of it not able to power your fridge and cooking? Or since you drive also everyday rather than staying in one place for a long time, it always gets top up from the driving regardless of the sun?
During my car trip, I too do what you do and scope out areas to park for the night, its easier in larger towns and cities. I like going to small regional towns, and when its a town with few streets, my car becomes very obvious, maybe I'll do what you do, so long as it doesn't say no parking .. who cares .. 😅
Battery capacity is certainly harder with all these cloudy days. Even the sunny days aren't overly good for solar input. Other than the time I was talking about in the video, it's generally not a problem as an hour or so if driving will give me enough to get through the day.
I think in NSW at least, if there's no signs saying no camping, then your pretty ok to stay in your car, as long as you stay in the car and don't set out awnings and stuff. Some councils may be funny about it, but then they put up signs....
spears point park by the boat ramp. sleep there. its a very good spot for stealth camping (although even the rooftop tenters werent getting bothered)
I did see quite a few people there at the time but decided not to join them as the park was very busy. Probably better on a week day 😊
@@MakingStuffGoingPlaces yes very busy park - after dark everybody leaves
Keep an eye on the kms, because ford are having major issues with their wet belt setup.
Yes, there's talk about that on all the forums. The key is keeping up with the servicing. At least I have a 5 year warranty....
Some have failed before the recommended service intervals. Better early than on time I reckon.
Check out Geoff Buys Cars interview with a woman who owns 6 vans all with failed engines.
I'll definitely keep it in mind. Only done 15,000kms so far, so hopefully have some time yet 😊
P.S. the victron mppt charger maybe better for your solar and alternator charge. The apps are good too from the research I’ve been doing. Certainly worth you having a look at.
It's a bit costly to swap over. Now I'm more aware of what's going on with mine, I can better manage it, albeit manually...🙄
@@MakingStuffGoingPlaces yes basically have to pay a bit more than you already have to replace. At least you’re aware of what needs doing to manipulate things to work better. Come summer, spring even it won’t be such a problem.
So many places around that you wouldn't know are even there. Incase you didn't know Bunnings has free WiFi. Can I ask why you decided to do the van life and is it going to be forever?
I've just always had this lifestyle as a retirement plan. I decided to pull it ahead as I want to do all this stuff I'm doing now while I'm still fit enough to enjoy it. I do also plan to go live overseas...maybe Vietnam or Thailand, but that will be when I sell the van. Not sure when....