The East Coast with Brian from Germany

Get inspired and trade your boring office job for the dusty roads of the outback, the laid-back cities or the beautiful beaches of Australia. Welcome to our series ‘On the road with’, where we chat to customers about their experience with a Travellers Autobarn campervan. This time we caught up with Brian, a German travel photographer that just returned from his epic road trip down the East Coast of Australia.

Name: Brian B.
Country of residence: Hamburg, Germany.
Total days on the road: 60 days.

My name is Brian, I’m 29 years old and originally from Hamburg, Germany. I usually go on holidays in Europe but my girlfriend took some time off after she finished studying. She asked me if I wanted to travel Australia and New Zealand with her for 2 months. How can I say no to that?

Where did you go? What did you do?

Everything on our Australia bucket list was located on the east coast of Australia. We started our road trip in Cairns and headed up north to Cape Tribulation. Our final destination was Brisbane. We decided to rent a campervan at Travellers Autobarn to be as flexible as possible in terms of places and activities.

Our highlights in Queensland were:

Cairns: Great Barrier Reef (Snorkeling)
Daintree Rainforest National Park: Daintree River Cruise (Watching wild crocodiles)
Mossman Gorge (Exploring the rainforest, swimming in a river)
Paluma Range National Park: Big Crystal Creek/Paradise Waterhole (Swimming in a lake)
Magnetic Island (Renting a scooter or car to explore the island)
Townsville Billabong Sanctuary (Feeding Wallabys & holding Koalas in a less crowded environment)
Whitsunday Islands (Sailing Trip! Snorkeling & optional Scuba Diving in small groups)
Eungella National Park (Platypus watching, bush camping at the river)
Hervey Bay (Humpback Whale watching)
Tin Can Bay: Barnacles Café (Feeding wild Dolphins)
Fraser Island! (Guided four-wheel drive tour)
Rainbow Beach: Carlo Sandblow (Beautiful cliff walk)
Noosa National Park: Coastal track (Chance of seeing dolphines, cliff walk)

Cape Tribulation by @bi.brian (via IG)

Photo by @bi.brian (via IG)

Tell us a little bit about your experience with the HiTop Camper!

We hired the Hitop Camper and got a Kuga Camper instead, which was kinda cool because the Kuga Camper is the technically more advanced one. It’s the perfect vehicle for travelling as a couple. Enough space and comfortable to drive. We called it our home because it’s basically a private double bedroom on 4 wheels!

What are your top 5 road trip essentials?

#1: Try to relax while driving! Don’t rush things. You can’t get any faster anyways. Chill!
#2: I think tidiness is very important while travelling in a campervan.
#3: Enjoy! Appreciate the nature in all its varieties.
#4: Get in contact with others around you! No matter where you are, you will meet interesting people. Maybe you’ll find some new friends from all over the world!
#5: Remind yourself of all the first 4 essentials to have a unforgettable trip!

Describe your best memory of your road trip.

I went on a sailing trip for the first time. We visited the Whitsundays and while sailing between the islands I had an incredible feeling of freedom.

Any must-do or must-sees for road trip newbie’s?

If you’re a newbie, there are so many things to explore. A must-do is camp at least once at a National park – you are more independent and can enjoy the quietness of nature. A must-see in Australia is Fraser Island, this unique world heritage has so many interesting places to offer! But in the end, if you stick to the plan of having the best time ever, you’ll make memories that last a lifetime!

Follow Brian on Instagram here
Check out his photoblog here