On the road again
Jessie Beale: round Australia with a fridge.
INTERVIEW: Jessie Beale - round Australia with a fridge
There is something so freeing about road trips. Windows down, music blasting out, and the sweet smell of fresh air filling the car. Bed set up in the back, cold ciders in the fridge, and nowhere to be. This is living!
I wanted to be as self-sufficient as possible for what was going to be a long trip, up through New South Wales and into as much of Queensland as I could fit in. I’d had the back of the car fitted out by a campervan conversion specialist with a platform to sleep on, which included pull-out draws that held a stovetop and cooking supplies. There was also a lithium battery running the fridge 24/7, with a solar blanket recharging the battery every few days.
To my surprise (and being a Sydney girl), I found there are no legal nude beaches in Queensland, and between camping at rest stops (which you can legally do for up to 20 hours) my clothes stayed on - at least for the first few days as I headed further north, into less-populated areas.
Naked traveller or not, those living life on the road can appreciate a good outdoor shower, because it may be your last for a few days. If you know me on a more personal level, you know how much I hate the cold. That includes cold showers. But I soon learned to channel my inner Wim Hof and take the plunge.
Tradition
My roadtrip has become something of an annual tradition, and from now onwards, part of that tradition is going to be meeting up with fellow naked yoga practitioner Rikki Yeowart. We had only first met on last year's road trip, where we had connected over the internet, and she then invited me into her house for a bed, shower and wholesome conversation.
Although we were traveling through stinger season (one of the nastier sub-species of jellyfish), we still enjoyed finding secluded parts of beaches to strip off including the aptly-named Hideaway Bay, which marked the highest point we drove on our road trip. We continually tossed back and forth, continuing to Cairns, where we had booked accommodation for the night - but the dark storm clouds rolling in said otherwise.
We parked up at the beach and relaxed while watching a movie. We weren't sure where we intended to sleep that night as there was a clear sign stating that where we were parked was strictly no-camping. As the sun began to set, we began to prepare our dinner. Unexpectedly, a middle-aged man popped his head around the back of our car, beer in hand, and asked if we would like to take shelter for the night at him and his wife's house across the road as a huge storm was imminent.
We kindly accepted, but not before messaging a friend with our location just to be safe. When we entered their house, we had almost forgotten that we had been taken in off the street. The couple treated us like VIP guests, ushering us to our room for the night with our own ensuite bathroom, towels and a king-sized bed! We shared stories over a beverage or three, and were cooked breakfast the next morning before we headed off back down the coastline. Aussie hospitality at its best.
Idea
We next stumbled across a cute little campground called Smalleys Beach Camping Area where we cooked some tucker, relaxed and watched the storm play itself out. We still had no idea what our plans were for the coming night, but had heard of a waterfall that we decided to check out, and along the way we passed a cute little bush camp with a sign that said, "Stay here tonight, it's unique." With confidence like that, I was sold.
We pulled in and were greeted by an old codger and his dog, who he had ironically named Dog. We set up camp for the night and spent the afternoon exploring Platypus Bush Camp. This was not a nudist camp but with the encouragement of a 'swimwear optional' sign, we quickly made ourselves at home.
We came to learn Wazza (the codger) was somewhat a legend in the community, having owned the camp for over 30 years and building the huts, rainforest showers, communal kitchen and public gathering areas himself.
The aforementioned waterfall by the way, Araluen Falls, is in the Eungella National Park, and well worth seeking out for a skinny dip.
Detour
What's a road trip without a six-hour detour to see old friends?
To our surprise, we found these friends lived on an incredible piece of land. We were surrounded by boulders, trees and birds as far as the eye could see. And I was in love with their outdoor shower.
Our friends, being the epic adventurers they are, took us to Girraween National Park in the Darling Downs, where we rock climbed our way to the top and decided: let's get naked! You know what they say... nude friends are the best kind of friends. When it comes to onlookers, you always need to be respectful of course, and if an onlooker seems uncomfortable, that is your cue to cover up. But this is Australia. There’s a lot of space. And here we were lucky to have this beautiful place all to ourselves.
Our next stop was to see another naturist friend, who had recently moved onto a remote property, and we were looking forward to spending a few days relaxing in nature and catching up.
By this point, we had been on the road for almost three weeks, and although we still slept in the car during our stay on our friend's property, there is just something so wholesome about finishing off a long and exhausting trip in the company of loved ones.
Our last few days drifted by as we packed our things, shoving our dirty clothes wherever they would fit. We were on the home stretch, but our trip wasn't quite over yet. We had one more stop: the Get Naked Australia Beach Carnival at Cobblers Beach back in Sydney.
By this point we had literally run out of underwear, so how ironic it was that our final destination was a nude event…
