This trip wasn’t planned in a neat, color coded way. Australia happened in pieces.

Decisions made on the fly, ideas tested in real time, and a lot of “let’s see if this works.” This post is where we’re quietly documenting our Australia trip as it unfolds. The road trips, the logistics, the moments that surprised us, and the things we’d actually do again.

As we publish videos from this trip, we’ll keep linking them here so everything lives in one place.

Why Australia

Australia wasn’t something we carefully mapped out months in advance. It kind of… found us.

We booked a last-minute Disney cruise that crossed the Pacific from Hawaii to Australia, with stops in Fiji, New Caledonia, and American Samoa. Not only was it an incredible route, it also ended up being one of the more affordable ways for us to cross the Pacific. When we realized Australia was the final stop, we looked at each other and said, “Okay… we can make this work.”

Because the cruise was booked late, everything after it was last minute too. No set route. No tight schedule. No real idea of where we’ll end up next. And honestly, that’s exactly how we like it.

This trip is very much Unscripted. We’re slow traveling, figuring things out as we go, and leaving space for detours, changes, and unexpected moments. Some days we have a loose plan, some days we don’t, and we’re completely okay with that.

There are a few things we’d love to experience while we’re here. Swimming in the Great Barrier Reef is at the top of the list. Seeing kangaroos in the wild. Spotting koalas. Visiting the Steve Irwin zoo. Learning more about the Outback and Indigenous culture if the opportunity comes up. None of it is locked in, and none of it has to happen (except the reef 😉).

The fun part is that we don’t really know how this will all unfold yet… and that’s the point. We’re documenting the trip as it happens, sharing the wins, the chaos, and everything in between.

If you want to follow along as this adventure unfolds in real time, all of our Australia Unscripted videos will be linked below, and we’re sharing the day-to-day moments over on our socials too. Come along with us!

Arriving to Australia

We stepped off our Disney cruise in Sydney and realized pretty quickly that this wasn’t going to be a normal arrival day.

Instead of heading home like most people on the ship, we decided to stay. The cruise ended in Australia, it was booked last minute, and suddenly we were standing there thinking, okay… we’re really doing this.

There wasn’t a detailed plan waiting for us. No set route. No timeline. Just the idea that we’d land in Australia and figure it out as we went.

First stop was the hotel. After days at sea, we needed a reset before exploring Sydney. Dropping our bags, taking in the views, and watching fireworks that first night made everything feel real. It finally sank in that we had arrived… and not just for a visit, but for a while.

The next day we headed out to see Manly Beach. Sydney’s ferry system was surprisingly easy to navigate and ended up being one of our favorite ways to see the city. It felt like sightseeing before we even arrived.

Walking into a Ghanda store was one of those small, full circle moments. We’ve been buying Ghanda for years, so seeing their storefronts in Australia felt surreal in the best way.

On the way back to the hotel, we had the moment where we realized we should probably explain our “plan” for Australia. Which is that we don’t really have one. Nothing booked beyond this stay. No idea where we’re going next. Only two nights reserved, which means we have about 24 hours to figure out what comes next.

And honestly, that’s exactly how this trip is meant to be.

🎥 Watch Vlog Day 1 for our arrival in Sydney, first impressions of Australia, Manly Beach, fireworks, and the start of our Australia Unscripted journey.

The Big Experiment

By day two in Australia, we realized pretty quickly that renting a car here was going to be expensive. Way more expensive than we expected. Monthly rentals were high, short term options weren’t much better, and suddenly our loose plan needed a creative solution.

So we did what we usually do when we hit a wall.

We started researching.
Then we asked ChatGPT.

That’s how we landed on what sounded like a wild idea… a campervan relocation through a company we had never used before, for roughly $1 a day. The catch? You help move the vehicle where it needs to go, and in return, you get cheap wheels.

Somehow, it made sense.

Thankfully Alex had recently renewed his international driver’s permit before we left giving us the ability to have this as an option.. He has experience driving on the left side, but it had been a while… just rusty enough to make the first few hours interesting.

So we filmed ourselves looking it up, questioning whether this was a great idea or a terrible one, and then drove out to pick up the campervan to see if this experiment was actually going to work.

It did… mostly.

The van had a bit of a funky smell, we made our first Australian gas station stop, and suddenly we were officially on the road. Road trip day one was underway. Long stretches of highway, learning the rhythm of the roads, and settling into the reality of driving across Australia.

We only drove for a few hours and made our way to Newcastle for our first overnight stop. By the time we arrived, it felt like we had already lived a full day.

The next morning kicked off day three with a very familiar sight: McDonald’s breakfast. Something oddly comforting about starting a new day in a new country with something that feels familiar before hitting the road again. But if you know anything about McDonalds internationally. The menu isn’t always exactly the same.

🎥 Watch Vlog 2 below to see how a last minute decision turned into a cross-country road trip with five days, a mystery van, and a lot of curiosity.

Melbourne to Cairns Driving Itinerary

One of the very first stops on our list was something I’d been excited about long before this trip even existed, visiting UGG Since 1974. Not just any UGG store, but the original Australian brand with a story most people don’t know. Seeing where the boots are made, learning about their family run history, and touring the factory felt like one of those full circle travel moments. The girls picked out their souvenirs here, and honestly, it ended up being way cooler than we expected.

From there, we made our way toward the Gold Coast for the night. Dinner was Mexican, because Alex has a standing rule about trying Mexican food in every country we visit and while the verdict was… debatable, the commitment remains strong. The night itself was a little rough (air con issues and a very lively after hours crowd), but that’s just part of road trip life.

The next day completely made up for it.

We finally made it to Australia Zoo, and it lived up to every expectation. Koalas, kangaroos, dingoes, all of it. It was one of those stops that reminds you why slow travel and flexibility are worth it.

On the drive to our next overnight stop we had another very “only in Australia” moment when Alex got pulled over. No trouble at all… just learning that here, traffic stops include an automatic breathalyzer. First time blowing into a straw, friendly officers, and yes… he got to keep it as a souvenir.

🎥 Watch Vlog 3 below to see factory tours, wildlife encounters, road trip chaos, and the small moments that make this journey unforgettable.

Brisbane to Cairns Road Trip Ideas

Somewhere along the drive north, we realized this stretch of the trip was turning into one long series of decisions made on the fly.

We almost skipped Bundaberg.

It wasn’t originally part of the plan, but a random detour turned into one of those unexpectedly great road-trip stops. Visiting the Bundaberg factory, doing the tasting, and stocking up for the road ended up being way more fun than we expected. One of those reminders that some of the best travel moments aren’t planned at all.

From there, we did what we’ve been doing best on this trip: drove until we were tired and found a place to sleep. No perfect overnight stop, just wherever we could land for the night before continuing north.

Along the way, we crossed the Tropic of Capricorn — a quick but meaningful stop that made the distance we were covering feel real. Australia is big, and this road trip is starting to sink in.

And then, finally, we made it.

We rolled into Cairns — the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and a place that’s been sitting at the top of our bucket list. After days of driving, Cairns felt like a turning point. Less “figuring it out” and more “okay, we’re here.”

This vlog is about the in-between moments. The detours. The overnight stops. The long drives that quietly become part of the story. It’s also a little foreshadowing, because Cairns means reef days are finally on the horizon.

Australia Unscripted continues, and somehow, the stops we didn’t plan are becoming the ones we’re most glad we made.

🎥 Watch Vlog 4 below to see the Bundaberg stop, life on the road, crossing the Tropic of Capricorn, and our arrival in Cairns.

Trinity Beach Australia

Landing somewhere new always comes with a quiet checklist.

Not the exciting, highlight reel moments… the real ones.

Figuring out how to live here for a while.
Walking the neighborhood.
Grocery runs.
Learning what feels close and what feels far.

After days on the road, Trinity Beach Australia feels like a deep breath. A slower rhythm. Less movement, more noticing. This is the part of travel we don’t rush. The in-between days where a place starts to feel familiar, not just visited.

We’re easing into daily life here. Getting a feel for the area, letting the girls explore, and settling into a pace that feels sustainable after weeks of driving. No big plans yet. Just space to exhale and let this part of Australia unfold naturally.

This is the transition point… from covering ground to staying put, from road trip chaos to slow mornings and neighborhood walks. Australia Unscripted looks a little quieter here, but it’s where everything starts to sink in.

Australia Unscripted Videos

Vlog 1: We Got Off a Disney Cruise and Moved to Australia With No Plan

Our first days in Australia after getting off a Disney cruise! Arriving in Sydney, resetting at the hotel, exploring Manly Beach, and realizing we don’t actually have a plan yet.

Watch on: Youtube / Instagram / Facebook / Tiktok

Vlog 2: ChatGPT Convinced Us to Drive Across Australia

Realizing how expensive car rentals are in Australia, asking ChatGPT for help, and taking a risk on a $1 campervan relocation that turns into our first real Australia road trip.

Watch on: Youtube / Instagram / Facebook / Tiktok

Vlog 3: From UGGs to Koalas

From an UGG factory tour to koalas and kangaroos, this stretch of the road trip moves fast — with unexpected stops, wildlife encounters, and a few surprises along the way.

Watch on: Youtube / Instagram / Facebook / Tiktok