Stars & secret surf spots: South Aus by van

Alex Knorr

March 12, 2021

Hungry for another road trip in Marty (our vintage Kombi) and a new range of headwear to shoot, this was the perfect excuse for an expedition to explore the nooks and crannies of South Australia's rugged north west region.

Picking up 2 of our besties along the way to join the journey is always the best part of the first day. Being so accustomed to travelling in Marty as a pair makes it easy to slip back into work mode, but to travel with our 2 good friends meant a distraction from distractions.

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“Bright blue water with wild 20ft waves, amongst the brown dusty land and not a soul in sight"

If you’ve ever done a long road trip you’ll know how exhausting doing nothing is especially when you’re travelling with 4 humans and no aircon! All taking turns napping on the comfiest back seat of Marty, Stefan decided he needed the ocean after a few days of hot inland Australia. Delegating himself as the driver, Stefan gunned it to the nearest coast overnight whilst we all slept.

As we woke, we were all breath-taken by the beauty of Elliston; bright blue water with wild 20ft waves, amongst the brown dusty land with not a soul in sight. Being on a trip with no limitations or solid plans meant that we could find the untouched hidden gems and spend as long or as little time there as we wanted. And after spending two nights in the beauty of Elliston enjoying the simplicity of life on the road, we decided it was time to truly begin the hunt for ‘secret spot’.

The longer we drove the more diverse the landscape became, with muted tones and earthy hues the textures where ever-changing. Bridging closer and closer to our wanted destination we passed through two lakes that held different colour on either side; one pink, one green, as if we were rolling through Mars.

So as we made our way through the rolling sand dunes and desert like land we suddenly popped out at clear blue ocean and parked Marty just 20metres away from shore. With 4 epic surf breaks and solid pumping waves, we were spoilt for choice and Bear (Alex) was brave enough to go out for a paddle. Crossing all fingers and toes, perched upon the rocks, Will (Loz) peeked through binoculars hoping he would make it out alive.

“If it’s one thing we’ve learnt; life on the road isn’t always glamorous but it is always worth taking the road less travelled"

- Bear

Now that we had completed our mission and experienced what we’d only ever heard rumours of, our plan was to gun it home in 4 days. However, things don’t always go to plan, and 4 days turned into 7. Choosing the 258km ‘off road’ drive when travelling in a vintage van with no spare tyre may seem a little ridiculous, but of course, we did it anyway. Halfway through we got the inevitable flat tyre, and two days later we popped yet another tyre after being bogged for 4 hours.

If it’s one thing we’ve learnt; life on the road isn’t always glamorous but it is always worth taking the road less travelled to explore and see where the road takes us. And the more we travel Australia the more we’re blown away by its charm and diverse landscapes, leaving us inspired and always seeking more.