I headed into Fitzgerald River National Park for a little solo van life reset—camping at Four Mile Campground near Hopetoun, chasing beaches, hot showers (gas hot, praise the Lord), and that unreal mountain backdrop. The place honestly feels different to a lot of Australia—those rocky green mountains, the birds going off in the morning, and the coastline… it’s special. I was trying to be strategic too: I had a few separate bookings, and I was even going to ask if I could tuck into a tent-bay parking area for the “gap” nights so I could stay for a full week. The big mission was hiking Mount Barren. I started early, messaged my daughter with my plan (because solo hiking means you play it safe), and pushed up what is genuinely more “climbing” than walking in parts. Near the top my stomach turned and I got that horrible “I’m going to throw up” feeling, so I made the call to turn back—super frustrating because the peak was right there, but I’m not about to risk needing a rescue team or panicking my child. Back at camp I rested, tried hydrolytes, and later drove out to film the recent fire scar that burnt a huge chunk of the park. It’s a real, honest van life moment: sometimes the view is breathtaking… and sometimes your body says no.