Charged up to hit the road with Jeep and Adventure.com

After years spent living abroad, Adventure.com writer, Emily Barlow goes looking for a way to reconnect with her home state of NSW, Australia. On an electric-powered journey from Sydney to Byron Bay, she stops for surfs, SUP-adventures and ​lessons from the land.

"When the paperbark tree blossoms, it means the mullet fish are running up the creek from colder waters. When the tree bark sheds, it means sharks are prevalent in the deep ocean. We’re saltwater, freshwater people. We’ve got a lot of relations with the fish and plants that coincide with the water,” says our stand-up paddle boarding guide, Gumbaynggirr and Yirrganydji man, Ronan Singleton.

Though I’ve called Eora/Sydney home for most of my adult life, there are many sections of Australia’s famed East Coast that I’ve never explored. And many things, like the traditional Indigenous uses of the paperbark tree, that I never learned. Until now.

I’m back in Australia—after living abroad in Canada—and hitting the road in the new full electric Jeep Avenger with my surf-obsessed friend Ari Halder to learn more about the coast and Country. The chosen route: Gadigal land (Sydney) all the way up to Bundjalung country (Byron Bay), stopping for surf, SUP’ing and sleeping at EV-friendly Reflections Holidays along the way.

Gadigal land to Worimi Country | Sydney to Tuncurry

The weather is not exactly ideal—the region's been flooding and even now it's raining. But ever the optimists, we pack our swimmers and a surfboard into the charged EV and hit the road, keen for that post-storm swell. 

We wirelessly connected to the Avenger’s infotainment in an instant, so it's maps at the ready, music pumping and high vibes.

Three hours north of the city, the Lakes Way scenic drive—stretching between Bulahdelah and Tuncurry—is way more than scenic. For the unoriented, picture towering eucalyptus above winding roads, and cabbage tree palms and ferns coating the damp forest floor. Birds chirp animatedly.

We’re on the traditional lands of the Worimi Nation, made up of 18 tribes whose lands span inland to the coast. Beyond the dense forests, we’re greeted by the glistening Wallis Lake, an estuary spanning 25kms. As we cross a skinny isthmus, with the lake to our left and the Tasman Sea to our right, I gape at the expanse in both directions. I picture the Worimi people gathering shellfish and fishing for mullet in their waters—a staple food source through the seasons for Indigenous communities up and down the coast, I’m learning.

Daan.gaari/Tuncurry is our destination today. We arrive for a night at Reflections Holidays Tuncurry, one of eight parks along the NSW East Coast newly kitted out with EV-charging stations. Very convenient. The charger is incredibly close to our cabin front door—even more convenient.

With the epic Nine-Mile Beach just 150 meters walk ahead, our evening location can only be improved by grabbing fish and chips for dinner.

EV charging tip: The Jeep Avenger has a 390km range but highway driving uses a little more power than you might expect, so use the ABRP or Plugshare apps to find your nearest EV-charging station along the way. There are plenty around Newcastle. Then charge overnight at Tuncurry.

Worimi Country to Birpai Country | Tuncurry to Bonny Hills

Our destination today is Bonny Hills, just an hour's drive north. But a short drive doesn’t mean there’s less to do. Stopping at Crowdy Bay National Park to check out its vast golden sand beaches and scrubby headland walking loops is recommended. Opening the Avenger’s sunroof to experience the silence of trying an EV is a must.

Bonny Hills’ seaside landscape is the traditional land of the Birpai people, an area rich with littoral rainforests, brahminy kite birds, eagles and fish. Lobsters, oysters and pipis were traditionally eaten here, while crab is a sacred saltwater totem. What was once an undisturbed coast—as Birpai people settled in small villages along rivers and lakes—became decorated with wooden fishing shacks in the 1940s and is now dotted with large beach houses. Still, there’s only one pub in town.

The ocean bellows directly below the headland, and a walking trail from the Reflections Holidays Bonny Hills park—our stay for the night—provides easy access to Rainbow Beach.

“It’s absolutely cooking!” yells Ari as the exposed point break comes into view. Stoked on the clear conditions and a beach less crowded than his Sydney local, Ari’s got his board out and his wetsuit on before I’ve turned the car off. Turns out the Bonny Hills secret is good swell.

We didn't want to camp on this road trip, but hotels feel too removed from local life. My timber-lined cabin, surrounded by succulents, is the best of both worlds. Comfortable, but close to nature. After washing off the drive and the salt water, I have one of my best night's sleeps in ages, listening to the soundtrack of waves.

EV charging tip: Reflections Bonny Hills’ EV charging station is available from 9am until 5pm, so get that car on charge as soon as you arrive.

Birpai and Gumbaynggirr Country to Bundjalung Country | Bonny Hills to Evans Head

Onwards we travel to the glorious Coffs Coast where we embark on a Wajaana Yaam SUP adventure up Moonee Creek, on the traditional land of the Gumbaynggirr people.

“Giinigay” (hello) says Ronan as he hands me a paddle and a soft paperbark leaf, inviting me to breathe in its eucalyptus scent. It’s immediately calming. As we push from the shore and start paddling, Ronan points out various bird species—eastern osprey and white-belly sea eagles are common—plus all the types of mangroves.

The Gumbaynggirr language was in danger of being totally lost after the Stolen Generation, a multi-generational period (1910-1970s) where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were forcibly removed from their families by the Australian federal and state governments. But in the last ten years there has been a big effort to bring it back.

“[Our culture] has been beaten in the past, and you know, we're just trying to revitalize it, and the best way to do it is to share it,” says Ronan.

Back in the car, I turn on the EV’s heated seats to warm up and settle in for the two-hour drive to Reflections Evans Head. This stretch offers countless beaches and sleepy villages accessed via single roads through a slew of coastal nature reserves.

Tonight, we’re staying on the banks of the Evans River, which also meets with the ocean. As we heat up the barbecue on our spacious villa’s deck, I notice a pod of pelicans congregating in the estuary to fish together. Are they reflecting on what they learned today, too? As the sun drops down, they all slowly flock away; and everything is quiet save for the ebb of the water and the hushed sounds of nearby campers settling in for the night.

EV charging tip: It’s worth stopping in Coffs Harbour enroute for a quick charge and a snack before heading on to Evans Head. Reflections Evans Head has two charging stations to charge overnight.

Bundjalung Country | Evans Head to Byron Bay

After checking out of Reflections Evans Head, we look to surf by the town’s North Break Wall. Everyone who passes us says hello. “No one says hi like this in the city,” Ari comments. We’re certainly not in Sydney anymore.

The surf’s not up, so we head inland for adventure. Beyond the famous beaches of Byron Bay, the Northern Rivers hinterland is known for its undulating pastures and locally grown produce.

Brunch is at WOODS in Bangalow, a town that’s equal parts artsy, laid-back community and world-class dining and fashion. The cafe’s menu is interwoven with locally-sourced ingredients— Ari opts for Turkish-style eggs with Byron Bay halloumi, and I tuck into a harvest hinterland plate. Rain pours as we sit sheltered next to folks selling jewellery, art and clothes in converted shipping containers.

Later, from a platform overlooking the raucous cascade of Killen Falls, we gaze up to the sprawling canopy and down at the moss-laden rocks by the pool below. On a warmer day I’d take a dip in those waters, but today it’s enough to cautiously move behind the veil of the falls to feel its rupture. The spray on my skin and the overwhelming sound drowns out all else, and I can’t stop my grin despite my now soaking trousers.

This trip has reminded me how beautiful home is—at any time of the year. And this 750km journey has shown me just how resilient, adaptive and diverse the East Coast landscape and its deep-rooted communities are."

Thinking about setting out on your own EV roadtrip?

If you're thinking about doing this trip in an EV—go for it. As long as you plan your charging stops ahead of time, it’s all pretty smooth sailing. And with charging spots like those at Reflections Holidays making it easy to power up your electric vehicle, travelling green whilst on holiday has never been easier.

*This adventure journey was in partnership with Adventure.com, Jeep and Reflections Holidays. Read the full article here