Elisha
And it’s time for another year in review. The year 2023 really was a story of two halves for me; one being vanlife on the east coast of Australia and the other being backpacking through India and Sri Lanka. It was the first time that I’d been back overseas since before the pandemic, so it was a year where I blended my pre- and post-pandemic lifestyles together; living out of a backpack and living out of a van (not at the same time).
My life really continued to be one big adventure, and in looking back now, I can say I grew a lot as a person. I tried new things, I made new friends, I visited new places and revisited some of my favourites, I split my time between the mountains and the ocean; all while continuing to appreciate this wild thing we call life.
I believe this new year will be much the same. I’m really looking to replicate 2023 in 2024, just amplified and enriched. Here’s my 2023 in review, including an overview of my adventures and where I see my life and my blog heading in 2024.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links which means I get a commission if you buy a product through my link at no extra cost to you. By doing so, I can keep this blog going and continue to create helpful guides for you. Read more: Privacy Policy
Overview: 2023 in Review
Heading into 2023, I knew that I wanted to continue living out of my van for the first half of the year. The High Country was calling, I really wanted to tick off more hikes on my bucket list, and then amble along to the slow coastal life for much of autumn.
I also expected to head back overseas in the second half of the year, but I wasn’t entirely certain at the beginning what that would look like. I’d been tentatively talking about running a women’s group tour to Ladakh in North India back in 2020, but that obviously never went ahead. Surprisingly, the same women were asking if I was going to run it now that the world was back open, and I was both nervous and excited about the idea.
But within the first week of 2023 I decided to just go for it, and I started planning a tour of Ladakh with eight women from Australia. This meant I would definitely be heading back to India for my fourth visit, and I planned to revisit some of my favourite places in the subcontinent over a couple of months.
I was then hoping to make it back to Nepal for some trekking but instead I found myself in Sri Lanka, a new country for me and I ended up never wanting to leave this little island paradise. As usual, when you don’t plan for much, life comes up with its own little surprises. And I simply leaned into whatever came my way, making decisions by the day.
Let’s break down how I spent my year!
JANUARY & FEBRUARY: Victorian High Country
My annual High Country visit was in full swing by the first week of January 2023. I ended up spending two whole months living mostly around Bright in my van, heading up into the mountains to go hiking whenever a weather window presented itself. It turned out to be a wonderfully wholesome summer.
The first adventure was at the start of January when the annual family High Country trip headed to Lake Tali Karng and the Wellington Plains. I took my mum on her first overnight hike to Lake Tali Karng, and then dad took us in the 4×4 up to Mount Wellington and The Pinnacles Lookout and Fire Tower.
Then, I took my van up to Bright and spent the next six weeks driving, camping, and hiking around the High Country. My first solo multiday hike for the season was out to The Fainters from Hotham via Tawonga Huts over three days.
I then drove down to Mount Buller where I ticked off some day hikes to add to my Mount Buller Hikes guide, before doing an overnight hike out to Craig’s Hut via Mount Stirling. A storm ripped through the Alpine region for a few days following that, and I had to wait in my van postponing my plans.
As soon as the sky cleared, I headed off on my biggest multiday hike of the year as I tackled the Mount Bogong Loop over four days from Mountain Creek. I loved this hike so much, although there were certainly some tough moments, but being at Mount Bogong summit with snow in summer was a special moment. I also put together a YouTube vlog of the hike, which was fun.
A random encounter with some paragliders who camped at Cleve Cole Hut with me on the Bogong slopes, led to them taking me on a tandem flight from Mystic Mountain a few days later. What a wild experience!
I then met up with one of my Heysen Trail buddies, Daniel, who drove down from Sydney to do some hikes in the Victorian Alps. I joined him for an overnight hike to Mount Feathertop via the Razorback Track, and we spent some time together in Bright (read 22 best things to do in Bright).
My final adventure was another trip up to Mount Buffalo National Park for some epic sunsets and more day hikes. Phew! It was a very memorable summer.
MARCH-MAY: Cruising up the East Coast
I made a quick stop in at home to celebrate my mum’s 60th, before heading down to the South Gippsland coast to begin my road trip up the east coast in my van. I explored plenty of things to do on Phillip Island, finally did the George Bass Coastal Walk, and was completely enchanted by the rainforest of Tarra-Bulga National Park.
I eventually crossed over into New South Wales just after Easter. I travelled very slowly and simply revisited my favourite places on the South Coast of NSW from the previous year. I got up for sunrise almost every single day, watched the surfers, took photos, spent lots of time writing and working, and enjoyed the slow life.
I made it up to Wollongong and then had to turn around to head back to Victoria to store my van at home and get ready for my next big adventure overseas.
JUNE-AUGUST: India
I landed in Delhi on 12th of June 2023. Despite the unbearable thick, hot air hitting me hard, I was instantly overjoyed to be back in India. There’s something about India that I simply can’t explain but it’s a place unlike any other. Within 24 hours of being at the hostel in Delhi, I was reminded of how much I’d missed this backpacker life and I instantly fell in love with it all over again.
I headed straight up to North India to get away from the heat of the monsoon (Read my ultimate 1 month North India itinerary). I revisited many places that I loved from my trip in 2019; Dharamsala, Manali, and Spiti Valley and I eventually made it up to Leh, Ladakh by the start of July.
My mum arrived early for the women’s tour, so we completed the Sham Valley Trek over three days. Then, the remaining seven women arrived and I took them on a 10 day trip around Ladakh, to crumbling ancient monasteries, winding mountain roads, the bustling bazaar of Leh, and the fabled Nubra Valley.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to visit Pangong Lake as landslides and heavy rain cut off some of the roads. I did promise them all an adventure and they definitely got one! We were even lucky enough to catch the Dalai Lama give a live teaching on the second last day in Leh. All in all it was a success and I’m planning two more groups for the upcoming season.
I spent some time digesting and refreshing with a week in Leh after the tour and then ended my time in India with 10 days in Rishikesh, after getting stuck many times by road blocks and more landslides on the way.
AUGUST-NOVEMBER: Sri Lanka
I had about a month spare before I planned to head to Nepal for the autumn trekking season. I decided to jump on a quick flight to Sri Lanka, to explore a new country for a bit. If you followed along on Instagram, you’ll know that I quickly extended my visa and ended up staying three months in Sri Lanka; I never wanted to leave.
I spent the first few weeks travelling around the north and central part of the country. I then landed on the south coast in Hiriketiya Beach and decided to book into a co-living and co-working space for the first time. Soon, I extended my stay, and then extended my stay and then extended again… and kept extending until I stayed a month. I really fell in love with this little palm tree-fringed bay on the south coast and while the food was good, the beach was beautiful and the vibe was there, it was really all because of the people I met.
Clics Co-Living seemed to attract the right people at the right time and it really felt like home. Between sunset walks, group dinners, playing uno, caring for the street dogs, learning to surf, and getting a bunch of work done, it was a moment in time that I’ll cherish for a while.
During my first surf lesson I stood up on the board for about five seconds, and that’s all it took. Surfing sucked me in good and it consumed my time and thoughts for my last month in Sri Lanka. I surfed almost every morning, I watched surfing YouTube videos all night, and I went to sleep dreaming I was back in the water. I followed two other girls from Clics to a surf camp in Weligama for a week to perfect my pop-up skills (read my review of Layback Surf Camp), but I was soon running out of time. I headed back to Hiriketiya for another week and then finally made my way to the airport in Negombo to come home.
NOVEMBER & DECEMBER: Home
I got home in November and had plenty to keep me busy; an adventure film night, 30th birthdays, a hens/bachelorette, family events, Christmas, got back into running, watching the NBA, reading books… and I finally managed to unpack my backpack and pack my van ready for summer 2024.
This Blog in 2023
It’s now been two years since I rebranded this entire blog into Beyond Wild Places. I worked hard to get out more blog posts more consistently in 2023 and while I fell short of my goal of publishing 50, it still helped increase my traffic a lot.
Some stats from the year:
- Total views: 354,400 (56% increase from previous year)
- New blog posts: 44
- Best month for traffic: November (37,000 views)
Top 5 Most Read Blog Posts from 2023
- Guide to the Silo Art Trail in Northwest Victoria
- Complete Guide to the Mestia to Ushguli Trek in Georgia
- Complete Guide to Wilsons Prom National Park
- 12 Best Walks in the Flinders Ranges
- 8 Best Road Trips in Victoria to Take This Summer
It’s always a battle to find time to invest in my blog when I’m busy with other client work. But I was lucky to have a solid few freelancing clients that kept me going all year, including Vanketo, Drink Tea Travel, Hotels.com and PeakVisor. I also completed some editorial pieces for We Are Explorers and Great Walks Magazine, which I always love doing. I even got to record my first podcast with We Are Explorers, when I was interviewed about the Heysen Trail in episode 4.
Looking Ahead to 2024
It’s already a week into 2024 and I’m still not entirely sure what I want from this year yet. I know it will be similar to last year in that the first half will be spent in my van and then the second half will be overseas again, but exact destinations are still a little unclear.
I’ll be running two women’s group tours to Ladakh in July and August which is exciting. Otherwise, the rest of the year is anyone’s guess right now. Maybe I’ll just head up the east coast in my van (again) or perhaps I’ll look for something different and head west. If I head west, I might tick off another long thru-hike? Will I actually make it back to Nepal this year for some trekking? But I’m still dreaming of getting back in the surf, so perhaps Sri Lanka is in the plans again? Do I also want to go to a new country this year? These are all good problems to have.
I’m incredibly fortunate to live the life I do, to be healthy and able. I’m certainly not rich, but I earn enough to live a life of adventure and right now that’s what’s calling.
Thanks for reading and I’ll see you out there x
Great post