Aussie Vanlife - Watagans State Forest and National Park

After breaking free from the confines of suburban like (it had been 4 days in a house!!), I headed out to the Watagans Nation Park (or is it a State Forest?), located just inland of the Pacific Highway, about 40 min from Newcastle.

First stop was Heaton Lookout where I cooked lunch, but enjoyed the spot so much, I just stayed there. The lookout is over 400m above sea level and has amazing views over Lake Maquarie and out to the ocean.

Day 2 was a bike ride day and fortunately there is the Awaba Mountain Bike Park at the entrance to the National Park. It was my first time riding at this park and even thought it is quite small, the trails are excellent fun.

Day 3 saw me go deeper into the forest and after spending the night not far from The Pines Picnic Area, I too the Abbott's Falls walking track down to the falls. This is a hard walk with a single rope climb through a rocky crag, but well worth the effort as the valley where the falls are located is incredibly beautiful.

Keep an ear open for some of my vanlifer tips, recommendations and general experiences throughout the video.

About me:
My name's Jason. I worked as Mechanical Engineer until mid 2023 when I was made redundant. Never one to miss an opportunity to have more fun in my life, I decided to move out of my house and started living full time in my self converted Ford Transit campervan. I pass my days mountain biking, bush walking and generally exploring the beautiful natural attractions that Australia has to offer.

Solo Fulltime Vanlife vlog

Chapters:
0:00 Drive to the Park
1:37 Heaton Lookout
2:29 Cooking Lunch
3:13 Walk to Heaton Picnic Area
3:55 Drive to Lookout Point
5:16 Back at Heaton Lookout
6:29 Sunset
8:12 Good Morning
9:49 Awaba Mountain Bike Park
14:00 Drive to The Pines
16:03 Camp spot for the night
17:28 Morning again
18:17 The Pine Picnic Area
18:47 Abbot's Falls Walking Track
21:46 Descent into Abbot's Falls
26:06 Little John's Tree Frog Trail
26:34 The Pines Camping Area