#starstorySarah: The Yogi

The foundation of my love story with my partner Greg is our relationship with the outdoors. It burns strongly inside us, and we love disconnecting from the world and hitting the open roads – it brings us together.

A swim in a river, an empty road, and new adventure – we live in and with nature. Being outdoors inspires us. It grounds us and connects us to something bigger. We feel a sense of calm and peace when we step away from the busy world. We are both free spirits and like to travel knowing we can stop along the way - wherever it feels right. We’ve found that traveling in a campervan is the perfect way for us to do that.

Greg and I are experienced and committed yogis. We weave daily yoga and wellness practise into our travels. One of the great things about yoga is its simplicity. We practise every morning in any environment. We simply step out the door of our motorhome, straight into awe inspiring nature.

I also teach yoga. I became a teacher because I want to show people how to reach a place of calm and stillness within the mind. A place I find myself and that grounds me.

My other passion is painting. My surroundings constantly inspire me –you can see my expression of the Australian bushland in my artworks. I always find something new and mesmerising to paint on our adventures. It’s all around me.

We’ve both travelled the world in the past and so these days our journeys are about pursuing our passion for travel and wellness a bit closer to home.

One of the regions that is very special to us is the Northern Rivers in New South Wales. We’ve found home at the foothills of the Clarence Valley where the river meets the ocean. Driving a few hours inland to the top of the river in the Clarence Gorge means we get to see another side of this river. The flow of waterfalls, the sound of birdsong and all the native plants – it is so cleansing and peaceful.

One of our favourite spots is the Gorge, a beautiful privately owned campground in rolling hills located along the side of flowing rivers snaking through a valley. The beautiful sunsets cast amazing colours across the sky.

The Gorge is actually part of an 8,000-acre working cattle station. There’s 10 km of access to the Clarence River, with waterfalls, rapids, rockpools, and plenty of fish. We love paddle boarding, canoeing, and swimming, taking in the serenity all around us while giving our bodies a healthy workout.

When we do want to connect with others, we’ve found the small country towns dotted along the coastline cute and welcoming. Some of our favourites are Watagos, Kingscliffe, Yamba, Evans Head and of course Byron Bay.

We also appreciate the safety of the Northern NSW waters! The sharks, crocs and stingers that make swimming risky in some parts of Australia are generally not a problem in the Northern Rivers Region. Unless sign-posted you’re generally safe to swim in creeks, rivers, the ocean or lakes. Much more peaceful!

We believe experiences are one of the richest things you can be gifted in life. Time passes quickly, but everything moves a little bit slower on the road or in nature. We cherish every moment we get to enjoy together as we know these are the memories that will last forever.