If you’ve been following me on Insta lately then your feed has been dotted with wild Australian beauty  because Andrew and I traveled there for his birthday! It was a once in a life time trip and I’ll be posting about all our wild adventures there super SOON but today let’s talk about what a girl wears when she wants to go adventuring around Australia.

Before the trip I did what any modern woman does when planning to go someplace new and dashed over to Pinterest. I found stunning bikini pics but not much in the way of durable fashion. We had plans to explore rainforests, scuba dive coral reefs, and ride horses so a mini skirt with strappy sandals was out of the question!

Instead of Pinterest I turned to video games and movies where I found loads of ideas. Style inspiration came from characters like modern Lara Croft, Jyn Erso, Hermione Granger, and Dr. Christmas Jones (you can check out my Pinterest if you want to see the mood board).

You guys know how much I love my minimalist capsule wardrobes when traveling so my needs included not only a high function wardrobe but also a small one. Here’s what I packed for the entire 10 day trip including shoes.

The ONLY reason I got away with this was because our amazing Airbnb (I’ll link to it later) had a washer so I was able to wash clothes and wear them again. This was doubly awesome because I wasn’t stuck lugging a suitcase full of stinky sweaty clothes through airports on the way home. ;)

Of course I had to bring a few special accessories along for the ride too. Two of the necklaces I actually bought while in Australia so I came home with more than I left with. #notmadatall

 Beach:
What was I saying about strappy sandals? Don’t listen to me…I know nothing! :D

Okay, you got me, we didn’t spend the entire time doing hard core stuff. I knew occasionally we were going to want to relax and walk around the coastal city so I made sure to plan casual cute outfits too. This was a beach day though so at least I was wearing my swimsuit under this.

By the way when your man says “let’s take a selfie” he really is just trying to steal your yummy dragonfruit smoothie! Villain.

Here’s the full bikini + shorts as a cover-up at Palm Cove Beach. The prettiest beach I’ve ever been to btw! They had signs up warning visitors about “marine stingers” (jellyfish) which I thought was super cool/scary.

Hiking Rainforest: 

Crop top, tank, shorts, boots. Could not get simpler but I love that I felt girly and cute while still being able to run around exploring a rainforest. A lot of the clothes I see advertised to adventurous women may have feminine colors and patterns but the cuts are so boxy and baggy. I like my curves, yo!

Fun Fact: We got a flat tire later that day (long story) and had to change it ourselves. This outfit was perfectly suited for that too!

Night Out:

Andrew reeeeaaally wanted to go to a nice restaurant in Cairns that served exotic foods like crocodile, wallaby, and green ants so I packed a dress. That little white shirt is just a crop top and strappy sandals completed the look.

I wore the same outfit again the day we went exploring the Cairns botanical garden. Could have stayed there all day!!!!

Hiking + Markets:

I wore this outfit approximately one billion times on the trip. It was my absolute favorite! Once again just a crop top, tank, shorts, and boots but it felt colorful and fun while still totally ready for Australian adventures.

The funny thing is I actually borrowed that yellow tank from my little sister so the whole outfit didn’t even belong to me! It does now though because no way is she getting that shirt back. :D

Hiking + Exploring: 

I wore this outfit on one of the last days of the trip when we rented a car and drove around the Atherton tablelands hiking around lakes, visiting interesting road side shops, and stopping for sights like this ancient fig tree!

I also wore it to go explore Jaque’s Coffee plantation. I’ve been to coffee shops and even toured coffee roasteries but seeing the actual coffee berries and coffee plants in real life was incredible!

Horseback Riding: 

So this was the outfit I started the day with. We spoke with the horseback riding guides who said guests needed to wear long pants (whoops!) and closed toed shoes (check!). Thankfully they had jeans and sweats available for customers so I just borrowed a pair of those.

My horse was named River and she was so gentle and beautiful! She also liked munching on free forest snacks along the way even though I told her not to. ;)

Night Out:

Same two tops with a different pair of shorts and sandals suddenly looks dressy! I actually think this was the only time during the whole trip when I wore the black shorts. I guess I could have just brought one pair of shorts but it was nice to have two so I could wear the black ones while the jeans were being washed.

That wraps up the outfits but can I finish by raving to you guys about those boots and that bag? They have been total life improve-ers for me! I wish someone had recommended them to me them ages ago.

Boots: Doc Martens, just the basic ones. Found mine for $80 thanks to coupons and a sale. Stylish enough to wear around the city but sturdy enough to easily handle hiking, horseback riding, or whatever else I felt like. Did I mention they came with a lifetime guarantee? Buy it for life, ladies!

Bag: Aurielle Backpack. I discovered this bag by accident for $4 in a thrift store and now it’s the only one I wear. The backpack design is great for shoulder alignment (no leaning to one side because of a heavy shoulder bag) and keeps your hands totally free. I love the elegant slim triangle shape and with a hidden wallet sized pocket in the back its the most anti-theft casual bag I’ve seen yet. Love love love this little guy! It’s not currently for sale anywhere but I’ve had good luck on Ebay and Poshmark.

P.s. I also brought a small Osprey H2O bag that you can see me wearing in several of the pics. 5 star review on that bag too!

Now go have your own adventure and share what you wore so I can be inspired by you!