7 Unexpected Lessons from the Australian Outback

Have you ever been to a place so remote you don’t see another human for days?

A place where the night sky stretches on forever, the Milky Way spills across the sky like paint, and silence is louder than your thoughts.

No traffic lights.

No McDonald’s.

No internet connection.

Nowhere to go inside, no heating.

Just red, vast desert, a fire, you and your family.

The question is: do you prefer a 5-star hotel… or a million-star hotel? 

This year, our family camping adventure took us 3,500km inland—through red dust plains, ancient craters, hot springs, and freezing, glorious gorges. We chased sunrises and sunsets over Uluru, flew over Lake Eyre, the largest inland lake in Australia, which only fills once every couple of decades. We stood beside inland lakes created by rivers that have been travelling from Queensland for over four million years. And those weeks off the grid taught me lessons that go far beyond camping. Many of them mirror the principles I live by in freediving training.

 1. Growth through Discomfort 

One moment we were soaking in a hot spring, the next gliding into an icy gorge. Nights fell below freezing, days comfortably warm. The sun set was a reminder: resilience grows in discomfort and it can be beautiful. It’s the same in freediving—progress comes from gently surrendering to challenge, whether that’s the feeling of raising CO₂ in your blood or the mental challenge of a long dive.

2. The Value of Silence 

When there’s no Wi-Fi, no cars, no background hum, you rediscover silence. At first, it’s confronting. Then it becomes medicine. In freediving, silence is where focus lives—it’s what allows us to tune into our body, our mind, and to the messages the water is sending us all the time.

3. Simplicity: Back to the Basics 

Cooking outside. Sleeping under the stars. Drinking water straight from the source. It reminded me of No Fins: no gear, no shortcuts, just body and water. When we strip away the extras, we learn what really matters.

4. Rest & Recovery 

Out there, the body syncs with the planet’s natural rhythm—sunrise, sunset. Sleep comes easily, stress falls away, and your nervous system finally exhales. For freedivers, recovery is as vital as training. Without rest, there’s no adaptation. Without pause, there’s no power.

5. Nurturing a Sense of Adventure 

The Outback tested us—long drives, challenging hikes, freezing nights—but adventure bonds you. It brings back that spark, the same spark that drives you to swim one more lap, or dive a little deeper. Adventure is fuel.

6. Being in Awe 

Flying over Lake Eyre that only comes alive every few decades. Elsewhere, seeing water that has travelled for millions of years finally pool into inland lakes. Spending a night in a 142-million-year-old crater. Watching prehistoric creatures crawl in streams. Awe humbles you—it’s the same feeling I get at depth, suspended in blue, reminded how tiny I am in the ocean’s story.

7. Connection—to Nature & Each Other 

With no distractions, we fell into Earth’s rhythm—day and night, light and dark. We talked more, laughed more, simply were together. Freediving gives me that same connection: to water, to my breath, to the people I train with.

I came back from the Outback recharged, joyfully exhausted, and more motivated than ever to train and work. These weeks reminded me not to take simple things for granted—warm showers, fresh groceries, or even just a bed under a roof.

But most of all, they reminded me that stepping away is often the best way to step forward. 

💭 Over to you:

If you could spend time in your own “million-star hotel,” where would it be?

Reply and tell me your dream destination - I’d love to hear it: [email protected]