Are Aussies done with Instagram travel?

I was recently quoted in a news.com.au piece about a survey finding Nine in ten Australians want to holiday somewhere that hasn't blown up on social media. That number’s crazy high. 92% of people, according to new research, are actively trying to avoid the destinations that the algorithm keeps pushing at them.

I get it though - I feel the same.

Don’t get me wrong. I love a drone shot of the crystal clear waves on a back-beach or an iconic landscape and my kids have had donuts from the Kenilworth Bakery. But what I really enjoy is tracking down the place that doesn't have a hashtag yet, the camping spot a mate told me about, the road that goes somewhere that doesn't show up on anyone's highlight reel. Two recent trips, one to the Fleurieu Peninsula south of Adelaide, and one through the Brisbane Ranges west of Melbourne, reminded me why that kind of travel hits different.

No influencers. No queues for the "iconic" lookout. Just three mates, a lot of laughing, stood around a campfire to dry us out from a long hike in the rain.

"I'm really big on getting into nature and given my work in AI, I like to spend as much time away from screens and technology, and back in nature, as possible."

— Chris Halsall, news.com.au

The research from East Coast Car Rentals backs this up with some pretty striking numbers. 71% of Australians under 35 are now actively seeking lesser-known, crowd-free destinations. 56% are prioritising places that are sustainable and off the tourist radar entirely. And 44% of younger travellers are now choosing trips specifically for rest and recovery.

That last one resonates. There's something about a road trip, where you're not locked into flights, hotel check-ins or someone else's itinerary, that makes rest actually possible. You can slow down, take the exit you weren't planning to take, or just stay an extra night somewhere because it felt right.

Going old school

When the journalist asked me how I find these places, I said what I genuinely believe: maybe we need to get back to basics. Hire a van, drive toward a spot someone's told you is beautiful, and speak to the locals when you get there. Ask about the swimming hole that hasn't been posted about on Instagram yet. Find the best pie shop in town that barely comes up in Google Maps.

That's not a knock on technology. I discovered both my recent trips through apps, and I run a campervan hire business that uses technology to remove friction for travellers. But there's a difference between using technology as a tool to find the unexplored, and using it to follow a well-worn trail that ten thousand other people have already photographed from the same angle.

A campervan is genuinely one of the best vehicles for this kind of travel. You're not beholden to accommodation bookings. You don't need a plan. You can detour without consequences, sleep somewhere unexpected, and leave when you feel like it. That flexibility is exactly what this style of travel needs.

The Sunshine Coast is full of it

Living on the Sunshine Coast, I see this every day. The region gets more than its share of tourism, but drive an hour in almost any direction (except East) and you'll find places that most people, even locals, haven't been to. That's what Vamuz is built for. Tick the big ones if you want for sure, we're not anti-bucket list. But leave room for the drive that takes you somewhere you hadn't planned on ending up. That's usually where the best stories come from.

If 92% of Australians want that kind of trip, we're here for all of them.

Just 3 blokes trekking in the rain all day, warming up by a campfire, with big smiles - Brisbane Ranges