The story of Day Trip begins with how its Sydney-based creators and real life partners Evi O and Andrew Grune met.

“I got dog-fished,” says Evi. The artist, book designer and Evi-O.Studio creative director was drawn to Andrew’s dating profile picture of a poodle named Audrey. Evi expected to meet this canine when she eventually met Andrew. However, by the time Evi came onto the scene, Audrey’s time with Andrew’s parents had moved on.

Fortunately for the duo it would be Evi’s own whippet Henri that would eventually play a pivotal role in their relationship and creative project Day Trip.

From road trips to a book deal

Day Trip is a collaboration that mirrors the pair’s courtship and detour into nature. “We just started doing road trips,” says Evi.

Evi recalls wandering into the state forest with Andrew and being struck by its natural world beauty. It inspired their first Day Trip book, which features 52 local getaways, one for every week of the year documented by the pair and photographed by Andrew.

“It’s essentially a bushwalking book,” says Evi. “And I think I became a new person after doing 52 bushwalks.”

The lessons in keeping it local

Located within 120 km of central Sydney, these treks range from the 400-metre-long Glow Worm Tunnel in Newnes to Minnamurra Rainforest Centre on the South Coast. Day Trip isn’t about touristy beaches or bucket list destinations, it’s more about zoning out.

“You’re alone – no signal, no interruption – just you and nature,” says Evi. “It felt like I went to uni for those 52 trips and understood so much more about a new world.”

Walks can be a great relationship bond, too. “You learn a lot about someone when it’s pouring down with rain or you’re completely frozen or you’ve run out of water or you’ve slipped down a hill and you’re covered in mud,” says Andrew.

This year, try one of the pair’s favourite walks, which features on the cover of their book: Karloo Pool, accessible via a long walk from Heathcote train station.

“You arrive at this beautiful natural rockpool, with tall trees walling everything, and there are big rocks where you can have picnics or just lie down,” says Evi. “Walk a bit further, there’s a waterfall. That’s a second bonus.”

The dazzling diversity of nature’s charms

One significant location in Day Trip Sydney: 52 Nature Adventures is Harold Reid Reserve in Middle Cove. This walk in particularly holds special significance for the pair as it’s where they completed their first bushwalk together, and one they recently revisited in the Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+. The beauty of this walk, especially for Sydney locals, is that it’s less than 30 minutes from Sydney CBD but feels a world away.

It’s secluded, has an entrancing bay, calming trees and other diverse qualities from swamps to roads that go through sandstone walls.

“It’s dog-friendly as well,” says Andrew.

Canine-compatible getaways are the focus of their latest book, Dog Trip Sydney. Their dog Henri was unable to join them on many walks in their first book because they took place in national parks, so the duo sought out to make book dedicated to dog-friendly adventures.

Not stopping there, the duo is also working on their third book that will highlight Melbourne’s landscape. To prepare for this project, Evi and Andrew did 90 Victorian-based bushwalks in 90 days.

“We were so fit,” says Andrew.

One of the pair’s favourite treks is at Lake Eildon National Park. They describe the varying terrain as “magical” with an incredible view once you reach the top.

Eventually the couple plan to visit most states in Australia and explore nature’s hidden secrets, chronicling them all in future editions of Day Trip. For Evi and Andrew it’s the lo-fi appeal of day trips that keeps them coming back for more. They’re affordable, (mostly) drama-free and offer a low-key way to connect with someone – and nature. “There’s so much to see in our own backyard,” says Andrew. “Just get in the car and go.”

By Lee Tran Lam