Daytrips and Trail Runs

When Nick Parkinson talks about trail running in Merimbula, he lights up describing the untapped potential of the region’s fire trails – tough, gritty routes that hug the coastline south toward Melbourne, threading through national parks where towns grow sparse and wilderness takes over. And when he starts describing the trails around Kosciuszko his enthusiasm really peaks. “The rock work, the terrain, the grades around Perisher and Charlotte’s Pass – it’s phenomenal,” he says. “And it’s just so untapped. You never see anyone up there. It hasn’t been discovered yet.”

This sense of discovery, of exploring spaces that haven’t yet been fully appreciated, could equally apply to Daytrip, the store Nick opened in Merimbula in 2023. After relocating to a larger space in June 2024, it’s quickly becoming a hub for the coastal town’s outdoor community – a carefully curated space that reflects its founder’s twin passions for adventure sports and considerate design.

“I did uni down in Melbourne, and then I was up in Byron Bay for about seven years working for some brands up there doing content creation. Then we had kids, and it just got too busy up there. My partner and I grew up in the Snowy Mountains, two hours from here, and we wanted to move back closer to the area, closer to the mountains, and have a bit more space,” Nick says.

“Merimbula was a good fit, with just enough population to be able to do our own thing and not have to work for someone else. She’s a Pilates teacher – this is her studio,” Nick says of the reformer-filled space I can see in the background of our video call. “So we kind of combined the two under the same roof – I’ve got the retail store and cafe through that door.”

Merimbula, a town of around 5,000 residents on NSW’s Sapphire Coast, sits at a sweet spot between Sydney and Melbourne. Its population doubles in summer as visitors flock to its pristine beaches, but it’s the year-round access to wilderness that makes it special. “We’re surrounded by national parks and waterways,” Nick explains. “Any direction you go, you’ve got this national park or that campground. You’ve got unlimited space.”

Like many of the town’s residents, Nick splits his time between the coast and the Snowy Mountains. It’s a rhythm that suits him perfectly – mountain biking and trail running through summer, then heading to higher altitudes for the snow season. This dual existence influenced the store’s mission: to outfit modern daytrippers for everything from beach excursions to mountain hikes.

Nick’s eye for detail and aesthetics was honed during his years as a content creator for brands such as Mr Simple and Afends in Byron Bay, after studying photography and film in Melbourne. That training is evident in Daytrip’s seductive Instagram feed, where product shots of carefully selected outdoor, beach and casual wear alternate with moody captures of the region’s wilderness – rocky outcrops at dawn, wildflowers in high country meadows, historic mountain huts in golden hour light.

The store itself shares this considered approach. It’s a space that invites lingering, with a coffee bar that serves as a natural gathering point for the community. While Nick stocks select pieces from major brands like Patagonia, he’s also slowly developing his own line of outdoor wear – think merino base layers, trail caps, and fleece wear, all designed for what he calls “casual outdoors” exploration.

“We’re not climbing Everest,” he says with a laugh. “It’s just about getting out there.” The full Daytrip range is still some way off. “It’’s probably been like six months of planning and I’ve got one or two samples here and there – that’s just another beast,” Nick says by way of explanation. As a sole trader running a combined coffee shop and clothing store, he has his hands full. For now, Daytrip’s own branded merchandise – t-shirts, caps and Nalgene bottles – sells briskly, particularly a recent collaboration with cult Gold Coast brand Alfred’s Apartment.

Normally, Daytrip doubles as a meeting point for the Peaceful Pace Run Club. The club Nick founded, which gathers on Sunday mornings for 6km runs along Merimbula’s coastline, epitomises his welcoming approach to outdoor pursuits. Runners of all abilities follow the same out-and-back route to a local wharf 3km up the coast, regrouping there before an easy jog back to the store for coffee and conversation.

“Lots of people want to run, but not everyone can go out and run 10, 15, 20 kilometres or whatever. This is for all your different paces, it doesn’t matter where you’re at,” Nick explains.

The seasonal tourist boom, and the fact that Daytrip is open on Sundays, meant that the run club had to take a break over summer, but Nick hopes it will return soon. He even hopes to add an evening version.

“There’s a really cool bar across the road from here,” he says. “So we can do one that’s a run and coffee in the morning, and then we can do one in the afternoon where we run and go have a wine or a beer afterwards too.”

While Peaceful Pace Run Club is designed to be chill, Nick’s own running is more ambitious. Sometimes he goes for trail runs with a couple of Jindabyne-based mates who “work for the mountains”, the ski fields at Thredbo and Mount Perisher, and know all the good trails and loops. Mainly though, it’s a solo affair. “Mostly it’s just me and my headphones – a bit of time to think,” Nick says.

This thoughtful approach extends to Daytrip’s community initiatives. Nick is planning first aid courses for trail and surf safety, and working with Patagonia and Keep It Cool, a Jindabyne-based non-profit, on bush regeneration projects in the Snowy Mountains.

“I started the store so I could basically make my own product and go on campaign shoots,” Nick admits. “That’s the whole thing.” It’s working. His photography background shows in every aspect of the business, from the store’s careful merchandising to its social media presence, where those product shots and wilderness images create a compelling narrative about getting outdoors in this uniquely beautiful corner of the country.

As our region’s outdoor culture continues to evolve, with run crews proliferating in major cities and trail running booming in popularity, Daytrip offers something different – a reminder that sometimes the best adventures happen far from the crowd, in places that are still waiting to be discovered.