Sydney

About 10 am - the longest sleep in of the whole trip, who would belive me that?! - we started a big sightseeing tour. Aehm Maxl: around the royal botanic gardens you would be able to check out some boulders...
I think the city was because of the APEC Meeting completely diffrent on this day. Nearly all streets were dead.

I my opinon the city is really contrary, on the one hand are the skyscrapers and the really huge buildings, on the other hand are the nice older houses. But anyway, it was really nice.

And they can't deny the english style - example shopping centre...

On the evening Satus sister arrived and we tried to find a nice bar...

Today in the morning we went to a lovely district called "Surry Hills". That's the place were Brett Whiteley, a famous Austrealian Artist, has his studios. How did we find this place? A real funny story: Satu met the gardener of his wife in the plain. Next to the studio was an other nice cafe...
Unfortunately the Finish sisters left me to travel home :-( Special thanks for joining me Satu, it was more than a pleasure!

Where the rainforrest meets the outback

Yesterday I rent a car and made together with Satu a trip trough the hinterland of Cairns (Atherton Tableland).
We saw a lot of impressive landscapes, especially the colours were amazing.

We also visited the "Coffee Works".... The region is probably famous for its coffee and chocolate production.
I let the pictures tell...


We drove around Lake Tinaroo on a gravel road...


Along the way I saw a road sign - Rex is actually everywhere famous... Afternoon we went to an extrem danger area - the boulders in the middel of the rainforrest.

On the evening we took the flight to Sydney - not an easy change from the quiet countryside to the really busy area around Kings Cross.
Thanks to my guide, with its help we found this ingenious tiny cafe next to our hostel.

Sydney, we are prepared.

Great Barrier Reef / Cairns

Today in the morning the ocean had called again.
The only way to see the Great Barrier Reef is to dive, so I took the chance of a last last last minute booking an did it again! The course through the high waves to the outer reef was pretty hard - I nearly lost my breakfast....

Normally I'm not a water freak but I'm in front of the fucking Great Barrier Reef!!!!
I never had though that diving is so easy... (with a guide of course :-)) Thanks for the inspiration Helmi and Gerd!!!

Kurranda

In the morning I arrived in Cairns. Taehn, she is the nice girl who will host me for the next two nights, was so kind and picked me up.

So what should I do today? Definitly, I have to make a day off from the ocean. I had decided to go to the rain forrest (Baron falls national park) north of Cairns and took the skyrail (cabel car) to Kurranda. By the way, the skyrail is the most expensive way to get to get there :-), but anyway, to "fly" over the forrest is not too bad.

In Kurranda I went to a kind of zoo... Jea, and I touched a Koala!
Kurranda is a really nice tourist trap. They mixed in this small town the ideals of the rainforrest, lots of aboriginal culture, and of course, hippy livestyle. Intresting and, who would expact that, you can buy lots of souveniers :-)

Whitsunday Islands

Nochm gstrigm Wedabericht hob i scho docht des wiad heit wieda nix mitn Schiffalfoan. Regn hot a ogsogt der Hund. Oba so ko ma si teischn (da Wedamo is gmoant) - des Sun hot den gonzn Dog gscheint. Schee wors. Und grod weis so sche wor gibts heit a bissl mehr Bueda. Oso des is die Koartn vo de Insln:
Jo des is de Hook Passage - da Nom kummt von dem Englischn Schiffalfoara.
Danoch sama zum Whitehaven Beach gfoan. Des woar erst wos schens. Soiche Foam.Do bin i natirlie glei einigrennt. Hob vor lauta Freid vagessn das i d'Sunnenbruen oba tua - hobs ober eh glei wieda gfundn. Noch a bissi Strond umagliegat samma zu so am look out (do siagt ma recht vue Punkt) gfoan. Jo do schaut a da Flo. Jo des is da bekonnte oder a net bekonnte Blick - sche wors olle mol.
Irgenwie hob i ma donn docht i sollt vielleicht doch amoi tauchn geh in der Gegnt. Umgschaudi hob i des Zeig scho uma ghobt. Fesch goi.

Jo des woa vielleicht east wos schens. Korallen, kloane und grosse Fisch mit foabm wia mas ausm Aquarium kennt. Na eingentli schena wiea im Aquarium, do san jo meistns nur Goidfisch. A weng bled schaun tuast scho wonn da so a Wuchtl unter kimmt - oba de fressn da sogoa aus da Hond...

Jo und wei's so sche woa in Airlie Beach hob i glei nu a Sununtergongs Foto gschossn.
So ueba d'Nocht foa i noch Cairns. Schauma moi wos do so gibt.

Sporty day

After one travel hitback more and the shock with the breakfast mice, I went directly to the bicycle rental. I chose the route to the cedar creek falls in the rain forrest around Airlie. I supposed it's a distace of about 35 km - but after the spoiled view of the conferer I was a bit insecure about the lengh of the track. Actually, after I had passed a view road signs, it was a round trip distance of 85 km. Phu. It was a long run, but cycling next to the beautiful landscape was awesome. Sadly I've no good pictures taken.
Ok, normally you can see the falls in the backround (like the picture in the lonley planet) but there was just a small pond. There must be a kind of a dry season or somebody forgot to put coins in. However, a shower started shortly before I arrived back.

On the way back I saw my first kangarooes - Funny wildlife!!!!

In the meantime I've done my laundry - jea, something to dress again :-)

The night....

The evening after I had checked in at the cheapest hostel in this town - unfortunately next door to the most popular bars in Airlie - I went with Satu an my room mate to room number two. Over there had some people from the hostal a short "vine worm up". Two hours later in a pub...

Today I had to get up early to catch the boat, for nothing, because the departure was deferret.

Ui. Und ich muss meine Ernährung wieder auf mehr Luxus umstellen. Konkret heisst das weg von der Jause und wieder mehr Restaurants und Fruehstuecksbeisln aufsuchen. Wieso? Heute morgen hüpfte eine kleine Maus aus meinem Jausnsackerl - Nur soviel: Do bist munter!