Australia 13.11-23.11, (d) Part 1

Wed 13.11. After a long and nerve-wracking flight, we finally landed in Cairns. We needed today to rest.

Thu 14.11. This morning we picked up our campervan and then drove to a shopping center. We wanted to equip ourselves for our camping trip. So we bought everyday things and treated ourselves to a milkshake on the way home.

Fri 15.11. We immediately took the opportunity to try out our campervan. We drove to Hartley's Crocodile Adventures Park. This is a nature reserve where we could see crocodiles, snakes, kangaroos, koalas, spiders, and birds. Since the kangaroos were running freely in a fenced area, we could even touch them. In the late afternoon, we attended the snake show and crocodile show. We ended our day with a swim in the infinity pool.

Sat 16.11. Today was finally the day, another item could be crossed off my bucket list. Boarding for our tour to the Great Barrier Reef began at 8:30. While the ship was on its way to the reef, Silvan received an introduction for his first dive. During this time, I was able to rest a little, which improved my seasickness. After a journey of about two hours, we arrived. Before we were allowed into the water, there was another instruction with the rules for everyone. Since Silvan had his dive, I ventured into the Saxonreef "alone", later Silvan joined me. The reef is incredible, you can see corals and fish in all possible colors. Silvan even saw a small reef shark while diving. Now we were hungry and had our lunch on the ship. Meanwhile, the ship sailed to the second spot, the North Hastings Reef.

We jumped into the water again and enjoyed it very much. Since the water was 26 degrees, we snorkeled until we couldn't anymore and then returned to the boat. So our tour was over.

Sun 17.11. Drive with our campervan from Cairns - Mission Beach (140 km).

Arriving in Mission Beach, we parked our van at the campsite and decided to go for a swim. Later, we took a refreshing shower and fully set up the campervan for the night.

For dinner, we had pasta salad that I had prepared the day before. In the light of the citronella candle, we ended the evening with a cup of tea and then slipped into our van.

Mon 18.11. Drive with our campervan from Mission Beach - Townsville (235 km)

We finally arrived in Townsville at two o'clock in the afternoon. Unfortunately, we had to go to another camping store today because Silvan's new diving mask was not completely waterproof. So we had to exchange it first and took the opportunity to have a coffee nearby. It was already 5 p.m. when we were on the campsite and had everything set up. We briefly visited the beach and soon started to cook our dinner. A whole day goes by so quickly!!!

Tue 19.11. Drive with our campervan from Townsville - Airlie Beach (285 km)

We finally arrived at the next campsite in the late afternoon.

Since we were near the beach, we took a swim to recover from this long drive. Later, Silvan cooked baked beans for us and we even treated ourselves to a beer and a Somersby. We will stay at this campsite for the next three nights.

Wed 20.11. On this day, we tried something new, jetskiing!!! We raced with our jetski to the Whitsunday Islands. We "hovered" over the water at a speed of 70 km/h. We both had a lot of fun being able to move so fast over the water. Our group leader was very competent and told us facts before each island. After an hour and a half, we made a final stop at Turtle Beach. There, we saw some green turtles. They repeatedly held their heads out of the water to take a breath. In the afternoon, we hiked a short distance in Conway National Park and reached Coralbeach.

A beach consisting of corals and a few stones. We made ourselves comfortable and had lunch. Then we jumped into the water and refreshed ourselves until it was time to go back to the campsite.

Fri 22.11. Drive with our campervan from Airlie Beach - Mackay (162 km)

After a minor mishap (flat tire), five phone calls, and 3 tire changes, we finally arrived at the campsite.

Sat 23.11. Drive with our campervan from Mackay - Yeppoon (370 km). In the evening, we ate at the campsite and then went out for a drink.