13. Greetings from 'Tralien!

The flight from Denpasar to Cairns lasted 4 hours. We arrived in Cairns very early and went through friendly passport control. Everything was suddenly so organized and clean.

As we were looking for our Uber taxi stand outside, the first friendly Australian came up to us and helped us search. We took a taxi to our previously booked Airbnb.

The first impression was exactly what we had imagined. Wide streets, low houses, and friendly people. We were excited for 6 weeks in Australia!

Arriving at the Airbnb, we first looked for the right house. Hmm wrong house number... The owner gave us some strange humor and showed us around. The lower floor of his house was designed for backpackers. Three small rooms with beds and a somewhat dirty kitchen. Well, it would be enough for the beginning. We just wanted to rent our car and get started.

We took a nap and in the afternoon went shopping at a small shop nearby.

In the city center of Cairns, we already had a date with Robert, who is originally from Wilsdruff as well. We got in touch through a mutual connection, even though we oddly enough didn't know each other before. Before the meeting, we stopped at a travel agency and asked if it would be possible to get a rental car at short notice.

At the moment it looked a bit difficult (peak season), but the friendly Gina from the Netherlands did her best and in the evening we already had an offer.

We met Robert at the pub right around the corner. We ordered steaks and beer. We were lucky and got a good deal. In the evening, a karaoke competition started (which the Australians love) and we had a front row table. It was very funny and we were thrown right into the culture of party-loving Australians.

Big things were planned for the next day...

The Great Barrier Reef! We had booked the tour online and got lucky. We were on the largest boat in the harbor (which initially looked like mass processing), but it was also the fastest and took us the farthest out to sea. We found a shady spot on the upper deck and enjoyed the pleasant ride to the reef. The boat crew was fantastic. Super friendly, cheerful, and informative.

A friendly Australian couple, Michelle and Donny, joined our table and we had a lot to talk about and a beautiful and fun day together.

At the first stop on the reef, we got our new and functional equipment and off we went! We snorkeled a few meters and then it became colorful and interesting. Huge fish and a truly beautiful underwater world revealed itself to us. We spent some time at the reef and saw things we had never seen before, such as reef sharks.

And as it always happens, you get hungry while swimming. Fortunately, the crew had already set up a delicious buffet. Afterward, we went to the second spot, which was even more spectacular. We could really explore the reef and spend some time snorkeling. In the afternoon, we started the return journey and drank 2-3 Coronas with Donny and Michelle.

We said goodbye warmly and went back to our accommodation. What a successful start in Australia.

We spent the next 2 days in Cairns. We explored the city with its botanical garden and huge free swimming pool on the Esplanade, met up with Robert again, and prepared everything for the car.

Then the time had finally come. Finally, we could drive a car again. We picked up our beloved Toyota bus, which we affectionately called "Hubi," from the rental company and started uncomplicatedly on the roads of Australia. Hubi had a kitchen in the back, with a refrigerator, gas stove, and pump sink. The interior could be converted into a seating or sleeping area. We left the sleeping area permanently, as it was much more comfortable to sit outside in our camping chairs. After we had back pain after the third night, we bought an inflatable mattress, which catapulted us directly under the car roof but seemed much more comfortable for the upcoming 5 weeks. From now on, Josi was the navigator and Robert sat on the wrong driver's side. We now had about 5 weeks to get to Melbourne, from where our flight to New Zealand was supposed to depart.

1st week with the car. From now on, we only headed south.

We drove towards Townsville. In northern Australia, it was quite possible to camp very cheaply or even for free. We spent our first night in a very remote area where signs claimed there were plenty of crocodiles. Luckily, we didn't see any. The first attraction was Josephine Falls, where we bathed and Josi injured her buttocks on the slippery rocks. It really hurt. Well, the name became a self-fulfilling prophecy.

We spent the next 2 nights at a free campground with showers and funny characters. The highlight was the loud argument between an old disheveled man and a few teenagers. In the evening, the teenagers were loud, but in return, the shaggy grandpa turned up his scratchy music to maximum volume in the morning :-D

We also made our first acquaintance with the country's possums.

We used one day to explore Townsville completely. It's a beautiful city with parrots in the park and a magnificent Esplanade with pools and fountains.

We used the second day to take a ferry to an island called Magnetic Island. We parked our car and took the ferry to Magnetic Island.

The island is famous for its koalas, beautiful beaches, and stone-wallabies. We rented a Jeep and went off-road :-D. That was a lot of fun!

On a small hiking trail, we discovered really cute koalas that we could surprisingly get very close to.

We also saw stone-wallabies, really cuddly miniature kangaroos.

We took a Finn with us, who seemed to be burning and had a lot to talk about.

Our tour continued towards Airlie Beach. On the way there, we made various stops. A highlight of the route was Flagstaff Hill, where you had a breathtaking view of the turquoise water and golden beaches of the area.

For the next day, we spontaneously got a spot for a trip to the whitest beach in the world. Lucky us. We spent the night at a campground with a pool. A welcome refreshment in the sunshine because swimming in the sea was often not possible due to currents, crocodiles, or jellyfish.

We started the so-called ZigZag tour to the Whitsundays on a small, slightly overpowered boat. The boat had room for 30 people and was fully booked. It started sportily with zigzags. The crew was top-notch as well. The first stop on the tour was a small snorkel trip in a picturesque lagoon. Then we went to Whitehaven Beach. It was incredible. The sand was so white that it didn't even warm up and was almost unbearable to look at without sunglasses. Very fine grains of sand allowed us to give ourselves a peeling. We enjoyed a picnic on the beach, sunbathed, and fed the white fish. Amazing day. We spent another night at the pool.

Now we went to the cattle capital of Australia. Rockhampton. The journey was a bit longer, so we drove along the Capricorn Coast. As they say... always take the scenic route ;-)

We arrived late in the evening in Yeppon, the neighboring town of Rocky. We found a spot at a theater. A bit quirky, but clean and cheap. We stayed for 3 nights. After the first night, it was time for a haircut. With great drama (rightly so), Josi cut my hair. Apparently, it wasn't as easy as it always looked. And in the end (after 90 minutes), I almost looked normal. Except for the little bald spot behind my ear that Josi gave me with the razor :-D

Freshly groomed, we went to Rockhampton to enjoy a steak dinner. The steak was served by a very kind grandpa who demonstrated every piece on his body. The steak was served sizzling on a 400-degree hot lava stone and was the best piece of beef we had ever eaten. So tender and juicy. That alone made the trip to Australia worthwhile ;-)

We spent the other 2 days exploring the region around Rockhampton. We dug up so-called thunder eggs (crystals that formed during a volcanic eruption thousands of years ago) and visited a livestock auction hall.

On the last day, we visited an Aboriginal center where we learned more about Aboriginal culture. We tried boomerang throwing and playing the didgeridoo.

Rockhampton was a great region that is often skipped by many travelers. Unjustly so.

2nd week with the car

Until now, we had only briefly seen one living kangaroo. Now there were supposed to be 20/30 right away... We found a parking spot near a place called 1770 and discovered a kangaroo sanctuary. Right at the entrance to the remote property, many kangaroos were hopping around our car. When we got out, they were everywhere and within touching distance. We stayed for one night and visited the kangaroo colony the next morning, which was fed and cared for by the owners of the campground.

We started the engine again and headed to the town of 1770, where James Cook first set foot on Australian land. He chose a beautiful spot.

On the same day, we drove to Bundaberg, the site of the rum production plant that is said to have caused most of the liver problems for Australians and New Zealanders. It was an interesting tour, and the tasting afterward was amazing. Josi tried banana toffee rum and I tried the most expensive rum. Both were premium (I hope Jojo is reading this). The second round was also good, Josi had a tropical cocktail, and I had salted caramel rum. Actually, we both had one too many. Regardless, we got back in the car and had a short way to Hervey Bay ahead of us.

We slept at a retirement campground that was unfortunately way too expensive... but we had no other choice. In the morning, we visited the super long pier of the city and strolled through a small market.

The goal in these days was Tin Can Bay. Near this small town, there was access to the largest sand island in the world, Fraser Island. However, we passed it up and visited Rainbow Beach and Carlo Sandblow instead. Rainbow Beach was a beach where Jeeps drove around (just like on Fraser Island), and Carlo Sandblow was a huge sand dune that had ventured into the inland and created a desert-like environment.

The highlight in Tin Can Bay was the opportunity to feed dolphins. Josi's brother had given us the tip. For this purpose, we slept near the harbor. Unfortunately, we were woken up in the middle of the night by a ranger who expelled us from our sleeping spot but promised us a new one at the same time. Wild camping is unfortunately no longer possible in AUS. A bit tired, we went to the harbor very early. For a fee of 10 dollars, we were explained why the dolphins visit the harbor every day. Then we were allowed to feed a dolphin. We washed our hands in fish blood and handed a small fish to the dolphin named "Ella." In gratitude, we were sprayed with water.

We then drove ... south ... to Noosa. A city on the Sunshine Coast. We talked on the phone with Josi's brother by the sea and watched kite surfers perform their tricks.

In general, we didn't like the Sunshine Coast as much as other parts of our trip. Complaining on a high level. Somehow, it was too urban for us. So we fled to Maleny, to the Glasshouse Mountains. After about 1.5 hours of driving inland, we were on the mountains. It was a bit foggy, so we didn't have the best view, but we could imagine what it was like ;-)

We slept in Maleny at a sports field. The night was extremely cold. Cuddling was the order of the day ;-)

After thawing out in the morning with the first rays of sunshine, we drove back to the coast, to Mooloolaba. We went for a stroll and enjoyed a coffee on the promenade. In the late afternoon, we drove further south...

We had planned a visit to the Australian Zoo near Brisbane for the next day. That's why we looked for accommodation near the zoo. There was a quiet campground on an adjoining farm with many permanent campers. An older woman welcomed us warmly, offered us freshly harvested mushrooms, and gave us a voucher for the zoo. Perfect! We started directly at the opening of the zoo and spent the whole day in one of the best zoos in the world. The crocodile show in the style of Steve Irwin was outstanding. The hype about the Crocodile Hunter and also founder of the zoo is enormous. At the end of the day, we visited the animal hospital, which is located next to the zoo and mainly houses koalas.

We spent the night again at a sports field, which is often used as a campground in Australia. We took a day off and spent it on the premises. Such days are good for writing in the diary, securing photos, and... ice cream! Yes, an ice cream truck came by - what luck :-)

The next day, we drove to Brisbane. Brisbane is also often referred to by travelers as not beautiful and avoidable. Unjustly so! We had a great day on the promenade, which offered a relaxed atmosphere with public pools, beautiful green and planted areas, many young people, and great bars. We also took a boat tour on the river that flows through the city and saw the truly impressive bridge and chic private houses.

A highlight of the city tour was renting the e-scooters, which can be used everywhere in the city via an app. We had a lot of fun and saw so much more of the city.

We left the city and found a little oasis. In a huge forest, a super-friendly, little, chubby ranger looked after his heart's desire. We parked right next to a lake in the forest, where a kangaroo greeted us. The night was very quiet, and you couldn't see your own hand in front of your face. The starry sky was fantastic, and the atmosphere in the morning was very peaceful.

We would have liked to spend more time in this place. But as it is on a world trip... appointments, appointments, appointments.

We have already arrived in Cuba, the final destination of our trip. We rarely have internet. Let's see how the blog will progress in the next few days ;-)

Your world travelers Josefine & Robert