16&17|11|19, You don't have to go swimming to get wet here

Hi guys,

everything is “soaking wet”, especially us! The weather here in Australia has been very unpredictable the past two days!

Yesterday morning we started early towards the Sunshine Coast. After a quick breakfast, we drove to Cotton Tree district. We arrived there around 10 am and after a short walk through the city, we headed to the beach. Once again, we were greeted by a beautiful golden sandy beach with amazing water color. After applying sunscreen, we spent a few hours lying on the beach and occasionally went swimming. When we had enough sun and our stomachs started rumbling, we headed back to the car! For lunch, we had “instant noodles” because it was too hot to cook a proper meal. We set up our camping table and chairs in the beach parking lot and enjoyed our noodles. After satisfying our hunger, we made a short stop at the supermarket and then went to the campsite. The campsite was a bit inland and a bit remote, but it was free, so it was a good choice. On the way, the weather suddenly changed. From 33 degrees with sunshine, the country suddenly turned into water. A big storm came in, bringing hail as big as my thumbnail. We have rarely experienced such a strong storm, but considering the situation with all the bushfires in the region, the rain was definitely not bad.

At the campsite, during a short break in the rain, we quickly set up our tent and waited for the rain to stop while watching a movie and drinking a bottle of cocoa that we bought at the supermarket.

In the evening, we had some pancakes for dinner and then went to bed soon after!😊

This morning, I got out of bed at 6:20 am. The reason was that I wanted to call my family, which worked out great. We talked for about an hour and shared stories with each other! It was nice to hear from them again!❤️

Ann-Estelle was already awake and had set the table. We had a light breakfast and then set off to Noosa, a fantastic place on the coast that we had heard so much about. Today, there was a farmers market there, basically a big weekly market where you can buy all sorts of things. Since fruits and vegetables are usually cheaper there than in the supermarket, we bought some and strolled around the market. The weather was much better again, and in the sunshine, we enjoyed some watermelon that we had also bought at the market.

Shortly after, we went on our first little hike along the east coast of the Noosa National Park. It wasn't very long, maybe 5 km, and it led through a beautiful tropical forest. Our destination was Alexandria Bay, a fairly secluded beach that can only be reached on foot. It really put a smile on both of our faces.

The beach was amazing! White sand, turquoise water, and almost all to ourselves. We walked along the beach for quite a while before finally deciding to go swimming if it seemed safe.

We had just dried off from the sun when it happened again. The sun disappeared in an instant, and a storm came in.

Just as we were about to head back to the car, it was already too late. It started pouring rain, and within seconds, we were soaked to our underwear! Luckily, my backpack was waterproof, so at least the things inside stayed dry. For about 20 minutes, we took shelter under a small awning with some locals and two other backpackers, waiting for the thunderstorm to pass. In the light rain, we made our way back to the car because we couldn't get any wetter. We were accompanied by a very kind elderly Australian man who told us a lot about the region and himself. When we reached the car, he proudly showed us his 20-year-old Golf IV, which he bought brand new back then, and he was visibly happy about it! It was a really nice encounter.

In general, I have to say that I find the Australians really nice. You feel welcomed everywhere, and everyone is genuinely interested in what you're doing and is always friendly and helpful.

In the car, we quickly changed our clothes and then went to Subway. We were both really hungry, and considering that it was getting dark soon, we didn't feel like cooking anymore. After that, we drove to the campsite here in the middle of Noosa. It's relatively expensive, but it's really nice and in a great location. We even had a hot shower, which I couldn't resist even though I was still slightly chilled from the rain.

Now we're lying in bed, and tomorrow we'll go hiking again. This time, it will be a slightly longer hike along the west side of the national park. I'm really excited!

Greetings from Noosaville, Australia!🇦🇺

Your Tim!😊

Today's temperature: 32 degrees with 70% humidity☀️