See you, Australia!

Since I really enjoyed the Blue Mountains the first time, I decided to go again for the Great Canyon Track. Really cool. Almost 500m downhill into a canyon with jungle vibes, and rewarded with a beautiful view upon the ascent.

During my last week in Sydney, I spent time in Manly. Some colleagues had already raved about it: 'You will love it. It's just so different.' And I thought: How amazing and different can it really be? Very amazing 🤩 This neighborhood is indeed different, special. Everyone wakes up super early and exercises. Everything happens at the beach, and at 6 in the morning it is as busy as in Vienna on a spring day at the Danube Canal. I loved it. People here swim from cove to cove, and occasionally you hear someone coming out of the water shout, 'Great swim. No sharks today. Good day!' 🤷‍♀️

A snap of the fingers, and the last work week was over. It always goes like that. Once the halfway point is reached, it usually whizzes by. The goodbye was more emotional than expected because it felt very final. The chance of seeing each other again is quite low, and I have grown very fond of some colleagues despite the short time. To make it even harder, I also received a goodbye present. 'We couldn't let you go without a little shark to accompany you back home to Austria.' 😅

And since I was already flying to the other side of the world, I attached a few days of vacation and went on a road trip north toward the Gold Coast.

First stop Port Macquarie. It felt like Lignano. Beach promenade, bars, restaurants, and quite a bit happening in the city 😂 However, the main goal was the Koala Sanctuary, where you learn a lot about these fluffy furballs. They are very sluggish, sleep about 20 hours a day, and eat eucalyptus leaves. Unfortunately, like many animal species, they are severely threatened with extinction. The main reasons for this are habitat destruction due to bushfires, dog attacks, collisions with cars, and diseases (especially chlamydia). The sanctuary I visited takes in injured or sick koalas, cares for them, and if possible, reintroduces them into the wild.

The second stop was the beaches in and around Surfers Paradise. Beach life at its best. And yes, I also dared to get back on the surfboard. However, after reports of shark sightings increased again, I didn’t want to push my luck too much. 🤷‍♀️

On the way back, I had the two stops Nambucca Heads and Newcastle on the agenda, where I undertook a few more really nice beach explorations and bush walks.

And yes, I can officially leave now since I have also encountered a snake. Not as expected in the rainforest, but on a small path to a beach. I can share details about the story in person. I'll just say, the snake was startled at least as much as I was—but it was a drum 😅🙈

Tomorrow, the flight home departs, and I'm looking forward to being able to hug Matthias at the airport and then see friends and family again soon.

To wrap up, here are a few things I will miss:

• There are drinking water dispensers everywhere here (especially at the beach). So it never happens that you leave the house and realize you should have brought something to drink. You can easily refill on the go or make a quick stop while walking.
• Similarly, there are free public toilets everywhere. So it's not like in Europe in shopping malls, etc., but just at the beach and at all tourist attractions in the city. While not all of them are a hygienic highlight, there is usually toilet paper and soap available.
• The Australians are really very polite and accommodating. Everyone greets you and exchanges a few words with you in the elevator. People give way to each other on narrow streets and paths, and there is no crowding in queues for buses; everyone stands in line and waits for their turn.
• Generally, it feels like no one here is stressed. Everything isn't so hurried, and everyone seems to have a smile on their face when paths cross.

(I'm very curious how I will reintegrate into the Viennese/Austrian grumpy culture 🙈 - but I have quite a long flight ahead of me during which I can start getting used to it 😂🤭)

Cheers
Lisa