...4 hours on the plane and we arrived in Cairns, Australia. A country that always seemed infinitely far away to me. But now it was just a hop, skip, and a jump away! The difference compared to Asia is immense though. There is so much space, the roads are wide and quiet, the traffic is civil, the air seems somehow fresher and purer, and the prices are naturally higher. The adjustment to a new country, the different lifestyle with Western standards, was initially very difficult for me. I had become quite accustomed to life in Asia.
Cairns- Barron Falls. Unfortunately, it was dry season at the time.
In Cairns, we rented a car that was supposed to take us along the East Coast to Byron Bay. The car was our living room and bedroom, and sometimes even our kitchen... no, it wasn't our bathroom :D
We pay great attention to eating healthy :D
From now on, we had to cook for ourselves and "make the bed" every day. After a few days, we got into the routine of setting up our cozy little nest and we really started to love it!
Even though we always watch our budget, our meals always turned out great! Our favorite dish is couscous with cashew coconut curry sauce, corn, and avocado :)Unfortunately, we didn't see an Emu ^^ guess we were too slow :D
Our first destination was a free campsite right by the ocean!
Unfortunately, swimming was not allowed there. Just like in Cairns, there were warnings about crocodiles. But there are also sharks that are known to be close to the shore. Unimaginable, right?We had breakfast right on the beach there- it was safe :D
Airlie Beach
We made our first real stop in Airlie Beach, right by the beautiful Whitsundays. Airlie Beach is a very chic and classy place with a great marina and a cozy hiking trail along the beautiful coast!
We booked a snorkeling tour here. It's a must when you're at the Great Barrier Reef :) I first heard about the Great Barrier Reef in 6th or 7th grade, and I remember being fascinated by it even back then. Now the time had finally come for me to see the fish and corals at this reef with my own eyes- a great feeling! The crew was in a great mood and when the music was turned up during the fast departure, we knew that we had booked the right tour with the right provider :) On the way to the reef, we saw two humpback whales. A mother with her calf each time! Ever since Jacqui and I saw whales for the first time in Madeira, we have been absolutely fascinated by these animals and take every opportunity in every country to observe them up close. Of course, only as close as it is good for the whales and they don't feel restricted. The calves were very active and showed off one jump after another. Just for that, this tour was already worth it for us!!
After that, we visited two coral reefs and saw many colorful fish and corals while snorkeling. The final stop was at the Whitehaven Beach.
A picture-perfect beach! We took a short hike on the island to a viewpoint that offered a great view of part of the island! This is what you imagine a dream island to be like :)
Before heading to Rainbow Beach, we spent a night at Cape Hillsborough. Here, too, we had a pitch right by the ocean!
I spent some time on the tree listening to music :)
We got up very early to see wallabies and kangaroos that gather on the beach there every morning. Even though it poured down just before sunrise, the sunrise itself was shining with beautiful colors, with wallabies and kangaroos in the foreground!
We probably wanted to pinch ourselves here too, because the sunrise alone would have been worth getting up early for. But then these cute animals hopped by in the morning glow :D
face to face ^^
We shared the campsite with the wallabies :D
After driving all day, we arrived in Rainbow Beach. Here, we hiked to a "beach" that is located on a cliff. From there, we had a perfect view of the kilometers-long beach.
Again, we had a pitch right by the ocean. However, we couldn't park right on the beach because we would have gotten stuck in the loose sand ^^ But we could still hear the ocean roar at night!The pigeons in Australia have style :D
This is how big Australia is! We drove from Denmark to Romania!
We stayed a few extra days in Noosa. The beach was beautiful and we were even allowed to swim in the ocean there! A real rarity- no dangerous jellyfish, sharks, or crocodiles :D Well, at least not at the main beach.
A hiking trail ran along the coast, revealing one beautiful beach after another. In the ocean, there were many longboarders, stand-up paddlers, canoeists, and jet skiers, and we encountered countless joggers on our way. They made us feel a little guilty :P but with this backdrop, I guess jogging is probably only half as hard. We were even able to see a few turtles from a lookout point :)
We watched a turtle fight the waves for a while ^^
Alexandria Bay
Unfortunately, the waves were not big and powerful enough for surfing. So we just spent a day at the beach!
We took a little detour through the interior on our way to Byron Bay. The landscape became more and more hilly and agricultural! Everyone wears a cowboy hat with a denim shirt and drives a pickup truck. That's how I always imagined the Wild West to be like :D but not really Australia ^^
In the evening sun, the fields shone in beautiful colors!
There were signs along the road indicating koalas. So, as we drove by, we scanned the trees like crazy :D We had to be very patient and persistent, but just before we were about to give up, we actually spotted a koala!! It was a bit high up in the tree, but still clearly visible to the naked eye :)
The next day, we even saw a koala with its baby!! This time, it was much closer as well.
What adorable creatures that you want to hug because they look so fluffy :D It was definitely worth making the detour for!
Since Jacqui was in Australia last year, she has become a bird lover ^^ I used to laugh at her, but now I can totally understand it. Australia has a really great variety of birds!
A Galah- also a cockatoo
Each bird adds a splash of color, and instead of pigeons, you'll suddenly see cockatoos flying past you :D
Unfortunately, it was often very difficult to capture them with the camera.
A stopover in Gold Coast- the place lives up to its name. Isn't the beach fantastic?
We spent the last week in Byron Bay. Almost everyone recommended this place to us, and rightly so!
All the other places were always very chic and people were also dressed accordingly. But in Byron Bay, the hippie look prevails :D The outfits are very unique but super cool, and it feels like every other person has dreadlocks! Everyone wears what they want and nobody judges each other.
A vegan store next to the other, surf shops, (very good) street musicians, amazing graffiti, and of course, a beautiful beach make this place special and set it apart from all the others.
In Byron, everything revolves around whales! Our mecca :D
Cape Byron- the easternmost point of Australia
There are many coves around Cape Byron where you can occasionally spot some surfers. We spent many hours at various viewpoints and beaches, observing surfers and, above all, whales. Sometimes even both at the same time!
Cape Byron- the easternmost point of Australia
This place made you truly aware of the beauty of the ocean. I have never seen such beautiful, clear blue water. Definitely the most beautiful place by the sea that I have ever been to!
A few minutes earlier, a whale was swimming in the bay. It couldn't have been better :)All the surfers got me hooked, of course, so I rented a board and a wetsuit to take on the waves in Australia. Unfortunately, the waves weren't ideal for my level, and I couldn't catch a wave. I got tumbled around quite a bit and now have a nice bruise on my thigh :D But I can hardly wait to get back on the board because New Zealand also has great surf spots :)After reluctantly returning our car, we strolled through Brisbane a bit today.
Brisbane
Australia impressed me mainly with its crystal-clear ocean, beautiful coastlines, and diverse marine wildlife! The people are incredibly friendly and always up for a chat :) By the way, we were often asked about our dark complexion. The people in Australia are generally quite fair-skinned, even though the sun shines here almost always. It's kind of funny :D Tomorrow, we'll be flying to New Zealand and embarking on a new adventure- also in terms of organization :D But we're really looking forward to it!
