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Nord-Süd-Connection reunited :)

Nai-publish: 03.08.2018

<p>When we arrived at the hostel, we had a super nice girl from Germany at the reception who gave us the 6-bed room we were in at a much cheaper price. We went straight to the room and made ourselves comfortable in bed with cider and chips. Just before 11, we got changed and headed into town. The goal was to celebrate Kathi's 30th birthday in some pub. We spontaneously decided on Scruffy Murphy's and went straight there. As soon as we arrived, we got Guinness and Kilkennys. Price-wise, it was comparable to Munich. Not super cheap, but still okay. The atmosphere there was great and the music too. In any case, it was a good place to be. After a lot of beer and a lot of fun, we sang our way back to the hostel. The pub seems to be very popular with travelers, as we met people from our hostel and even from our room there.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Monday, June 11, 2018</b></p><p>Happy 30th birthday Kathi!!!</p><p>A bit hungover and completely exhausted, we got up at 8 am and checked out right away. This time we took all our luggage with us. We quickly made ourselves some peanut butter toast for the road and headed to the train station to catch the train to the Blue Mountains around half past 9. Kathi slept for the 1.5-hour journey and I occupied myself with writing my blog. When we arrived in Katoomba, we went straight to the hostel that I had quickly booked the day before. We couldn't check in yet, but we stored our backpacks and treated ourselves to a nice cold cola. Full of energy from the sugar rush, we went straight to the Blue Mountains. We hiked to the Bridal Veil Fall. On the way there, we explored the town and found a very cool street with lots of street art. We looked at the waterfall from all sides, as there were hiking trails from above and below. That was pretty cool. We had a lot of fun wandering through nature there. There were countless stairs that led through the rainforest. At the end, it became a bit exhausting, especially given our condition. But luckily, everything was very clear and we could orient ourselves well. You didn't need much hiking experience to walk the trails there. Much of it was built with wood and there were almost always railings. After about 2 hours, we finished our little round tour and quickly went to the supermarket to stock up for the evening. We suddenly got very hungry and accordingly only bought crap. Back at the hostel, we were finally able to check in and then cooked. It took us ages to finally eat. We made ourselves comfortable in the common room and ate and chatted in a relaxed manner. Kathi received her birthday present and we snacked on chocolate and drank cocoa with rum on the side. To do something useful, I started planning for the next few days. I booked us a campervan and outlined a rough route. When everything important was done, we went straight to bed and were so happy to finally sleep.

<p><br /></p><p><b>Tuesday, June 12, 2018</b></p><p>I couldn't sleep after 7 am, so I started moving. I disappeared into the hallway and wrote my blog there in peace, or rather tried to upload it. For some reason, the pictures didn't work, which was quite annoying, but oh well. Then it will just have to wait. Kathi eventually joined me and then we had breakfast in peace. Afterwards, we checked out again and stored our backpacks at the reception. Around 9, we went back to the Blue Mountains. We walked past the Katoomba Cascades and Witches Leap to the Katoomba Falls. It was constantly up and down and in between, we had a beautiful view. The weather wasn't that great because it was cloudy and raining occasionally, but it was still okay. The sun came out around noon, but we had to turn back by then. We made our way back via Echo Point, from where you could see the Three Sisters (3 mountain peaks). They are very well-known there and are practically the highlight there. We even walked to the Three Sisters and stood romantically on the Honeymoon Bridge :) Then we went back to the hostel via the Honeymoon Lookout. As always, we were already quite late and had to hurry to get back to the hostel. When we arrived, we quickly grabbed our backpacks and sprinted to the train station. Luckily, we made it to our train back to Sydney just fine. Exhausted from all the rushing back and forth, we quickly got a coffee to go. Luckily, we still had time until the train arrived. After many transfers and waiting longer, we finally arrived in the business district of Sydney and made our way directly to Apollo Motorhome to pick up the campervan. A somewhat unfriendly lady explained everything to us and talked us into an insurance. She immediately started speaking German when she found my booking. She seemed a bit bored and sounded as if she had told this story a thousand times already. She probably had, but she didn't have to be so obvious about it. We had to wait for a short while and then we were able to pick up our HAPPY CAMPER named REGINA. It was a pretty old wreck, but everything worked. It was an old van that only had the 2 front seats and a bench with a folding table in the back that could be pulled out to make a bed. The bed was big, but it also took up the entire space. When you opened the trunk, you basically stood in the kitchen with cabinets, sink, and refrigerator. Bedding, dishes, and everything else were already in the car. REGINA had several dents and also 2 stone chips, but nothing dramatic. Since we arrived just before closing time, they were almost all gone when we finally started. I had to take a moment to adjust everything and mentally prepare myself to drive on the left side :) I hadn't driven a car in ages, but in principle, it was like riding a bike. You don't forget! Slowly but surely, we left the premises and off we went to Melbourne. Luckily, we were out of the city traffic pretty quickly and at some point, we were almost the only ones on the road. Since it gets dark pretty quickly here, we didn't have much daylight left. They had warned us that we have to be extremely careful in the dark, especially on country roads. And of course, at dusk, the kangaroos were already hanging out at the side of the road. It didn't take long and they were standing on the road. A short time later, the first one ran in front of the car. I was able to brake in time, but it was very close. It just stared at me and hopped nonchalantly on. What else! A bit shocked by the near miss, we arrived in Jervis Bay already in the dark. We wanted to go to a free campsite that we had found in advance, but it was already closed or not even open. At least we stood in front of closed gates and couldn't really see anything in the dark. So, it was back and looking for something else. There was another campsite pretty close by (Green Patch Camping Area), so we went there. Fortunately, it was open too. Apparently, you had to register online there, and nobody was on-site. So, we just parked there and stayed the night. I thought someone would contact us if we were in the wrong place or if we still had to pay. Exhausted from the day, we took out our leftovers from the day before and ate them cold. We weren't in the mood to cook and to be honest, we didn't want to attract too much attention either. Luckily, we still had cider, so despite the long day, it was a relaxed end. After that, we unfolded our comfortable bed, dressed warmly, and went to sleep.

<p><br /></p><p><b>Wednesday, June 13, 2018</b></p><p>The alarm went off at 6 am, and even though it was still dark outside, we slowly got ready. It took ages to get all the moisture out of the car. We had to wipe the windshield from the inside to see anything. We went out in the semi-darkness and luckily, the sun also made an appearance. I enjoyed a short but very beautiful sunrise and then set off directly to find someone who could help us with REGINA. I went from house to house, but nobody was there. In some places, I couldn't even get to the houses because of the fences and there were no doorbells. On the way, a car came towards me, which I tried to stop. The driver just looked at me strangely and kept driving. He was probably wondering what I was doing alone without luggage and why I wanted to hitchhike. I was lucky at the next house because the family was at home and I could talk to them through the open window across the fence. Unfortunately, they didn't have the right car to pull us out, but as nice as they were, the dad and his son followed me. When we arrived at the car, I was very surprised because Kathi had already got the car out with the help of a guy. It was the guy who had driven past me before. He turned around because he thought that I probably didn't want to hitch a ride but maybe something was wrong. He had a car with all-wheel drive and, of course, a tow rope and everything else. Unfortunately, he pulled us out too far, so we got stuck in the next hole and we had to get out again. Neither trying to dig out the wheel, nor putting sticks under it or pushing helped. We were stuck too deep for that. With only rear-wheel drive and the weight of the car, it was impossible without help! So, we had found our perfect parking spot. We unfolded our bed and settled comfortably inside with wine. We didn't have any other choice and it didn't matter anyway.

<p><br /></p><p><b>Thursday, June 14, 2018</b></p><p>We slept in and were able to explore our resting place in daylight. There were still some other cars there, but otherwise, it wasn't very busy. Everything was very quiet, located right next to a small river, somewhat outside the town. The toilets there were very clean and we were finally able to use the BBQ grill, which also looked very well-kept. There are BBQ places at many rest areas that can be used free of charge. You can start them by pushing a button and then the plate heats up for about 10 minutes. After that, it needs to be restarted. It took much longer than with our gas stove, but at least we didn't have to use our gas canisters. We made tea right away since we could only drink boiled water from the car and then had breakfast in peace. We had a full breakfast despite the wind. In addition to the chocolate we had for breakfast, I finished writing my blog. When we wanted to have breakfast in peace, a man came up to us and cleaned everything there. At first, he seemed a bit strange, but in principle, he was very nice. He is paid by the county (or whatever it is called there) to clean the grill and the toilets. He told me his whole life story while doing so. Somehow, I felt sorry for him, even though I just wanted to eat in peace. In conclusion, he wished us a safe and happy journey. We cleared the car of sand and then continued on our way. We drove along the coast to Seaspray. On the way there were some sections labeled 'Tourist Drive', so we diligently followed them. Some routes were really nice and we didn't really know why they were specially designated for tourists. But we covered a good distance and passed Wallaga Lake, which flows into the sea at that point. It was very beautiful there. Around 3 pm, we arrived at Potoroo Palace, a wildlife sanctuary. Kathi wanted to visit one of the sanctuaries, so we looked for one along the way. We had to pay expensive 22 AUD per person and then only had an hour to look around. It was relatively small, but there was still a lot to see. The highlight was the koalas, which are so cute, and the relaxed kangaroos that were free to roam and be fed. After about 45 minutes, we were done. We had brought some food to feed the kangaroos but returned the rest because the animals didn't want it all. Presumably, they were all overfed if all visitors did that. All in all, it was still nice and worth the entrance fee.

<p>From there, we made our way to the nearest free campsite. On the way there, we stopped at the supermarket 'Coles' and stocked up on more food and a 5-liter jug of wine. Alcohol is extremely expensive in Australia, but wine in tetra packs is very cheap. We bought a reasonably good one for 18 AUD, and it was actually quite good. In Golden Beach, we arrived and found the campsite. Fortunately, it was open. Apparently, you have to register online there and there was no one on-site. So, we just parked there and stayed the night. I thought someone would get in touch if we were in the wrong place or if we had to pay. Totally exhausted from the day, we took out our leftovers from the previous day and ate them cold. We weren't in the mood to cook and to be honest, we didn't want to attract too much attention either. Luckily, we still had cider, so despite the long day, it was a relaxed end. After that, we unfolded our comfortable bed, dressed warmly, and went to sleep.

<p><br /></p><p><b>Friday, June 15, 2018</b></p><p>We set the alarm to watch the sunrise. Unfortunately, it was quite cloudy, so we slept on. Eventually, I got up and luckily, the sun also made an appearance. I enjoyed a short but very beautiful sunrise and then went to find someone who could help us with REGINA. I walked from house to house, but nobody was there. In some cases, I couldn't even get to the houses because of the fences and there were no doorbells. On the way, a car came towards me, which I tried to stop. The driver just looked at me strangely and kept driving. He was probably wondering what I was doing alone without luggage and why I wanted to hitchhike. At the next house, I was lucky that the family was at home and that I could talk to them across the fence through the open window. Unfortunately, they didn't have the right car to pull us out, but as nice as they were, the dad and his son followed me. When we arrived at the car, I was very surprised because Kathi had already got the car out with the help of a guy. It was the guy who had driven past me before. He turned around because he thought that I probably didn't want to hitch a ride but maybe something was wrong. He had a car with all-wheel drive and, of course, a tow rope and everything else. Unfortunately, he pulled us out too far, so we got stuck in the next hole and we had to get out again. Neither trying to dig out the wheel, nor putting sticks under it or pushing helped. We were stuck too deep for that. With only rear-wheel drive and the weight of the car, it was impossible without help! So, we had found our perfect parking spot. We unfolded our bed and settled comfortably inside with wine. We didn't have any other choice and it didn't matter anyway.

<p><br /></p><p><b>Saturday, June 16, 2018</b></p><p>Despite the amount of wine from the evening before, we got up at 6 am, got ready, and as soon as it got light, we set off with Regina for Pakenham. Because today is the day. The day of all days has come. We reached our goal MELBOURNE! Pakenham is a small suburb of Melbourne. There wasn't much to see there, but there was a free parking lot at the train station. We left the car there and took the train to the city center. We arrived at Flinders Street Station and immediately took a tram for a sightseeing tour. We saw almost all the important sights, like the Ian Potter Centre, the Fitzroy Gardens, the Parliament Gardens, the Royal Exhibition Building, the Melbourne Star (Ferris wheel), the Arts Centre Theatres, the Eureka Tower, and the Flagstaff Gardens. The tram was free and thanks to the loudspeaker, you always knew where you were and what the historical background was. We completed a full round and then walked through the Flagstaff Gardens to the Queen Victoria Market. There, we got ourselves some delicious pie and had a coffee with it. We enjoyed both on a park bench directly in front of a street musician. After leaving him some money, we continued to walk through the market stalls. There was really everything there, from fruit and vegetables to socks and stuffed animals. After that, we looked at some street art since Melbourne is pretty well known for that. It is spread all over the city and there are some really nice things to see. Some of it is completely unnecessary, but that's always the case, or it's just a matter of taste. We looked at some street art, and then we went to a Chinese restaurant to eat. Afterwards, we went to a pub. We only went in because it was called The Elephant and Whelbarrow and of course because we felt like having a beer. Australians really like Pale Ale, so they have thousands of types. Some are really delicious and some are not so good because they are just too sweet. Luckily, we found something quite good and were very satisfied with it. Then we slowly made our way back to Pakenham and from there back to the same rest area on the highway as before. It was the same game as the night before. Cooking, drinking wine, and sitting comfortably in the car.

<p><br /></p><p><strong><i>Summary of the vacation:</i></strong></p><p><i>It's always super relaxed with Kathi because we agree on many things. We didn't want to stress ourselves out trying to see as much as possible, but simply live day by day and see what happens. Our goal was to see Melbourne and Sydney, and that worked out really well. Otherwise, we had no plans, so we didn't miss out on anything. We had so much fun together with Regina and enjoyed the little things.</i></p><p><i>I really liked Melbourne and will definitely do it again. Next time, I have to take more time to really arrive. I will probably also take Sydney again, but to be honest, the allure is not quite as great. </i></p>

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09.06.-21.06.2018

reunited 😊

Even when I was still in Germany, Kathi and I made a firm plan for her to come visit me here. That was also the reason why I wanted to orient myself towards Sydney shortly before. In the end, it was perfect that it only took me 1.5 hours to pick her up. I had already booked a hostel for the first night, and we wanted to organize everything else spontaneously.

Saturday, June 9, 2018

Kathi landed shortly before 6 pm and I arrived about 30 minutes later. I was at the wrong exit at first, but luckily the right one was right next to it. After a bear hug with backpacks full, we headed straight to town by subway. We were able to get off at Central Station and walk from there to the Secret Garden Backpackers. The name promised much more than it actually was, but oh well. We chattered the whole way and were relieved to get rid of our luggage at the hostel. I had some food with me, so we cooked right away. The kitchen was okay and clean, so we were able to prepare everything without any problems. Since it had rained unfortunately, all the seats were wet and we had to squeeze onto a somewhat dry bench. Of course, we had beer with our meal. What else! Afterwards, we took the subway from Central Station to Circular Quay and participated in Vivid 2018, the light show in Sydney. We walked the same route as I did the week before with Suzanna. Even though I had already seen it, it was incredibly beautiful. The second time you still see new things and it was worth it for me as well. However, we were both very tired and returned to the hostel shortly after 11. Everyone was celebrating there and it was incredibly loud. It was Beer Pong Night and it looked like it too. We didn't feel like partying, so we were glad that our room was at the end of the hallway, so we had peace and could sleep there.

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Australia

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Nord-Süd-Connection reunited :)

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7. Stop: Tayrona Park

DAY TWO IN AUSTRALIA - BONDI BEACH

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