Doing nothing can also be exhausting

When were we in Esperance again? Was the campsite with the slide before or after Melbourne and where did we have that amazing thunderstorm?

Time, places, days pass by in a flash. Date, day, and time are completely irrelevant. As long as the sun is still shining, there is time to find a place to sleep and cook dinner, that is all that matters.

If the water supply is at 40 liters, the oil level is in the green range, and the spare tank is filled on the roof, you can confidently withdraw from civilization for a few days and engage with opossums, kangaroos, sea lions, dolphins, and everything else nature has to offer in one of the national parks.

If Petrus decides not for 12 hours of sun, but for a bit of rain on Planet Earth, you simply retreat into your mobile home, reach behind you for the fruit basket when hunger strikes, and immerse yourself in the world of your book.

The mileage was at its peak. After spending some time in Margaret River and enjoying the advantages of a wine region, we traveled at a brisk pace along the southern coast of Western Australia via Esperance.

We woke up like a carefree child in new places. Again and again, nature seemed even more impressive. From lonely beaches to steep cliffs, pink lakes, and green meadows, we approached the border to South Australia. Our faithful home fought its way through gravel roads, sandy streets, and defied wind, sunshine, and rain. But just before the border, and after a sporty morning routine, it didn't want to go any further...

Fortunately, we had neighbors at this secluded beach who helped us push old Ciccio. After a few puffs of smoke, it started again. However, in the following days, the age of dear Ciccio was brought back to our attention. But at least his starting tantrums resulted in pleasant acquaintances with other campers, and after a little push, he faithfully started. It shouldn't be underestimated that the good old Ciccio has been on the road for 25 years and has already circled the world 10 times. Together with us, he celebrated his 400,000 km birthday in the following week...

The weather got hotter and just before Adelaide, the thermometer rose to 44 degrees Celsius. The whole of Australia was a fireball that week. It was impossible for us to sleep in the car that night, so we quickly cleared the roof and moved the bed one floor up in a half-asleep action. After initial discomfort about sleeping so unprotected in the great outdoors, the night under the open sky turned out to be quite romantic.

After another day of pure heat, where even the breeze while driving was uncomfortably hot, we decided to regenerate for a couple of days in a small (air-conditioned) apartment in Adelaide. Never did I think that I would spend a day at home with such beautiful sunshine, but it was actually impossible to leave the apartment. Only when the sun was almost setting, we ventured out for a beer in the city.

Adelaide didn't have much more to offer than a nightlife street with bars that competed in volume and a state-of-the-art university. After cooling off in the apartment for two days, we were happy to hit the road again.

Following the Great Ocean Road, we continued east along the Princess Highway. With the help of our valuable app Wikicamps, we could search for and drive to a free and legal sleeping place while driving. The roles were clearly defined. The passenger navigated and refueled, Jakob set up the rooftop tent, while I started chopping. At dusk, we ate and sometimes had a glass of red wine. Once the sun had set, we lay in the car beneath the colorful starry sky and got up at 7 am with the sunrise. And so we spent nights in national parks, on beaches in the forest, and sometimes in a rest area, until Melbourne came into sight.

I had received a tip for a free sleeping place from a friend in Shanghai. So our destination was Crunchy Town. Located a bit outside the city in Batman and hidden in an industrial area, we found a group of young people who had built a simple but very cozy "town" without much money. They had converted the old warehouse to a point where it was possible to cook, sleep and live comfortably without running water or heating. Sleeping was done in two halls, two people in one bed. Washing dishes was done in large containers with rainwater, and to save water, plates and cutlery were thoroughly licked clean after meals. Since hardly anyone had money or earned money (which was absolutely economical and highly commendable), dumpster diving was practiced. In the afternoon, a selected group went to the next supermarket and came back with rich and nutritious loot from trash cans and containers. From the supposed waste, a group of more than 20 people was fed twice a day. And all this without spending a penny. In the afternoon, they played soccer together, built things around the house, or just chilled until the cooking team got to work in the evening.

We immersed ourselves in the warm commune for a few days but kept some privacy and continued to sleep in our beloved van. As impressive and nice as the alternate life in Crunchy Town was, we never quite got in sync with the group. At the end of the day, this seemingly different, alternative life consisted of a large group of young people who found it difficult to be alone, most of whom came from Germany, France, or Spain to the other end of the world to embark on the search for a great adventure and eventually ended up in a parallel world consisting of drinking and partying. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the days in Crunchy Town, as well as in Melbourne, which we naturally explored. After a turbulent house party in Crunchy Town and a long night of music/museums in Melbourne, we were ready for nature again. On February 19th, we said goodbye to the Crunchys and continued east. Since then, we have been to wonderful deserted places. The travel fever has slowed down a bit, also because we are ahead of schedule. So we stayed 3 or 4 days in places where we liked it. New hobbies were established, so it happens that you can see me painting with watercolors early in the morning, Jakob reading intently, or both of us meeting on the tennis court in the afternoon.

We are now close to Sydney. Slowly but surely, thoughts of the new destination are coming up. We have already found a nice farm that will accommodate us in the Habour Hills in Whangaruru. The 50 ha farm run by a couple is home to cows, pigs, chickens, dogs, cattle, and to my great joy, horses that are waiting to be ridden through the mountains. The farm will be our home in the coming month, where we will live, work, eat, and hopefully meet nice people.

But for now, we have to sell the car and enjoy a few more days in Sydney.

I think of you and send you tight hugs