Perth - Rottnes Island

At 14:50 on 30.01.2017, my flight from Düsseldorf to Dubai took off and I can only say that Emirates will definitely be my favorite airline from now on. I have rarely flown so luxuriously. I even had the incredible luck to sit in a row of three seats, but only two were occupied. Shortly after takeoff, we were served a meal and let me tell you, they really want to fatten you up - a main course, dessert, bread, and cookies.

The onboard entertainment was also great, as I was able to continue watching the TV series I started in Germany. The onboard service and legroom were a dream :).

During the layover in Dubai, I treated myself to one of my last sparkling waters for a while, as from now on I will switch to still water due to the price. The second part of the flight was not as pleasant. It was first too warm, then too cold, and ultimately just a long time on the plane. Finally, on January 31, 2017, at 5:35 pm Perth time, I finally reached my destination. My backpack also arrived undamaged, still in its plastic bag.

After some language problems and misunderstandings at customs, I was finally able to take the supposedly correct bus to the hostel at 8:00 pm, but of course, I didn't arrive at the right destination and had to pay for a taxi as well. But by 9:30, I was finally there, quickly grabbed something to eat, organized a date for the next day with two nice girls, and then went straight to bed, but thanks to jet lag, I couldn't sleep.

02.01.2017 - Perth

Today was my first real day in Australia and the weather was amazing, sunny and warm. After breakfast consisting of cornflakes and milk, we set off. Who is "we"? That's Vivien, Tatjana, and me, my acquaintances from the hostel. Together, we explored Perth, the skyline, as well as Kings Park and the Botanical Garden, which are located slightly above the city and offer a fantastic view. In Kings Park, we took a break, had our lunch, and played card games on the lawn. Time flew by and we had to hurry to be able to go shopping at all. Most grocery stores close by 8 pm at the latest. At the end, we had to walk back to the hostel with our groceries because we missed the last bus. In the evening, we had really healthy pasta with pesto and fresh tomatoes. We went to bed around midnight, but the jet lag kept me awake until 3 am.

02.02.2017 - Rottnes Island

7:00 am, the alarm went off and it was time to start my solo trip to Rottnes Island. This island is known for its beaches and its animals. The animals are called quokkas and are a mix between a rat and a kangaroo, always with a smiling face.

Rottnes Island can be reached from Perth by ferry in two hours. On the island itself, I took a guided bus tour to circle the entire island and learn something about its history, or rather about the people, vegetation, and wildlife living there. The guide had an answer to every question. After the tour, I walked to Basin Beach, where I snorkeled, relaxed, and read. The remaining two hours flew by until it was time to catch the ferry back. On the return journey, I talked to two German girls again, who are traveling together for 4 months after graduating from high school. You always meet Germans here, even in my bus, there was an older couple from Germany who comes to Australia for 6 weeks every year to visit their daughter and explore other parts of the country.

In the evening, the hostel organized a free BBQ, and both the meat and the salad were delicious.

Those were my experiences in the first few days. Tomorrow, I'm going to Fremantle with the girls from the hostel, and on Saturday morning, I'm heading to Adelaide, my next destination. I look forward to hearing from you. WhatsApp and Facebook are still available, and I now have an Australian SIM card with plenty of data to continue using WhatsApp with my German number.

Your Julia (far away)