A road trip from a 'No worries/ To easy'-hippie culture to breathtaking national parks, cosmopolitan Sydney, and Christmas feeling in the summer

1.12.2017: A spontaneous vacation allowed me to visit my friend Jens in Australia during the Christmas season. We decided to meet in Brisbane. So instead of opening the first door of an Advent calendar, I got on a plane. From Berlin to Paris to Abu Dhabi, and then on to Brisbane with Ethiad Airways. I had never flown so luxuriously before, the Saudis know how to make a flight pleasant and time pass quickly.

2.12.2017: In Brisbane, after a 26-hour flight, I arrived a bit tired. But the joy of seeing Jens was overwhelming. The first culture shock happened immediately. Jens, a true-blooded hippie, greeted me with his friend S. and it was just awesome to see each other again. We then drove into Brisbane in a borrowed hippie van that had no rear window or seat belts and would probably never pass a vehicle inspection. The next culture shock followed. In a small, smoky, and messy apartment, we were greeted by two hippie ladies with dreadlocks, various piercings, and bare upper bodies, as is usual among hippies, they warmly embraced us. After a short time, we drove more or less illegally to Byron Bay. When we arrived there, Jens showed me his centrally located property, an unregistered hippie van parked in the middle of Byron Bay on a gravel parking lot where parking and camping were prohibited. There were ten other vans there, all filled with absolutely warm-hearted "new age hippies" who still consume everything and stand for love and peace, but it all seems a bit smaller and less organized than the previous generation. The distinction between hippies, surfers, and backpackers is also somewhat blurred, or you could say it's not really possible to tell. This parking lot had a lot of traffic from partygoers who asked us for drugs more than once. Among them, we met a young lady from Sydney. Byron Bay itself doesn't have many residents. However, it is, as I was told, the third most visited place in Australia. Then we quickly went to the beach at night, and I fell asleep exhausted in the van.

3.12.2017: In the morning, the first thing on the agenda was swimming. But before that, we meditated on the beach. Byron Bay itself seems very small. As a tourist or parking nomad, you don't see much more than the main street lined with restaurants leading to the beach. The temperature just above 30 degrees Celsius was quite overwhelming, but you quickly learn that between 11 am and 4 pm, there is very little activity possible, and lying in the van in the parking lot is very entertaining. It's always very interesting to engage in conversations with people when you approach them openly. So I got to know dropouts who only own a guitar and somehow get by in life. Or older hippies who are driven by love and energy and only want good things for this world but occasionally need a mixed intoxication. LSD and mushroom tea were sometimes easier to get than weed. In the afternoon, we went to Cape Byron, the easternmost point of Australia. There is a beautiful lighthouse, and we walked along a path on the cliffs. A water dragon appeared in the middle of the path. I also noticed public gas-powered barbecue areas and public toilets along the way. We should have something like that here too.

4.12.2017: Today's goal was a hike to the Minyon Falls, a beautiful waterfall that pours into a valley of subtropical rainforest. Although it was the coolest and rainiest day of the vacation, it will be remembered for a long time because the thunderstorm created a unique atmosphere. If you search for rainforest during a thunderstorm on YouTube, you'll find the exact relaxing sounds we heard. We found an old tree infested with strangler fig plants that was no longer there, only the skeleton remained. It was very impressive to stand in such a tree that no longer exists. It also confirmed the statement that the wild wants to kill you everywhere. Suddenly, I started bleeding from my neck for no apparent reason, and the bleeding couldn't be stopped. Later, we all found leeches on us, which had bitten us in different places. After that, we went to a hill near Byron Bay where several hippie buses spontaneously met, made a fire, played music, and enjoyed the evening.

5.12.2017: The next day, waking up in the van with the rear hatch open, overlooking all of Byron Bay and its surroundings, was really nice. Then we took a bus to Brisbane, a city that appears architecturally thrown together because Australia naturally doesn't have as long a history as we are used to. The "white" history of Australia began in 1770 with James Cook's discovery and slow exploration in the following years. After that, there was a construction boom that continues to this day. On our way through the city, we walked through the Botanic Gardens and discovered a palm-sized spider. The old town hall with a Christmas tree and Christmas carols felt very strange in the 35 degrees Celsius summer heat. We picked up our home for the next two weeks in the south of the city. A Nissan Pulsar with a roof tent, which surprisingly turned out to be very comfortable and quick to set up. We then drove south again, saw a wonderful rainbow on the Gold Coast, picked up luggage and a friend, and the road trip could begin.

6.12.2017: Today we headed towards Sydney. It was a long day with lots of driving and several breaks, including at a Hungry Jack's branch (Burger King) where we satisfied our hunger with a "Hungry Tamer" meal. We made good progress and had great conversations. We decided to continue to the Blue Mountains to immerse ourselves in nature. There, in the dark, we finally arrived at a campground in the middle of the national park. We drove on a gravel road where 4WD was recommended due to the rocks and inclines. Later, I understood why, but our 2WD Nissan made it thanks to great driving skills. In Australia, there are many excellent free camping spots with toilets and fire pits, which surprised me because unfortunately, we don't have anything like that.

7.12.2017: Bushwalking is a popular activity for sporty Australians, and almost every campground has a few trails leading from it. We decided to explore the area and look for water. We quickly found a small creek near the camp. We followed it and came to a cliff that formed a waterfall. So we quickly went down, took a shower, and replenished our supplies. There's something magical about being in the middle of the bush, in a place where not many people have been. We continued hiking and later on this hot day, we came to a river crossing on the trail, which we used as a swimming opportunity. As we walked, we saw a tree that looked like it was bleeding. Yes, everything is a bit different Downunder, even resin is so red that it looks like blood. After we had followed the Bedford trail for a while, we climbed a mountain in the middle of the abandoned bush and enjoyed the view. Then we hiked back to the camp and spent a relaxed evening by the campfire, eating kangaroo sausages. In Australia, kangaroo is like game meat to us, but it's allowed to be hunted there, and they often run across the road.

8.12.2017: Time to visit the most famous place in the Blue Mountains, Katoomba. We walked along the edge of the cliffs to Echo Point and the Three Sisters, a touristy viewing platform with a view of a rock formation consisting of three stacked rocks. But what was more impressive was the vastness of the valley that lay before us. When you could see every single tree from above, it made you feel a certain humility towards nature. The Blue Mountains get their name from the different eucalyptus trees that emit essential oils, breaking the light and creating a blue shimmer over the entire valley. We climbed a steep staircase to the Three Sisters and then continued down. On a trail, we crossed the valley below the cliffs and reached the Katoomba Falls, where we enjoyed the amazing view over the southern part of the Blue Mountains. It was also here that I realized why exploring the interior of the country took so much time. In the European belief, it is best to explore countries in the valley by a river. Explorers here repeatedly encountered valleys surrounded by cliffs that could not be conquered. It was only years later, with the ascent of the table mountains, that a breakthrough into the hinterland was possible. And so all cities and towns in the Blue Mountains are on the plateau, and the valleys are filled with subtropical jungle and no civilization. We climbed over the barrier and explored the Katoomba Falls at our own risk. On a second level, where no tourist easily gets to, we took the opportunity for personal hygiene and showered under the waterfall, thinking we were safe. But suddenly, a cable car floated a few meters above us. It must have been a good picture: 3 naked men under a waterfall. We then continued to Mt Victoria and spent the night there.

9.12.2017: We stayed put and went on a small trail with incredibly beautiful views and secluded hiking paths. Then we went to a lake with a campground, where we made a giant fire in an old car rim.

10.12.2017: We returned to the Blue Mountains and visited Blackheath. There, we saw the Blue Mountains visitor centre. From there, we walked along the edge of the plateaus and enjoyed countless breathtaking views of the northern Blue Mountains. On a whim, we dared to descend into the so-called Grand Canyon, a narrow rock gorge with subtropical rainforest. The strong contrast between the rainforest and the temperate mixed forest within a few meters always amazed me. We slept again on Mt. Victoria.

11.12.2017: It was time to say goodbye to G. in Katoomba, and we continued to Wentworth Falls. After a short and challenging descent, another beautiful waterfall presented itself, and we swam and survived the midday heat. Above us, water poured over a huge rock that strongly reminded me of the floating rocks from the movie Avatar. We set up camp in a rest area. As we ate, dozens of cockatoos joined us and even ate out of our hands. As always, it didn't take long until we started chatting with German backpackers.

12.12.2017: We headed to Sydney. We parked at a campground and took public transportation into the city. We strolled through The Rocks, a neighborhood that is still preserved from the colonial settlement and, like many Australian cities, provides a huge contrast to the modern skyscrapers. Sydney itself is a huge natural harbor with numerous bays. It is not surprising that Lager was established here during discovery, and the British built their first prison colonies here. We continued to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, one of Sydney's landmarks. From there, we could already see the skyline and the Opera House. The most famous Australian building is probably the Opera House. Understandably so when you see it, as its extravagant architecture really catches the eye. I always imagined it to be bigger, and upon closer inspection, I noticed that the walls were made of small white and piss yellow tiles. Afterwards, we walked through the Botanic Gardens and the high-rise jungle. In the evening, we had a hearty barbecue.

13.12.2017: Due to Australia's relatively short history compared to Europe's, city sightseeing often goes quickly. So, the day before, we had already ticked off the most interesting must-see sights. Today, we went to Manly. It's where the residents of Sydney like to escape the high-rise jungle for relaxation. To get there, we took a ferry through the natural harbor of Sydney for about 30 minutes and enjoyed wonderful views. Manly is located on a peninsula that is now a national park and was previously used as a quarantine zone for new settlers, as a hospital, or as a site for an army barracks with anti-aircraft missiles during the World Wars. After a short walk around the island, we had burgers on the beach. And it was exactly at the place that the lady from the first evening in Byron Bay described as the best burger place and where she worked. Unfortunately, she was off that day, but her colleague celebrated our efforts nevertheless. We returned to the city on the ship with a bottle of Bundaberg rum and cola, heading back to the high-rise canyons. Past the town hall and the Queen Elizabeth shopping center, a game of chess along the way, until we reached the newly built Harbour District. In Chinatown, we discovered a small city within the city. Chinese immigrants have become the dominating group in Australia and, like our Turkish fellow citizens, are part of the cityscape. However, we still felt a bit foreign in a shopping center in the middle of summer, where we didn't know what we were eating or buying, and Christmas songs were playing over the speakers. We toasted with a Victoria Bitter beer. In the evening, we walked back over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and enjoyed the skyline at night.

14.12.2017: We left Sydney after two days and couldn't wait to immerse ourselves in nature again. We headed north towards Brisbane. From now on, we slept in national parks again. When we arrived at one, we hiked a short trail to a waterfall where we had peace and quiet while bathing and endured the warmest part of the day. On the way back, we noticed numerous cicadas sitting on the trees, making their mating sounds throughout the forest. At first, it was very interesting because these creatures emit sounds up to 120 dB (similar to a jet engine). But it turned into a curse. In the evening, the whole forest was filled with them, and the noise was just everywhere. You couldn't escape it, and communication became difficult. Two kangaroos hopped through our camp, and when it was dark and we were sitting comfortably by the fire (despite a fire ban), our lettuce was stolen. When we looked around, a few possums had come very close to us. At first, we were startled because we hadn't seen these animals before and didn't even know what they were, but then we realized they were just cute. Despite the cicada noise, we tried to sleep.

15.12.2017: We had a very bad sleep, and we quickly left the forest the next morning to find peace. At that point, we didn't yet know that a quiet night was only possible if you sleep by the highway or in large cities – it was the wild mating season of the cicadas. We continued, passing by the Grandis Tree, the tallest tree in NSW at over 70 meters. Then we passed the Booti Booti National Park, which consisted of a road with a lonely beach on one side and a huge lake on the other. We drove several kilometers on a gravel road to the Ellenborough Falls, a gigantic waterfall over 200 meters high. When we reached the bottom, of course, we went swimming. Looking for accommodation, we came across a village consisting of 6 houses without proper roads. We always found the free camping spots with the help of the CamperMate app. But here, there was a place marked, but we didn't know if we were in the right place. We came to a semi-open warehouse with a fire pit in front of it. From the outside, it somehow looked inhabited, so we snuck in and found a very unreal place. In the warehouse, there were old broken things lying around everywhere, old sofas, freezers, guitars, an old dusty piano, children's books. We thought for a long time but then decided to leave the place because the whole scene was just too eerie. We quickly drove over 50 km on gravel roads without seeing any other cars, heading to more civilized areas. We found a beautiful spot by a river – of course, with cicadas.

16.12.2017: The next morning, we headed to Port Macquarie to finally see koalas. Even after 6 months in Australia, Jens hadn't seen one yet. No wonder, because they sleep 90% of the day. We visited the Koala Hospital, a facility run by volunteers who take in injured koalas, nurse them back to health, and then release them back into the wild. The top diseases they treat are: traffic accidents, burns, and chlamydia infections.

17.12.2017: For breakfast, we made pancakes with Reese's chocolate spread on the gas stove. Then we went on a trail in Dorrigo National Park, which had very beautiful nature in the subtropical rainforest. On our way to Byron Bay, we briefly stopped at a sugar cane field and tried some cane. I didn't expect it to taste so sweet.

18.12.2017: In Byron Bay, we picked up S. again and continued to Brunswick Heads. There, where the belief in fairies lives, there were even little fairy houses. In Gold Coast, we visited a fire equipment store, and then we went to a cave (Natural Bridge, Springbrook National Park, Glow Worms Cave) with the largest glowworm population in NSW. It was a magical feeling wandering through the national park in the dark with glowworms all around.

19.12.2017: After a short night in front of Brisbane, we returned the car in the morning and walked into the city. The South Park Lands on the riverbank in the heart of Brisbane invited us to relax. In 1988, there was an expo here, and today it is a very modern park with barbecue areas, an artificial beach, various swimming options, and much more. It felt more like an amusement park that was freely accessible to the public. Even after dark, the lighting concept in the park still seemed very modern. But the rest of the city also sparkled in all colors. I wandered through Brisbane into the night, met very trusting possums in the park, and enjoyed the sunrise the next day, which was reflected in Brisbane's skyline and in the water. Then it was time to say goodbye, and I went to the airport and flew back home via Guangzhou and Paris. In total, we covered about 2,700 km, and I made it home just in time for Christmas.