97.-101. Day 21.12. - 25.12. Christmas in the Bush

Friday 21.12.

After a good breakfast, I skyped with Monika and Dominik, it was really nice to see and chat with them live again. At the same time, Carina also messaged me, as she had limited reception at her uncle's place in the bush. They were going to Coffs Harbour to do the weekly shopping, and we could meet there. So I made my way to Aldi there and then I met Carina D..

Almost a year ago during our studies, we talked about the plan to go to Australia and meet each other there, and on that day it happened. It was really nice to see a familiar face and be able to talk about home. I also met Peter D., Carina's uncle, and Petra, who have been living together in Australia for several years. So we did some shopping and then Peter showed us around the area.

In the evening, we went to a hippie community where there was a party. After a little nap by all of us in a meditation hut that Peter built years ago, we joined the party a bit and had very good conversations.

After a few hours, we went home because it was about an hour's drive, and also off-road. Petra was not feeling well at the time, so we took care of her. When we arrived, we all wished each other a good night, Peter and Petra slept in the house, I slept with María, and Carina slept in a large Mercedes Sprinter camper that was left there by acquaintances due to an engine failure.

Saturday 22.12.

After breakfast together, I helped Peter a bit with the neighbor's house and connected an electrical outlet. After so much work, we deserved a cooling down and a swim. So we jumped into the small creek, which still had a lot of water due to the storms of the previous weeks. In the afternoon, I sunbathed a bit and we played several rounds of Wizard, a card game that I already knew.

After the hottest part of the day, Carina and I went for a run, a total of 10km, and then we jumped into the swimming hole in the river.

The access road was impassable just a week ago with 2 meters of water, so everyone was trapped and couldn't drive out. We played another round of Wizard and then went to bed.

Sunday 23.12.

In the morning, Peter called his friend George and we went to Grafton afterwards.

There, Peter showed us around the town and then we went on the Brolga, a small cozy sailboat where George and Julie have been living for several months. The granddaughter Cianna was also on board and we had a lot of fun together.

In the evening, we met at George and Julie's home, where we also met Shannon, Cianna's mother. We took a walk in the forest and George showed us his huge property. After that, we had a BBQ and as the grill master, I have to say it was very delicious. I was also fascinated by the house because George lived completely off-grid, with rainwater and a PV system that generates and stores 240V power.

Then we went back to Peter and Petra's house.

Monday 24.12.

Christmas Eve!

What, really? Advent season has passed me by without the numerous Christmas celebrations and Christmas tree auctions at home.

In the morning, I helped Peter with some woodwork, where I saw another big Huntsman spider and got bitten by bull ants. It was quite painful for 15 minutes, but bull ants are said to be even worse. We jumped into the swimming hole at a pleasant 26°C to cool off and then enjoyed the sun. While playing cards, we were visited by a wallaby family.

Carina and I went for another 8km run. In the evening, we had a very good curry for dinner and Carina made a delicious dessert, a festive cake.

We sat by the bonfire and enjoyed the peace, the moon, and the stars.

What a peaceful and harmonious Christmas Eve.

I stayed up a little longer and sent Christmas greetings from Australia to my loved ones.

Tuesday 25.12.

In the morning, we went for a several-hour walk to explore the property. Peter and Petra live in a community of 6 who share their land. The area of the property is about 900 x 2000m, including a river, mountain, forest, meadows, etc. It is quite impressive because Peter also taught us a lot about nature in Australia.

In the afternoon, Carina and I decided to leave the next morning. In the evening, we lit the bonfire again, enjoyed a few beers, sausages on a stick, and potatoes and sweet potatoes wrapped in foil and cooked in the bonfire. That was a small highlight for me. But Peter had the biggest surprise for us when he prepared his outdoor bathtub. WOW, what a treat.