23rd November - unpleasant weather, searching for kangaroos and koalas.

The weather forecast for today was poor. And it was true. Strong wind, cloudy, intermittent rain, in short: unpleasant! Nevertheless, we went out to meet kangaroos and koalas. We were not successful. Since we were near Geelong, a seaside city that we had chosen as a possible stopover before Melbourne, we decided to take a look before booking a hotel. After just an hour, we left again. Australian cities have not captivated us so far. And Christmas is just as kitschy here as in the USA. The only photo today may not convey that. About 20m away from my location was a café with a children's carousel. 'Silent Night' was playing there (of course in English). Although it is relatively cool today, we don't really feel the Christmas spirit. On the way back, a truck coming from the opposite direction threw up stones that also hit our car.

Now the windscreen has a crack. I am curious how much that will cost.

Speaking of costs: I have received my first and hopefully last fine. I parked for too long. Now I know what the strange signs mean at least. I could have parked for an hour, but I stayed for about 4 hours in the parking lot. The cost: 81 dollars. To be paid via internet and credit card. An expensive fun. By the way, anyone who parks for too long has to pay this amount, even if they stay less than four hours.