Goodbye City - welcome Outback

After a 3.5-hour flight, we landed in the Outback - in the heart of Australia. The contrast couldn't have been greater - from skyscrapers and crowds, suddenly NOTHING! As soon as we stepped off the plane, the enormous heat hit us, taking our breath away. 35 degrees minimum in the shade and the extreme dryness definitely take a toll on you.

We had already thought in Sydney about how best to explore the Outback. Either through guided tours, where we wouldn't have to worry about anything and everything is organized - but with German and Asian tourists - or on our own, with a car. The decision was actually very easy for us, so we rented a car at the airport and set off. The big difference? The driver sits on the right and you drive on the left side of the road. At first, it was a big adjustment, especially when signaling and turning, but it's actually quite fun to drive on the 'wrong' side.

It was definitely the right decision to explore everything on our own. While the tourists were led in droves to the designated viewpoints, we enjoyed the view of Uluru from the trunk of our car, away from everyone, at sunrise and sunset!

Another advantage: we could drive wherever we wanted, whenever we wanted. Among other places, we visited Kata Tjuta, Mount Connor, and Kings Canyon. Equipped with three liters of water per person in our backpacks, we always set off very early - because the later it got, the hotter it became! Most tracks were already closed from 9 am and couldn't be accessed anymore due to the enormous heat. This way, the rangers manage to get people out of the resorts early enough, so they don't have to be out in the heat of the day. Unfortunately, we didn't see any kangaroos or koalas - but we still have some time!

Of course, you also meet many interesting people on such a trip. We want to highlight one of them in our blog. We met him at our lodge. We estimated him to be around 70 years old, and he was traveling alone. He was an incredibly interested and open-minded person, has been traveling his whole life, had great stories, and many tips for us. His motto: he will keep traveling until he dies, wherever that may be!

We left the Outback with a heavy heart, but the next big city awaits us: Melbourne!