#22 Conclusion: Simply be less German

After visiting Bundaberg, our journey continued to Hervey Bay.

Why this was our next stop - no idea! Nowadays, we simply travel from coastal town to coastal town, as long as we are always near the beach.

To be honest, the past few days have been all about relaxing. Wake up in the morning, pack up the tent, breakfast, and then off to the nearest beach. Meykel can improve his surfing skills and I can just relax and soak up the sun. That's what I call a vacation!

In Hervey Bay, we had the best campsite ever. Right on the beach and free wifi with coverage almost to the water. In the evenings, we could listen to the waves as we fell asleep and enjoy our coffee with a view of the sea in the mornings. It was soooo amazing!!!! We used the wifi to make the relatives back home jealous. Mom, Dad, and Grandpa were informed about how well things are going for us through a video call. We had never been able to sit on the beach and Skype before. We would have liked to call more people, but it was a weekday and most people were working.

Afterwards, we both treated ourselves to a haircut.

Our journey continued to "Tin Can Bay". For our next endeavor, we had to wake up at 5:20 am. We had about 1 hour of driving ahead of us to see a small group of bottlenose dolphins that appear every morning in Tin Can Bay, and have been doing so since the 1950s. It all started with an injured dolphin that the residents of Tin Can Bay nursed back to health. They released him back into the ocean, but he returned every day for feeding. Over the generations, the dolphins have found their way to the morning feeding.

Right next to Tin Can Bay is the coastal town of Rainbow Beach. This was our next destination, specifically the beach there. According to the internet, it was supposed to be perfect for surfing. Unfortunately, the reality was different. The waves were so high that it was almost impossible to go into the water. Warning signs advised to only go waist-deep into the water and always keep both feet firmly on the sand. And that was not an overly cautious exaggeration. We slowly went into the water, about knee-deep, and still, the breaking waves sometimes knocked us over. We realized that having water fun here was not as possible as we had hoped and considered an alternative program.

We opted for a kayaking tour, which was scheduled for the next day at a calmer stretch of beach. This stretch of beach, "Double Island Point," can only be reached by a four-wheel drive vehicle. We met the kayak guides and the other participants in a parking lot, where we were divided into two Toyota Land Cruisers.

Then we went onto the beach. In a car!!!! It was a completely crazy feeling to drive a car on the sand.

Meykel and I would have loved to drive ourselves and envied the driver for her job. She appeared to be no older than me, but she drove us safely and skillfully through the water and around rocks.

The kayaking tour itself started off leisurely in crystal-clear water. Right at the beginning, we already saw a sea turtle.

We paddled further out, and it became more and more difficult and exhausting. The further we went into open water, the bigger the waves became that we had to fight against. The whole thing was really challenging, we were tossed around quite a bit and got very wet.

The waves made two participants seasick, and one of them even vomited. Luckily, we had no problems and made it back to land in one piece.

I have to share a little story about the laid-back attitude of Australians at this point. When we booked the kayaking tour, the salesperson told us that we could leave all items that shouldn't get wet in the car. So, I took my handbag, including my phone, with me into the Toyota and left it on the back seat. Just to be safe, I asked the driver when getting out if she would lock the car as well. After all, the beach was crowded and we wouldn't be nearby for about 2.5 hours. Of course, I expected her to say "Yes," but to my surprise, she casually said, "Oh no, that's not necessary. I always leave my phone and wallet in the car like that, no one touches them."

That's such a typical Australian way of thinking that I envy them all for. Australians don't worry as much as we Germans do. Of course, there are always exceptions, both with us and with them.

But this is just one situation out of many that we have experienced. Australians are all cool and fair to each other and respect each other's property. We Germans worry so much and often imagine what MIGHT happen, but in the end, it never does.

So, I left my bag in the unlocked car and explained to the tour guide that this is simply unusual for us Germans. I told her that I have been worried all day because we left our tent unattended on a meadow next to a gas station. We didn't feel like taking it down in the morning. The gas station attendant said we could leave it at our own risk. He didn't have a view of it anyway. And there were no residential houses or anything nearby. So, anyone could have stolen it undisturbed.

The Australian laughed and said, "Why would anyone steal that? Do you have diamonds in there?" ... And from that point on, I felt really silly. She was absolutely right!

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