So the time had come, the return journey was imminent. The time difference once again pushed me to my limits. While the journey there took three calendar days, the return journey now took place in just one calendar day...
At 6:00 a.m., the A380 took off from Melbourne towards Dubai - with only a handful of passengers on board ... I took this picture during the safety briefing, already on the way from the terminal to the runway. There were only two or three people sitting around my seat in the rear section of the plane...
So I had a whole row of seats to myself for the 14-hour flight and could comfortably put my feet up... This time, a colleague didn't suddenly appear... On the flight from Dubai to Hamburg, the next A380 was a little better occupied, but no one wanted to sit next to me again... So all in all, the return journey was very relaxed to endure. And now I'm sitting here at home, writing my final entry for this travel blog, still filled with beautiful memories, but also with the good feeling of being back home healthy and safe. Looking back, what can I say about my trip and Australia? First of all, I have to say that my biggest concern before the trip was what would happen if I, as a solo traveler, got into a health or other emergency situation 16,000 km away from home. Now I can say that besides two blisters on my feet and sunburned insteps that I forgot to put sunscreen on, absolutely nothing happened. I'm naturally very happy and grateful for that. The planning mistake during my stay in Sydney due to my 'time shift dyslexia' happened before the trip, otherwise absolutely everything worked during the trip. Whether it was flights, rental cars, accommodations, or tours booked in advance, every time I was already 'expected'... Here are a few 'hard' facts about the trip: ■ With a total of eight flights, I covered approximately 38,000 kilometers (sorry Greta...) ■ I drove a little over 4,400 kilometers with the three rental cars and only activated the windshield wipers instead of the turn signals three times... (they are arranged the other way round in cars for left-hand traffic) ■ I didn't receive any fines for speeding or parking incorrectly. However, a fine from New Zealand arrived by mail only eight weeks later. So we'll see... ■ I was traveling for 31 days including arrival and departure days ■ Out of the 31 days, I had 0.5 rainy days and 30.5 sunny days ■ I stayed in a total of 19 different accommodations, plus a cabin and a four-person room ■ I took 4,993 photos, which of course doesn't say anything about the quality of the pictures... ■ Overall, I have few 'losses' to complain about, despite packing and unpacking my things almost daily in hotel rooms. I must have forgotten one of the two plug adapters with the power adapter in some hotel room. Often there were only sockets under tables or behind nightstands that could be used and apparently one of the adapters got 'lost'... But that can be tolerated. ■ I can't indicate how much I drank in liters. But probably the production of 'Bundaberg - Pink Grapefruit' was increased on my account... That stuff was mega delicious... I wanted to see as much as possible in the limited time I had to 'explore' Australia. I saw a lot, even though I could only get to know a small part of the huge country. Australia has a lot to offer, incredibly nice, open, and relaxed people, breathtaking landscapes, and a great animal world. Essentially, you can say that there is something for everyone: big cities, beaches, nature, desert, rainforest, sights, culture, indigenous people, national parks, etc. Thanks to a well-developed infrastructure and acceptable transport connections, it is easy to get from place to place. Every hiking trail, every path to a tourist attraction is idiot-proof signposted. There are toilets at every remote, worth-seeing location. The preparation and way of traveling were exactly the right choice for my needs. Of course, booking accommodations weeks in advance has the disadvantage that you are not very flexible and cannot spontaneously stay longer in a place that you particularly like. On the other hand, there are some regions that have a limited selection of accommodation options. And then it was good to know that I had a roof over my head in the evening. Life in Australia is not exactly cheap, but I managed well with my budget. My 'most beautiful vacation experience' was definitely at Uluru. Somehow you could feel why this mountain is so sacred to the Aborigines. And I was very happy when the news ran on all television channels in Australia during my stay that climbing Uluru is now prohibited. This had been a thorn in the Aborigines' side for decades, and now their wish was finally granted. It is always said and reminded everywhere that Australia is a country with very poisonous and dangerous animals. But the longer you stay there, follow the warnings, and stay on the paths, the less you think about the dangers. Until a few days ago, when the news was broadcast on all television channels that two English tourists were severely injured by a shark attack while snorkeling, and one of them even had his foot bitten off. And that happened at a snorkeling hotspot where I had been in the water myself a few days earlier. At the Hook Passage of the Whitsunday Islands... It makes you aware again that the warnings and signs are not given for no reason. Even though Uluru may have stood out a bit, I can only say that almost every day had some kind of highlight to offer. The special colors in the Outback, endless deserted beaches, watching a giant turtle have lunch in the Great Barrier Reef, cockatoos on the balcony, exploring big cities, walking through hundreds of thousands of years old rainforest... I could go on for minutes... but everything is documented and can be read here in the travel blog. I'm quite surprised by how often some posts in this blog have been read. I didn't give the address to that many people... So thank you very much for your interest. I had a lot of fun writing this blog and I'm glad that some of you may have also enjoyed reading it. See ya ... ♡♡♡
