Tag 094-098 'From Snakes to Wagyu'

Great names like Woolgoogla, Kookabookra, Willawarrin appear on the road signs towards Queensland. The time is set back one hour. Crazy🥳🤣 but more on that later.🤣 With the new state come new rules that we should adhere to. Sleeping in the car on the side of the road, as we have done until now, is strictly prohibited here. Only designated areas, specified places, or affordable campsites should be visited.

But on day 094, we are still in New South Wales and make acquaintance with one of our few visits to national parks. The "Dorrigo National Park". At the entrance of each park there are signs indicating what footwear to wear, to bring water bottles or apply sunscreen, and how long the trail is, as well as the animals we might encounter.

When it comes to animals, we were immediately amazed😳😳😳. A about 50cm long black snake, which later appeared to be about 20cm in diameter, moved parallel to the walk. They are not uncommon here. After subsequent research, they turned out to be pythons 🐍 🧐. The venomous ones stayed away from us for now 🥳. Also lizards, iguanas 🦎 & and the lyrebird 🦅.

What? You don't know the lyrebird?😳 Well, we'll have to help you with that! Just enter "Lyrebird" on YouTube. And you'll be amazed🥳🤣 Our funny bird was unfortunately hopping and scratching only. He didn't let his distinctive voice be heard by us. Overall, it was like being in the "familiar homeland" of Cambodia 🇰🇭.

The real highlight was the beautiful waterfall, which was about 10 minutes drive away. After the first hike, it was a refreshing relief. Finally, fresh water on our tongues 🤣😋 Instead of the annoying salt water of the past weeks 🌊 Our campground ⛺️(Roses Park)

Day 095 was a pure beach day at Woolgoogla at Safty Beach. The night was spent in "Copmanhurst" 🏕. At 800m above sea level. The old "Cattle" (Ranch) was a great balance even though it rained a lot at night. In the mountains, it rained on and off at night. The temperatures fell below 30°C. Which the states of Victoria & NSW urgently needed.

Byron Bay and its lighthouse were on the agenda for day 096. We had to "crunch" kilometers because we still had a bit to do. And this spot should be a showcase on the East Coast. With our newfound love for the sea 🌊 and our bodyboards, we hit two birds with one stone☝🏼😉. It was once again different than expected. The wind was so strong that we had to weigh down our towels with heavy stones at the beach. A full-body sandy windblast was unavoidable. It was not fun! Moreover, the parking fee of $12 for 3 hours was so expensive that we had little time left for the lighthouse. Overall, it was a disappointing day. We had our sleep at Tyagarah Rest Area 🏕.

Our plans took us further north to Springbrook National Park on day 097, here too, we didn't miss any species of animals ( 🕷 🐍 🦎 🦘 🦅 ), but at a safe distance. This park impresses with its view to the massive forested mountains and the Gold Coast - but only in clear weather. A waterfall as a small highlight is a must-have. Amazing amazing👏🏻

Our 🏕 was set up on a "Cattle" (Ranch) that has been outsourced. "Canungra Ground" Welcome to the Australian Bonanza *yeaha 🐎 🐮 🐖 🐑 *

After we felt like we found a really beautiful spot in the middle of nowhere yesterday - with a hot shower!! & NO, I couldn't resist 🤭 - we experienced the first surprise this morning. We looked at the clock and there it was - 1 hour behind. Now we puzzled and consulted Google. Yesterday we crossed the border into Queensland and gained one hour at the same time. ☝️😬 Even better. Unexpected things happen often. So we stressed even less and packed our things.

We continued towards the Gold Coast. The ultimate surfer's paradise. High-rise buildings by the beach were supposed to be the motif for today. Unfortunately, there was limited visibility due to fog. It doesn't look inviting. So we drove on.

Then came the next surprise. Already in Asia, we made up our minds to eat a real steak in Australia. But that hasn't happened yet. Since the weather wasn't nice anyway, and we were hungry, it was time for a steak today. We quickly checked various platforms and soon found our favorite.

We drove there. Arrived. Read through the menu. Ordered. Noticed that we were completely dressed inappropriately. T-shirt, baggy pants, and a Toyota vs. fancy shirts, dresses, and an Aston Martin & a Lamborghini in front of the door. But we didn't care 😂😬 The Angus & Wagyu filet

! DELICIOUS ! DELICIOUS ! DELICIOUS ! 🥩

We were done in half an hour and we were sad that it was already over. 🤪 But it was worth it. The second surprise of the day. So spontaneous and yet so good.

By the way, today we didn't just visit the Gold Coast, we almost made another world trip today. From Miami Beach, Venice Beach, to Bel Air, there was everything. The city reminds us very much of Miami!

Our next mission was an Adidas Outlet in Brisbane. It wasn't scheduled until tomorrow, but Gold Coast didn't impress us and we continued driving. Background: My beloved Adidas flip-flops are slowly but surely falling apart. Since October 07, 2019, they have been used almost every day and it was clear - I need new ones! 👡 With full confidence, we went into the store, only to come out 5 minutes later full of disappointment without any shoes. Unfortunately, there was no replacement available. Nevertheless, we found a replacement for my current backpack in another store - Falk loves it very much!! 😂🤭🎒 No shoes, but a new backpack. Women's logic. 👱🏼‍♀️

That was the third and final surprise of the day.

Now we are in our 'penthouse' and are happy that it's only 8:30pm ...