野生动物

More than a week has passed in Australia and what can I say. Australia, I like you! We have fantastic summer weather here in Queensland. So, no need for long jeans anymore. We are leisurely driving along the East Coast, heading north. It's really relaxed here on the roads in Australia. There is hardly any traffic, and the other drivers are just as laid-back. And curves? Well, they don't exist here in Australia or at least very rarely. So, we're driving straight ahead on the highway towards Cairns. The distances here are a bit different than in New Zealand. I don't think I need to explain that to you. Nevertheless, you can make much faster progress here than in New Zealand. In New Zealand, it can take hours for a few kilometers. Here, everything goes a bit faster. By the way, what I find pretty cool is that we have a direct comparison. So, the contrasts become much more apparent when you've been in another country shortly before.
The further north we go, the more tropical it gets. Which means that you're constantly sweating and suddenly longing for cold showers. The wildlife and vegetation change significantly. Immediately, you notice the signs warning of crocodiles. So, you think twice before going into the water here. In many parts of the East, there are saltwater crocodiles in the ocean and freshwater crocodiles in rivers. I can definitely do without any contact with a crocodile. By the way, saltwater crocodiles can grow up to 7 meters long. Everywhere you feel like in the tropical house at the Wilhelma or like in the Dehner garden center 😂. The variety of plants is simply amazing. Everything looks so beautiful, you can't even imagine it. And wow, what kind of fruits and people grow here, they all taste so good! I see a mango tree or passion fruit bush for the first time. Suddenly, you have to watch out not to get hit on the head by a coconut. Many rainbow lorikeets fly between the trees. They are small, colorful parrots that make a lot of noise but are beautiful. The cockatoos definitely contribute a lot to the noise. So, I can only say that I enjoy waking up to such a beautiful noise in the morning. Or that I get scared in the evening when suddenly two kangaroos stand in front of me. I really like all of this at the moment because it's all so new to me. Speaking of kangaroos. This time it worked out with observing animals at sunrise. We were able to watch kangaroos eating in the morning. And what could be a better backdrop than the beach at sunrise. Oh, by the way, we have both become early risers. The reason for this is that here in the east of Australia, the sun rises at 6 a.m. but also sets again at 6 p.m. So, if you want to have a lot of daylight, don't spend too long in bed in the morning. Better to go to bed earlier.
In this sense, goodnight. Or have a nice day for you!