My last few days down under were rather unspectacular and eventless. I´ve been working until my second last day and for the distraction I had been more than thankful. Tuesday night I've been to the movies to watch Wolverine and all I can say is that Milford Sound rocks! Most of you won`t get the connection but that`s fine, I don't blame you for not knowing.
Wednesday came and I was soo busy at work I didn`t get the time to really think about my last day- again I am not complaining about it. Thinking about my last goodbye from Milford Sound/New Zealand and the mess I was back then I've done pretty well this time. Don't say I'm getting used to it though.
Wednesday night it was time to say goodbye to Katrin and so we've decided to have dinner in the Hofbraeuhaus - an adequate location I'd say although as a non-bavarian I had a grin on my face seeing the decoration and listening the music. People seem to like it though, as I've spotted quite a few other patrons too. Good German food but a bit pricey for my liking.
Thursday meant packing, cleaning out my room and spending as much time with Monty as possible. The poor bugger knew what was going on as soon as he spotted he suitcase and tried all his best to stop my intentions by simply starring at me with big watery eyes, climbing onto the suitcase or placing himself between the suitcase and myself. Will miss him!!! At around 6.30pm Nat took me to the airport and there I've shown a bit of how close to the edge I really was by losing my 2nd boarding pass just a minute after check in. Quite embarrasing really.
And then the only thing left to do was duty free shopping, getting a few Euros to get me started (don't laugh but I've forgotten the PIN for my German EFTPOS card) and waiting to board the plane. By the time we had eaten I was dog tired and slept for almost 8 hours (on and off). The first flight to Abu Dhabi lasted 13 hours and 45 minutes and it was painful trying to sleep in minimalist seats. In Abu Dhabi I had to wait for about 6 hours to get onto the second flight and by then I was sick of it and the only thing I wanted is getting of the plane and go home. After another 6 hours I arrived in Frankfurt, grabbed my luggage, was checked by customs (did I look noticeable with my suitcase, all my carry-on luggage and the duty free shopping bags?) and was greeted by a friend who lives in Frankfurt and wanted to meet for a chat. Then my brother picked me up and we made our way to his home.
Saturday I`ve done nothing but relaxing and Sunday I found myself sitting in the car again on my way home to surprise my parents who didn`t have a clue I was coming. I had to wait in the car while my brother and his girlfriend got my parents to come outside to 'pick up a very big present' (only metaphorically speaking). When they saw me they couldn`t believe their eyes and my mum was asking, if I had to fly back (as she awaited me for next week). As Sunday was my mums birthday this was the best present ever, as she kept saying.
Now I am home again and try to get used to everything. Driving on the right side, differences on computer keyboards due to a few additional letters and different locations (very annoying!), German TV (synchronized movies and TV series and it all sounds so dull!) and to be mothered by my mum. I keep saying I am 30 soon but do you think she is listening?
After months of planning, our Outback adventure should finally begin. Around 6:30am Katrin and I headed to the airport by taxi, where we ate breakfast and checked in. Due to a not exactly foolproof design of Melbourne airport's interior we went to the wrong terminal and had just 15 minutes time to rush to the right terminal and gate at the other end of the airport. A hurry it was and when we finally arrived at the gate, I already feared the worst. I waved my boarding pass to get the flight attendant's attention and while trying to catch some air I stammered whether the aircraft was still there (it was already 8 clock and the flight was shedulded for take off 8:05am). She calmly looked into my tomato red sweaty face and only said, we will begin boarding in 10 minutes. Phew - lucky again! The flight proceeded without any incidents and around 9am we touched down in Adelaide, picked up our luggage and trotted to the Britz branch. The branch was due to open at 10am, but Tyson still let us in, completed the paperwork very quickly and met all our special wishes very professionally - As it is appropriate amongst colleagues!
10:15am we left the carpark and headed to the next shopping center to stock up with food. The poor guy at the cashier patiently scanned article after article and I told him that we were not as greedy as it might look, but that all this should be sufficient for the next 2 weeks. Less than 2 hours we needed for shopping and storing all our things in our Bushi Campervan. We had a quick lunch and 12am we were on our way - through slow traffic and over every single red traffic light in Adelaide - heading towards Port Augusta.
Shortly after we had left Adelaide we left the cloud layers behind us as well. We felt the sun on the skin and were in good spirits. That was a wonderful feeling after the cold in Melbourne! Geographically, the trip had not much to offer, the barren and flat expanses were disrupted every now and then by mountain ranges or smaller groups of trees and after Port Augusta everything was just flat. Now we had to make some distance because we had a little more than 200 km to drive and in about 2 hours it would be dark. In Australia, it is not recommended to be on the road outside cities at dusk or after dark, because there lurks danger! How many of our customers have reported that all of a sudden they were attacked by kangaroos or cows who had nothing better to do than jumping infront of people's cars - the poor campers usually draw the short straw in confrontations like these. We on the other hand had this trip planned very well. When dusk appeared we reached our 1st destination in time: Woomera. The sky was a color palette of different shades of red and blue and we set up camp at the campsite at Woomera.
to sum up the day: 485km in just under 5 hours
02.05.2009 day 2
The first night in the camper was unusual: I slept in the upper bed and the available space is minimal. Turn around and you knock against the roof either with your knees or arms. I had problems falling asleep and woke up a few times during the night. Well, first night in a different bed ...
7 am we got up, and after a shower, breakfast and the obligatory photos of Woomera we continued with our trip. Many years ago Woomera was an important site for space travel until the entire program was taken over by the United States. Reminiscent of the place's story is the rockets, flying bullets and other remnants of this era standing around everywhere.
The first few miles we didn't advance much because the route was littered by lookouts and salt lakes. After devoting to the delusion of taking heaps of pictures we made kilometres. Between Woomera and Coober Pedy, there are no places or things worth to stop for and so we made it to Coober Pedy non stop. For the famous Opal - mining area, we had expected a lot of sights and things to see but we were a little disappointed. Unfortunately, the tourist information had already been closed for hours (the odd Saturday. ...!) and so we followed the signs to a lookout alled the 'Big Winch'. There again we were surprised about what people all scenic! After a brief stop in one of the underground churches, we checked into a campsite and relaxed for the rest of the day.
Info: Since it is intolerably hot in summer and cold in winter, a large proportion of the population lives underground where temperatures remain constant all year round. Tourism adapted and most of the hotels / hostels offer underground accomodation too. You can even pitch up your tent in a ave if you feel like it.
driving performance of the day: 374 km in about 6 hours (with quite a few stops)
03.05.2009 day 3
Double of yesterday's mileage were up for the hallenge today and to get an early start we left 7am on an empty stomach. While we departed Coober Pedy the sun ame up - a beautiful sight and it was difficult to concentrate on the road. Still tired we were shaken awake on the 11km long gravel road to the Breakaways lookout. The way there was quite an adventure and everything not nailed down rattled and clanged loudly. Blind I also went because the sun was rising right infront of me. Hard to believe, but at both lookouts we spent almost an hour - in cool morning temperatures and clad in thongs! Well, sacrifices have to be made!
On the gravel road we rattled back to the highway and decided to not stop for the next one hundred kilometers or so, or only if Mother Nature wanted it otherwise. The state border between South Australia and the Northern Territory looked very unspectacular and Katrin was pleased that we were now allowed to drive faster -20km per hour, believe it or not! In Erlunda, we turned off the Stuart Highway onto the Lasseter Highway to get to Ayers Rock and we changed drivers. Quite mean actually because Katrin was driving now and bad roads and high winds forced her to slow down - and it was her who was happy about the new speed limit of 130 km per hour. Well, not here!
Before you reach Ayers Rock, you need to pass Mt Connor, who regularly happenes to be confused for Ayers Rock by tired tourists. Quite amusing really, because the two do not really look similar. In the afternoon we arrived at the Ayers Rock Resort Campground, checked in, showered, cooked and let the evening end harmoniously. The campground is huge and the only place to stay overnight far and wide, and therefore well attended all year. The resort can be compared to Milford Sound a bit: an eternally long journey from civilization (well, for Australian conditions is still almost a stone's throw away) and almost everything that the tourist heart desires is available: camping, hotel, restaurant, souvenir shop and gas station. And the odd busloads of tourists that come with it!
740 km in 8 hours and we kept going and going and going!
04.05.2009 day 4
You may hardly believe it, but for today we had only little driving on the agenda. Just a bit of walking and that gave our Bushi its well deserved break. However, this meant torture to us as we had to get up at around 5:30 clock in the morning to make our way to Uluru (Ayers Rock) and watch the sunrise- yes I am deliberately using the word torture because that's what it is! - Why taking on a madness like this you may ask. Uluru is known for his frequent change of clothes and, depending on the time and light it appears in different colors. So there we stood along side the road, waiting for the sun. I got very upset about the rude backpackers who decided to stand only 1 meter away from us and that with an empty road to their disposal. That ended in them almost tipping my tripod, almost falling over our feet and they've also managed to be infront of my camera. I was annoyed and I had enough! Katrin was also annoyed, but more from her camera, which had developed a life of its own. Soon my things were stowed away in my backpack and we walked a few yards further up the road, where we were undisturbed by immature youngsters.
The sun came, saw and conquered, and after a few photos we went back to the car and the Visitor Center, where we had breakfast before we started our mission for today: Basewalk around Uluru! The Walk is advertised for 4 hours and although we both shot pictures as our life would depend on it we made it within that time. The sun was still low, but already burning hot. Most vexing are the many small flies that settle on peoples faces on their search for moisture. The later it got, the more we were surrounded by flies. Annoying!
The afternoon we spent back at the resort with well-deserved relaxation. After all we had sat in the ar for the last 2 days. At sunset time, we again joined the hordes of tourists who had gathered at the 'Sunset Viewing Point' to capture the last rays of sun on Uluru. We enjoyed this more than in the morning because visibility was better, and the colors appeared stronger. When you associate sunset with peace and tranquility you will be disappointed as this is the time also for sightseeing flights in helicopters to view the spectacle from the air. I felt like being in an air raid, engine nose everywhere!
Mileage: only around 50km
05.05.2009 day 5
Before we went to bed yesterday we were faced with a difficult choice: either to get up even earlier than today to watch the sunrise at the Olgas (and it would take us about 1 hour to get there), or to finally have a sleep in and enjoy a hearty breakfast. Well, the decision was made for the benefit of convenience and we stayed in bed. Then to a pleasant time we got up, showered, did our washing and enjoyed our breakfast. Life can be so wonderful! Especially after the departure of two buses fully loaded with teens. Two busses full of girls who knew nothing better to do with themselves, as to spend every evening on the campground toilet, before the mirror, sharing stories from their young lifes, enjoying the good air, straightening their hair (in the desert! ?!?!?!). John Doe had to fight their way through the girls when mother nature alled.
About 11 am we left for the Olgas and while stopping for photos and going up to a lookout, we were attacked by hundreds of flies and we got a first taste of what we had to expect later. Today was quite a bit of walking to be done in the 'Valley of the Winds'. The name is quite appropriate and we benefited from the cooling wind on an otherwise rather hot day.
The Olgas are a rock formation of 36 domes that have been lying around in the area for about a few million years, probably as a single huge stone 10 times bigger than Uluru and over time by the action of wind and weather it was transformed into what it is today. The 'Valley of the Winds' Walk covers only a very small part of the Olgas, most of Kata Tjuta (what the Olgas are called by the natives) is not accessible for tourists. Like Uluru, the Olgas have a great spiritual value for the local Aborigines still living here today. After the beginnings of tourism, tourists started trampling everywhere but aborigines finally prevailed, and have achieved a closure of the cites that are most sacred to them.
For 4 hours we've climbed around in the heat and were proud of us to finish the walk as we originally only intended to do half of the walk. But it is boring to go back the same way so we kept going. Back at the arpark we fled the many flies and for lunch we locked ourselves in the amper. Even though our tired bones already started omplaining we went to attempt the Olga Gorge Walk (Tatintjawiya) and in 20 minutes we walked into the imposing gorge with its very high rock walls and then out again. Not nearly as spectacular as the Valley of the Winds, but we were there!
The day was drawing to an end and we drove back to the sunset lookout, where again we waited for the sun to set. 10 minutes before the showdown, the coaches were unloading their passengers and half of them joined right next to us, because a camera tripod somehow always looks professional and the people think when they are next to a tripod, their photos automatically become better. The number of chatter abruptly broke the silence that we had enjoyed till then. Eventually we've put our staff together, and left the scene to drive back to the resort. We did a bit of food shopping and had a delicous dinner: sauerkraut and sausages! Yummy!!
Driving performance today: about 100km
06.05.2009 day 6
After 2 days in Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park we had to pack things and move on. The first part of the route was familiar to us, as we had come the same way a few days earlier. Later we took the turn off to Luritja Highway which is heading towards Kings Canyon. The plan was to shortcut via the Ernest Giles Road heading to the east, to get back on the Stuart Highway. A few month ago, when we planed the trip we had already decided against Kings Canyon because we didn't have enough time for it. Being at the intersection now that would take us to one of Australias major attractions made us turning off in the opposite way with a tearful eye.
Ernest Giles Road was a big challenge for us as it was our first trip off the road. The track is a 100km long 4WD track, which is not developed very well. At first glance the condition of the road didn't look so bad, but during the next 2 hours it clanged, banged and crashed, so you could barely hear your own words. Somewhat shocked and in disbelief, we looked at oncoming traffic which was sometimes just a normal rental ar. The inmates apparently had no idea what to expect or they were hopelessly reckless. Just before we reached solid ground again we stopped at the Henbury meteorite craters, 12 huge holes in the ground formed about 20,000 years ago and 2m to 180m in diameter.
Back on the Stuart Highway, we soon reached Alice Springs in the heart of the outback. First official act was a detour into the Britz branch. Not because we had problems with the car, but to get rid of things that we did not need. We also chatted a bit to Paul, a mechanic in our Melbourne branch who had to be in Alice to train new staff.
Alice was just a stop over to stock up our supplies and to send emails home. We had a delicious dinner at our campsite and were looking forward to a tranquil evening but it turned out differently. A notorious wanna be Johnny Cash began to sing songs very close to our camper and 2 tour buses full of cackling teenager girls stopped a few hundred metres away from us to set up tents and to seize the toilets and showers. Gotta bell ringing? Yeah, the same airheads as from Ayers Rock Resort. I truly hoped they would not go the same route!
Conclusion: 420km in 5 hours
07.05.2009 day 7
Nice to see that nothing has changed. This morning the wannabe queens again gathered in their favourite toilet and shower wing, ackling and small talking. While Katrin dared into the lion's den, I took a little detour and took advantage of empty showers.
Before leaving Alice Springs, I had to buy an additional memory card, because I was not sure whether the remaining 6 GB would be enough. Sounds a lot, I know, but so far I had already used 7 GB! Problems of a photographer...!
During the next hours there was no surprises in landscapes as it was mostly flat with some trees and bushes and a few hills in the middle from time to time. The colour palette had my heart beating faster: Red sand, yellow (dried) grass, green trees and a blue sky with full fluffy clouds. Just incredible! Lunch we enjoyed outside without being hassled by flies as the wind was blowing quite strong and kept the beast away.
We just had to stop in a small town called Wycliffe Well. Why? They claim to be haunted by UFOs and they have set aliens a small monument at the gas station. They also call themselves the 'UFO capital of Australia'. In the 'museum' you can find all sorts of alien gadgets and diligently compiled newspaper articles around the subject of aliens, UFOs, kidnapping and conspiracy theories. A funny place to be especially for The X-Files fans!
So far our cameras haven't had much to do, but that changed with pulling up at the Devils Marbles. The evil's balls are boulders in different sizes and it seems as they were left lying around arelessly. A very nice place but as with almost all recent attractions, the best time to visit is either at sunrise or sunset, when the light enhances the colour of the red rocks.
Another 200km and we stopped in Renner Springs, where we spent the night in one of the well-known Australian roadhouses. It's no more than a gas station, small bar and a couple of hotel units and camping area. Enough for us as long as we have toilet, shower and electricity to recharge our batteries. The only drawback: The campground is located right at the Stuart Highway where troad trains rumbled by at night: it felt like shaking the cobwebs out!
Driving performance today: almost 600km in 6 hours
08.05.2009 day 8
Renner Springs felt like a farm holiday. Cows roamed freely, geese cackled all night (and I admit I consoled myself with the thought of roasted goose) and the Ravens had to add their two ents as well. Next to us a young family slept in a tent, 2 adults and one and a half hildren (the other one almost hatching). What is so appealing to amping while pregnant?
About 8 clock we left Renner Springs. The new day would be mainly dominated again by driving. The only photo highlights today: Peacocks during a fuel stop and termite mounds that an be found everywhere along side the road in this part of the country. Upon the recommendation of workmates we stopped at the historic Daly Waters pub, to admire the sometimes ancient exhibits. I'd prefer to call it a dumping ground, because everything one could find no further use, found a spot in Daly Waters. Some people find 'Australia's most remote traffic light' quite amusing and others prefer to stick around in the pub to admire the women's lingerie that was left there by their former owners for exhibition purposes.
We also stopped at Mataranka: Katrin for a dip in the hot springs and I just made myself comfortable in the shade with my book and an ice-cold Coke. We are now officially in the tropics and temperatures and humidity have risen detectably. After lunch we made our way to Katherine. Approx. 60km from Katherine flames blazed on the left side of the road and I feared the worst. Very soon I realized though that this is only fire management as only a vegetation strip of about 20m from the highway was burning.
Katherine was only a short stopover for Internet and shopping and then we headed to Nitmiluk National Park. On arrival, Katrin finally got to see her first Wallabies which she had waited for all week and later at the campsite they pinched part of her supper due to a lack of attention on her side.
what we've done today: 550km in 7 hours
09.05.2009 day 9
Actually, had I already mentioned that we are staying in the tropics? No? Well then again, we find ourselves in the tropical climate zone, which is characterized by very .... tropical weather. That means it's hot, very hot! Last night we hardly slept for all the sweat and even after sunset we found no cooling off - even the brief nightly rain did not help.
We woke up to an ornithological concert. I an't remember ever hearing so many different birds singing! When we arrived at the Visitor enter yesterday, it was losed unscheduled and so we had no information about ruises and timetables when we made our way to the information desk just before 9am. A decision had to be made quickly because 2 Cruises were about to leave at 9am. We opted for the longer ruise, which took us to 3 of the 13 gorges in about 4 hours. Now we had to rush to the ar to get our cameras and then rush down to the pier where the ruise was about to start soon.
The main attraction of Nitmiluk National Park is the Katherine Gorge, which strictly speaking, is a single gorge through which the Katherine River paves its way. In the dry season the river has less water and so stones and rocks make the gorges impassable for boats. Only then Katherine Gorge seems to be divided into 13 separate gorges.
So how does boating work, the interested reader may ask? Thanks for asking! The boats are tied up at the first obstacle and queues of tourists walk a few meters to get to the next gorge where another boat is waiting to take them up the second gorge. And the same scene happens at the second obstacle: the boat docks, tourists get out, hop over some rocks and into the nearest boat that ruises up the third gorge. This gorge is quite short compared to the second one but we still found interesting things to do as we went for a short walk over rough and smooth - dressed in slippers! - to discover a waterfall and beautiful pool beneath it (called lily pond). Anyone who needed to cool down had the chance to go for a swim but as for me I didn't have time for such spanks. Swimming with a amera is no fun you see and so I stayed dry and shot pictures.
Half an hour later we had to get ready to leave paradise and we went back over rough and smooth, into the boat and to the beginning of the 3rd Gorge. And then ... well who is paying attention? We left the boat, did a bit of climbing, back into the boat and back down the second gorge and the same with the first gorge back to the jetty. By now it was 1 clock midday and the heat unbearable. Greg, the tour guide, incredibly said this was the first warm day of the season and yesterday it would have been COLD. Yeah whatever! Nevertheless we decided against the heat stroke and took no walks and rather enjoyed the afternoon in the shade and in the pool.
Mileage today: nothing!
10.05.2009 day 10
Sweat. Everywhere. Torrential flows, I might add. I have never sweated that much in my life, not even at 47 degrees Celsius in Melbourne's super summer. Bloody tropics! It is not even so bad temperature wise because it's just around 30 degrees elsius. BUT humidity is the real evil and makes it difficult to adapt to the climate change.
Nitmiluk National Park we said goodbye today and headed towards Edith Falls, just one of many waterfalls, which we will be visiting in the next days. Size does matter I was about to learn because Katrin was not thrilled with the size of the waterfall and refused to swim in it. And that says a lot as she usually jumps into every waterfall available. So we continued our journey and eventually arrived at Kakadu National Park, one of the largest national park in Australia. Anybody with enough time, razy ideas and who doesn't mind the weather and all the walking an walk all the way from Nitmiluk NP to Kakadu NP, what is just about 66km. For us that was out of question so we drove about 200km from one national park to the next one.
Two major seasons prevail in the tropics. The rainy season, from January to March / April and the dry season from April / May to September. During rain season, the rivers swell over their banks, some valleys are completely under water and many camping sites and other facilities are completely flooded and hence disappeared from earth temporary. Along the highway one can find flood markers everywhere that indicate the water level of the rainy season -that ranges from 1m to 4m! At the moment we are still in the transition of rain to dry season or better said in an early stage of dry season. That means that some roads and camp sites in Kakadu are closed because they are still unpassable.
Over a long gravel road we reached Gunlom Falls, where water is already only trickling down and it will only take weeks for the waterfall to dry out. Impressive enough this time, Katrin went for a swim, despite all the warning signs about the existence of crocodiles swimming in Kakadu's waterways and pools. That's far too boring for myself so I climbed the steep waterfall, sweltering and swearing during the steep climb why again I have been so stupid to engage in such activities. Surprisingly, I reached my destination quite quickly and after a short breather I went further to explore the pools feeding the waterfall. Quite a few people made their way up here to enjoy the pools and the view and after having taken enough pictures I headed back downhill, what was more painful than uphill, especially for my knees. Katrin was waiting for me and luckely she was still in possession of all her four extremities. After relishing a short shower under the lawn sprinkler I was ready for lunch!
The seemingly endless shaky -er- gravel road led us back to the Kakadu Highway and we went to stay at Muriella campsite. Having arrived at the campsite, the mosquitos bugged us immediately so we hurried ourselves with dinner and entrenched in our Bushcamper.
Driving performance today: 600km in 6 hours
Quote of the Day: Can I put my clothes in the fridge?
11.05.2009 day 11
Before we hit the sack, the Bushi had to be hermetically sealed against all pests from outside. Vast quantities of insecticide were used and physical violence also had to be applied. Then we gloried in our rest. I'd like to award the inventor of mosquito nets and insect repellent with the Nobel Prize subsequently!
This morning I took my 2nd Shower within 10 hours but refreshment only lasted for a short time. Due to the many mosquitos we dined in the car and it didn't take us long to pack our stuff and leave the campsite. First we stopped just a few meters away from our bivouac and started a short walk at Nourlangie Rock that we had for ourselves. Kakadu NP has 2 main areas of Aboriginal Rock Art: Ubir in the north and Nourlangie Rock. On display there are several so-called galleries (caves), which are connected by a circular walk. Sweat was dripping from me after only a few meters although most of the time we were walking only in the shades. Right at the end of the walk we had to climb a little but steep hill to get to an impressive lookout. The hot flushes during the climb were worth it! We also stopped at a Billabong nearby but there wasn't much to see and we headed further to Jabiru.
In Jabiru we bought fresh food and rewarded ourselves with take-away dinner as one cannot always be cooking or eating sandwiches. Since I have definitely earned too much money over the last few months in Melbourne (you may sense the irony here), I have booked a scenic flight over Kakadu to get a better view over the park. The flight was booked for 4:30 in the afternoon and we still had a few hours to kill. As there isn't that much to do in Jabiru and it was far to hot anyway we went to the swimming pool where one doesn't have to worry about crocodiles. Later we headed to the small airport where I boarded my scenic flight. My plane was not up to full capacity, of possible 6 passengers flew just 4, and I would be allowed to sit up front next to the pilot (after he accepted my promise not to press any of the many buttons ;-) ). Soon we lifted and in front of us perhaps one quarter of Kakadu NP opened up, which is still huge! We flew over the plateau of Arnhem Land (which is dotted with sandstone rocks), the East Alligator River and the huge Magela floodplain (a vast marshy area which still holds enough water from the last rainy season). From up there, we also cast a brief glance at two remote Aboriginal communities who have deliberately withdrawn into no man's land to pursue their traditional way of life. As always, the pleasure was too short and after 30 minutes we touched down again at the airport. Katrin picked me up and we went to Kakadu Aurora campsite to set up for the night. Again we fled from the mosquitoes and in the amper we razed everything to the ground, that was not invited!
Driver performance today: perhaps 200km
12.05.2009 day 12
A little later than usual we drove off the campsite and to the Mamukala Wetlands, what is a perfect bird watching location. If only we had arrived there earlier. Now it was getting too hot for the birds and there wasn't much to see. Today's destination was Litchfield National Park that you access via the Arnhem Highway towards Darwin. We took a shortcut using a 40 km long gravel road, which initially didn't present itself as a problem. UNTIL we had to ross two rivers. Experienced 4Wdrivers may laugh about this, but don't forget this was our first 4WD trip. Margaret River was the first rossing and only a puddle. But at the 2nd rossing, the Adelaide River, Katrin had to wade through the water in order to explore its depth. The water was knee deep and had it been more we wouldn't have been able to ross the river. We made it through without any incident and my heart was beating so much faster than usual!
In Batchelor, the center of Litchfield National Park, we first sought information about the condition of the tracks, campgrounds etc and for Katrin it was important to know where it was safe to go for a swim. To get one's bearings is easy in Litchfield as there is only one highway and all the attractions are lined up along this main street. First we visited the huge Magnetic Termite Mounds standing around widely spread around the park (much smaller than at this special location though).
We stopped at the Buley Rockhole and Katrin was looking forward another swim but the location was crowded with tourists thus we switched to Florence Falls, where I only shot pictures from the lookout, while Katrin descended 135 steps down to the pool. I did not go swimming anyway and avoided the steps by resting in the shade, reading my book. When Katrin ame back from the bottom of the waterfall with a bright red face I knew I had made the right decision! The ampground was only a few metres away and we set up for the night, enjoying a beautiful sunset.
Conclusion: about 340km in a good time ;-)
13.05.2009 day 13
My responsibile alter ego had laid awake during most of the night because only a few miles away a controlled fire was burning and the wind increased considerably. Whenever I looked out the window I saw the fire and just could not relax and sleep. No idea what I hoped for by staying awake, as I wouldn't have been able to stop the fire from spreading anyway, but very heroically and selflessly I would have aroused all campers, would have thrown our equipment into the car and would have blustered away. There was no need for heros that night and eventually I fell asleep because the fire had died down. We woke up to a beautiful sunrise but it took me ages to get off the upper bunk of the camper and by the time I had found my amera, it was too late for the sensational shot.
First thing we did this morning was stopping at the Buley Rockhole in order to shoot the pictures we weren't able to do yesterday due to all the tourists at the pools. We were early enough and for a few minutes we had the pools for ourselves. Second destination today was Lost ity, accessible only over a rough 4WD track. Lost ity is not an ancient lost city as the name may suggest but remains of a huge sandstone plateau that over the time had been eroded by the weather and left bizarre rock formations. It is a very special place, also because of its remoteness and the few tourists that get astray to this place. If I had the time I would have spend all day here as there was so much to take photos of and the light constantly changed as well. Definitely one of my highlights of this trip!
Back on the highway we went to see our third destination: Tolmer Falls. The bottom of the waterfall is closed for onlookers due to being the habitat of an endangered bat species and so most of the visitors only come for the lookout, take their pictures and head off again. Katrin and I decided for the Tolmer Falls reek walk that took us to the pools above the falls where the water rashes down into the deep gorge. With our legs in the pools we enjoyed the refreshment and stayed there for quite a while before we headed back to the arpark for lunch.
To get to destination number four, Tjaetaba Falls, we had to climb during midday heat along a 3km long trail. It was going uphill most of the time and I was pleasantly surprised by my condition. The regular swimming in Melbourne has done me good! At the pool we cooled off and then basked on the rocks (yes, the white belly wants to see some sun).
And because we still haven't seen enough waterfalls we headed to another one, Wangi Falls. Due to dangerous undercurrents and the well-known croc danger the waterfall was closed for swimming, but it did not detain us from taking photos and enjoying some ice scream before we headed back to Litchfield Highway. At Litchfield Tourist and Caravan Park we checked in for the night, had a wonderful shower with many rawling visitors and enjoyed a late dinner in the hotel's small restaurant before we went to bed very early to get some rest. Seeing so many waterfalls is hard work!
Driver performance today: about 100 km with every possible swimming and photo break!
14.05.2009 day 14
Oh God, I an't believe it but time's been flying and the trip is coming to an end. I will miss the sun, but not the oppressive heat.
We decamped very early to get back on the Arnhem Highway (planning error on our side, but the only one) to reach Fogg Dam to observe birds in a sort of wildlife park. A causeway leads through the Wetlands and everywhere on the left and right you can watch thousands of birds. We intented to walk the dam but were stopped and alerted by a ranger. A saltwater rocodile had been seen in the waterways! Anyone who has seen documentaries about crocodiles, knows how quickly they jump out of the water and run on land. It was an easy decision to drive the dam and that saved us quite some time as well. However, we did not face a crocodile, but that would change later ...
We were heading towards the Adelaide River Jumping Crocodile Cruise and even getting there was quite an adventure. At 11 clock boarding started and we entered the vessel that lacked a reliable appearance - Katrin and I looked at each other in disbelief. While boarding we were observed by a crocodile in the water nearby, which was probably looking forward having lunch and picking one of the passengers as his prey. Morgan, the tour guide, parked the boat right next to the rocodile and by holding meat right infront of its jaws tempted it to jump out of the water. He did this several times, until everybody had taken their photos. We drove up and down the Adelaide River, looking out for rocodiles and doing the same scenario when we found one: tempting it with meat for a few times, taking pictures and in the end rewarding the animal by allowing it to have the meat. The methods might have been disputable but for us it was the only -safe- way to observe rocodiles in their natural habitat. The tour finishes after 1 1 / 2 hours and we headed back to the highway and made our way up to Darwin.
When we arrived at our last destination, we had lunch, went into a visitor entre to get some ideas what to do and see in Darwin and checked into a BIG 4 ampsite. It was far too hot to do anything so Katrin went for a swim and I hecked my emails.
Conclusion: 250km in 5 hours
15.05.2009 day 15
This morning, our Bushi underwent a thorough cleaning, because we had to separate from it and return it to the Darwin Britz branch. A little bit sad really as it had been a very reliable ar and home that took us all the way from Adelaide up north to Darwin. Well done Bushi!
Before returning the ar, we enjoyed the merits of having a ar for the last time and checked out the Botanical Gardens and the Darwin Wharf District to look around a little. Then we checked into a backpackers hostel, stored our luggage and started looking for the Britz branch, which lies just outside the city. After we had returned the van, we were looking into taking the bus to get back into the city entre and so there we were standing in an awful heat waiting for a bus. Heaps ame but none of them stopped - having a 'not in service' sign seems to be obligatory for most of Darwin's busses. We finally succeded in getting into a bus and paid only 2 dollars, what was a bargain (compared to Melbourne)!
It was just too hot for us and there isn't much to do in Darwin so we went into a well airconditioned cinema to watch the new Tom Hanks movie "Angels & Demons". I will never understand why aircons are so extremely set up here: you go into a shop, petrol station etc and the cold gives you goose bumps. Then you exit the shop and it feels like running against a fire wall. That an't be good for the human body! Back in the backpacker hostel I realized that I'm getting too old for these hostels and being around all these 18 year olds and their superficial talk. I prefered to just sit in a corner reading an interesting book.
16.+17.05.2009 day 16 and 17
Our list of 'things to do and see' in Darwin was ticked off very quickly and in order to get as much sun and a nice tan before going back to cold Melbourne, we've spend our last two days at the Esplanade, laying in the sun, reading, listening to music and having naps.
On Sunday 17/05/2009 we alled upton the service of the airport shuttle that picked us up at the hostel and then the only thing left to do was waited for boarding and departure. With just under 4 hours I found the flight very annoying: I was tired and could not sleep and television had to be paid for (Virgin Blue) what was out of question for me. My ipod rescued me from dying of boredom. After having arrived in Melbourne we jumped into a ab and quite some time later I was home. It was only 10 degrees (20 degrees less than in Darwin) but I was tired and I didn't really notice. .
Total figures
We have gone a total of 4695 km, we have filled up 725 liters and with $999.65 we just remained under $1000.00 fuel costs!
Nach 8 Jahren Abenteuer Ausland bin ich seit Mai 2013 wieder zurück in Deutschland. Das geregelte Leben mit Job und den üblichen Verpflichtungen hat mich wieder und gepaart mit einer neuen beruflichen Herausforderung ist es nun an der Zeit, sich wieder an Deutschland und seine Gewohnheiten zu gewöhnen. Reiseberichte gibt es von nun an weniger zu lesen und nur dann, wenn ich mal wieder in den Genuss eines Kurztrips oder Urlaubs komme. Der Blog wird trotzdem ab und an mit Gedanken zum Tages- und Weltgeschehen oder mit allem anderen, was mich bewegt, gefüllt werden. Wenn es hier etwas politisch wird, dann eigentlich nur, weil ich für mich selbst recherchiere um Hintergründe zu verstehen und nicht der einseitigen Berichterstattung in den Medien ausgeliefert zu sein. Wenn es den ein oder anderen ebenso interessiert, freut mich dies natürlich umso mehr.
Frankfurt, grabbed my luggage, was checked by customs (did I look noticeable with my suitcase, all my carry-on luggage and the duty free shopping bags?) and was greeted by a friend who lives in Frankfurt and wanted to meet for a chat. Then my brother picked me up and we made our way to his home.
alled the 'Big Winch'. There again we were surprised about what people 
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