We rented a Wicked Campervan for 10 days and drove from Adelaide about 1.500 km over Harndorf (alte deutsche Sieldung), Kingston, Robe, Neson, Portland, Port Fairy, Warnambool, Port Campbell, Gelong and lots of other little towns to Melbourne.  The Greant Ocean Road itself is only about 250km long, but the most stunning road I have ever seen…

Backpackers told us to have a look at the 12 Apostel at night time so we decided to stay there over night, it was one of the most frightening nights I ever had, bacause we were the only people out there and the wind was so heavy we thought the van would get blown away, but in the end the Wicked didn’t start flying and the view was worth it:-)

Also the well known rock formations were impressing to see. Unbelievable what mother nature can do… see pics…

We definitely had some phantastic and exciting time over there!

And where would it be easier to make some money than back in good old Tully…so I went back to the Bananas for a month. I couldn’t make up my mind where to go next, I still wanted to see the West and South of Australia but I was just not ready to leave the Tropics yet. I decides to go back to Townsville for a few weeks. I got a job as a kitchen hand, I met really nice people and I liked Townsville more and more. But it is to early to settle so I needed to keep going…

Destiny led me to Magnetic Island, a beautiful tropical island just 20 minutes from the Townsville coast. I’ ve been there quite a few times before, for diving, Full Moon Partys and things like that but I never thought about looking for a job over there. Well it just happened that they were looking for a kitchen hand/waitress and housekeeper at Bungalow Bay Koala Village (http://www.bungalowbay.com.au/). It was just perfect! I lived in paradise for the next 5 weeks. My bungalow in the middle of a tropcal garden with palm trees, lorikeets, koalas, cockatoos, wallabies, swimming pool, hammocks, Reggae music and just the most chilled out atmosphere. I did three hours housekeeping in the mornings for free accommodation, food and drinks and night shifts in the restaurant for saving money. I hardly had any expenses but a great lifestyle. I dreamed about spending Christmas and New Years in the sun at the beach all my life and finally after 26 years I made it happen! It was just great. I love the people I worked with, we were like a big family, I didn’t feel lonely during the holidays (what I was a littel bit afraid of) even though of course I miss my family and friends in Germany!

It was so hard to leave Paradise but again Australia is a big country, I had to keep going if I wanted to see it all. My New Years resolution was to make a plan for the rest of my time over here. And I did, after 9 month of living from one day to another I actually planned the last 3 month. And the plan is: Tully for one more month (…money…), Cairns for a couple of days to catch up with friends, flying to Perth (West Coast) on February 17th where I meet my friend Daniela who’s coming over from Germany and then we have 2 month to travel along the south coast from Perth to Sydney. Depending on how much time we spend in Perth, Adeleide, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and all the other places in between and how much money we have left in the end we might do some more travelling to other countries/islands before we fly back to Germany mid of April. If I manage to fulfil my plan by the end of my trip I’ve seen all four coasts, the center, all six territories, all big cities, all kinds of seasons, climates and weather and then I will be ready to come home…

Starting the trip from Townsville (QLD) towards Alice Springs (NT) in the center of Australia (2.500 km) we passed quite a few little towns like Hughenden, Cloncurry, Mount Isa and Tennant Creek, saw the first famous rocks – the Devil’s Marbles – and lots of wildlife like bugs, birds, cattle, camels and kangaroos (dead or alife…).

 

From Alice Springs we traveled  1.500 km in a triangle to Ayers Rock (Uluru), the Olgas (Kata Tjuta) and Kings Canyon (Watarrka)….

 

…and from there head north another 1.500 km on Stuart Highway along Aileron, Daly Waters,Mataranka and Kathine up to Darwin. 

On the journey we put up our tent in the most beautiful National Parks like Elsey and Nitmiluk (except of Kakadu National Park which was the most disapointing Park ever!!!)  

All together it was lots of driving, lots of dust, lots of Aboriginals and lots of nothing but it was also lots of experience, lots of fun and definitely worth it!!!