Downunder Diary III: East Coast

January – February 2023

After hours of driving, we stop at the biggest free camp we have ever visited. Hot showers and barbecue shelters included. The campsite is on the lake and with the NPP on the far shore, we feel right at home.
The sky is black. There is lightning, thunder and rain. We are now very close to the Blue Mountains and it is noticeable. The mountains really attract the clouds.

The next day we drive into the forest paradise. The Blue Mountains owe their name to the blue haze that is created when oil droplets evaporated from the eucalyptus leaves mix with dust particles and water vapour.

In this region, David Noble discovered a plant species in 1994 that had been thought to be extinct for over 40 million years. The Wollemia pine was previously only known from fossil finds. In honour of the present park ranger, the pine was named Wollemia nobilis. The wild location is still kept secret to protect the only representatives of this species from trampling feet, bacteria and other diseases. But they are being researched and propagated. So we get to see several specimens in the Blue Mountains Botanical Garden. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wollemia)

Being who we are, large crowds scare us off. At the Three Sisters, Simon quickly jumps out of the car to take a photo while I guard the car from the police. The 8 dollars for the short parking are cheeky.

We don't miss out and find beautiful paths through the forest with viewpoints. The botanical garden is a splendour.

At the free camp, we are invited for traditionally brewed tea by two Turks living in Australia. Hüsnü, whose name here is George, is full of wisdom and the one I want to share. Living half in Turkey, half in Australia, his son asked him: 'Which do you prefer: Turkey or Australia?' Hüsnü answered: 'Who do you prefer: your mother or me?‘

We missed Cooper Pedy in the southwest of Australia. Not without blame was an overheated Holden Viva. Lightning Ridge is the place in the east to lose yourself in the shine of opals. In Geelong, Thea told us her unique story of Lightning Ridge and the opals. This makes us gladly accept the diversions into the interior of Australia. The Dubbo Zoo is also on the way.
We spend the night in a paradisiacal free camp by the river and surrounded by white cockatoos. Yes, the magnificent birds are hardly bearable when they sit in the branch above the tent and caw their throats out. If singing is the reflection of the soul, how on earth must one imagine the soul of the cockatoo? But the more terrible the song, the more beautiful its exterior. By a babbling river surrounded by lush greenery, where cockatoos cavort and whole flocks fly through the valley illuminated by the setting sun, one is fascinated for a shorter or longer moment by the beauty of nature.

In my life I rarely visited zoos. I avoid them. I don't think it's right to lock up animals so that people can stare at them all day. Why are we visiting the zoo now? Good question. The zoo was recommended to us twice. On the website they explain about endangered species, which they protect and that the income is used for this. In fact, some animals are not visible. The zoo has an area of 3km² to have enough space for large mammals. Whether to go or not is up to each person.

Barbary Sheep - Mähnenspringer/Berberschaf — Barbary Sheep

Galapagos Schildkröten — Galapagos Turtles

Curious, we drive into Lightning Ridge. True treasure hunting grounds – where speculators dig up their lands with machines or by hand in the hope of finding the riches – can only be peculiar.

There's not much going on at Lightning Ridge. At the first camp we set up our housing and immediately make the acquaintance of the host, an opal prospector. For breakfast the next morning he holds a plate full of small stones in front of us. "Opals. I have buckets of them. Maybe you'll find a nice piece." We wash them and are taken by the little stones sparkling in green, blue and red. It is an addiction. He seems to have noticed our enthusiasm. Several times he shows us an even more magnificent specimen as we pass. Finally, he lets us marvel at a blue opal for 10,000 dollars. You get lost in the incredible depth of the blue and it's hard to tear yourself away. Like Gollum with the ring or a diver in the light-flooded sea.

Our next destination is Lennox Head. Simon spent several weeks on his first trip in this small town, which has hardly any shops, bars and restaurants, but many surfers. A lake with a dark red colour invites you to swim and the surroundings with the lush green hills are magical. We spend two days with our friend Nat, who is staying in the region around Byron Bay, before we drive further north.

But before that, we take a break for two nights in the hippie stronghold of Nimbin.

A street, colourful shops, young people chatting, coffee, joints, a guitar player singing, the last market stalls being tidied up, a couple dancing freely around each other - we are in Nimbin. The campsite at the showground is large, pleasant and close to the centre. We dutifully pitch our tent, give 220 blasts of air into the mattress with the 7-litre hand pump – it keeps us fit every day – and march into the village pub for a beer.

"Look how black the sky is back there!", Simon marvels. Several people point to the black strip, which stands in stark contrast to the luminous horizon.
For a few years now, the small breweries have been flourishing with a wide variety of beers. And so there are good Pale Ales to drink in most bars. We place ourselves on the terrace at the outside front. A drunken Australian is talking loudly to his colleagues behind me, so that it hurts my ears. I turn my head away and look over the railing. The wind rustles the palm trees. A beautiful golden hue enchants the world. The wind gets stronger. And stronger still. A woman next to me leans far over the railing, fascinated by the force of nature, her hair dishevelled, laughing. The palm trees bend. The first drops are noticeable. And suddenly the whole sky falls on our heads. It rains in torrents. The palm trees bend to the breaking point. There is lightning and thunder. Something crashes on the roof of the terrace. Everyone runs inside the bar.
From safety we watch the storm. There is hail the size of hazelnuts. When the initial shock subsides, two Indians are daring and take photos of each other posing in the hail. The electricity is out and so is the bar. Most of the visitors, like me, stand at the window and watch the spectacle. And as quickly as the storm came, it stops. What remains is a double rainbow in a newly born world.

The road is a river, the whole village without electricity. Arriving at the campsite, we see broken tents. We anxiously make our way to our cheap tent. Incredibly, it is still standing! We open the zipper and a flood of water comes towards us. The mattress is floating on the lake inside the tent. Luckily we were smart enough to leave the sleeping bag in the car. We dry the mattress and hope for a rain-free night.

Unfortunately, our time is running out. In a fortnight we fly from Cairns to Bali and still have over 2000 km to go. For Australia Day on 26 January, we are lucky to find a place on one of the crowded campsites near Lamington National Park and hike through its lush forest before the next downpour.

After this festive weekend, we are camping alone again, this time in farm country and among cows. Unfortunately, it is swarming with sand flies. We decide to move on.
After days of driving and a body tormented by biting stings, we make further stops at Mackay and Home Hill.

Wir sind angekommen im tropischen Australien, mitten in der Regenzeit. Unser Zelt ist begrenzt wasserdicht. Somit suchen wir uns ein Zimmer. In Mission Beach finden wir ein schönes Bed & Breakfast mit gepflegt überwachsenem Garten und Pool.

Bed & Breakfast mit Aussicht über Nationalpark bis zum Meer

Land der Cassowarys — Land of the Cassowarys

Spinnennetze überall und kaum sichtbar — Spider webs everywhere and barely visible

Cane Toad, Australiens Übel-Kröte — Cane Toad, Australia's Evil Toad

It would be a place to linger longer, but we have to move on.
On the river tour in Daintree we see a baby crocodile, grass frogs and freshly hatched Black Bittern bird chicks.

Facts about the Salties – Saltwater Crocodiles:

It stays under water for up to 7 hours without breathing. It is absolutely invisible on the surface because it neither moves nor blows bubbles. (Keep at least 5m away from the shore).
It can go up to a year without food because it stores energy through quiet behaviour. Staying on the tree until it is gone is not an option.
They were almost wiped out, have since been protected and are not fed to keep them at a distance from humans.
They steadily lose teeth, which grow back when they are young, but no longer when they are old. Their victims are then softened for consumption in water.
They grow for life (max. 70 years) and males up to 5.2 metres in body length.

Before we go to Cairns, we visit Jol and his family. Simon met him here in North Australia 18 years ago and has visited him on every trip to Australia since then. Jol has only recently moved to Ravenshoe with his girlfriend, kids and grandmother. His tattoo studio is also located here, and he is fully booked until further notice. But we are gifted with a drawing designed especially for us, which he pricks on our solar plexus using his primary learned technique, hand poking.

After two nights, we leave the beautiful family with heavy hearts and move into the cabin at the campsite near Cairns. We are ready for Bali and are really looking forward to it. To top it off, we enjoy a Greek meal in Cairns.