Australien

Downunder Diary III: East Coast

Seraina — Sat, 18 Feb 2023 13:52:58 +0000

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.

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 of the Cassowarys

Spider webs everywhere and barely visible

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.

And finally, some last impressions 🙂

On the way to Port Douglas/Daintree picnic under the mighty Fig Tree

Stormy seas in Port Douglas

Termites repairing their destroyed tunnel.

We have a lot of fun with the cheeky green tree ant (weaver ant)

That's it, good night!

Downunder Diary II: Victoria

Simon — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 22:28:23 +0000

December 22 – January 2023

From now on we are on foot again. But we realize right away that this is not a good idea. How are we supposed to drag all the camping equipment around? Buying another car is out of the question at these prices. So we have to rent a car.

We drive from Bendigo, where our generous helpers in need have dropped us off, first to Macedon, where we want to start our house-sitting position in one week. We introduce ourselves to the family whose dog we are to house-sit. But more about that later.

Afterward, we drive on to Geelong. It's been almost ten years since I visited the Browns with my sister. It is a joyful reunion. We stay only one night but promise to come back soon.

But first I want to show Seraina parts of the Great Ocean Road south of Melbourne. It is Christmas and a very busy time.

We know where to look and discover a few koalas in the gumtrees (eucalyptus) in Kennett River.

We turn off the Great Ocean Road and drive the winding road through the jungle to Forrest. There the Browns have their cottage where I felt at home ten, sixteen, and eighteen years ago.

Things are a little more up and running in Forrest than they were ten years ago. The village of a few souls even has its own brewery now. Still, it's quiet here as ever. Only the birds whistle, squawk, hiss, and make other Star Wars-esque noises.

I have circled Lake Elizabeth several times. It is only a short drive through the jungle fern forest from the village. It is an enchanting spot.

We feel like a gnome and an elf as we stroll down the small path to the lake. Dinosaurs must still live here somewhere. Their close relatives, the birds, are definitely all around us.

The following day we drive through the green hills and forests until, against all expectations, we come across a little piece of California. In a valley not very far from Forrest, they planted redwoods about seventy years ago and they are thriving here.

Not only do they look just like they do in our beloved California, but they also smell just the same. That's how fast we traveled once around the world!

The road leads us back to the coast, back to the Great Ocean Road, into the swarm of tourists around the Twelve Apostles. They all want to see the rocks in the water. So do we, even if we can only stand it for a short time in the pack.

In Port Campell, we taste the local beer and then look for a cheap campground for the night (there a young German family with two small kids tells us that exactly the same thing happened to them as to us: the engine died on them, too, shortly after they bought their used car. But unlike us, they had the engine replaced. It seems to be a well-known Australian problem).

Another stop on the list of our short six-day round trip is the long-extinct volcanic crater Tower Hill. There, I know, live emus and koalas. Here, too, we meet many more tourists than I remember from my last visits.

But there are also koalas and emus. The latter is a little too confident so Seraina has to build herself up in front of ut in her whole size to defend our breakfast.

In the Grampians National Park, we hike through the rugged beauty of the rocks and look from the very top 360° to the horizon. A long dirt road brings us to a small, secluded campground where we watch the wallabies grazing at dusk.

I am here in the Grampians for the umpteenth time and would not want to miss the park on my next visit to Australia.

Before we leave it, we encounter an Echidna, a kind of Australian hedgehog.

Finally, it is time to go back to Macedon. Through the website mindahome.com.au we have found someone whose dog and house we are invited to look after for nine days.

At first Koah, an English Staffordshire Terrier is a bit shy. When we settle in at home, she is not comfortable. But it doesn't take long before she gets used to us.

When we take her for a walk for the first time, we let her guide us. So she shows us her idyllic village Macedon, which we get to know better during the course of the next days.

The big garden behind the house becomes our little paradise. Here we spend hours with Koah and all the colorful parrots and kookaburras that come to visit us.

The days in the house fly by and we already have to think about how we want to travel in the new year. We know that Nat is on vacation at the moment. We want to go camping together in the southeast of Melbourne.

Nat is the Australian who got us to buy a piece of land in Palomino nine years ago in Colombia. But this story doesn't belong here, you can read it in the Bananatree diary .

It is with heavy hearts that we leave Koah in Macedon (but with the knowledge that she can look forward to the return of her family) and drive with Nat to the coast of Wilson's Promontory.

Nat didn't promise too much. We are invited to camp with Nat's good friend Mark on his sister's land, right where the grassy green farmland merges into the sandy dunes.

It is truly a magical place. The time the four of us get to spend there together is just as magical. We will always remember it. We experience the "Dunes of Contemplation" as no one has ever experienced it before. There we create, attention: insider, the new Swiss-German word: "Blibtnschmigl".

Many have already raved about Wilson's Prom. When we go hiking in the National Park, we quickly find out why. Dark green wooded slopes and gray-brown rocks merge directly into the turquoise and dark blue sea.

Of course, many tourists occupy the perfect beaches, whose sand squeaks so beautifully underfoot. Hence the name of one of them is Squeaky Beach.

Then a few days are over and we say goodbye to Nat and Mark. We plan to spend another week down in Geelong and Forrest to help Adrian and Thea with house renovations and gardening.

Yes, feels good to do some physical work again. As I cover the roof of the porch in Forrest, I feel like I'm in Palomino. The work, the heat, the not quite insurance-compliant way of working...

A week later, we are in the mood to leave again. We say goodbye to the Browns, to whom we will always be grateful for their generous hospitality and kindness. We will be back, no question!

With a rented Corolla Hybrid, which is the car of our choice for a second time, we start our last stage through Australia: northwards towards Cairns.

Our first stop is at the same time our last in the state of Victoria: Bruno's Art.

Here we better let pictures speak. Just one more thing: We met Bruno and his partner in their gallery, where Bruno willingly explained his paintings and artwork to us.

Bruno is the spitting image of the eccentric free thinker and wild artist. It is not long before we are standing in front of the portrait of his father, whose genes he inherited. Perched on the father's head is an egg.

'For a while, he only painted eggs because he thought it was an "eggcellent" idea to showcase his "eggspertise" in an "eggshibition."'

His sculpture garden is unique and should be on your bucket list on a trip through Victoria.

After spending a month more or less in the same couple of places, we will spend the next and final month on the road in Eastern Australia.

A few places on the list, we'll work off in the next post:

Blue Mountains - Lightning Ridge - Lennox Head - Nimbin - Atherton Tablelands - Cairns and many more.

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Downunder Diary I: Western Australia

Simon — Sat, 31 Dec 2022 05:27:45 +0000

November – Dezember 2022

A short stop-over in Bangkok and we land in Christmasy Perth. Our mission: to find a vehicle as quickly as possible to explore Downunder in a roundabout way.

We could never have imagined that the detours would be as massive as we experienced over the next few weeks. But we already described this story in detail in our last post "How to buy a car in Australia?".

Well, after a few days in and around Perth, which we spend in various Airbnbs, we are ready to explore the Australian southwest, despite the overheating engine.

We drive down to the touristy area around Margaret River, listen to the birdlife while camping (that's where Seraina spies her first two kangaroos), experience the summer heat in Australia for the first time, and meet an old friend who takes us to his farm and tells us about his reforestation efforts.

We've only been in Australia such a short time and already we're experiencing the full gamut of travel stories. Yes, I know, we wouldn't have it any other way.

After a short detour back to Busselten where the mechanics support us courteously but not satisfactorily, we continue south.

In Pemberton, we hike through the fantastic karri forests. We even climb one, that's the test of courage here, and get a mystical far view into the green distance as a reward.

In Warren National Park in the middle of the forest, we find Draftys Campground. The ranger and campground keeper David is a friendly soul - and hobby mechanic. He inquires and finds out that we bought a Lemon; a rotten egg among the used cars. His guess: our Holden won't last much longer. We do not listen and drive on.

A little further in Northcliffe, we find the Understory Art Forest behind the Visitor Center. Various artists have immortalized themselves with figures and sculptures in this piece of forest. Certainly worth a visit.

We continue through the dense karri eucalyptus forests until we reach the seashore. After Walpole, we visit the Giant Tingle Tree.

In Denmark we camp under the shady Peppermint trees, check out the small village, and drive to the rocky beaches around Elephant Rocks.

In Albany, we still have the thermostat replaced, we naive imbeciles. And think, yes yes, it will be alright, we can cross the desert now. Over 3000 kilometers through the Nullarbor Plain.

We leave early in the morning and want to get as far as possible today. The next three days will be spent driving, today 700-800 km, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow the same, then we should arrive in South Australia and in an inhabited area according to plan.

Almost 500 km further we drive through Esperance, so far everything has gone well; as long as we keep an eye on the temperature gauge. Because there is still something wrong. It tends to rise from time to time, so we are forced to run the heater.

When we pass Norseman, it is already evening. Time to find a place next to the highway to camp. That isn't too hard. If there is one thing out here, it is space.

We enjoy the sunset in the Australian outback, tired from the long day in the car. Tomorrow we're supposed to carry on the same way, but we don't want to think about that yet.

We leave again quite early, we want to get far. After two hours of driving it happens. The engine is raging, Seraina can't get it going anymore, then steaming smoke.

"Yes, I guess that's it now." How sobering.

If you don't know the details yet, you might want to read about them in the last post in "Seraina's Diary" . Anyway, it doesn't take long until someone gives us a ride. Luck of the draw, we have a whole bus for us. The car we leave behind.

Since our two drivers Russ and Bixi want to take the bus to Queensland, we manage the next few thousand kilometers in just over 30 hours.

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Wie kaufe ich ein Auto in Australien?

Simon — Sun, 25 Dec 2022 08:39:33 +0000

– and how not to.

Of course, you could travel Australia by bus and train. It even makes sense to fly in between in this huge country and rent a car or camper; especially if you only have a few weeks.

But isn't it the most fun to explore the red continent with your own vehicle? Depending...

We'll give you some tips here if you're wondering: How to buy a car in Australia - and how not to?

Why do we know how to buy a car in Australia? Because we had to experience on our own skin how not to do it.

1. Take your Time!

We only took a little over a week to find a suitable vehicle. We knew that the days we booked on Airbnb would be used up quickly and that it would be difficult to get one of the popular accommodations in Perth after that. Everything was booked up until further notice!

So we committed mistake #1: we were hasty in buying our car. Admittedly, this was complicated by the fact that used cars are in great demand in Australia at the moment. So we had to decide quickly if nobody should snatch a deal out of our hands (more about this in Seraina's diary below).

2. Service Book available?

If you're looking to buy a used car, you should know if it's been serviced regularly, what wear parts have been replaced over the years (and what hasn't!), how many previous owners it's had, etc.

If there is a complete service book, this should all be apparent.

Did our car have a service book? No. Error #2.

3. Dealer Vs. Private Seller

This is where opinions differ. Can you trust car dealers? Well, just like you can trust private sellers.

With a dealer, however, you may get a warranty (or you may be able to buy one), which may be in the dealer's favor. Read the warranty carefully though. And ask yourself what the warranty will do for you if you are already on the other coast of Australia when the car breaks down.

We bought our car privately. The seller took precious little interest in us after our breakdown not long after we bought it. Was that a mistake? Maybe.

4. How many miles?

How important this point is, is up to your discretion. In Australia, cars are sold that have well over 200'000 km on the odo. It is not uncommon to find a backpacker bus with 400'000 km in the offers. We even saw vehicles with over 700'000 km (!).

I always say to myself, better a little more kilometers, but regularly in motion and maintained, than a few kilometers, but 15 years of standing. According to the saying: If you rest, you rust.

Our car had 226'000 km on the hump when we bought it. I thought to myself, well, then it also makes 236'000 km. Far from it, at 229'000 km it was done.

If you are unsure, go back to point 2 - Service book available?

5. Is it a Fun Ride?

Last but not least, your new car should be fun to drive. If you are sitting behind the wheel for thousands of kilometers and driving is anything but a pleasure, what did you buy the car for?

We were always worried about whether and how far we would make it with this car. Especially after the first overheating of the engine.

There are, of course, other points that come into play when deciding how you should buy a car in Australia.

For example:

how much your travel budget is
what you need the car for. Do you want an ordinary car for mostly paved roads (from 3000 AUD), a camper (~10'000 AUD), or a robust 4WD (over 20'000 AUD)? (as of 12/22)

But these are questions you need to answer before the 5 tips above.

Where to buy a car in Australia?

1. In big cities you have more options.

In WA (Western Australia), unlike the other states, you don't need a "Roadworthy Certificate". There you just have to register the car in your name.

In other states you want to make sure that the car you want to buy has a "Roadworthy Certificate", so that you can buy it without inspection.

2. There are several online platforms you can search:

Gumtree.com.au (used goods of all kinds).
Autotrader.com.au (used cars in Australia)
Facebook groups (such as Australia 🇦🇺 Car Market / Campervans for Backpackers / Travelers or BACKPACARS MARKET (Perth)))

Car breakdown in Australia - now what?

Last but not least, a word about what you can do if the unexpected actually happens.

RAC roadside assistance supports you throughout Australia. If you often stay far away from civilization, as we do, you should consider the top class of their offers, even if it is a bit more expensive.

You should also buy a cell phone subscription from Telstra. With it, you're most likely to have reception everywhere.

What did we do instead?

We had the second-highest level of RAC roadside assistance. They pay up to 1100 AUD for the towing service. That won't get you far in the outback.

We bought a subscription from Aldi. They use the Telstra network, but only to a small extent. You just have signal in and around larger towns.

Well, you learn from your mistakes. Or as the Australians assured us: "Look at the bright side. It's all part of the adventure!"

Have fun with your own adventure downunder. Read on in Seraina's diary if you want to know the exact circumstances of our mis-start in Australia.

From Seraina's Diary

28. November 2022

Yesterday tears, today laughter - and all because of a car

The story begins in Perth, Australia. We need a car to cross the continent and get to eastern Australia. More than 4000 km. The cars on Gumtree are selling like hot cakes. If we had four favorites last night, two of them have been sold this morning. One old-timer Ford remains. Another car stands out from the crowd as it is neither dented nor leaking. It has only 226'000 km on the hump (which is relatively low here) and is a teenager of 16 years. We take a look at it. It's a Holden, an Australian brand. It is okay as described. Just not very special. We buy it immediately because in the afternoon the offer could already be sold. We are already mourning the Ford we did not view.

A few days later, we want to get out a bit. We head for a viewpoint at the other end of the city. But not only the altitude meter above sea level rises on the drive. The temperature gauge of the engine is also on the top red line. We immediately stop at the side of the road and wait a quarter of an hour until we are brave enough to carefully open the overflow tank.It hisses and steams. We fill water to the target level. As if on a cart driven by decrepit horses, we drive on. We don't want it to let us down now.

The viewpoint would be spectacularly beautiful in another moment. But today, we have other worries. On the way back, the car works just fine. For a while, anyway. Because suddenly the temperature shoots up again. In the parking lot, as before, flap up - but the lid of the container is missing. We are still 40 km away from home. And the lid cannot be found.

A barely understandable country Australian stops: "Everything OK?" I answer in the negative. He helps. But he can't find the lid either. His brother lives nearby and must have something suitable. He will be back in twenty minutes. He disappears and we pour a good 4 liters of water into the steaming hole. Out of boredom, I search further, and lo and behold, the lid is under the battery on the sheet metal. When the Aussie is not back after half an hour, we drive on. And reach our home without overheating.

Despite the problems, we do not want to stay longer in Perth. Even the mixed dorms and all the cheap Airbnbs are fully booked for more than two weeks. And car mechanics don't work on Sundays. So we might as well spend the day driving and try our luck further south. The internet says that driving without coolant makes no difference, at least for a short time. The water cools, and the coolant protects against frost and corrosion.

We tackle the good 200 km to Busselton - always nicely with a maximum of 80-90 km/h. On Monday we find a mechanic right away. "You caught me at the right moment!" he laughs and performs a short service. Where the water pump is located, it rattles suspiciously. Three hours of work, that's too much for him, he wouldn't have time for it for over a week. He recommends a bigger mechanic. When we arrive at the workshop, the redhead at the reception desk says: "Oh yeah, she's been hot. You smell the burned oil?" as he looks into the engine. We also discover a drop of oil under the engine, big and shiny.

It wouldn't be the worst ever case if it were engine failure. Only the second worst. Place number one we experienced just under a year ago when our home on wheels needed a new engine shortly after we bought it. But just because of this experience we decided not to buy the stylish 1988 Ford Laser, but the 16-year-old offspring Holden Viva. 1000 AUD costs the water pump. We don't want to know what else will come out then. Should we now have the entire guts of the car removed and the arteries examined? We have not yet decided. We still take the heavy going lightly. Back at the camp, the truth overtakes us. Silently we sit on the beach. We are hungry, but we have lost our appetite. Expensive car, tent, stove, sleeping bag, plate, fork. We wanted to visit our friends, take care of Anastasia's dog for a week. Since I was a child I wanted to see the koalas, the vast plains, the stars, the kangaroos. And now the dream bursts like a soap bubble. Tears come to my eyes. I have to give them free rein to wash away the pain. Secretly, I sneak into the most private place in the world, the bathroom.

We agree with the mechanic to have the water pump replaced next week. Meanwhile, we go south, wanting to visit nature and the sea. All with tips from the good listener Stuart, a camping neighbor. We tell him everything - he shares compassion and hope. The next morning, tired from an unrefreshing sleep, Simon starts: "This has never happened to me before, and I've already bought five cars in Australia! If only we had taken more time and bought the Ford Laser!", and so it goes on - grump, grump, grump. "WHAT'S THE MATTER? Why so pessimistic? Could it be just the water pump!?", I ask, frowning. He tells me about his dream last night. The ship on which we were sailing. The wailing alarm that it was sinking. How he refused to believe it. Until the ship really started to sink and how the water around his legs was rising higher and higher. "Luckily I woke up then!" he laughs. "And by the way," he points past me, "there's a tow truck that just pulled into the neighbor's campground." I have to laugh. The bad signs are all around. Five minutes later, the tow truck pulls out again. Loaded with a Holden Viva. Silver, just like ours. My insides tighten and then I burst out laughing uncontrollably.

We set off without knowing what the future will bring - but you never know. Things usually turn out differently than you think. And laughter is a relief.

15. December 2022

Off into the Unknown

On our way south we reach Warren National Park, adorned with gigantic trees. David is the host and we are warmly taken care of. What is the problem with our car? David knows: "You bought a Lemon!" So it's a bad egg. He knows cars and sees what the problem might be. The thermostat. If the thermostat is old, it can rust and stick, not letting the water circulate properly through the engine to cool it. He always carries an extra thermostat himself. "Only $20 for that thing," he tells us. But for our Holden, we pay 120. Depressed, we order the part to be picked up in Albany.

Before that, we drive to Northcliffe, where we discover the Understory Art Forest, a forest decorated with sculptures by various artists.

In friendly Albany, we find a mechanic who replaces the thermostat. Everything costs money. So far we have already spent over 1000 AUD to get the Holden ready for the long desert trip through the Nullarbor Plains.

We feel queasy when we think about the two or three days we have to drive through the desert far away from any civilization to get to the east. No reception, no mechanics, just a bunch of nothing.

The next town, Esperance, is already one of the last. It's 480 km from Albany and there's hardly anything in between. 200 km further comes Norseman, Horseman, as I call it because the gold mining town consists of old container houses, dented trucks, and piles of tin, and dust. It's like in a Western movie. An elderly man waters his flowers in the garden. His flower garden is the only one far and wide.

Now we have arrived in the middle of nowhere. After 9 hours of driving, we put up the tent under a eucalyptus tree, dead tired. All alone in the incredibly beautiful landscape. The shrubs, isolated trees, and succulents draw long shadows over the glowing rust-red earth. The industrious ants, very active at first, warp into their underground network marked by a thousand holes.

Shortly before five o'clock, the sun rises. Time to get up. We have given up looking at the clock. We drive on the only existing road. It stretches to the horizon, disappearing in a mirage in the rearmost section. Only the dark bushes on the left and right are visible. Every now and then we are jolted by the air pressure of oncoming road trains, 40 meter long trucks. A friend advised us to always drive at 105 km/h, which is the speed of the road trains, so we would have to overtake them as little as possible.

18. December 2022

Bitter End in the West - Sweet new Beginning in the East

We drive, drive, drive - until it rattles, then hisses. And that happens every time I step on the gas pedal. The car loses speed. Not a good sign. We stop at the side of the road and pop the hood. Smoke as big as from a freshly cooked meal escapes from the engine. If it weren't for the constant thunder of road trains, it would be dead quiet. I calmly begin to pack our belongings, while Simon searches for a cell phone signal with his arms stretched out.

Our options are vanishingly small. The last town Norseman (Horseman) is a good two hours drive behind us. The next towns are probably so small that they hardly offer towing services. And how the heck are we supposed to find information without reception? We can't even contact Roadside Assistance.

We wave the next car over. It surprisingly stops. "Do you need a lift?" We don't know, don't want to leave our car behind, and at the same time want to move on as quickly as possible.

Rod gets out and leans against our car. He has been on the road for 20 hours. Hardly any breaks. His destination is in Queensland, another 40 hours east.

"I want to be there in two days," he smiles wearily. Rod's cell phone barely picks up a signal. We may use it to call RAC, the car insurance company we bought a few days ago. To get advice, as we are stuck ourselves.

RAC listens to us, checks, calls us back. Several times. In the most impossible place imaginable, we break down. They are at a loss. After several phone calls – Rod, do you want to wait another quarter of an hour? – they tell us the only possibility. A tow truck from Esperance. 500 km away. A good six hours ago we drove past this wind-blown place. What on earth do we want there? And that for 4000 AUD, where they want to take over 1000, so 3000 for us. We can't believe it. That's how much the car cost us three weeks ago. We swallow dryly, have to think and decide. Rod says: "There will be a bus soon, it can take you. A bus on this route?

A little later Rod's friends, Russ and Pixi, arrive. They bought the bus in Perth and want to bring it to Queensland. They briefly examine the engine, ponder what it could be, find a burst radiator hose. Together we clean out the car and push it over the edge into the bushes. Bye-bye, you ungrateful lemon!

Russ' bus is very comfortable. Two days and one and a half nights with only short breaks we are allowed to travel with our rescuers. You have to be that lucky.

After 36 hours we arrive in Bendigo at 1 am. Final stop. Russ and Pixi are also longing for a day's rest. We say goodbye thankfully and wish them a safe onward journey.

We are now only a kangaroo hop away from Melbourne. The adventure can continue. Although only with rented four wheels, but without the oppressive weight of our unreliable Holden Lemon.

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