Australia

Australia

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On Friday, March 20, my friend Monika from Switzerland arrived in Japan to visit me a few days. I showed her the most important spots in Osaka, Kyoto and Nara. On Monday morning (March 23), we made a quick visit of the Royal Palace in Kyoto and in the afternoon we took the train to Kansai Airport and flew with Qantas with a stopover in Brisbane to Sydney.

The next morning (March 24) we arrived in Sydney with beautiful sunny weather. From the airport we drove directly to Gazebo Hotel Sydney, which my colleagues of our Sydney office had booked for us, took our room and looked through the offers we had found in the lobby. We went down and wanted to buy a one-day ticket with the Sydney Explorer bus. Suddenly I looked out of the window and saw rain pouring down. We were shocked, it was really dark from the clouds outside. But we decided to book anyway. First we had to change the outfit again and on we went. On this tour you can see, starting from our spot at Macleay Street, Èlizabeth Bay house, Potts Point, Woolloomooloo Bay, drive over the Sydney harbor bridge, Wynyard, Queen Victoria Building, Australian Museum, Central Station, Chintatown/Powerhouse Museum, Darling Harbor with National Maritime Museum, Casino, Chinese Garden, Sydney Aquarium, Campbell's Cove, The Rocks Visitors Centre, Sydney Cove/Circular Quay, Sydney Opera House (by night), Royal Botanic Gardens/Museum of Sydney, Historic Macquarie Street, Mrs. Macquaries' Chair, Art Gallery of NSW, St. Mary's Cathedral, Hard Rock Cafe and Kings Cross.

Next day (March 25) we took again the Explorer bus, but the big route with the bays and beaches. We started at Kings Cross, then it took us to Top of the Cross, Rushcutters Bay, Double Bay, Rose Bay Wharf, Rose Bay Convent, Vaucluse Bay, Watsons Bay, The Gap Park, Bondi Beach, Bronte Beach, Coogee Beach, Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney Cricket Ground and Sydney Football Stadium, Oxford Street, Hyde Park, Martin Place and again Sydney Cove/Circular Bay. In the evening we drove up Sydney tower.

Since we arrived, we tried to call our Australian friend Barry, but he didn't call back, so we decided to leave Sydney the next day, because the rain didn't seem to stop.

(March 26) In the morning we picked up a rental car. The description of the sales men was so good, that we were out of the city within minutes. We headed for the Blue Mountains National Park to see the "Three Sisters". We made a little part of the "Prince Henry Cliff Walk". Here you can see Monika on one of the Sisters. After lunch we drove back and down to Wollongong. On the way suddenly a policeman stopped us. I thought back to the US-incident with the police and thought: "No, not again!" I really wasn't aware of any mistake. The policeman approached, he said: "You are probably wondering, why I stopped you", I consented. He said: "Alcohol control" - "WHAT, did you see us?" we asked. Because at the intersection we justed passed, I drank out of a bottle. "But it is only water!" "Yeah, but anyway you have to blow", we were giggling and laughing and couldn't believe it. We argued with him, that it is just water. I told him, that I never had to blow before and don't know how. He said: "Just blow", I had to laugh all the time, that I had difficulties. But at the end I did it and he was satisfied with the result. He had to laugh himself and finally he let us go on.

At Wollongong we came into a big industrial area and almost couldn't find out of it. It was already dark and we hadn't found a motel yet. After a few miles we found a nice motor lodge. We were almost the only guests. For dinner we had a really fantastic meal (shrimps and steak).

(March 27) Early in the morning we drove on through the South-East of New South Wales to Eden. There we were at at historic Bed and Breakfast hotel, which supposed to be one of the oldest houses there. We slept in an old bedroom with a very beautiful bathroom. Next morning (March 28) we got a really big and rich breakfast. On the way to Melbourne, we passed different landscapes, grassland with Eucalyptus trees, trees in the rain, hills with cows, we saw a lot of the typical kangaroo signs but never kangaroos, only dead ones and dead cars. The first kangaroos we saw behind a fence. And we saw an echidna and a private plane hangar. Then we passed by Lakes Entrance with its empty beaches.

In the evening we arrived in Melbourne. Late evening we finally found a motel, The Red Carpet. Next day (March 29) drove around Melbourne (more of Melbourne: Melborne to the west, Yarra river with Flinders St. Stn and Southgate Plaza, View to St. Kilda) and later to St. Kilda. There, we had a beautiful sunset despite the rainfront coming up. In St. Kilda we found lots of good restaurants, we had some difficulties to decide which one was the right one. There are also a lot of drug addicts around.

Today (March 30) we wanted to drive to Phillip Island. It started to rain again - since we arrived in Australia it had rained every day at least once and I hadn't had my shorts on yet. We stopped at the Koala Conservation Centre. There we searched for the Koalas in the trees, two more and some kind of parrot. Because it really was very heavy wind we soon returned, it was not a lot of fun. On this picture you can see the difference between the weather conditions. The lady in front is in fur, some people are in jackets, some in T-shirt or shirt.

The next day (March 31) we drove to The Grampians. We drove by Lake Wartook to the McKenzie Falls, (another part of the falls). Monika on the treck, some kookaburras and magpies (I believe).

The next day (April 1) we packed our things together and searched for another motel which was near to the Airport highway, we found Miami Motor Inn. Then we spent another afternoon at St. Kilda.

The next morning (April 2), we brought our car back to the rental service.,Then we went to the famous Queen Victoria Market with its vegetables and flowers. Later we made a river cruise with beautiful sunny weather. This is the famous skyline of Melbourne with Flinders Station. Here you can see the Southgate Plaza, where a restaurant of the famous Austrian Wolfgang Puck is located. Here ist Monika in front of the skyline. Then we walked back through Flinders Street to the meet and fish market. The even know Wiener Schnitzel (although wrong spelled) and have sheep heads, which we never see at an Austrian butcher.

Very early next morning (April 3) we flew to Hobart-Airport, Tasmania. We picked up our car directly at the Airport and drove directly to Port Arthur. Here you can see almost the whole prison complex from the west and from the south-east, on the right side you can see the obelisk for the memory of the people who died in the shooting. This is the chapel for the prisoners and this was probably the church for the other people who lived there. On the way out we saw another echidna. Then we drove up the east coast, where you can see Freycinet Peninsula and the beautiful landscape of Tasmania. I also like this rose in sunshine-picture I made. We drove deep into the night until Bicheno, where we found a Best-Western-Motel. This was our view out of the window next morning (April 4).

We drove up until Falmouth and then inland through St. Marys and Conara to Launceston and than through Deloraine over the mountains through beautiful forests and over the Marlborough Highway passing by Great Lake. We saw Cradle Mountain, the 'Old MacDonalds Farm', Interlaken, interesting farmhouses and beautiful autumn colours. We saw two young bulls fighting with each other through the fence, I wanted to make a picture, but suddenly I discovered, that the one bull was outside the fence. I just stepped on the accelerator pedal before he could discover us and take us on his horns. We stayed overnight at Hamilton in a cute old-fashioned Motel.

The next morning (April 5) we drove into Mount Field National Park. Here it was the second time that I drove on the wrong side of the street after I reversed on the street. Another car came against us when I discovered it. The man in the car showed me very picturesque what he thought of me - you can imagine. After parking the car, we started to hike. We were talking to each other, when suddenly Monika turned around and saw a wallaby sitting there. She said to him: Oh, what are you doing here!" He turned around and jumped into the wood. Later I saw a group of wallabies fighting and jumping through the brushwood and over the treck. Later, they just sat around. We hiked to the Russel Falls through beautiful rain forest. In the afternoon we drove to Hobart took a late lunch. We saw a french polar ship in the port of Hobart. Later we made the Channel Highway round trip and in the evening we found in the Hobart Motor Inn a bed for the night.

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since January 22, 2000