Australia

Australia

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If you are not interested in reading my travel report but would like to look at the pictures, go to

Next day (April 6) we flew back to Melbourne. When we wanted to pick up the car at the airport, all the girls at all counters were excited about something. One of the girls asked me if I am up-to-date at tennis. I was not so, in Japan I didn't look so much sports in tv, because I do not understand them anyway. She showed me some young man standing there and asked me if I know him, I didn't. One of the counter girls ran to him for an autograph. They told me, that it was Patrick Rafter.

After finally getting the car we drove through Geelong to the famous 'Great Ocean Road' with it's Twelve Apostles. Some other apostles, view to the east, to the west and between the rocks. The broken London bridge, devil's hole (I think), a beautiful arch, an empty beach, a busy hole and some incorrigibles. The road is really great to drive with all it's curves. Late night we found a motel at Lover's hill. We had a great dinner, Monika had tender lamb and I had kangaroo, tasted like our game. The motel owner proposed us to go to a small rain forest at night to watch the glow-worms. At first we weren't sure if we should go alone into the dark wood - you know 'red riding hood' and so on ;-) - but we really had fun and it looked really fantastic.

Next day (April 7) we drove until Beach Port, it was a beautiful sunny day. I wanted to swim the next day, the beach looked really great.

But it was raining the next day (April 8), nothing with swimming, so we drove on to Adelaide.

We were searching for a motel, because of the upcoming Easter we had some difficulties. But at last we found a room at Rex hotel. During the search we passed by the 'Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia'. Before dinner we made a little drive to Glenelg. Adelaide and Glenelg are really very clean cities and there are a lot of beautiful houses in Glenelg. Unfortunately it was stormy and we just spent a few minutes on the beach. But we saw a real hardliner swimming along the beach. Dinner we spent in the hotel at a tasty buffet. We met a German couple living in Adelaide and they suggested us to go to 'Gorge Wildlife Park', because you don't have to pay for cuddling a koala.

The next day (April 9) we drove there. We saw a lot of different animals and walked through the kangaroo enclosures. An albino kangaroo, feeding wallabies, baby-wallaby looking out of the 'window', a small white kangaroo with a different name, a little yellow monkey, some big bat foxes, a wombat, a dingo. But these animals, I thought, were not necessary to be there (in these small cages): puma and panther, look how sad they look.

Later we drove on and made a big round through the countryside, on the way we found this big rocking-horse and at Yalumba-Wine-Estate we bought some Australian wine.

Next morning (April 10) we started early to drive to Burra. We made the Burra Heritage Trail. There you can see the Tourist Office (1890), Town Hall (1874), Former Telegraph Station and Post office (1861), St. Joseph's Catholic Church (1874), St. Mary's anglican Church (1879), Peacocks Chimney (1857/1972), Mine Stores and Storeman's Residence (1847), Burra Mine Historic Site including he Dressing Tower, Powder Magayine and Enginehouse Museum - I crawled a little bit into the drainage system and walked through a mine tunnel -, Mine Lookout, Open Cut Lookout, Bon Accord Mine Complex (1859), Burra Railway Station (1883), Bon Accord Hotel (1874), Former Sara and Dunstan's Office (1876), Wandillah (1918), Former Butcher's Shop and Residence (1876), Sara's Corner (1870), Royal Exchange Hotel (1880), Former Smelters Home Hotel (1849), Redruth Courthouse (1857), Police Station (1879), Police Lockup and Stables (1847), Former Courthouse Hotel (1858), Vormer Redruth Methodist Churd (1874), Tiver's Row (1856), Redruth Gaol (1856), Hampton (1857), Miss Mabels Cottage (c.1855), Smelts Stables and Yards (1849), Former Smelts Offices and Manager's Residence (1849), Burra Smelting Works (1849), Paxton Square Cottages (c. 1850), Burra School (1878), Unicorn Brewery (1873), Former Bible Christian Chapel (1850), Malowen Lowarth (c.1850), Kooringa Hotel (1884), Miners Dugouts (c.1850), Pig and Whistle Crossing, Burra Uniting Church (1914), McBride Cottage Homes (1910), Masonic Hall (1879), Thames Street Cottages (1846) and typical miners cottages. Most of these sites are on the List of State Heritage Items. At the Redruth Gaol we saw a tree full of Kakadus and in the prison there is still a prisoner.

I couldn't get Monika out of the antique shops, in the end she had bought a sewing machine and an old doll. When we headed back we drove through this beautiful avenue and later found this dromedary. Isn't that a beautiful sunset?

The next day (April 11) we drove around Adelaide and went to the South Australian Museum. On this jumpy picture you can see how big a kangaroo can be and here you can see an Aboriginal story. I must have lost a film, because I only found three pictures of Adelaide and I know I made a lot more also of the beach of Glenelg. These are the only wild kangaroos we saw in the far distance.

Originally we wanted to drive to Coober Pedy but Barry bissuaded us to go there. It is to dangerous for two girls allone to go there. It had happened that women dissappear there because of to much men without women.

The next day (April 12) it was Easter Sunday an we flew to Alice Springs. We picked up our car, a brand new Toyota with only 45 kilometers and drove to the backpackers Melanka Lodge. We brought our things to the room and after lunch we drove by the MacDonnell Ranges to Simpson's Gap where in the river you are not allowed to swim ;-). In the evening we went to Todd Tavern and had a great meal. As we were sitting at the window we heared an ambulance coming from Scotts Terrace, I watched it driving by and in the same moment there came another car from the right and it made a big bang and the cars flew through the air into the garden of the Melanka Lodge. We later heard that only the one in the other car got a frill for his neck and no one was hurt seriously.

Early next morning (April 13) we drove all the way to Watarrka National Park to see the Kings Canyon. We got there with our last drop of gasoline. We walked into the canyon and saw these funny birds running around. Then we drove on to Yulara. All the time we saw these small pumpkins lying at the side of the streets. We passed by Mt. Conner. At Yulara we first drove to the Spinifex Lodge to get our room and then we drove to Uluru to see the sunset, but there was no sunset. So we drove back an had dinner at the complex. At night I woke up from some funny noise in our room. We had our bread in some plastic bags on the kitchen counter and obviously some animal was trying to get it. I didn't want to wake up Monika and I didn't dare to stand up to get to the light switch, the only one was at the door - bit distance for me with Monika's bed in the way. So I just tried to ignore it. It stopped and started again after a while - as if the animal had brought another one to help. Suddenly Monika also woke up, she thought we have some burglars in the room. She switches the light on, but of course there was nothing to see. We wondered were it could have gone, we didn't see any hole. We put all the things into the refrigerator and the night was o.k., we didn't hear anything more.

The next day (April 14) we checked the plastic bag and saw all this bites, we were surprised of the quality of the bag. After breakfast we drove to Kata Tjuta (the Olgas). We started the hike, but didn't make the Mt. Olga hike. We made the hike through the Valley of the Winds. It started here at this gorge, past by this small pool and here a look back from the top into the gorge. On the other side you can see into the Valley of the Winds and already down a look back up, another look from the distance. On the hiking trail and inside the valley. Can anybody tell me what kind of animal makes this work?

In the afternoon we finally wanted to explore Uluru. Here we stopped at the Mala Car Park and looked up the climb. Monika saw some old people climbing up and decided to change her mind to climb up. I stayed because I knew my condition and only to see flat land around was not so much desirable for me. Here you can see Monika halfway. After Monika came back we went on with our tour around the rock. Here we can see the Mala Walk with Ngaltawata, the footsteps of Kurpany and Luunpa. Here is a interesting cave, I think Mala Puta with paintings. Then we found some shelter or ceremonial place, a beautiful view and interesting rock formations. Here I am standing in front of the Mutitjulu waterhole and here you can see Wanampi's path. The weather got worse and it was very windy, one plus was that the flies were not so penetrant. I didn't care how I looked like, but this flies in Australia are really nasty. Here another rock formation and another shelter. When we finished the round we drove the same way back around the rock, that both of us had a good view. When we came back to the Mala Car Park we saw the masses climb up the rock like aunts. The sunset this evening was again nothing, I just could make this picture of the Olgas in the far distance and on the way home we saw this dingo sneaking around the tourist office.

The next morning (April 15) we tried the sun rise, but again no sun. I just could make this picture of the Ayers Rock and here together with some people who always want to be the ones in front of everybody! Then we drove back to Alice Springs.

On the way to the airport the next morning (April 16), we saw another typical long vehicle. We flew back to Sydney were our journey started. I already had a message waiting for me at the Gazebo hotel, that we will finally meet our Australian friend Barry for dinner. In the meantime Monika packed her luggage for the next day.

On my last day (April 17) I said first good bye to Monika, who had a very long journey back home to Switzerland, and then made a stroll through Sydney with beautiful sunny weather. I made a stop at our office and made a shopping trip. In the evening I met Barry again and he showed me a typical Australian pub at Wolloomoolo Bay, I was captivated.

Next morning (April 18) I flew home to Japan.

since January 22, 2000