Magnetic Island – Koalas!

Captain Cook thought an island would disturb his compass. He was proven wrong later on, but the name remained: Magnetic Island, probably the main reason to stay for a while in Townsville. After a bumpy ferry ride we rented two rusty bikes and pedaled over some hills until we reached the trail head of the Forts Walk, which is famous for spotting koalas in their natural environment, as it is home of the largest free-roaming colony in the world. We saw four of those cute furry animals, which sleep around 14 hours per day. They also need 5 hours to relax… from their search to feed eucalyptus (gum tree) leaves.

  • Alma Bay
  • Scratch it!
  • “Zzzz!”
  • “Yawn!”
  • View from the fort
  • 2 secs until wet feet…
  • Koalas everywhere!
  • Beach and bike
  • This really is a sh** car!
  • Castle Hill at dusk

Atherton Tableland (2/2) – Rainforest

From our bed & breakfast we had to drive till Townsville. In between, we did:
• Walked around crater lake Lake Eacham and saw a turtle
• Did the waterfall drive (Millaa Millaa, Zillie and Ellinjaa)
• Wandered in and above(!) rain forest at Mamu Tropical Skywalk
• Did nothing at Mission Beach (“Oops, still 3 hours till Townsville?!?”)
• Watched a vehicle parade of old-timers and tuned cars in Townsville

Crater Lake Eacham
Millaa Millaa Fall

Atherton Tableland (1/2) – Wallabies!

Short form of what we did today:
• Picked up our rental car (Kia Sportage)
• Took the curvy road till Kuranda
• Tried a few walks, but “River Walk” would have been literally walking in the river
• Admired the impressive Barron Falls
• Escaped the rain at Kuranda and enjoyed the green landscape of Atherton Tableland
• Nice lunch / coffee at “Coffee Works” in Mareeba
• Wine tasting (mango wine!) at de Brueys Boutique winery
• Spotted rock wallabies and turtles at Granite Gorge Nature Park (highly recommended!)
• Talked with a local from Atherton who was on exchange program in Zofingen (close to us)

  • River walk
  • Barron Falls
  • Dinosaur foot prints
  • Turtles
  • Wallaby
  • Wallaby
  • Steffi and wallabies

Rains in Cairns

Out of the desert into the rain forests. Stress on rain, as we got really wet that day. But it’s the rainy season, we knew it and we took it as it was.

Center to coast

With umbrella and rain coats we walked through Cairns, had a really good sea food dinner and watched cricket with a few beers at “Rattle N Hum” pub. A boxing day (December 26) which could be worse!

Toilet doors – men vs. women

Christmas in Kings Canyon

We could sleep 10 minutes longer than the day before and got up at 4 A.M. The good reason for it is to start the hike in Kings Canyon before it gets too hot – temperatures easily reach 45° C during the day.

How’s going, mates?

Again, a wonderful and informative hike upon “Mount Heart Attack” and “Garden Eden” before driving (partially on unsealed roads) to Alice Springs.

Kings Canyon was a sand dune some million years ago (you can find sea shells)
Merry Christmas from the Red Centre!
Back in civilisation

Christmas eve at Kata Tjuta (Olgas)

December 24 – “So this is Christmas!” We had to get up at 03:50 in order to reach a good spot to watch the sun rising behind Uluru. Wonderful!

Sun rising behind Uluru

We then visited Kata Tjuta (aka The Olgas), another impressive domed rock formation and did a hike into the Valley of the Winds.

Kata Tjuta (“Olgas”)

Next, we travelled to Kings Canyon to our campground to celebrate Christmas: helping in the “kitchen”, baking a damper (bush bread) in the bonfire, drinking some beers and listening to “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow” at 35° C. What an experience!

Our guide Rohan baking a “damper” (bush bread)

Another night to sleep in swags. We were visited by dingoes and also heard them howling in the night.

Sunset in the outback
Another night under the stars in a swag

Ayers Rock and Uluru

We flew to the small town Ayers Rock and joined a group of 22 guests on a three-day trip through the Red Centre. From the plane we could already watch the landscape incl. Uluru (formerly Ayers Rock).

Red Centre of Australia is… red.

On a cultural walk, Cecilia, a lovely aboriginal woman, explained many things about their culture, paintings and certain locations around Uluru in her native language – fortunately we also had a translator.

Aboriginal paintings at Uluru – explained by a native expert

It was close to 40° C, fortunately it cooled down a little bit at sunset, supported by a glass of Champaign.

Jingle bells at Ayers Rock

Almost as good as the sunset was the moon rise (we had full moon that night). The group helped to prepare the dinner (kangaroo) – delicious – and then went to sleep, as we had to get up VERY early next morning (03:50). Steffi and me decided to use the swags and to sleep under the stars. Check.

Blue Mountains

We went on a tour to the Blue Mountains, about 1.5h drive away from Sydney. It was a bit cloudy, but actually quite comfortable and the view was good, so we enjoyed the vista to the Three Sisters, the valley and the rides with the cable cars, incl. the one with the steepest inclined railway in the world.

Scenic World

The tour also stopped at the Featherdale Wildlife Park, went through the former Olympic village (Olympic Games 2000) and ended with a ferry cruise back to Circular Quay.

Short-beaked Echidna (German: Ameisenigel)

Bondi Beach

Good morning sunshine – let’s go up to 250m on the Sydney Eye Tower observation deck. Sydney Tower is 309 meters to the top of the spire and the tallest building of the city.

View from Sydney Eye Tower

Then we used our Opal cards to get to the famous Bondi Beach.
We just arrived at our hotel again before it started raining, and later on, hailing (golf balls in size).