Sabine & Oli Apr 04.2003 14:55

...too much sun, too many nice places, too much to do and to see - consequently, I've become a bit slack about writing travel reports! So, Australia in a nutshell! That is - only the second part of our trip from Sydney to Cairns! Believe it or not - we spent a whole week in Sydney (thanks again to Gudrun & Andrea for putting up with us for so long!!!)and did not take one single picture - and you should have noticed by now how much we love taking pictures! But, it rained all week and in such dull weather not even the Opera House makes an impressive sight! More or less we relaxed at Gudrun's place and our only activity was to go to the huge anti-war demonstration. So much for Sydney. Our next stop - NEWCASTLE, where we had our own little apartment at Gavin's and Lyn's place (which was really cool) and - to Oli's delight - we had Sat TV with hundreds of programms. I must admit that this helped getting over the first couple of days with pouring rain as well as Lyn's and gavin's good company and their "entertainment" - the ride in the "BLACK MUSTANG" definitely got my adrenalin going! Whatever we had a few days to get mentally prepared for our stay at Ian's & Mel's and the 3 boys...No. 4 on the way (thanks to God we visited before another sweet monster was born!!!). So, all we did was play, jump on the trampoline, read stories, - no worries - we survived another Aussie family (probably only because we were Aussie-family-life-trained-tourists by then! We left Newcastle for Coffs Harbour but got stranded on the road as we had a minor car problem (lost the whole tank of petrol as a hose had melted!). The good thing about it: We got the chance to stay longer at CRESCENT HEAD where Oli caught his first long ride on a big wave. And HAT HEAD - do NOT miss this great spot if you are travelling Australia by car and spend a night or more on the campground there, do the fantastic coastal walk past Korogoro Point - Unreal!!! Get the classic kangaroo in the foreground, ocean in the background picture! We made it to COFFS HARBOUR(Safety Beach), where a yummy curry-chicken sat waiting for us since Kevin& Helen (friends of Ian & Mel)were so kind to have us for a night and even cooked up a lovely dinner (not that we had ever met them before! - so thanks again!) Unfortunately Coffs harbour was the last free place to stay as I don't have any friends living further up north - wouldn't be bad if someone from Victoria considered moving to Queensland! Finally we made it to BYRON BAY!!! - the place everybody talks about, Australians as well as travellers and I cannot say what it is is but there is something about this place, more than the nice beach, the great surf, the good climate, the great pubs and bars with live-music...the whole atmosphere! Probably because every second person there is stoned! Who knows!??? Anyway, we stayed at the Backpackers Inn on the Beach, Oli went surfing at least twice a day and will make it to the next Worldtour competition! Like so many times before, we did not want to leave the place - it's just been too nice to go (and we had 7 days to enjoy!) but we had to - the pressure was on - another 2000kms to Cairns and there was more great places to come...just like our next stop NOOSA! Very nice, pretty posh, and the LAST WAVE!! Since we had booked a package deal for 260A$ (2 nights in Hervey Bay, 3 days Fraser Island, 2 nights in Airlie Beach and 3 days sailing on the Whitsundays!!!- a real BARGAIN!) we had only 2 days in Noosa, enough time to spent 100 A$ on new bikinis! Our bathers often go missing...that is we forget them somewhere on the clothline! Oli lost 2 bathers already and can't be bothered buying new ones anymore...perhaps in Thailand! So he always swims in his enticing brown undies! Those of you who know him well can probably imagine what they look like - definitely not the most fashionable models! We made it to HERVEY BAY just on time for our group meeting for the Fraser Island 4-Wheel-Drive Tour and the next day, 7.30 in the morning, we were on our way to the ferry with a crazy bunch of 11 people from all over the place. The 3 days on FRASER ISLAND - EXCELLENT!!! Our first stop, Basin Lake, ...we had been told a couple of times not to run in and splash water around asthis would scare the rare long-necked turtles away, so look first and then hop in as otherwise we wouldn't get to see them...we all had listened but once we got there....we were so sweaty and hot and nobody remembered, we all jumped in!!! So much for the long-necked turtles! The second stop- lake Mc Kenzie - crystal clear fresh water lake...AWESOME! After that we set up camp somewhere along the beach - we had actually managed to stick together with the other 2 cars which was pretty cool - the more the merrier!!! This time we listened to the "BE-DINGO-SMART-ADVISE" and the girls never went to habe a pee alone, always in Twosies and with a torch...and nobody got attacked! After the Burger Barbie (Oli had done the shopping...20 burgers for 2,50 A$), the Dingoes did the washing up, licking the plates, the Barbeque and whateverwas lying around while everyone else got drunk sitting around the campfire. Great hygiene! Of course, I had to do the driving the next morning as everyone else suffered a hangover. Indian Heads and the Champagne Pools were our next stop and once we had our dip in the refreshing water , we all fell into a long BEAUTY-SLEEP - and we needed it! Same procedure as the night before - set up camp,, get the fire going, cook up a meal...pasta this time!!! Drink, talk and finally sleep (- I don't know what some others did???? well, perhaps I do! At least James took hours brushing his teeth with his electric-battery toothbrush the next morning (once we got him out of his tent) whereas I got up to witness a beautiful sunrise! The last day - well, our energy level had dropped immensely by now but we made it to Lake Wabby and did the "fun in the sanddunes thing". Once we got back to Hervey Bay we rounded the trip off with a great party night (check out the pictures - they tell more than words!) Next Stop: YEPPON and GREAT KEPPEWL ISLAND - like Byron I've been there a few times, actually 7 times, before and I still think they should re-name it into Paradise Island!We stayed at Geoff's Holiday Village in a luxury tent with a bed, a fan, reading lights...LUXURY! Apart from the great walks, the highlight was the daily snorkelling of Shelving Beach - good sight, many colourful fish, even a small shark, heaps of stingrays and -YIPPPIEEHH - a big turtle every day!!!That was so cool! Three days in Paradise was all we had! Next stop AIRLIE BEACH - Oli went on his 3 -days Whitsunday sailing trip while I stayed in town because a) I have doen it before and b) I get to seasick to enjoy it . Okay, I am wondering if anybody actually read that far...unbelievable if you did...you arre almost there!!! We went to MISSION BEACH (Scotty's Beachhouse) and had 2 days to chill and clean the car before we finally made it to CAIRNS!!! Unfortuinately we coudn't do many of the fun activities there as we had the priority job to sell our car within 5 days - by far not as easy as in Auckland as we didn't caome in the right season, but we managed and sold it for 1600,-. Then the worst job - trying to fit everything we had in the car into our backpacks which. of course, did not work and we were lucky to meet Johanna and Lisa again who were so kind to take some of our stuff home as they do not have much luggage themselves. Hope they don't worry too much about the possibility of carrying drugs or whatever! Well, we fit the rest into our backpacks, caught up with Mark&Tammy (the Canadian couple we had met in NZ), rented a car for a day to drive up North...Port Douglas, Mossmann Gorge and after the swim back through the tablelands! A fun day where Tammy and I "lost" some money on the market... We flew out of Cairns on the 1st of April - and that's no joke...we are already in BANGKOK!!! Pooohh, that was a lot to write...just to get blamed again for writing in English...

matze Apr 03.2003 00:02

hallo ihr zwei,coole bilder, respekt !!! die skisaison nährt sich so lamgsam ihrem ende.nachdem wir jetzt mit den sportreferendaren und unserem "werner" beckedorf noch `ne woche im stubai waren, fiebert nun schon alles den hiesigen osterferien entgegen. feli w. war auch beim skifagren dabei und wir haten wirklich viel spass !! ich hoffe, ihr könnt eure zeit nach wie vor in vollen zügen geniessen und wünsche schon mal frohe ostern. bis bald. euer matze mi.

Sandra Mar 27.2003 13:39
	Hallo Ihr Lieben, Eure Bilder sind ein Traum!!! Freue mich auch schon, die Fraser-Bilder zu sehen. Ich bin in der Zwischenzeit "leider" wieder zurück in Deutschland. Es fällt mir sehr schwer, mich an den Alltag zu gewöhnen...Wünsche Euch weiterhin eine tolle und erlebnisreiche Reise. Liebe Grüsse, Sandra (München)

Ute Mar 26.2003 15:51

Hallo Jo, kann mich Vanessa in allem nur anschließen; selbst das mit dem Hobby, dem Wintersport:-) Ich habe im Moment ein bisschen viel Arbeit, besonders spezielle Industriekauffrauen sind ganz, ganz anstrengend. Die kommen einfach zu einem Termin, braungebrannt und sehen wunderbar erholt aus.-) Also Sabine, schreibe du auch mal wieder, ich besuche am Wochenende deine Eltern, meine Eltern fliegen morgen nach Fuerteventura, da adoptiere ich einfach deine für die Zeit.-)) Tschüssle und liebe Grüße an Oli

Vanessa Mar 25.2003 19:37

Selber untreue Tomate =) Wer macht sich denn aus dem Staub und ist nicht da, wenn wir in der Schule mal 'Hallo' sagen wollen?!? Spaß!! -aber ich freu mich echt schon drauf, wenn du wieder hier bist!!! Und!! Ich will mich hiermit voranmelden: Solltest du mit deiner Klasse nächstes Jahr auch mal in den Schnee fahren...ICH WILL MIT =) ich war dieses Wochenende wieder und es war super genial (ich hab zwar ein paar Schmerzen davon getragen, aber...). Und wem hab ich zu verdanken, dass ich da ein Neues Hobby entdeckt hab?!? Dandeschöön!!! Machs gut, pass auf dich auf und bleib (werd?!? ) brav! Wir vermissen dich! Nessie

Sascha Ofiarkiewicz aka "O" Mar 20.2003 17:57
	Hallo Frau Henninger, noch irgendeine Ahnung, wer ich bin? Ich war vor 2 Jahren in Ihrer Englisch-Klasse (9) Coole Sache, so ne Weltreise... Viel Spaß noch, Sascha

CHRIS Mar 20.2003 00:30
	HI Sabine, you are the best !!!!!!!!! Thanks for your Postcard, it was the greatest I've got....You and Oli take care and enjoy as much as you can. I'm alway with you..... greets, Chris

Veronica Mar 19.2003 08:12
	HI GUYS! WE'RE ALL WAITING FOR THE THE PRO PHOTOGRAPHERS TO PUT THE PICTURES FROM FRASER ON YOUR LOVELY HOMEPAGE..! NO WORRIES MATEYS, NO RUSH, HOPE GREAT KEPPEL WAS AS GOOD AS YOU REMEMBERED, AND HAVE A GREAT TRIP FURTHER ON!! HUG FROM VERONICA

Katja Mar 17.2003 12:30
	Hi, Eure Bilder sind mal wieder ein Traum...aber was gibt es sonst Neues bei Euch? Schreibt mal wieder ein paar nette Zeilen. Viele liebe Grüße Katja

Britta Heitbrink-Fritzel Mar 09.2003 23:40

Hallo Jo, Ines hat mir über Ester deine Homepage Adresse genannt und jetzt sitzen wir hier und staunen Bauklötze über eure tollen Bilder u Berichte. Vor Neid ganz blaß, da wir ja sowohl in NZ als auch in Aus nur je 4 schlappe Wochen verbringen konnten. Aber immerhin haben wir an den Pancake Rocks und im Milford Sound Sonnenschein gehabt, ist ja auch was wert. Wir werden mit Spannung Eure weitere Berichterstattung verfolgen. Grüße aus der Heimat Britta Heitbrink-Fritzel

.: box66 :.