Noosa National Park

Last night was intense. I empty a good number of Victoria bitter jugs with a good bloke from Würzburg. A Japanese guy plays the guitar, a Finnish Beethoven makes a table fall over. The British girls just drink, as usual (sorry, Sam, there are exceptions :-). By midnight I’m pretty exhausted and fall into bed. Despite the partying outside, it’s nice and cool and quiet inside.

The next morning I’m a hiker again. My engine is broken, and my money is running hellishly low for the first time on the journey. So? ALDI! I walk a good kilometre, shop cheaply for the next few days and then carry 10kg of food back to the hostel. Breakfast: 1kg of scrambled eggs, extra greasy. Strange: I still feel sick afterwards. But different…

A couple of Norwegian girls from the night before want to go to Noosa National Park. The way they look, it would be a shame not to join them. I quickly organise a second mechanic to have a look at the car. Then we take the free shuttle into town.

Noosa National Park is quite small, but very beautiful. Wild cliffs, jungle, secluded beaches. Small dragons, wild turkeys, koalas. We do the 6km Coastal Trail. Kind of like the Abel Tasman in Australian. Okay, a bit shorter.

At the halfway point, I have to step on the gas and charge forwards alone. Run the second part, then try to stop back to Noosa. But Aussies don’t like stoppers. I have to take the bus and arrive just in time for the appointment agreed with the mechanic. He doesn’t. At three he takes a look at the car and calms me down a bit.

Yes, the oil is leaking. But not that bad. There’s a waterfall coming out of the water pump, that’s not good. Estimate: $500. Will probably take five days. Seeing the good here means: could have happened in a much worse place.

The next day there’s another sign: The engine died in exactly the right place. My tow truck had given me the number of a friend. He fixes the engine for me by Saturday, for $175. I just have to stay here for a week. What’s the point? It rains constantly. I work while the world drinks itself into the ground.