Off to Cairns

3.8 k
views

I’m allowed to let myself go for a change, treat myself. There’s no better place for it. First night: the drunken banana plantation kids sit around loads of empty, expensive beer bottles. The dorm is a barracks, the kitchen so clean that even the cockroaches shine. At some point, England is bawling in the pool about the exposure of Swedish breasts. I go to bed and enjoy several bongo concerts during the night.

Day two. The local diving centre can’t be reached by phone. After walking five kilometres in 35 degrees I know why: it went bankrupt a year ago. The beach is beautiful, but dominated by the holy trinity: sharks, crocodiles, jellyfish. So that actually just means a dual system: the sharks have supposedly been decimated by the crocodiles. (more…)

Bad cards in Cardwell

Post
#182

2202

2008

Fri

20:44

day #

259

3 k
views

I leave Airlie Beach early. I continue northwards on the A1 motorway. Today’s destination is Mission Beach. There’s not much on the way, but at least after a few hundred kilometres the endless sugar cane fields are replaced by an almost refreshingly varied steppe landscape. A hill with a view. At the top, I enjoy the view and a steaming engine.

I drive on carefully, keeping a constant eye on the coolant gauge. After Townsville comes a steep hill. I gain momentum and cruise upwards at low revs. The result is similar again: my car, a steam engine. Waiting for it to cool down. Smoking, far too much. Top up with water. Watching tourists pass by. I’m stuck again. (more…)

Nothing Going On In Airlie Beach

Post
#181

2102

2008

Thu

16:50

day #

258

3.4 k
views

I drive off into the tropics, 900 kilometres north. When I open the car door after eight hours, I am struck by 35 degrees and over 80% humidity in the sugar cane swamp near Airlie Beach. It was recommended to me as a nice little coastal village with a good party atmosphere. My hostel: Backpackers by the Bay. Room: tropical, stunning musty odour.

Airlie Beach is overcrowded. You can only get to the beach through the park, every other beach access point within a 10km radius is built up with millionaire villas. The same applies to any point from which you would have a nice view. I like the east coast less and less. What remains is work, but after 2 weeks of constant stress I’ll soon have more time to travel again. (more…)

The Noosa Downwinder

Post
#179

1602

2008

Sat

22:30

day #

253

3.7 k
views

The days come and go. The place is good, but nothing happens anyway. The travellers drink, not with intent to destroy, but for no good reason and without lasting results. The little switch behind my right ear slips unnoticed from “life” to “survival”. I don’t stay outside, but I’m certainly not inside either.

The second mechanic is a yellow angel in grey – without having to pay for ADAC. Within 5 days, he replaces the water pump and adjusts the valve settings. Despite a serious accident at work, he single-handedly makes my car fit again in the promised time. I give him a good bonus and am happy to be able to continue my journey. (more…)

Noosa National Park

Post
#178

1202

2008

Tue

22:42

day #

249

3.3 k
views

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… (more…)

Blow up before the storm

Post
#177

1002

2008

Sun

19:24

day #

247

3.9 k
views

I drive on, completely exhausted. Last night was just as dreadful. I’ve never beaten anyone up before. Last night I was practically on the verge of it all the time. Experiences: see last entry. I grab my things and set off. After a hundred kilometres I realise: ay. Forgot to eat. Probably a sign: eat less!

Another thing I hadn’t realised before: the clocks run differently in Queensland. One hour closer to Europe, although the same longitude as New South Wales. That’s why I arrive in Noosa at 12 o’clock. I actually wanted to carry on, but I have good reason to stop here for a few days: The wind forecast from Windguru.cz. (more…)

Brisbane: Homestead Backpackers

Post
#176

0902

2008

Sat

19:40

day #

246

4.4 k
views

English readers: scroll down! We set off early for Brisbane. All the hostels in the city centre are expensive as hell, overbooked and don’t offer internet: Brisbane’s Homestead Backpackers Hostel. No direct internet, but a bar with WiFi for buying beer. I check in and cook one last meal for Verena and the Lord.

Then I take them to the airport. On the way, I realise that Brisbane is a real big city: it takes me almost two hours to cover the 15 km there and back. Then it’s off to the bar. It’s horrible, but I really have to order a beer so that I can go online. It’s not that annoying, but the price of €4 for a small beer is much more so. (more…)

The Last Night In Hippy Village

Post
#175

0702

2008

Thu

20:22

day #

244

3.4 k
views

Last night? Thousands! Once again: far too short. Last nights are magical for travellers. The best thing about them: practically every night is a last night, if you travel fast enough. Last nights are about taking stock. Finalising something, bringing it to an end, making room for something new. Every night.

That’s why last nights are sometimes a bit stressful: tidying up, organising, summing up. At the same time, of course, don’t forget how beautiful all the mess was before – and make sure it’s always there. Sometimes it’s hard to just let last nights be normal nights. Go to sleep. But that’s what turns the important last nights into gold. (more…)

Monster waves in Coffs Harbour

Post
#174

0602

2008

Wed

19:13

day #

243

3.2 k
views

We drive on to Coffs Harbour. We set up camp just a few metres from a rather lively surfer beach. It rains almost non-stop for the entire first day. Shopping, working, killing time. Nothing happens, and my friends spend the 6th day of a few in Australia in constant rain. I still have 10,000 kilometres of desert ahead of me, so I take it easy.

The next morning we have a massive problem naming the colour of the sky. Is it red? Or green? The hostel chief eventually says it’s blue. Usually a sign of good weather. Oi, oh, good weather? Good weather!!! (more…)

Down under: under water

Post
#173

0502

2008

Tue

22:22

day #

242

3.3 k
views

The most important part of my car: the windscreen wipers. There is no “interval”, only “fast” and “faster”. Signs call on us to save water. At the third one, we have a collective screaming fit. Then we drive on past flooded fields. The list of warnings on Australia’s official weather website gets longer and longer: cyclones, severe thunderstorms, flooding.

We continue northwards. We reach Port Macquire in the rain, one of Australia’s first three settlements. A hostel with internet, my services are in demand. I meet a couple of Israeli girls who I have met several times in New Zealand and Australia. Lord Peter fights with the prettier Ju-Jitsu. Day five in constant rain. (more…)

Colourful caves & blue sky

Post
#172

0402

2008

Mon

0:58

day #

241

3.3 k
views

The hostel in Katoomba is very nice. A small fireplace, large kitchen, free internet and no cockroaches. Okay, a 10cm spider scares me off for a moment. Cook, work, sleep. In the morning we drive to the Three Sisters, a famous rock formation. There’s nothing to see. Apart from a lot of fog.

We drive on to the Jenolan Caves, one of the largest karst cave systems in the world, an hour away. It’s really big, which means you have to drive to the car park through the cave entrance. There are 15 different tours on offer, ranging from one to six hours. We take the short one into Lucas Cave. (more…)

Sydney, sun deck…

Post
#170

3101

2008

Thu

19:40

day #

237

3.1 k
views

The last two days were tough, but rewarding. After a day of sightseeing and finding my way around Sydney by car, the next day I take the underground to a distant suburb. That’s where the big car dealers are. I get an address from the local trading post. After an hour on the underground and in a taxi, I’m standing in front of the Sydney Car King.

One of Sydney’s biggest car dealers, according to its own information, it now has just 15 cars. They are all rubbish. Cheap, leaky, dripping, rattling. He only allows test drives in the yard. When I press hard on the accelerator in the fifth car to hear the engine, the King steams closer, snorting with rage, and I leave shortly afterwards without having achieved anything. (more…)

G’day Australia!

Post
#169

2901

2008

Tue

21:26

day #

235

3.3 k
views

I think to myself, come on, don’t start a new country with lies. So I declare at customs: I have 425 cigarettes with me. With my mixture of convincing “playing the fool”, confusion and honest eyes, I get the customs officer to let me into Australia without penalty duty. Saves me a whopping €80.

The Monday after the Australian bank holidays is a postponed Sunday. Buses rarely run, many are cancelled. After a few trials and tribulations, I only arrive at the Palm Backpackers Hostel in Kings Cross at eight o’clock in the evening after three hours. There are 35 hostels and about as many brothels and massage parlours within a 500-metre radius. (more…)

Sweet as … Newzealand!

Post
#168

2801

2008

Mon

21:07

day #

234

3.4 k
views

The flight from Christchurch to Auckland goes smoothly. I take the bus and check in again at Yaping House for my last day in New Zealand. After walking a kilometre with 40kg of luggage, I’m pretty exhausted. As soon as I arrive, I finally run head-on into a really good person again.

That makes my last day in New Zealand very nice. Indian food, an afternoon on the beach. No wind, but it doesn’t matter with the right people. A nice bottle of wine in the evening. Everything is quiet. I look down on Auckland’s twinkling lights from Mount Eden. I’m exactly right, here and now. That’s why I can go on. (more…)

A Good Night: Story

Post
#167

2601

2008

Sat

15:27

day #

232

3.7 k
views

On my penultimate day in Christchurch, I reach Bosco, the Black Forest pirate from Mana/Fiji. He moved to New Zealand a few months ago. He’s been pretty cold since then. In the middle of New Zealand’s midsummer, he drops by my hostel in the evening wearing a thick fur jacket. I greet him warmly from the 100 people I met on the trip. Bosco is probably something of a legend among world travellers.

I’m pleased to see that he’s doing well. Apparently he doesn’t drink quite as much as he did on Mana. We change this habit on the spot. After a few rounds of pre-drinking, we stroll into the city centre. First club: Dux de Lux. Beer garden, bar and concert. The seven boys from Retrodelic Funk Machine really heat things up. The whole room is steaming. (more…)

Kiteboarding & Jugglers In Christchurch

Post
#166

2401

2008

Thu

18:51

day #

230

4 k
views

I work for a few days. Remote maintenance, support, skype, web design…even from bed. Life can be really hard :-) I take the bus to the beach near New Brighton. Buses in Christchurch are good: frequent, good network and cheap with a Metrocard (day: €2). Unfortunately, the wind is only good enough for a few bounces on the beach…yesterday there were 45 knots here and several thousand households without power…

The 10-day Buskers Festival is currently taking place in Christchurch. The whole city is full of buskers. It’s great fun and delays my every move. Mimes, jugglers, high-wire artists, clowns – there’s something to laugh and marvel at everywhere. I walk through the pedestrian zone with my kiteboard and am looked at as if I’m part of the festival. (more…)

Christchurch’s chronic back pain

Post
#165

2201

2008

Tue

18:39

day #

228

3 k
views

Middle-earth lies behind me. Christchurch in front of me. The journey on the 1.60 metre high bus takes almost 9 hours. Afterwards I’m a bit dejected. From Cathedral Square I lug 35kg of luggage back to the bus terminal and drive to the nearby Shalom Hostel. Nothing special, but cheap and WiFi.

First day: storm and rain. I walk through Christchurch soaking wet. Everywhere in New Zealand, the city planners have somehow managed to blend different architectural styles into a beautiful whole. In Christchurch they have failed completely. No two buildings fit together. Disneyworld, Brutalism, Victorian, timber house, Bauhaus, tower block, Mies. No two houses are the same scale. Bears! (more…)

The last days in Middle-earth

Post
#164

1801

2008

Fri

0:51

day #

224

3.1 k
views

I’m hanging out in Wanaka. No wind. The hostel is nice, the people are good. But just no wind. Sometimes I’m happy that it’s sometimes so easy for me to be happy. Sometimes it annoys me. Today, for example. No wind. I’m hanging around all day, wandering through the city. Nothing new in Wanaka.

I sleep to videos in the living room. Cook my salmon. Chat a bit with good people at home. Work. Then I head out into the nightlife – it’s Friday after all. The first bar sells beer at prices below supermarket level. The second is well above. A drunken Maori twat knocks over the first half of my Heineken. The second half is stolen. I watch the people partying. My day? (more…)

Rain and fire at Mount Cook

Post
#163

1701

2008

Thu

21:16

day #

223

3.1 k
views

I somehow feel like I should be travelling a long way today. I manage 650 kilometres by the evening. First I head back south through the hot coastal plain. Then I turn off onto completely empty roads heading west. I’m heading into the Alps again. Although it quickly becomes much cooler, the whole country is still golden in the rain shadow of the Alps.

There are several large lakes along the way. Turquoise, white and blue skies. The bush is on fire at Lake Pukaki near Mount Cook. It’s raining on my side. Mount Cook is hiding behind thick clouds, so I drive on to Wanaka. There’s a salmon farm on the way. I pick up half a salmon for very little money. (more…)

Nothing new in Akaroa

Post
#162

1601

2008

Wed

23:39

day #

222

3 k
views

I continue northwards. I’m riding fast today. 300 kilometres to the Akaroa Peninsula near Christchurch is a lot. I thought so. But between Oamaru and Christchurch is probably the longest, most boring and straightest road in New Zealand: 40 kilometres without a bend. I arrive four hours earlier than expected.

Akaroa is the Tuscany of New Zealand. An old volcanic crater, open to the south. Turquoise blue water and Mediterranean temperatures. It smells of lavender, thyme, cedar and pine trees. The fields are dry and golden in colour. Even some of the houses are imported directly from Tuscany. I drive to Omuku Farm Lodge. Kerstin is working here for three months. (more…)

Moeraki Boulder Kiting & Oamaru

Post
#161

1501

2008

Tue

21:13

day #

221

3.3 k
views

The largest gold mines in New Zealand are located near Palmerston. Unfortunately, the tour on the 200-tonne monster trucks is fully booked. Once again, it’s just as well: shortly afterwards I’m at the Moeraki Boulders. Once submarine boulders that have crystallised over the millennia. Round stone balls on the beach. Lots of tourists.

The beach is beautiful. 200 metres wide, fine sand, gently sloping. The wind is even nicer. Very laminar, 18 knots, side-onshore. Perfect. Kite out on the beach and off we go. Directly in front of the boulders, I make a few really great crash landings after unsuccessful jumps. At least jumping is now possible with the Vegas. (more…)

Scottish Weather In Dunedin

Post
#160

1401

2008

Mon

16:31

day #

220

2.8 k
views

The journey continues to Dunedin. For once, I set off early after little sleep. I arrive in Dunedin early in the afternoon and am quite impressed. I can almost smell something like history. Old buildings, imitation Italian Renaissance, neo-Gothic and again Art Deco alongside classicism. The first city in New Zealand where there are more stone buildings than wooden houses.

Why is clear: Dun-Edin means New Edinburgh and goes back to a Scottish foundation. Scots don’t like wood, but they really like black and white stone. It lasts longer and is therefore cheaper. I wind my way through Dunedin and soon find my hostel high up on a hill. (more…)

Catlins: South Pole Of My World Tour

Post
#159

1301

2008

Sun

22:36

day #

219

3.4 k
views

I sleep through the night. The villa is too beautiful and nobody is snoring in the 7-bed dorm today. When I wake up, it’s 11am and almost everyone has left. I get ready, take a Berlin woman to her plane to Stewart Island and set off eastwards.

I continue along the coast and soon arrive at Catlins Forest Park. In the 19th century it was practically completely mown down. The last remnants now form the centre of the park. Even before the forest, there are beautiful stretches of coastline. High cliffs, green grass, sheep and windswept tree hedges. The sun is blazing. (more…)

Storm In Invercargill

Post
#158

1201

2008

Sat

18:03

day #

218

3 k
views

On the journey to Invercargill, I notice a lot of trees that look like wind tunnel dummies. All the branches grow in one direction. Almost every house before Invercargill is surrounded by a hedge more than a house high. Good signs put the pedal to the metal. My hostel is small and cosy: Southern Comfort, an Art Nouveau Victorian villa near the park.

Invercargill is quite old compared to other cities in New Zealand. Many different architectural styles, neo-gothic, classicism, imitation baroque and of course art deco. A beautiful town. Unfortunately no wind on the day I arrived. No matter. The neighbour’s WiFi is hijacked. Good people here, good conversations and a beautiful sunset by the sea. (more…)

Off-road To Fjordland

Post
#157

1101

2008

Fri

18:40

day #

217