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Australien / New South Wales

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land under instead of Downunder

Sunday, 07 March 2010 08:30

'Dolphins! Can you see them?' Plenty of them are surfing in the waves beneath the lighthouse of Port Macquarie. In the morning we enjoyed the sunrise over the sea - directly out of our luyury bed.

We still stay with Lin and Prue. We met them on the motorcycle rally. They're an interesting couple which had to escape out of South Africa in 1985. Thankful we enjoy the music, played by father and son in the evening and share some stories with them. We use the time too to get the shock absorber of the Yamaha checked. Thanks for yor help, Lin! The absorber's too old to do a good job and we have to order a new one. Later. Afer 3 days staying in Port Macquarie we have to leave. Time's flying so fast and the family prepares for a motorcycle trip to Tasmania.

After a drive along rough and rocky forest tracks we find a deep cut in the rear tire of the Yamaha the next day. We decide to try a slowly trip back to Port Macquarie, which is 50km away - along the coast. To avoid to drive the Hwy we take a dirtroad. After 30km the tire is flat and completely cuted. The next farm is too far away and so we spend the night at the side of the street . Next day we manage it to drive to Kempsey with the Honda and buy a new tube and tire. After a hard job of 3hrs in the sun the tire's changed!

The drive along the Oxley Hwy is windy, green and nice. But I wonder why Rene's driving slower and slower. After a while he reports that the back part of the bike is hard to control. It's 'swimming' on the road. Again we have to drive a slowly break-down-speed and hope that the frame isn't broken. We pitch the tent besides the Hwy and feel the first time how fragile our journey is. A broken frame would be the end... There has been a loud 'crack' this morning when we lifted he bike on the central stand... In Armidale the mechanic brings our posiive thinking back: it's just the bad tire which isn't able to cope with the load. He helps us a lot - and wants no money! Really reliefed we travel onward along the Waterfall Way. And what water it has in store for us! Pouring rain, mist and freezing temperatures again. The dirtroad we driving becomes a muddy thing and we pitch our tent on a lookout with view into a white soup of clouds and rain.

We escape to Bellingen. Here we find a bed, a place to dry our equipment and a hot shower in the house of Tiffany and Klaus. Klaus is a german fellow from Norderney and about to found a sailing school. Because the weather forecast is too wet we decide to look for a job. In a fruit- and vergi-shop we find work and next day we start to pack potatoes, mangoes, to cut salad etc. After 4 hrs we quit the job again. Our boss is the most terrible man we've ever met. The biggest a...hole you can imagine. Better riding through rain than working in this conditions any longer!

And so it comes: we start a new trip into the mounatins but the rain becomes worse. In Glen Innes we have to give up: in 8 degrees, storm, heavy rain we have to turn. 3 trousers and 4 liners on top can't stand this cold weather. A caravan club gives us a place on their campfire and we sleep that night beneath their tarps.

Next day: big parts of the flat areas around Casino (close to Lismore) are flooded. 4. March: for Renes birthday we drive to Byron Bay to have a swim in the huge waves and to enjoy some of the first sun beams since days! On our way through Nimbin we find a real hippie-Valley where the smell of grass is hanging between very alternative shops. When Dave comes along the street in Kyogle I think immidiately 'what an interesting guy'. He and Joy inviting us to their house in the middle of the bush, close to the Border Ranges NP. Their stories are amazing and will be told in our next report. We will cross the Queensland border within the next days.

Monique

wild times

Friday, 19 February 2010 12:28

Silence. Silence surrounds us when our canoe's gliding through the water of a creek near Patonga. We watch sea eagles fliying and hunting fishes. Rod took us to his home last night, gave us a bed and today we took his canoe for a couple of hours. Thanks Rod again for all your help and hospitality!

Some hours later we find ourselfes gazing along the coastline of Boudi NP. Breathtaking colours of red and yellow sandsone cliffes, mixed with the deep blue of the ocean and extended by the intensive green of the rainforest occuring along or hiking trek. We could spend days here... But the Watagans NP is waiting for a visit, too. Another hike leads us down into 'leech-country': the thick rainforests. We spot some rare birds (like the Glossy Black Kakatoo and Lyrebird) and enjoy the fact that we are the only ones on the bushcamp. But not any longer! When we come back from a short dirtroad drive we find the Yamaha surrounded by 8 cars of the Ambulance! We didn't call them! The place seems to burst in white-orange and is full with blue uniforms. A really strange scene in this remote area here... The guys having a 4WD training for a couple of days and we hear some thrilling stories about bush rescue at the campfire. Maybe we should stop hiking?!

In Hunter Valley we can't find a job because the grape harvest is already over. When we stop to make new plans we can hear a very well-known sound and a packed Suzuki is stopping besides our table. It's Bryan. He's in his 60ies and on the way to a motorcycle meeting close to here. Of course we'll join! That's how it comes that we spend 3 days in the forest, surrounded by bikes, wonderful people, mud and dirt and having a great time! Highlights? Plenty of them! But maybe some special ones: we get the award for the 'longest disance arrival' and have a great dungel-trip with four drunken aussies at midnight.

On Feb 14th we celebrate 3 months of our trip and drive to Barrinton Tops NP. A 3 day-hike is waiting for us! Next morning: pouring rain, mist and a not too enthausiastic start. The dirtroad to the hike is a big mess. The first hour brings more rain and about 20 leeches for each of us. Behind a corner: brumbies! Our first ones ever! We' re excited, trying to get closer. They're not escaping... Strange. The stallion tries to protect the group and wants to attack us. After waiting for some minutes, making noises and nothing happened we have no other chance than going back. Our clothes are exremely wet anyway. We drying the stuff on a fire while a Sydney Funnel Web Spider aproaches the place and fortunatly leaves the shelter later on...

Next day the sun is out again on this altitude of 1500m and one of our best days on the motorcycles follows. The start is a little thrilling: a Diamond Python is laying on the street and I watch her a little too long. In this time Rene already stoped in front of me. Emergency break on dirt... The bike slides on the very left edge of the street and - stops! With shaking knees I get off. But the python was worth it! A magnificent animal! Great colours... The dirt track becomes sealed again and we ride along a windy road through a landscape which reminds us on Emmenthal, Switzerland. It follow abot 80km on remote dirt and the end of the day is my first 4WD ride. We learned a lot today and we're glad about pitching our tent... A long day - but great landscape! Next day we follow an invitation to Port Macquarie, where we're now. Thats the next story - next time.

Our route: until monday in the region of Port Macquarie (Warrikimbe NP), afterwards direction Armidale (Oxley Hwy), Dorrigo NP (Waterfall Way), Coffs Harbour, Grafton

Monique

time for some rain

Thursday, 04 February 2010 00:59

Australia Day in Sydney: the townscape is certainly of the Australian flag on T-shirts, faces, nude upper part of bodys and hats. In the air is live music and the smelling of barbeque. We are standing in front of the opera house (with the obligatory tattoo of the flag in the face), smiling in the camera and thinking: “More Australia is not possible”

The harbor together with the old houses and trades in the district “The Rocks” is the most impressive thing for us in Sydney. Many more we can not find on this city. In the late evening we are on the Darling Harbor for the big fireworks. It is an impressive spectacle with illuminated sailboats and colorful rockets. After that, thousands of people are walking to the trains. We are among them… We hurry to escape the crouds.

Pleasant surprise! Steve (our friend from Canberra) is with his kids for one night in Sydney. We are very glad to see him again. We visit with them the Wildlife Center. The most of interesting Australian animals can we see here - poisneous, kuddly and bitchy ones. We hope that we'll never see them to close in the wild. Later we spend the night in Steves apartment and catch up on all the talks we missed the last time.

On 01-29-10 we're going to go for a harbour boat trip. Owen and us know each other from our time in the Budawangs and he's taking us on his boat. The next four hours we drive along the Operahouse and Sydneys skyline in perfect summer weather. It's impressive to meet people like Owen again and again - Thanks a lot for this nice day!

On February 30th we have finally back on the road and driving unhurried in the direction of the Blue Mountains. Their name comes from the eurcalypus oil which evaporates in the morning and lays a blue fog over the landscape. When we want to start from a break the Yamaha isn't starting anymore. Rene's trying to fix it. Soon the first motorcycle stops. It's Denis. The broken fuse is found soon and we ride with 3 bikes in the direction we just came from. We're going to drive to Denis' home. He was one of the best motocross racers in Australia until 2001 and knows the Blue Mountains by heart. We pitch our tent in his garden. His neighbour has a birthdayparty today and we find ourselfes soon among 30 strangers. We have a lot to tell, to eat and a good game of pool. We are surprised again about the quick change of our plan for today.

In permanent rain we escape next day to Bathurst - to Rob, a friend of Denis'. Bathurst is one of the old goldrush-mekkas and Rob was digging for gold too, in former years. It's impressive to hold this heavy metal in our hands and to imagine what big rush it created on so many places in the world. Today Rob's crazy about bikes and has 6 of them in his garage. After he had a look at our bikes they work like brand new ones (almost...). Thanks for your help, Rob!

Because of bad weather forecasts for the next days we have to leave his house the next day - too soon. Our todays aim is the Jenolan Caves - a huge system of flowstone caves - where the street is leading directly going through one of the big, big caves. We feel extremely tiny on our bikes...

Showers and clouds are creating bad visiblity the next day. Despite the fact we enjoy the canyons, forests and cliffs a lot. The Blue Mountains are turning into the Grey Mountains as long as we stay there. The region gets touristy, the highways are broader, louder, more dangerous. We choose a dirt road which is more a mud-slip-waterhole way than a road. At night we receive more rain and awake in morning in a wet tent, surrounded by a muddy hole. What a start today!

We make a detour to the Red-Hands-Cave which isn't worth the trip on the creek-like-road. The cave is covered with a cage and fibre glass protection and it's hard to see it's interior. In a bad mood we driving along the boring highway to the coast. In Mona Vale we have sunshine! Unbelievable!

We feel like home when we come to Annas and Matts home. Anna came to Australia more than 3 years ago and is from the area around Munich, Germany. We met them on our way to Sydney. Our house is located 3 minutes from the stunning cliffs above the Pacific Ocean and the same way to the next beach. On our first morning Matt's really excited: a friend of him discovered a Sydney Funnel Web Spider in his garage. When we get out of our beds directly on the bikes and driving up there the spider has not survived closing the lid of the plastic box. Dead it's not lethal for us anymore...

Did you know that this spider is just lethal for humans (kills a child within 15 mts)? This makes her to the most deathly spider in the world. Her fangs can get through fingernails and boots.

Our route follows the following points within the next days (we are not sure when we'll leave this nice place): from Mona Vale up north to a hike in Bouddi NP, Hunter Valley (lookning for a job)... After that? Let's see...

Monique

about finding ways

Monday, 25 January 2010 02:33

We drove our bikes 2511km from Melbourne to Sydney, which is 16000km from our hometown Dresden. Thats for the people among you, who are keen on numbers. But what's behind the facts?

The smell of eucalyptus and pines is blowing through our eyepieces when we drive on a dusty dirtroad into the Morton NP. The intensive smell reminds us on rheumatic ointments and on grandpa's home for a couple of seconds before we realising through what a unique forest we drive. Nobody's around as we arrive at our bushcamp for tonight. Just the storm is hauling as he was the whole day. It was so cold that we needed our grip heaters.

On our camp we find a sign with the following content: "We'd like to recommend hiking in this area just for VERY experienced bushwalkers and witch has very good navigation skills and have done some survival trainings." We look at our compass we bought in a Tschibo Store and at our little detailed map. Let's start! With heavy backpacks we start our planed 4 day hike into the heart of the Budawangs - one of the last wilderness areas in Australia. The way's ascending steeply and vegetation is dense. After a few hundred meters we're thinking about going back. But soon the area is a little more open spaced and we can find our way. Eucalyptusforest. At noon heat and dry weather. Heaps of butterflys and huge ants. There's not much more to see within the next 6 hrs. The ways are that crowded with dense vegetation that we have problems to get trough. We don"t know when the last hikers came along that ways...

In the afternoon we realize, that we hiked 6km within 6hrs (!) instead of the planed 10km within 5 hrs. Anyhow we just took one time the wrong way. We're going to have a lack of water and the next bigger river is 4km in front of us. Too far away. We're exhausted, soaked with sweat and decide to make our way back. We pitch our tent on a flat rock and enjoy the wonderful scenery of this limestone area. At sunset we can't even imagine that we started this morning in Canberra...

At noon the next day we're back on our motorbikes. That's how a 4-day hike becomes a one and a half day hike. The roads along the coast are full of traffic. It's still holiday time in Australia... During a break we meet an elderly man, who looks very enthusiasitic at our bikes. He rode a Triumph in 1976 from London to Australia and some memories overwhelming him now.

The next days we spend in the forest again. The campground is full of wildlife. We see goannas, wallabies and lots of birds. We hike up Pigeon House Mountain and enjoy an magnificent view over the landscapes of the Budawangs until the coastline. Back on the road we driving along the coastline and having our first REAL bath in the waves of the Pacific Ocean. Great!

A hauling storm tries to blow us off the motorbikes the next day. No bathing anymore... Even eating in the outdoors is difficult. We drive a little bit more inland and it takes us 4hrs to find a campspot for this night. The Honda isn't starting anymore or just with a little hiting the battery. Something with the contacts is wrong. The Yamaha has a broken tachometer. Rain comes up and we fall exhausted and nerved in our sleepingbags. This is traveling, too.

Despite the beautyful coast the traffic keeps stressing us a lot. The most days we're riding from 8a.m. until 5p.m. to make about 150km. Constistently we need to stop, having a bath etc. Days start to run. Time is not important for us anymore. We don't have any watch on our wrists, no appointments, no duties. Maybe that's why you hear of us just every second week. For us it feels like 5 days because time seems to fly. We try to keep our website as much as possible up to date. Photos taking a little time, too because we're not always able to upload them anywhere. Anyhow we're always happy about your mails and feedback. Keep on!

Our last part of our trip from Canberra to the "secret capital" of Australia has been very diversified. Now we arrived in a suburb of Sydney where we stay for a couple of days in a forest lodge of an family who is keen on arts. Tomorrow we're going into the city to celebrate the day of the days in Australia - the Australia Day!

We are about planing our route. Possibly we'll spend about one week in Sydney because we have a lot of invitations... After that we're heading for the route to the Blue Mountains and afterwards along the coast. Direction> North. On the way we'll try to find some work....

Here's something for our new rubric: Did you know that the emu and the kangaroo is able to move just foreward? That's why you can find both species on the australian crest. They symbolize the progress of Australia.

Monique

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