Reset search
Australien 2016-17
  • Katharina Schumacher

Australien 2016-17

A 350-day adventure by Katharina Read more
FollowInsightsInsightsCalendarCalendarShareShareBucket list
Newest first
  • Katharina SchumacherAustralien 2016-17Katharina Schumacher

    Kuranda

    January 3, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    On the 2nd of January we flew from Sydney to Cairns ( about 3.5h Australia is a big country).
    We arrived late and basically went straight to bed.
    The next day I took the Kuranda Scenic Railway up to Kuranda .
    It took about 1.5h to get there but the train is really slow since it is a scenic railway. The drive through the rainforest was beautiful. 💕
    I spent some time in Kuranda wandering around the markets and visiting the Butterfly Sanctuary.
    I took the Skyrail back from Kuranda which basically means flying over the tops of the rainforest.
    It was a bit scary at first (afraid of heights) but I got used to it and the view was worth everything. 💕
    It was a little cloudy but that made the mountain tops look even more amazing. 💕    Read more

  • Katharina SchumacherAustralien 2016-17Katharina Schumacher

    Butterfly Sanctuary

    January 3, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Because you can only choose six pictures per post I had to do a seperate post on the Butterfly Sanctuary in Kuranda.
    They had a wide variety of colourful butterflies, some really big ones as well.
    It was a lot of fun trying to take a picture of every different one I saw 💕.Read more

  • Katharina SchumacherAustralien 2016-17Katharina Schumacher

    Frankland Islands

    January 4, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    I had to get up early (as always) to join a tour to one of the Frankland Islands.
    Westover down to the Mulgrave River where we went on board of a ship that took us down the river across the ocean to Normanby (or Normandy Island who knows).
    The islands are Nationalpark area and UNESCO world heritage listed. This means there is nothing one the island except some wooden tables and benches.
    We got our masks, snorchels and finns as well as stinger suits.
    Stinger suits need to worn to protect your skin from the poisonous Jellyfishes that live here.
    The islands are surrounded by the Great Barrier Reef which is exactly where we went snorkelling.
    It was absolutely amazing. 💕 We saw the massive colourful coral reef with all it's inhabitants. Lots of small and big colourful fishes (we even found Nemo) , as well as crabs, a stingray, giant clams (they were bigger than my upper body) and lots of Green Sea Turtles. 💕
    One really big one was just swimming underneath me which was incredible. 💕
    We did lots of snorkelling as well as an island walk and eventually we went back on the boat to make our way home again.
    Snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef will not be something I will forget easily. 💕    Read more

  • Katharina SchumacherAustralien 2016-17Katharina Schumacher

    Daintree Rainforest

    January 5, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    The last trip I had planned while being in Cairns was a tour through the Daintree Rainforest Nationalpark. I got picked up at 6:55am and we drove from Cairns to Port Douglas first to pick up all the others. We finally made our way along side the Great Barrier Reef into the Daintree Rainforest. We went to different lookouts and did a rainforest walk where we even got to see a cassowary. (They are flightless birds, can get up to 2m tall and are the deadliest birds alive).
    We went all the way up to Cape Tribulation where we had lunch and went for a stroll along the beach (warning sings about crocodiles are everywhere). Swimming in any river or the ocean up here is deadly because of the saltwater crocodiles and the poisonous jellyfishes.
    Our tour guide kept making jokes about Germans because apart from Australians Germans are the ones who get eaten by crocodiles the most.
    Which was why he suggested to put me into the water while we were on a boat cruise on the river looking for crocodiles.
    We eventually saw crocodiles without me getting wet.
    They were mostly swimming in the river because of the high tide, so the only picture I got was of a baby crocodile lying on a muddy river bank.
    We also saw the large fruit bats and the pythons that eat the bats.
    On our way back through the Rainforest we stopped to grab some icecream. 💕
    They grow all their ingredients for the icecream in the rainforest and we got four different flavours.
    The flavours were Macadamia Nut (the only one I had tasted before), roasted Wattleseed (Australia's national plant), Davidson Plum (it's like a jungle plum) and Black Sapote (also called chocolate pudding fruit).
    I liked all of them 💕. Macadamia Nut was my favourite though, Wattleseeds tasted kind of like coffe and hazelnut, Black Sapote like chocolate pudding (hence the name) and Davidson plum was kind of tangy but also sweet and fruity (and it had the best colour).
    We ended the tour with a last stop at the Mossman Gorge which is a beautiful waterfall but unfortunately it was raining by the time we got there. But oh well what would the rainforest be without a little rain. 💕    Read more

  • Katharina SchumacherAustralien 2016-17Katharina Schumacher

    Townsville, Reef HQ

    January 7, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    My day in Townsville was spent in the Reef HQ Aquarium. I will forever love going to an aquarium. I especially liked the turtle hospital where sick or injured turtles are taken care of until they can be released back into the ocean. The Great Barrier Reef is just an amazing creation of nature and we should protect it and the amazing creatures that life in it 💕Read more

  • Katharina SchumacherAustralien 2016-17Katharina Schumacher

    Whitsunday Sailing

    January 8, 2017 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 26 °C

    There are no words to describe the two days I spent sailing in the Whitsunday National Park. 💕
    We had the best boat, the best crew, the best group of people, the best atmosphere and the best scenery. It was just perfect.💕
    We spent the time sailing, snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef, kayaking around the ocean, jumping of the boat, relaxing at Whitehaven Beach and laughing.
    Those were seriously the best days of my life. 💕
    I'm so sad to not be on the S.V. Whitehaven anymore But I'm immensely grateful for what I got to experience. 💕    Read more

  • Katharina SchumacherAustralien 2016-17Katharina Schumacher

    Capricorn Caves

    January 13, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    After seeing lots of beaches I decided to do something different for the day I had in Rockhampton.
    The Capricorn Caves are 23km north of Rockhampton and were originally formed underwater when coral started building up as limestone on the sea floor. Today the Caves are above sea level and open to the public. 💕
    I joined the Cathedral Cave tour at 11am. It really was a perfect timing because the 11am tours in December and January are the only ones where you can witness the summer solstice light spectacle.
    The Caves were really interesting and when we came to the Cathedral Cave which is a real cathedral (hence the name) our tour guide turned of the lights and put Hallelujah on to show us the truly magnificent acoustics of the cave. 💕
    After that the sun had reached it's place just on top of a small opening in the cave ( summer solstice). The sunbeam that enters the cave is strong enough to light paper on fire and a disco ball under that beam makes the light dance around you on the cave walls. 💕    Read more

  • Katharina SchumacherAustralien 2016-17Katharina Schumacher

    Lady Elliot Island

    January 16, 2017, Great Barrier Reef ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    Another Day, another Island 💕
    Let's just say I was a bit worried when I saw the toy plane that was supposed to fly us to Lady Elliot Island especially when you consider that we had heavy rain fall at the airport that day.
    But the amazing view of the Great Barrier Reef made up for a bumpy takeoff. 💕
    It is a relatively small island and we spend the day Reef walking, snorkelling and fish feeding in rock pools.
    The snorkelling was by far the best part of the day. Lady Elliot Island is famous for the many Manta Rays that inherit the ocean around it.
    I was lucky enough to encounter four of those majestic creatures while snorkelling. 💕
    Swimming with 3-4meter big Mantas is definitely something I won't forget. 💕    Read more

  • Katharina SchumacherAustralien 2016-17Katharina Schumacher

    My birthday 2017 /Sydney

    January 20, 2017 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 22 °C

    It took me about 24h on a bus to get from Bundaberg to Sydney (Australia really is a massive country). My first stop in Sydney was the international airport because I was waiting for my parents' flight to arrive. 💕
    I don't think my parents had ever imagined flying to Australia but here they were now. 💕
    After they adjusted to the 30degree heat difference and the 10h time difference between Germany and Australia (you did well) we walked down to the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour.
    The next day we explored Sydney a bit further and the day after that was my birthday. 💕
    We went out for breakfast in the morning and did some birthday shopping afterwards (of course only because it was raining so we couldn't do anything else).
    The evening was probably my favourite because we watched the sunset with drinks from the Opera Bar.
    I don't think there is a better way or a better place to celebrate a birthday. 💕
    Thank you for the perfect birthday. 💕    Read more

  • Katharina SchumacherAustralien 2016-17Katharina Schumacher

    Port Macquarie

    January 22, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    The first stop of our road trip was Port Macquarie.
    My dad handled driving on the other side of the road really well he only had to get used to the blinker being on the other side of the steering wheel (but having a clean window is also important so why not use the wipers from time to time even if it is sunny outside).
    After we arrived in Port Macquarie we did the coastal walk which was really nice but maybe a little bit to long at the end as we had to walk all the way back home.
    The next day we visited the lighthouse and the koala hospital. 💕
    We even got to see a wild koala in the tree of our Airbnb which was pretty special. 💕
    The rest of the day was spent relaxing at the beach.    Read more

  • Katharina SchumacherAustralien 2016-17Katharina Schumacher

    Byron Bay

    January 24, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Our second stop was Byron Bay. We drove to the lighthouse and walked to the most easterly point of the Australian mainland.
    We then decided to go for Thai for dinner (that might have happened more than once during these holidays). The food was delicious, so delicious we went there two days in a row. 💕
    The next day was a beach day. The beach was only five minutes away from our house and we even got to see lots of wallabies every time we walked to and from the beach. 💕
    The day was so much fun. The waves were rather high but that only made it more fun.
    At the end of the day some of us had had a little too much sun but oh well this is Australia. 💕    Read more

  • Katharina SchumacherAustralien 2016-17Katharina Schumacher

    Australia Day 2017 /Brisbane

    January 26, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Happy Australia Day 💕
    We arrived in Brisbane just in time for Australia Day. I must say I love Brisbane since the first time I visited it. We had the best house which was just in the heart of South Bank (the best place to be in Brisbane).
    I was finally reunited with the best ice cream in the whole universe and in the evening we got to watch the Australia Day 2017 fireworks from the front row. 💕
    Christmas on Gili Air, my birthday at the Sydney Opera House and Australia Day in Brisbane (amongst other countless amazing things), I guess I'm pretty lucky. 💕    Read more

  • Katharina SchumacherAustralien 2016-17Katharina Schumacher

    Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

    January 27, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Of course we had to go there even though I had already been. It is the perfect opportunity to see all of Australia's native animals and I didn't mind going a second time at all. 💕
    I even got to volunteer at the free flight raptor show this time which was pretty special. 💕
    My mum also got to hold a koala (look at the cute photo) which is an obligatory thing to do in Australia. 💕
    We then went to take selfies with the kangaroos which is harder than it looks trust me.
    It was a really nice day and I guess you can't come to Australia without experiencing it's unique wildlife like this. 💕    Read more

  • Katharina SchumacherAustralien 2016-17Katharina Schumacher

    Fraser Island

    January 29, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Our last stop was Hervey Bay where we had booked a Fraser Island tour. I know I've been there before but Fraser Island is always a good idea. 💕
    We left early and took the ferry to Fraser Island with our first stop being Lake Mackenzie.
    On the way my parents gotta experience the nice Fraser roads (it's only sand). It is always a bumpy ride but it does have a rather big fun factor.
    Lake Mackenzie was beautiful with it's crystal clear water and pure white silica sand. 💕
    The second stop was Maheno shipwreck followed be the champagne pools and Indian Head with it's amazing view of the island.
    The last stop was Eli Creek before we headed back to Hervey Bay.
    We saw turtles, rays and Dingoes additional to the magnificent views of the island that day. It was a big success.💕    Read more

  • Katharina SchumacherAustralien 2016-17Katharina Schumacher

    Back home (Armidale)

    January 30, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    After 8 weeks of travelling, 4 flights and around 15.000km I arrived back home in Armidale.
    Those 8 weeks have been more than amazing. 💕
    I am truly thankful for all the magical things I got to see/do. and it really has been an adventure of a lifetime. 💕
    Thank you to everyone who made all of this possible for me. 💕    Read more

  • Katharina SchumacherAustralien 2016-17Katharina Schumacher

    Costumes, Cleaning and heaps of fun

    April 7, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Who would've thought cleaning and tidying up could be so much fun?
    The drama department finally found a key for one of their store rooms and of course that one looked like an absolute mess.
    One day before we left for the holidays we started cleaning and throwing things out because most of the things in there were ready for the bin (we even found mummified lemons).
    Some of the costumes were still wearable though and we had heaps of fun dressing up in all the crazy ways
    possible. And of course we took pictures of our favourite creations. 💕    Read more

  • Katharina SchumacherAustralien 2016-17Katharina Schumacher

    Auckland

    April 8, 2017 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Our next adventure started with the 6am flight from Armidale to Sydney (you can probably guess why this one is always the cheapest).
    After the 7h layover in Sydney we finally got to board our plane to Auckland, New Zealand. 💕
    3h later and we were waiting for our bags but only one of two made it #thanksAndrew. Anyway we made our way to the hostel and crashed right into bed.
    What better way to start a holiday than with an incredible breakfast? We had smoothie bowls (edible art) and lime and sea salt sodas. 💕
    Auckland surprised us with warmer weather than we expected but New Zealand can have four seasons in one day which we did learn over the next two weeks.
    After a sightseeing wander across the city and a trip to Starbucks we fortunately got a call about the missing bag which was reunited with Sophie a couple hours later.
    We were finally ready for the upcoming adventure that would take us across the North and South Island of New Zealand. To celebrate we went to the cinema to finally watch Beauty and the Beast.
    Okay seriously that was the best movie I have seen in a long time maybe even ever. It is such a beautiful story and the dream of every disney child. 💕
    What can I say it was the perfect start to the perfect holiday.💕    Read more

  • Katharina SchumacherAustralien 2016-17Katharina Schumacher

    Coromandel

    April 10, 2017 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    First day of our tour and we got to meet our bus and btw I'm still surprised that it didn't break down even when we were driving through mountains and some roads who didn't deserve that name.
    The first stop of our tour was the Coromandel Peninsula where the Cathedral Cove from Narnia is located. Well talking about weather, New Zealand had just experienced a cyclone (we didn't have to wait to long for the next one) which meant the Cathedral Cove was flooded so we did a walk along the cliffs to at least get a look at it from above the cliffs. 💕
    The next stop was Shakespeare Cliff with it's lonely bay that 100% looked like a movie set (most of New Zealand actually does). 💕
    It was unreal and of course a perfect spot for some photos.
    One of the activities we got to do and for me a must-do in New Zealand was a bone carving course. We got to choose one traditional Maori pendant to make and both went for the Fish Hook because we liked the meaning the best. Just as last time in Bali we were not convinced on how our endresults would look like but hey I think we did pretty good, don't you? 💕    Read more

  • Katharina SchumacherAustralien 2016-17Katharina Schumacher

    Waitomo

    April 12, 2017 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Have you ever burned your feet while walking on a beach?
    Most of us have probably experienced very hot, sun-heated sand but it is something different that makes this beach in New Zealand special. It is indeed not the sun and actually not even the sand that turns the ground into a stovetop. It is the ground water that seeps through fractures in the ground and gets heated by volcanic activity 2km under the surface of the earth before it rises to the surface again. This water reaches temperatures around 60 degrees which, trust me, is enough to burn your feet.
    But if you dig a hole at the right spot where the hot ground water is mixed with the cold ocean water you get a perfectly warm spa pool directly on the beach.
    It was definitely fun to experience this one of a kind phenomenon, our earth truly is amazing. 💕
    Waitomo is famous for its Glowworm Caves and deservedly so. We joined a tour where we got to walk down into the cave where we got to see some magnificent stone formations and even got a little concert to show us the perfect accustics down there. 💕 The highlight of the tour though was the boat ride at the end.
    You enter a part of the cave that would be completely pitch black if it weren't for the millions of Glowworms that cover the ceilling of the cavesystem.
    They glow in a turquoise blue-ish light and it truly is a magical sight. I have never seen anything like it and it definitely was a once in a lifetime experience and one of the many highlights of our New Zealand tour. 💕
    On our way to Rotorua we spotted some ostrich and of course New Zealand's famous sheep.
    Later that evening we went to a Maori cultural show. It was really informative and interesting and we got to see the Haka dance and other Maori dances. It was a great night with amazing food. 💕    Read more

  • Katharina SchumacherAustralien 2016-17Katharina Schumacher

    Hobbiton

    April 13, 2017 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit..... 💕
    That's the first sentence of J.R.R. Tolkien's book and it was also the reason we wanted to come to New Zealand.
    We actually didn't know anything about New Zealand other than that it was the movie set for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies (which I absolutely adore). 💕
    New Zealand has of course many more great things and places to offer but visiting Hobbiton was definitely our number one priority. 💕
    It was a dream come true when we went on the bus that would take us to Hobbiton. Unfortunately New Zealand experienced its second cyclone (Cyclone Cook) that time which for us meant heavy rainfall but nothing could ruin this magical experience not even a cylone.
    We were actually pretty lucky because all the tours after ours got canceled because of the weather.
    Anyway we started our tour through Hobbiton equipped with massive umbrellas and our cameras ready to take pictures of everything we saw. There are really no words to describe this place. There a 44 hobit holes, as well as the party ground and the Green Dragon. 💕
    I took countless pictures that day and it was truly heavenly. 💕
    We got to be Hobbits for the day and heard many stories about the building of the film set as well as behind the scenes knowledge about the actors and the movies itself.
    It is incredible how many details were considered while building this place from scratch. 💕
    We visited Bilbo's Bagend as well as Sam's home and ended the tour with some Ginger Beer at the Green Dragon.
    I still can't believe that I was really there. I will cherish those memories forever.💕    Read more

  • Katharina SchumacherAustralien 2016-17Katharina Schumacher

    Taupo

    April 14, 2017 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Since we couldn't do the Tangariro Crossing (you just got to love cyclones) we had nothing planned for our day in Taupo. When we woke up and realized the weather was actually pretty great (most of the cyclone passed us during the night) we decided to go on a boat cruise on Lake Taupo to see the Maori Rock Carvings. 💕
    The boat trip was great. I got to hand-feed ducks, we watched a fishing demonstration, got to see the carvings, watched somebody's canoe drift away, ate freshly baked blueberry muffins and enjoyed the sun.💕 Oh and we also saw a rainbow. I say it was a pretty good day even though we couldn't go on our hike and who knows maybe we will be back one day. 💕    Read more

  • Katharina SchumacherAustralien 2016-17Katharina Schumacher

    Huka Falls

    April 15, 2017 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    What I realized during my year in Australia and New Zealand is that some of the most beautiful things I have ever seen are creations of nature. 💕
    It is a bit strange when you say you looked at some moving water and it was beautiful in your opinion but I think these pictures speak for themselves. 💕
    The Huka Falls were just a quick stop on our journey from Taupo to Wellington but they were really unreal. 💕
    Because of the cyclone and all the rain it brought with it the Huka Falls were filled to the brimm with water, water that had a colour I had never seen before in a river. It was crystal clear and turqouise.
    We took a lot of pictures and stood there for a while just admiring the magnificent sight in front of us.
    There were so many moments during our time in New Zealand that just felt out of this world, this was one of them. 💕    Read more

  • Katharina SchumacherAustralien 2016-17Katharina Schumacher

    Wai-o-tapu Thermal Wonderland

    April 15, 2017 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Talking about out of this world experiences, have a look at the pictures and tell me they don't look like from another planet. 💕
    Wai-o-tapu is also called the Thermal Wonderland and rightly so. It is a collection of geothermal hot-pools, each of them containing different minerals, hence the colours. Most of the pools and rockformations originated in earthquakes or were formed because of collapsing volcanoes.
    It is definitely a spectacular and unique sight the only slightly unpleasant thing is the smell in the park. Because of all the hot minerals, especially the sulfur, the whole park (even some towns in New Zealand e.g. Rotorua) is covered in a cloud of rotten egg smell. When you thought you got used it you were hit by yet another cloud of hot stinky fog. Anyway it was still super interesting and fun to discover our planets more rough and pure side. 💕
    After the park we went to see the Lady Knox geysir erupt. In this case the eruption is caused by human hand.
    Biodegradable soap is thrown into the geysir to start the eruption, the hot water starts bubbling out of the geysir and eventually turns into a 10-20m high water fountain. It was the first geysir I have ever seen so I thought it was pretty cool and impresssive. 💕
    We then went on with our journey to Wellington which took us another six hours.    Read more

  • Katharina SchumacherAustralien 2016-17Katharina Schumacher

    Wellington

    April 16, 2017 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Wellington is the capital of New Zealand and also the windiest city of the country.
    What better way to start your Easter Sunday than with a treat to yourself? Our treat was going to the WETA Studios near Wellington. 💕
    All the probs, movie sets and costumes from movies like the Lord of the Rings triology, the Hobbit films, Narnia and so many more great movies were designed and made here. Most of the original probs and costumes that were used in the movies were returned to the Studios for storage.
    You can have a look at all those when you join one of the guided tours like we did. For copyright reasons your not allowed to take photos of the originals in the workshop but you can take pictures of the replicas for sale in the shop. You can buy everything there from bows and arrows over swords to life-size figurines of Gollum or others. 💕
    During our workshop tour they explained the process of making probs all the way from the director's first idea to the finished product. They also shared some behind the scenes knowledge about LotR and other films with us and we even got to play with some original probs from the actual movies like Torin Oakenshields shield and a skull from the Army of the dead scene (Return of the King, LotR).
    After this magical experience through the movies we drove up Mount Victoria to get a 360° view of Wellington. The weather changed soon after that and became really rainy and grey but it was the perfect weather for our visit to the national museum of New Zealand (Te Papa). 💕
    There really is something for everybody in there from native nature and animals to Maori Art, over the earthquakes and volcanoes that shaped New Zealand to our personal favourite exhibition on the Gallipoli mission during the first world war.
    The exhibition "Gallipoli the Scale of our War" portrays the mission of the Australian New Zealand Army Corps (ANZACs) in turkey. It is a very interesting yet incredibly moving exhibition.
    WETA Studios made eight over life-sized replicas of eight different people that fought in or were affected by the war. The exhibition focuses on the stories of these eight people which makes for a quite personal experience. It leaves you raw with feelings and a new perspective on the war as you get to 'meet' the people behind the numbers and facts. 💕    Read more

  • Katharina SchumacherAustralien 2016-17Katharina Schumacher

    Wellington-Nelson

    April 17, 2017 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    3 1/2 hours, that's how long it takes to cross the gap between the North and South Island of New Zealand via ferry. We found a rather perfect little spot on board of the ship and had the perfect view while staying warm behind the glass. 💕
    We spend the time reading and admiring the changing landscape. The South Island does look different compared to the North Island which we got to experience further after we arrived in Picton.
    Our spot for the night was Nelson but we stopped at a beautiful winery called "Cloudy Bay Winery". Since I will forever love everything that can be used as a swing I was more than happy with the seating at this place and it was such a good scenery in the midst of the wine fields. 💕
    After our little relaxed stop we drove to yet another movie set from the Hobbit movies. In real life the river is called Pelorus River but in the movie it is the forest river in which the Hobbits escape from the elves stuck in barrels.
    If you are a movie geek you should definitely consider going to New Zealand. 💕    Read more

  • 2025© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Help Center
  • Legal notice