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My Time in Down Under

May - June 2023
I got the possibility to go on a FAM-Trip to Australia which I extended just a bit here and there. Read more
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  • TravelerMy Time in Down Under
    Day 1

    Starting earlier than planned

    May 14, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    When the email from my boss-boss came, I was hooked within seconds. Our partner AOT offered a 12-day FAM-Trip to Australia which was divided into two modules. The second one was stsrting in Cairns, going to Tasmania and ending in Perth. THAT was the shit I wanted to do! I asked my boss Christian if I could apply for one of the spots and he said "Can't be worse than a No". So I applied and it did come worse - they said Yes, you can go! Shoot, now I had to decide whether I could afford the flights to Down Under and the time. Originally, Seb and I wanted to go on a Van-Adventure to Norway with Aluna, but now that option became realistic. I had to decide within two days and God it was a lot of back and forth... But in the end, I decided to go. So I used the two weeks of Norway holiday, and packed them around the FAM-Trip as I wouldn't fly around the whole world only for 12 days. I would be gone for a whole month now... That was crazy. Especially with Aluna... But I would get a hold on this problem.
    The day to depart drew closer and closer and in the Friday before my flight, I got the bad news "The Deutsche Bahn would strike for 50h straight" and my train to Frankfurt would definitely be in that time... Shit. Thank goodness, I've got some connections with my dad. As he works for Maritim, he could get me a family-rated hotel room in Frankfurt so that I could arrive the day before. At least, I had the Rail & Fly ticket to use for the 14th,so no extra costs there. Just a lot of stress. And one day less to enjoy my dog. Damnit. I had to liv with it though, so I arranged to leave on Sunday afternoon and got everything fixed in time. And a day later, the news hit me again "The Deutsche Bahn could avoid the strike". Hell, I really do hate the DB. Why are people like that? I decided to still leave early on Sunday just to avoid more stress. So, under tears, I said goodbye to Seb and Aluna and boarded the train to Frankfurt main station. No delays whatsoever... A bit luck for me there. And then I only had to wander with my huge backpack 16min to the Maritim hotel which is situated directly next to the Congress centre of Frankfurt. Finally, I could check in and took the elevator up to the 8th floor to my room. I just wanted to drink a hot tea to calm myself down... But hey - I got disappointed again. There was no hot water kettle in the room. Amazing...    Read more

  • TravelerMy Time in Down Under
    Day 2

    The Pleasures of Flying

    May 15, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Today I woke up early to have a stressless start. I went down to the restaurant for breakfast although I felt super sick and didn't want to eat. After a Latte Macchiato without cocoa, and some bread, I didn't feel much better. I was so nervous that my stomach signalled me "Alert, alert" all the time. Nevertheless, I left my hotel room, checked out and went to the next tube station where I took the U4 to the main station to then enter an ICE to the airport. And my god, the Frankfurt airport is so huge and there are no good signs that would lead the way around. I had to ask two people to get to the Check-in. And then I stood in the queue for about an hour until they finally decided to open another Check-in so that the mile-long queue would shorten more quickly. I really hate waiting... After finally being checked in, I wanted to go to the Security Check, but the one for B was closed, so I had to go miles to the one for A. After that (tbh much shorter queue) I had to go back to B, yeah... But honestly, when you always have to walk miles and miles to the next place you have to be at, and then have to wait for that being done, the time flies...Read more

  • TravelerMy Time in Down Under
    Day 3

    The Worst Entry Ever

    May 16, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    The first 12hrs flight from Frankfurt to Singapore were never ending. I watched about 6 movies and couldn't sleep for a minute. Then I had 1,5hrs transit time in Singapore, which I tried to use as little nap time, but couldn't. I'm just not made for such long journeys...
    The next flight took only 4,5hrs but was worse than ever. Because I was so sleep deprived, I was shivering all over my body and I felt super sick. When the stewardess came and offered me my breakfast, I couldn't eat a bit because the smell made me feel even sicker. I hid away in the toilet to let out some cries. I was way too tired to control my emotions anymore. When I came back, I asked the stewardess to take away my untouched breakfast and give me some water. Then, after a while, I just wanted to eat my banana and so I did. Then we got a form to fill out for the Australian Immigration. I was wondering why I paid for the ETA up front and what that was all about. I filled it out, signed it and put it away.
    Finally, we landed in Darwin and I was so happy to nearly be able to just lay down in a proper bed and sleep for ages. However, the Australians had different plans for me.
    First, I had to go through immigration which took ages, then I lined up for a backpack control. "Don't be sorry, just declare" was on posters all over the place. My mind couldn't really comprehend what that meant at the time. Now I know...
    When it was my turn, the officer asked me a bunch of questions and then I said "I'm sorry, this is wrong. I forgot I've got an apple in my backpack." I've just realized that I crossed No on the question "Do I have to declare fruit etc." instead of Yes. Next to the banana that I ate to not fall unconscious, I completely forgot the apple that I took from the Maritim Hotel the other day. And now, I was in huge trouble. He asked me more questions that I just answered as best as I could in my state of mind. It wasn't good enough it seemed. He brought another officer, discussing right in front of me. "It's your decision, 50/50 really", said the other one. I looked in my officers eyes that turned cold. "She knew about the apple and lied on the document. That's no 50/50." I was fucked.
    He went off to the computer, taking my apple with him. He was tipping and tipping, until I felt so weak that I had to sit down. I was watching every other person leaving the room one after another, unbothered. They still discussed and tipped on their computer. After an eternity, he came back, laid some papers in front of me and told me about my penalty. 1.650 AUD... That was about 900-1000€. For an apple. "We don't have any apple diseases, you could have brought apple diseases, you shouldn't have lied on that document." I didn't lie! I screamed in my head, but I was too tired and too lost for words. Sure, that would be the most expensive apple of my whole life. What the fuck was wrong with these people? I understood that it could be dangerous, but I didn't do it intentionally. How could the penalty be so much out of any proportion?
    With the last bit of energy I had, I tried to hold back the tears, grabbed my stuff and my penalty and went out of the room. I knew, I had to get somehow to my hostel. But before, I wanted to change some cash and get myself a SIM card. It turned out that the airport was smaller than my backpack and that they had nothing I needed. So I just went outside and stopped a taxi. The driver drove me to my hostel, I paid and got my hostel keys. I was so tired, not having slept in over 24 hours. But I needed some food and a SIM card, so I walked the little walk to the next supermarket (Coles) and got some food. I also chose the next best SIM card I could get a hold on and went back to the hostel. Then I wanted to charge my phone but the world charger that stated to have Australia in it, didn't. Obviously, I didn't bring the other charger with me that would definitely have had the Australian charger size. So, I had to go to Coles again and buy me another charger. Back in the hostel, I tried to activate the SIM card but why would anything work today? "Sorry, we need an Australian credit card for a verification." What the actual heck?! I bought a 30 day valid SIM card. In which world would an Australian need a 30 day SIM card? These SIM cards are made for tourists and as far as I'm concerned, most tourists don't have a credit card for the country they are travelling to! Why was this country against me? Why was everything so shit? Why did I ever went on this journey? Why couldn't I have just stayed home and went to Norway with Seb and Aluna just as we've had planned? I missed them so much and was trapped in this shitty country that didn't seem to want me here. I wanted to go home, badly. I couldn't get a grip of myself and called my mom and Seb, crying, telling them my story and just tried to calm myself down. Didn't work. That would be an amazing night...

    By the way: I could take the apple with me in the end. So, I really do hope that the officer investigated it for any diseases. Otherwise, I could not understand why they'd fine me such a huge amount of money when it wouldn't matter in the end if it's bad for the Australian environment or not...    Read more

  • TravelerMy Time in Down Under
    Day 4

    Kakadu NP Pt. 1 - From Above

    May 17, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    After a night without much sleep (as I couldn't stop thinking about the shitty start of my trip) I had to wake up at 5.30am to make myself ready for the first day-tour. At 6am I was going towards the Hilton Hotel where the AAT Kings bus picked me up. The direction: Kakadu National Park. Entering the bus I saw that I let the age range drop by at least 20 years, as all the other passengers where at least 60 years old. However, they were super chill and funny, and I immediately became friends with a group of four. On the way to the NP (when I didn't fall asleep) I saw lots of cute little wallabys but couldn't take a picture as the bus drive too quickly. Our first short stop was a toilet break, where I wandered around and found not only some amazing rural decorations but also great bathroom staff. Off we drove to our first real stop: Jaribu Airport. I booked the optional scenic flight over Kakadu NP, which I was very happy about. The ones remaining on the bus would just drive to the next station and not really see much else than already. So I grabbed my water bottle (vital in this kind of heat) and camera and sat next to our driver Ivan. There I reflected on the ridiculousness if calling their highways highways. For me, these roads were normal, if not quite unsafe, country roads... And it was quite amusing that Ivan didn't know why they use km/h although the UK uses mph. After some more chit-chat, we arrived at the airport and got our safety instructions. As I've learned - for the Australians nothing is more important than safety. After that, Ivan called his group out, which included me. Our plane was tiny in comparison to the A380 on my way from Frankfurt to Singapore and over 30 years old... It still looked safe though. When Ivan asked who would like to sit on the Co-Pilots seat, my hand shot in the air and the other lady interested in the spot, gave it to me very amicably.
    After boarding the plane (I was not allowed to touch the steering wheel or pedals as they still functioned), we slowly rolled on to the strip and took off. It was weird, sitting in front of a plane, Ivan turning and churning on all these buttons and regulators that I couldn't understand. But it was really cool! The vastness of this land was immense. I mean... The NP is as big as Wales, what the heck? It was all just savannah bushland and rock formation, and one could say it looks quite boring. But it is so immense, so never-ending, that you can feel the importance of the land through and through. We flew to the Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls, flying nearly 90 degrees to the bottom so that everyone could see. At the horizon you could see bushfires, burning down the dead grass, leaving behind an open space for new plants to grow on. It's a tradition to burn the grass away in the Dry season. That prevents uncontrollable fires to burst out and burn everything down. It's still weird to think of fire and flames to be helping in that regard, but it definitely makes sense.
    We finally landed, said good bye to our pilot Ivan and drove to our next station - Yellow Waters Billabong Cruises.    Read more

  • TravelerMy Time in Down Under
    Day 4

    Kakadu NP Pt. 2 - Crocs all over

    May 17, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    After leaving our pilots behind, we jumped on the Yellow Water Cruise with Kathrin. She was fantastic at her job, showing us the saltwater crocodiles, birds and plants at the Yellow Water Billabong, the Southern and Western Alligator River. We've learned that the explorer who found the salties in the rivers thought that they were alligators which led to naming the river wrongly. I guess renaming is difficult in Australia. They actually have lots of weird naming stories, one of them being the city of Humpty Duo, which got it's name after a journalist writing about the cattle farm Humpty Didoo (idk if that's correctly spelled) and spelled it Humpty Duo... Great stories there.
    Anyway, we saw lots of salties, mostly laying around in the shadows to cool themselves off, or in the sun to heat themselves up. Having their mouth open helps them cooling off as the wind is blowing through it then. I never really understood the interest in crocodiles before seeing them so close by. They look ancient and their vibe is very ancient as well. It's actually very difficult to age them properly, especially the females. Their bones are like trees and have rings in them, from which you can tell if a croc had lots to eat or not. But after a while, they stop growing so it is nearly impossible to put a finger on a certain age. However, scientists think they could get about 100 years old. It's also very uncommon to see baby crocs as they are very endangered. Their own mother would eat them if she would find them... That's awful, don't you think? Well, after we spotted enough of the salties, Kathrin went on and told us about native bamboo and the water lillies that would die off soon, going further into the dry season. It's actually enormous, how much the landscape changes there. At the end of dry season, Kathrin told us that the water will sink about 2m, and at the end of wet season the water would have risen up to 4m higher than it was right now. It's insane. When going back to the buses, another Guide named Jessica told us that the water would rise so high, that all the streets and fences and platforms we currently stood on and walked over, would be flooded and not seen. The fence was completely rusted because of that. And the biggest problem coming with the water are the salties that can get super dangerous for humans. Who doesn't have to be too afraid of them though, are the birds. As long as they are not stupid enough to fly and land directly next to them, crocs don't like eating birds as they can't digest the feathers and would need to spit them out. One of the bird species there is the Whistling Bird. They look like very serene ducks but they would actually be very bad ducks because they hate water. Another species is the Jaribu that can't be called like that anymore because the South American Jaribu bird has the "right of its name". I did forget the new name for the Australian Jaribu though...
    What I didn't forget about was the two aboriginal words that Kathrin told us at the end of the cruise. The first one is Gamak which means something like Thank you. And the other one is Bor Bor, which means Until we see each other again (or less dramatic: See you later, alligator).
    I actually think it's really cool how she and also our bus driver this morning, have acknowledged the Aboriginal people and the custodians of the land. It really makes you understand the importance of respect between the aboriginal and non-aboriginal people.
    After riding the boat up and down the falsely named rivers, I was through about 4L of water. I was sweating like hell, I was thirsty af and couldn't stop drinking and spilling water all over me to cool me down. I'm really not much of a heat person and that Top End warmth really got on my nerves.
    Luckily, after the very hot cruise, we could cool off at lunch at the Cooinda Lodge. I sat down with my new four friends, eating nice cool food and discuss German politics and phrases. After a while, Gerry pointed out one of the waitresses and said "I think she's German." Not long after that, his friend Jim just asked the girl if she actually was German and Gerry was right. We started talking in German about her time in Australia so far and she told me that she's been here for about four years now. I was quite impressed, I didn't know one could stay in Australia that long of a time. Maybe Covid did some good for her in that regard. She didn't miss Germany and just loved the Australian lifestyle... Well, I guess I see some points but I can't judge yet. Maybe in three weeks I would have an opinion on that.
    After lunch, we gathered again to drive to our last stop: Nourlangie or Burrunkuy.    Read more

  • TravelerMy Time in Down Under
    Day 4

    Kakadu NP Pt. 3 - Ancient Art

    May 17, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 34 °C

    We arrived at the hight of the heat at Nourlangie, an Ancient Art Gallery by the Aboriginal People of that land. To protect myself from the heat, I brought my dad's hat with me which honestly just looks ridiculous on anybody. Jim went to the toilet with me and I asked him "Don't I look ridiculous with this hat?" and he looked at me, scrutinising me. Then he answered "No, there are a lot of Australian wearing these kinds of hats at the beach. It's actually very smart, it protects the ears and neck as well." After that, I felt a bit better about the hat. We learned a lot about the makings of the art (e.g. the used Wallaby blood for the red paint) and the stories behind them. As non-aboriginal people though, we were only granted access to the "first story" of the paintings which is the most superficial side of the story. But we've learned that every story tells a moral for the people, e.g. "Don't go out at night" or "Don't sleep with your sister and then kill her for it"... Very deep, indeed.
    It was cool being there though, as the vibe of the site is just very spiritual. And as you're right under a huge rock, you feel very tiny in comparison.
    Afterwards, we could go to a nearby lookout if we wanted to and the Australian seniors surprised me and the guide once more. Nearly half of them wanted to go there and so we went. It was quite a fascinating view, overlooking the vast land and the ancient rocks. Pretty dope.
    At last, the day was over and we could jump back on the bus to leave half of our people behind (just a resort, we aren't criminals). Jim left the bus patting on my shoulder and saying "Don't you worry, your hat looks alright" which I found to be very sweet. The rest of us got a nasty downgrade for the bus home. Still, I was so tired, that I fell asleep shortly after starting the ride back to Darwin. After another 2,5hrs, we were finally back in town and I could get into bed.    Read more

  • TravelerMy Time in Down Under
    Day 5

    Chilling in Darwin

    May 18, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Today was a lazy chill-day. I slept in till 11am and ate some bread and dip again (for 3 days now). Then I decided to take on the hassle to call the Government because of my Infringement to ask them about changing my penalty. I went to the hostels reception (btw I'm staying in the Youthshack), asked for the phone and called. The government lady told me to write an email (couldn't they have written it on it, that they needed everything on paper?) which I then did. After around an hour, I was done with defending myself and now it was in the government hands whether they would actually punish me for an apple or not.
    Today was my problem solving day, so I went on to look for the mobile phone service store where I wanted to ask about the stupidity of the SIM cards need to be verified by an Australian Visa card. I went at lunchtime (which was rather stupid) and did find nothing. The store didn't exist anymore. Fabulous. So I walked back to the hostel, sweating as much as I could, and taking some pictures of colourful murals. Then I had the brilliant idea to get myself some ice cream, which I immediately did and ate. Less sweating.
    I decided that it was way too hot outside, so I stayed in bed until 4.30pm, relaxing and trying to send a refund form to Coles about the SIM card. They didn't want me to complain so they wouldn't even receive their form. I just couldn't send it. It really was becoming ridiculous.
    After eating another ice cream, I finally went outside again, melting in the heat. I put my "alright" hat on and strolled through the park at the coast. I saw the stoniest beach ever and some very weird hens. Then I went on to my actual goal: Mindil Beach Sunset Markets. They are only twice a week and luckily I was in Darwin on one of these days. It was quite a long walk, especially in the simmering heat. However, I made it there and was appalled by all these people being there as well. There were international food trucks - Chinese, Thai, Greek, American, Hungarian, you name it - and lots of art and cloth stands. Some musicians played their guitars and the people filed down the Mindil Beach as if there were no other beaches around town. I didn't quite understand all the noise about the Mindil Beach (Sunset Markets), but I was still glad to get a Smoothie there to take me back to the hostel. The walk felt nearly endless, but I made it in the end.    Read more

  • TravelerMy Time in Down Under
    Day 6

    Litchfield NP Pt 1 - Falling Down

    May 19, 2023 in Australia

    Today I went on another day trip with AAT Kings, this time our destination was the Litchfield National Park.
    Entering the coach, I saw that this tour was way more diverse in age, which was a little bit of a bummer. The atmosphere is completely different when there are just older people (and one young - me). Now you could really feel that the people were more divided, it wasn't such a great vibe as to Kakadu NP.
    Our first stop was the Cathedral Termite Mounds. These little see-through insects can build 5m tall mounds that just look astonishing. It's weather resistant which is very important considering the unbearable heat in dry season and floods in wet season. Another rather fascinating kind of termites are the Magnetic Termites who build their mounds always in north-south direction so that one side of it is always cool. Amazing, isn't it?
    The next stop was Florence Falls where we could go swimming if we wanted to. That was the cue I was waiting for!
    I went to the viewing platform to overlook the waterfalls, then went down the 135 steps. It was a pretty heavy stream, so I decided to not swim directly in the Florence Falls plunge pool but to go up the Shadow Creek Walk and find another plunge pool there. Strolling up the hill, I saw how the vegetation turned from a lush and vibrant green to a burnt black vastness that looks very unhealthy, though it is just preventing uncontrollable bush fires to destroy the beautiful nature. It still looks quite odd, to be fair.
    I finally found a good place to go into the cold, icy water (I'm sure it was not less than 20°C but when you're in 30°C heat, it feels like ice at first) and jumped because of a fish that was nibbling curiously on my feet.
    The water was so clear, I could see every single fish move around without any trouble. This pause was quite refreshing.
    After relaxing and watching the fish a bit, I made my way back to the coach. Whilst my bare feet hurt on the ground, my body dried off in the midday sun, so that it was rather easy to change back to my normal clothes.
    When putting my bathing suit onto a stone in the sun to dry, I watched a little lizard making its way through the leaves. Then we had to go to the next stop: Tolmer Falls.
    It's the highest single-fall in Litchfield NP and not available for swimming as it is a protected area. However, you've got quite a stunning view over the south of Litchfield NP from here.
    After this quick stop, we made our way back to the coach to get something in our stomachs.
    We ate at Litchfield Café, and I sat down next to an elder couple who quickly started talking to me. We talked about our origins, our plans, ours trip so far. And I shared the apple story with them. Again, I got lots of sympathy and disbelief that the penalty was so much out of proportion. Then, Robyn remembered that the man sitting behind them in the coach used to work for exactly that Infringement Unit. She just went to him, explaining my situation and asked what I could do. Answer: If I got the declaration document in English instead of German (my mother tongue) I would have a good case. So, my mood was lifted and I was very grateful for elder people's chattiness.    Read more

  • TravelerMy Time in Down Under
    Day 6

    Litchfield NP Pt 2 - Feeding Monsters

    May 19, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    After lunch, we drove back a bit to get to Wangi Falls (you pronounce it like one guy). They usually are the most visited place to swim beneath a waterfall. However, as there might still be salties lingering in the water there, it was still closed for swimming. But anyway, we could enjoy the magnificent view of the waterfall itself.
    I talked with some more elderly people about my travels and problems and was always positively surprised by the good chats we had.
    Then it was time for our last stop of the day: Howard Springs.
    The whole time, I understood Alice Springs, and I was quite confused because of that. But when I read the sign, I could calm down again. We wouldn't drive into the Outback today.
    We visited the Nature Park there to feed the barramundi in the lake. However, someone wanted to be fed first. The boss iguana lady there was laying on the bridge (the only bridge that would get us to the other side) and warming up. Obviously, she didn't want to leave her spot, so our whole group lined up behind Anthony (our driver) and waited for his orders. One of the others tried to scare her away with his feet, but that only made her even crankier. So, Anthony decided to bribe his way through. He took out the fish for the barramundi and gave her bit by bit, walking slowly in the aimed direction. Finally, she sat down in the bushes next to the bridge and we could all go through.
    We had a blast feeding the barramundi, watching them jump and eat the fish. The turtles next to them looked so funny with their way-too-long necks, paddling about.
    When we wanted to get back to our coach however, the cranky iguana sat on her spot again. She wouldn't leave it, so Anthony took his last fish (he spared it in case that would happen) and tried to bribe her again. This time, only he got through. "I'm gonna get the coach to the other side, go there", he shouted across the lake. And so we made our way to avoid the iguana lady and, with laughter, hop onto the coach on the other side.
    Safe in our bus, we took off, going back to Darwin.
    When dropping off all the other people, I realized just how many murals were in Darwin. Nearly every other house had one painted on it. That made Darwin look way nicer and chill than without it and I decided to like at least that about Darwin, if not its heat.    Read more

  • TravelerMy Time in Down Under
    Day 7

    Flying through Landscapes

    May 20, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    I woke up at 3.30am to get myself ready for my flight to Cairns. I gave called a taxi for 4.30am, so that I would arrive at time for my flight. From Germany, I'm used to being at least 2hrs beforehand at the airport. When I arrived at DRW and asked where to check-in, they told me I would have to wait another hour until 5.40am for the check-in. So small is the DRW that you need for the complete process of checking in and going through the security check less than an hour. Insane!
    But I used my time wisely, calling my mom and writing down my blog. Time flew and I was through everything, taking off.
    And I was just taking lots of pics because of the different landscapes of Australia, so here you go.
    The service on the TAS flight was actually better than expected. I've got some fried veggie corn-zucchini thingys and as dessert a Lindt (!) chocolate. I don't want to know how expensive that chocolate is around here...
    After landing in the most stunning scenery of an airport ever, I immediately found my driver and Robyn from the AOT FAM-Trip who greeted me dearly. I was the first to arrive today, she told me. She would live on that airport today...
    But my driver and I took off to one of the most picturesque drives of my life.    Read more

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