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Going home
  • Troopy on Tour
  • Johanna Buss
Mar – Dec 2019

Going home

An epic journey from Australia to Germany by car Read more
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  • Trip start
    March 11, 2019
    Going home

    The first few 100 ks

    March 12, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    My take on the first few days: The Troopy is going well so far. Even fully packed he took some light off-roading like a champ. Only the coleman stove is giving me a headache. It’s lovely not to need a gas cylinder but if I cannot heat up food without restarting the flame every 2 min it’s no good either. I guess we’re still getting to know each other.

    We’re getting into a good rhythm in terms of “van life”. It’s a bit harder than expected to find free camp spots that are worth staying but Jo navigated us to some awesome locations already. We shared a very nice free campsite yesterday at Bulahdelah with about 25 other RVs.

    We also already met some very interesting people. Andrew for instance, who lives in his UTE (he even has a spring mattress in the back 😆). I had a very nice chat with him over coffee. He had just finished a 500km walk (in thongs!) to raise awareness for child abuse by the church.

    All in all a perfect start to our journey which led us today to friends in Sydney we are staying with for the night. Time for some barbecue!

    Cheers,
    Tom    Read more

  • Going home

    In the middle of nowhere

    March 13, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Day 3 on the road. Suprisingly enough we fitted every thing we need (and more) into Hans on Monday and started our journey. Every day a little adventure, not knowing where we will go and where we will sleep until we get out a map after dinner and plan the next day. But even then, there is all the freedom to simply follow a hunch and change plans on the go. Exciting!
    Right now, we're a bit east of Bellingen on a free park carpark that we share with at least 6 other vans. It's not the most beautiful spot, but it's a safe one and will do for tonight. The first night we basically camped on the beach in Evan's Head and last night we staid at Belinda and Scott's cabin park in Mullaway. While we're planning to limit paid parking to a minimum, we decided it was worth it (and it was). Earlier, we had met a women who lives in her van and she pointed out that "illegal" overnighter are being chased by police regularly at the moment and we just weren't ready to leave the beach.
    The weather has been beautiful, we've been in the ocean every day so far. Making the most of it before it gets too cold (yes, we heard, this happens even in Australia).
    And while we could tell so many more stories already, I'll let the pictures do the rest for now.
    (Short fun fact at the end: Bellingen ("Bello") is considered to be the local Byron Bay. Lots of live music, a brewery, slightly alternative, and super popular with tourists.)    Read more

  • Going home

    Koala hospital Port Macquarie

    March 14, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    None of us is a big fan of zoos. But since there are not nearly as many koalas in the wild as there used to be, you have to be very lucky to see one otherwise.
    However, we found a great solution to introduce Vivi to these marsupials nevertheless. Port Macquarie is home to a wonderful small koala hospital where dedicated volunteers take care of injured or orphaned koalas and try to relocate them to their "homezones" where possible. Only if the injuries are so severe that the animal wouldn't survive in the wild, the koala is kept and cared for there. At our time of visit, there were eight cute little furballs that permanently live at the hospital, due to illness (mostly clamydia affecting the eyes and turning them blind), car accidents (causing brain damage) or bush fires (leaving one koala with badly burned claws). A few were being kept from the public, getting them ready to be returned to the wild.
    Did you know that the koala is almost the same as it was 2million years ago? And that it is an aboriginal name meaning "little water" ( a koala only needs to drink once the leaves have dropped 65% of their water content). Or that it sleeps 18-20hrs a day in order to digest the heavily toxic eucalyptus leaves it eats? Mothers inoculate their babies gut to help them survive on these leaves. Quite a remarkable animal! If you live on Australia's east coast (yes, the koalas don't live all throughout Australia), please help saving them by planting suitable trees, making sure your dogs don't hurt them and drive carefully. I'm sure with joint efforts they will be saved and future generations will still be as amazed as we were.    Read more

  • Going home

    Wyanbene Caves

    March 17, 2019 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    It’s crazy what you can find when looking for a spot to camp for the night. It looked like a nice little free campsite in the forest at first but then we found out there’s caves just a few 100 meters away from the campsite. The Wyanbene Caves turned out to be quite the adventure! Knee deep water, leeches, spiders, ... the whole package!
    It was a rather weird feeling though to just go down into a pitch black cave in the middle of nowhere. Awesome nonetheless!    Read more

  • Going home

    Australia's highest mountain

    March 19, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    We did it! Being the mountain lovers we are, we couldn't go past Australia's highest mountain without climbing it. Mt. Kosciuszko is part of the snowy mountains, one of Australia's few areas where you can actually ski in winter. During the other seasons it's still got plenty to offer though! Lake Jindabyne is close by, the road that leads through the national park is pretty stunning no matter the weather and Thredbo itself offers a vast net of hiking and mountain bike trails. Vivi and I opted for the chairlift and hike, Tom joined us but went down with his bike.
    As it had been raining heavily the day before and we were about to go up to 2228m (compared to the highest peaks anywhere else it's quite low, I know), we hadn't been too sure if it was actually a good idea to do the hike, and the rainy start to the day wasn't too affirmative either. But we couldn't wait for the weather to improve, hence we wore appropriate clothes and packed extra and off we went.
    We were rewarded as soon as we reached the chairlift's top station: sun rays were already shining through and turned our surroundings into a sea of glitter. And we staid dry and almost warm throughout the whole 13kms return track to the peak. Such beautiful views, such stunning landscape. Australia does have mountains after all! Aborigines say mountain peaks are "where the spirits dance" and I couldn't agree more. A very serene feeling and a reminder of how small our part in the world is. Climb a mountain to find out yourself!
    As we didn't have enough time to turn our hike into a roundtrip (there are plenty of options though), we quickly went back the way we came and waved Tom farewell at the top of the chairlift station. In spite of the still wet and muddy conditions, he had been very keen on the trails. I was quite glad to have him back in one piece when we rejoined by the car and it turns out, so was he. Seems like the trails were quite tough after all. (Comment from the cyclist: Holy moly, one would think after a few years of casual mountain biking you would qualify as intermediate. Man, was I wrong... Drops, berms, rocks and all of them too high, too wide or too big for this “beginner” rider!)

    By now, the sun had reached the valley as well and we took our chance to quickly refresh in the river, fully intending to drive out of the national park despite of the time (it was 3.30pm already).
    However, the sun was too tempting as our wet gear really needed it (not a single pair of dry shoes lefy) and we certainly did, too. Hence we decided to stay at the Geehi Plains campsite still in the National Park and oh boy... it seems like we reached paradise. A spot right next to the river, plenty of kangaroos, parrots, bunnies and: just before we went to bed we saw a wombat! What a day. Thank you to the world for guiding us so well and providing these super special and inspiring moments. Moments I never want to forget.    Read more

  • Going home

    Stormy night at Lake Gairdner

    March 25, 2019 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 5 °C

    Second night on Tasmania (Comments from the driver in brakets). It was a wild one!
    After having spent a beautiful day exploring around Devonport - we went to an arboretum with platypus, a winery and Sheffield, the town best known for its many murals - we drove to a wikicamp site next to a river, not far from Lake Gairdner. The whole day we had been experiencing showers, but nothing too bad. Luckily we were able to prepare (I guess the pressure cooker we used for the first time deserves a blog post of its own) and eat dinner fairly dry and went to bed around 9.30pm. And then... we were woken up several times by wind and rain that shook Hans (the car for those who don't know yet) so strongly that we thought we will tipp over (you know, not really but it was quite scary). Lightning lit up the pop top tent as bright as daylight and every time you thought it was over, another blow hit. But, we didn't tipp over and the tent staid dry.
    Waking up in the morning to - a short patch of - sunlight, we realised the real aftermath: our rail for the awning at the back of the car had been ripped off! Luckily the awning didn't blow away (unlike one of our beach shade thingies that we had to fish out of the river). During a short break in the rain Tom established that our camp neighbour carried a rivet gun (one of the few things we actually don't have with us) and was able to fix the rail. As it kept on showering, we still packed up fairly quickly and proceeded in pursuit of the sun, only to find SNOW at Cradle Mountain! Jup, that's vanlife as well.    Read more

  • Going home

    Derby - Australia's Wistler

    March 28, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Random conversation in a Derby bike shop:
    Tom: Can you fix my brakes?
    Guy: Maybe you should upgrade.
    Tom: The brakes?
    Guy: The bike!

    But in the end the old Canyon did a great job shredding down the slopes of Blue Derby. Exploratory mountain biking at its finest. Ascending through rain forest, alongside waterfalls and speeding down via berms and ferns, small jumps and over roots and rocks.
    Derby went from a tin mining town to a mountain biker Mekka and has something for everybody. Jo and Vivi also had great fun joining me on the beginner trails and did an amazing job for first time single trail riders.
    The scariest bit was actually when that poor fellow of a snake snapped at me on the trail cause I saw it too late. It buggered off after, so I’m hoping I didn’t hurt it after all.

    All in all perfect two days with free camping,
    great facilities and purely fun mountain biking!

    Thanks Derby!    Read more

  • Going home
    1

    A day on the beach - Bay of Fires

    March 29, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Ok, we've been warned. We knew it would get cold on Tasmania. We expected to see snow on top of the mountains. I did not expect to be freezing even in the lower parts of the island. Hence yesterday was a welcome change. Instead of driving from Derby straight to the Bay of Fires as initially planned, we had camped at a beautiful spot in a forest, next to the George river. From there, it was a mere hour and a half drive to the Bay of Fires, allowing us to reach it fairly early in the day.
    I had read a fair bit about this stretch of coast and had heard a lot about the secluded beaches and quiet campspots, the beautiful landscape and above all the colourful rock formations dotting the beaches. One would think the Bay of Fires got its name from them, as a certain type of lichen paints the rocks bright red. But it actually got its name from the early white explorers that had sighted the many first nation inhabitants' fires, aboriginal families that were at home here. Sadly, it's not easy to find out a lot about Tasmania's original past as the state only slowly seems to reveal what happened. A lady we talked to mentioned that Tasmania needed to deal with its convict history first (not an easy task either).
    But tours guided by aboriginal descendants are becoming more common and more and more spiritual sites are being protected, which should make it easier to ackknowledge Tasmania's original inhabitants and protect their cultural heritage. Not enough to strengthen their rights and correct the wrong they've experienced but a step towards the right direction...
    Vivi and I had been very interested in learning more about this area's particular history and really wanted to find some shell middens (big hills of shells- slowly built up over time from discarded shells after meals). Turns out we were at the wrong end of the bay, so we had to marvel at the stone formations, the white sandy beaches and the clear, turquoise water instead. The colours are simply stunning!
    The sun was out and during our wander we found a stretch of beach that was calm enough to swim in. Tom had parked Hans at a perfect spot on the Cosy Corner south campground, completing our beautiful day at the beach with dinner under fairylights accompanied by the sounds of rolling waves.
    Larapuna (the bay's aboriginal name) has made its mark in our memories.    Read more

  • Going home

    Freycinet National Park

    March 31, 2019 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    There would have been so much more to do in this corner of Tasmania but time is ticking for our stay on this beautiful isle! Hence, we decided to do a dayhike only in the Freycinet National Park on the day after arriving in the region. It was already a bit too late in the day to start the hike, advertised as 5h (realistically about 3.5h).
    Finding a good spot to camp was not easy this time. Nothing satisfied our spoiled expectations and in addition I really wanted to beak some bread. The sourdough starter was direly in need of a feed and we craved a slice of good bread. Didn't make the search any easier, but I did ended up making two small loafs of bread (a bit charry but still) and we found an "ok" spot to sleep. You won't believe how many Huntsman can live happily in an old brick barbecue. They did look kind of angry though when I lit a fire under their spider asses. But don't worry, no animals were hurt while beaking the bread!

    During the walk on the next day we had really beautiful weather. Most of the walk was flat but offered the occasional stunning view over the bay. Luckily we are travelling in off season. We didn't meet many people on the trail or on the beaches for that matter which I bet is a very different situation in summer.
    The last part of the hike is a steep incline up to a view point over Wineglas Bay. After climbing 1000, yes you guessed it, steps (stairs again!! Can nobody walk on normal ground anymore?) we could enjoy an awesome view over the bay.
    A short walk downhill led us down to the car and off we were to our next adventure!

    Cheers,
    Tom    Read more

  • Going home

    The many faces of Maria Island

    April 2, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Maria Island has it all: nature, wildlife, heritage, campsites and, no cars! Just a mere 30min ferry ride off the East Coast of Tasmania, this national park has to top each explorers "places to go" list. We had gotten recommendations and read about this secret spot a few times and didn't want to miss it for the world. As it's been featured as a must do in several guidebooks and magazines, it's not so secret anymore but we were lucky.
    When we reached the free campsite in Triabunna on Monday afternoon, there were still plenty of spots and the ferry on Tuesday morning wasn't crowded either.
    We planned to spend one night on the island and hence had packed a tent, our sleeping bags, food, cooking gear and clothes the day before. The bikes came along, too.
    Maria Island features some basic accomodation and a campsite right at the ferry landing in Darlington and two more free campsites further down the island.
    The facilities at Darlington (showers, gasstoves, drinking water and a BBQ area) and the higher chances of spotting a Tasmanina devil, quickly convinced us of setting up camp there. We then chose to ride to (almost) the most southern tip of the island, haunted bay. The map says it's a return trip of up to 10 hours, but we looked at the distance and were convinced it wouldn't take as long. Little did we know of the several hurdles and time consuming factors we had to face: riding the bikes on sand, cycling up a loooong incline, scrambling to the actual bay and of course: spotting wildlife. A strenuous but wonderful trip! Tom rode ahead several times, as Vivi and I were too immersed into the beauty surrounding us to hold his speed. Despite of her cold, Vivi definitely out rode me though. Time for more exercise!
    The secluded bay, a jump into the ocean at a beach that we only shared with a wallaby (and a few devil paw prints) and the many wombats on the way back, made the trip worth every drop of sweat though. And we made it back in time for the sunset, too! A wonderful day on a beautiful island! Will write about day 2 in the next post.    Read more

  • Going home

    Maria Island - Day 2

    April 3, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    After a beautiful sunset, a much warmer night than we thought it would be (turns out 10 degrees in a 2man tent with three people really isn't too bad) and our usual serve of porridge, we headed off to our next adventure. The weather forecast had said "a shower or two" and we felt the grim wind and saw the clouds above our heads. But we had set our minds on the bishop and clerk summits and hence off we went, not minding the weather.
    First stop was at the fossil cliffs, only about 15min ride away and full of -you guessed it- fossils. Quite amazing how much sealife was visible on these cliffs! Tom was eager to get a head start on the walking tour we had passed, hence he left a bit earlier but Vivi and I soon followed. The map had said to leave the bikes on the main circuit but as no sign indicated the same (Maria Island is well signed!), we kept on going. Due to the incline (again!) Vivi and I soon refrained to pushing instead of riding though. That might have cost us the view: the last piece of the track consisted of a stone field and steep cliffs at the very end (we had left the bikes behind at a signed trail head by then). The trail's end was only reported to us by Tom though, as it had started to drizzle down once Vivi and I reached the stone field. Tom, who had come down from the summit, mentioned that the clouds hid the view by now and the rocks had become too slippery to pass (Tom: And windy! I am very sad to report that by now probably the sea has devoured my trusty base cap which the gusty winds at the summit stole off my head). Oh well, we tried. Turning around seemed like the better option than risking our lives on steep slippery cliffs... and the view was still ok from where we were. Luckily the rain had stopped once we reached our bikes and all three of us enjoyed the ride back. Downhill mountain biking is fun!
    Back in Darlington, our planned lunch had sadly been taken by moths long ago, but Tom thought about asking the ferry operators for some sandwiches that they usually sell to consume during the trip. There are no shops on the island, so come prepared! Luckily, they sold some to us and we spent the time till departure happily munching away.
    Shortly before we left, the sun came out again and we left the island with clear views and crossing a fairly calm sea. We were quite lucky to experience so many different facetts of Maria Island.    Read more

  • Going home

    Cape Hauy and Fortescue Bay

    April 4, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    After getting back from Maria Island in the afternoon we were happy to see Hans was still there and waiting for us. After a quick 4!!$ shower in the bathroom of the information center (and when I say bathroom I mean I could have sat down on the toilet while showering) we had fantastic fish and chips at the local take a way booth together with a super tasty wine (Airlie Bank Gris - seems like this winery has become our favourite). The adventurers we are, we had set out to Maria island packing a 2 year old instant rice pack from Ikea which turned out to be insect infested. Hence, we were really happy to get a hearty dinner!
    The morning after, we left little Triabunna towards the Tasman Peninsula to take a look at Cape Hauy. By now we had also basically set our SatNav to shortest rout instead of fastest which meant another dirt road track Hans had to take us through. Beautiful forest instead of highway views (though Tassie’s highway views aren’t bad either). This time, unfortunately, we didn’t leave the road without casualties. I’m afraid all the vibration got one of the relays into hypermode since now the right turn signal is twice the frequency. It gives right turns the kind of urgency they deserve in my opinion.
    After finding our way onto the Fortescue Bay Campsite, we power walked to the Cape for some amazing and terrifying views down the cliffs. The walk to the cape was as always perfectly marked and maintained (a bit too well for my taste - hiker’s autobahn). We met quite a few hikers who were just about to finish their four day four bays hike. A little boy even stopped me to proudly announce that he did the hike and is looking forward to the beautiful beach at the campground. (Jo says: just a tiny little bit jealous. The multiday walk seems to be a great option if you have more time!)
    Back at the campground and after a jump into the ocean we made good use of the barbecue facility and hit the sack after a round of Cuba Libre with a cheers back to our favourite CL companions in Brissy!
    And with that, good night, Tom.

    P.s.: With the last bump on the dirt road back from Cape Hauy the relay decided to end its twitchy state if operation and miraculously slowed down its pace again! To quote a former colleague of mine: Problems that resolve themselves tend to resurface. Let’s wait and see.    Read more

  • Going home

    Mt. Fields National Park - Russell Falls

    April 7, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    If you have been on a roadtrip before, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. Dates and days of the week get blurred into simply yesterday, today and day after with a few fixed points like taking a ferry or something similar in between.
    One of our fixed points is my sister's flight back to Germany, a journey that will start on Tuesday, April 9th. The choices of what to do till then were multifold. In the end, we decided to drive up to Mount Fields National Park, as Vivi really wanted to go on another forest walk.
    We got there early Sunday afternoon, in perfect weather conditions. Hence we took off immediately to go on the three falls circuit. Pretty much everyone visits the famous Russell Falls, which are an easy 10-15min from the visitor centre. And yes, they are stunning! But the tall tree walk (providing lots of information about the HUGE eucalytus trees the park protects) just after the horseshoe falls, and the rest of the circuit including the Lady Baron falls are worth your time and attention, too! Vivi and I had a marvelous time, appreciating everything from the huge tree to the tiny mushrooms. Tom kept on waiting for us patiently, however, when Vivi and I decided to do another loop of the Russell Falls track due to the prospect of finding a blue mushroom, we did part ways after all.
    Vivi and I unsuccessfully yet still happily returned to the camp a little later. All three of us then attended to our dinner preparation which we finished just in time before heavy rain hit us. Our beautiful campsite had provided hot showers and a BBQ area, but could not help with the weather. So we staid in and went to bed fairly early.
    Luckily the rain had cleared by the next morning, and the sun accompanied us on our way down South again.    Read more

  • Going home
    South Cape
    Tom on the plainsJo in the woodsCockle creek beachFranklin

    The end of the road

    April 10, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Australia’s most southern point you can access by car and the most southern point you can hike to. So this is where you can still life a “I don’t bother you if you don’t bother me” kinda live. At least some of the houses looked completely self sustained.
    We left Hobart after a nice swim in the local pool down south. The drive took us through Franklin. A lovely little town with a nice camp spot, a blues bar, whole food stores and super friendly people sitting right next to the Huon river. Definitely worth a stop over on a weekend. (Jo says: many places down this road seemed lovely. We even tried to have a look at an off grid house that was for sale, but unfortunately no one was home)
    After Ida Bay, the last small village we went through, 20km of dirt road took us to Cockle Creek. White beaches, free camping and a lovely couple taking care of the campsite put us in a really good mood for the hike on the next day. While Cockle Creek is the start of the multi-day South Cape walk we decided to only embark on the first (or last) part of it, a 3.5h return walk to the south cape, the most southern point you can walk to in Australia.
    Starting through bush and then over a board walk traversing swamp plains, the track ended at the rough and beautiful cape. Just the thought that the next stop is Antarctica was worth the walk. We were actually closer to Antarctica than Cairns! (Jo says: but the different terrains, the views and the constant chirping of birds that accompanied us were amazing, too!)
    The weather was working in our favour and we actually got quite hot in the autumn sun on our way back. Hence upon return at the campsite we took a quick dip into the water that actually felt like straight from the Antarctica. (Jo says: for once I actually didn’t feel as cold as Tom.) But it was also some of the clearest waters I ever had the pleasure to swim in.
    Afterwards we jumped back into Hans and headed off back to Franklin where we stayed the night.
    Next we’re off to Strathgordon to take a look a Mt Wedge and see whether we’ll hike up.

    Cheers,
    Tom    Read more

  • Going home
    Our private cinema
    Before the hike2The blue mushroom(s)The viewsGordon damLake Pedder

    Mount Wedge

    April 13, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    As mentioned in the last footprint we headed to the West of Tasmania towards Strathgordon. The journey was definitely not in vain! The landscape of mountains, lakes and forests really reminded me of Norway and New Zealand. (Jo says: SO beautiful, especially in the Autumn sun).
    We followed the suggestion of a fellow Troopcarrier traveller we had met in Hobart and went to an abandoned campsite next to the Sentinel Range. And it was perfect! We reversed Hans close to the existing shelter (wich had a fireplace!!) and made it our living room and kitchen for two days. We even made use of the most unnecessary and ridiculous piece of equipment we packed into Hans: The projector. Laugh all you want, having a private cinema in the middle of nowhere with a fireplace in the back and a wine in my hand was an awesome feeling! The photo doesn’t do any justice.
    The next day we went on my, so far, favourite hike in Australia up Mt Wedge. Since the track used to be closed or maybe still is, we were all by ourselves on a path that hadn’t seen many people in a while. Even on a Saturday!
    Hence, half of the track had us bush bashing uphill towards the summit. It started however in a beautiful forest full of moss and fungi.
    And then we finally found it. For weeks Jo and her sister were looking for an infamous little blue fungus. On this hike, the search was accomplished. (see photo).
    After the bush bashing we had to scramble for another 20min and then reached the peak of mount Wedge. (Jo says: two “fake” peaks almost made me loose my motivation. I was so hungry! But the scramble was worth to keep going) The amazing view over lake Gordon and lake Pebble rewarded us for any scratches. Wow!
    Back down, we headed West on the Gordon road which ends at the breathtaking Gordon dam. Holy crap! I know dams always cause discussions and protests, but forgetting about that for a second, that engineering marvel looks amazing!

    Of course, we couldn’t help but stay at the shelter for one more night before heading on towards lake St Claire.

    Cheers,
    Tom    Read more

  • Going home
    Way to the summit
    The viewsThis is where we hiked upBeautiful reflectionsLeeawuleena, the lakes Aboriginal name

    Leealuweena - sleeping water

    April 15, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Following our usual rhythm of “activity-drive-activity“, we reached Lake St. Claire National Park yesterday late afternoon. It's the southern end of the Overland track and seems to be fairly popular for both long and short walks. A ferry would even take you to the northern end of the lake, allowing you to walk the last stretch of the famous track. On the way to the park, a short patch of reception enabled us to receive good friends' advice on what to do there. We checked with the visitor center about the weather for the next day and the lady -after trying to find out if we're fit enough according to our hiking history (we were :))- confirmed our friends' suggestion. While the Overland track in combination with the ferry seemed to be more popular, there were also two mountain tracks, offering different terrain and great views from the top. A quick question at the lodge confirmed our choice: the ferry ride would have cost $50pp, one way! That's more than the return fare for Maria Island! We chose to use our legs instead and hike up Mt. Rufus, a 18.5km circuit of 8h. Motivated by the prospect of a hot shower (they only operate till 4pm), we did it in 6h. The ice cold wind on the ridge to reach the summit, that spoiled the views just a little bit, might have made us walk faster, too.
    Since my sister has left, our walks have a different aim anyways. Where before it was more like "oh look, there is a butterfly" and endless pictures to capture the surroundings, it is now all about work out and increasing our fitness levels. I do sneak in the occasional picture still though.
    Clean and rejuvenated by the hot showers (the facilities were great!), we rewarded ourselves with a meal in the lodge, returned to our campspot next to Lake King William (no idea where the lake is, it seems more like a river to me) and made pineapple cobbler (a sort of cake in a camp oven) over a campfire, thoroyghly enjoying the newly lifted fire ban. Life could be worse.    Read more

  • Going home
    Campspot
    The beachView from the headlandOh hello, and who are you?The little pathTom got lucky - dinner is served

    A tiny slice of paradise - Boat Harbour

    April 18, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    This must be it! The most beautiful place we've seen in Tassie. Really? I don't know, but definitely close to it.
    After driving through Tasmania's remote West on the mostly unsealed Western Explorer road, listening to Carlos Ruis Zafon's "Shadow of the wind", mesmerized by the marvellous landscape despite of the rain, we reached Smithton yesterday in the late afternoon. The town seemed grim, everything was grey and wet and there were hardly any places to stay. Wikicamps guided us to a free RV campspot on something that looked like a golf court. Technically, we weren't allowed to stay as we're not fully self contained, but it was late and we staid anyways, determined to leave early in the morning.
    So this morning, for the first time ever, we got up, packed our stuff and moved to Smithton's foreshore, where we had breakfast (and more importantly coffee ;-)). Great choice, as we saw the sun rise above the withdrawn sea and the scenery was picture perfect. And the town didn't seem to be that bad after all.
    With only two days left, but also only about 2hours away from the ferry, we weren't in a hurry. The sun had won against the clouds and it promised to be a beautiful day. Neither of us had planned to come to this part of Tassie, so nothing was planned and we decided what to do on the go. I had seen a picture of the "Nut", a fairly high rock formation standing tall in the ocean next to a small town close by, and we decided to head there first.
    What a pleasant surprise this town called Stanley was! Apparently it had even been the showplace of a movie (Tall between the oceans?) a few years back. Quaint little shops and cafés, countless accomodation options but above all the Nut and the fact that the village was bordered by two beautiful beaches, must make this the perfect holiday location. We "hiked" up the hill (it's only 450m of steep incline and then a 2km circuit on top), wandered along the main street and then decided to buy local fish for lunch. Being a bit tired of greasy fish and chips, we took a raw pink snapper fillet and headed over to the beach, where public BBQs would help us cook. This is where we met a lovely local couple that had taken their grandchildren out for a BBQ lunch. They are from Boat Harbour and praised their hometown highly. The locals recently voted to encourage "wild camping", probably due to the fact that there is still land for sale and the community would benefit from the money tourists will spend at the few local shops and the café.
    Whatever the reason, we are grateful for this decision. Personal recommendation had guided us to an awesome spot before (read our mt Wedge article if you don't recall) and hence we decided to spend our last night in Boat Harbour.
    The - so far - tiny village is built into a hill, only a few kms off the highway. It's got one of the whitest beaches I've ever seen (voted one of Australia's Top Ten!), caressed by a calm ocean. There is a little headland that can be surrounded in 10min max and offers beautiful views. It's dividing the sand beach from the beautiful rugged other side, a stoney patch leading to the wild open ocean. The local café, "Sweet-ness by the sea", offers great meals and coffee (at least so we hear from our camping neighbours), there are friendly dogs and as friendly owners everywhere and the locals work out in a garage that has been built in behind the public toilet block. A playground and several BBQs complete the offered facilities. If it wasn't our last night, I think we would stay for a while... and so I sit here, writing this article, thinking about how blessed I am to be able to experience this. It's not common or usual, it's special. And I'm soaking up the sounds of the waves, the last rays of the autumn sun and the spot where the ocean meets the sky on the horizon and hope that I can share this with you by writing about it. Another day in paradise.    Read more

  • Going home

    What we do in the city

    April 20, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Here we are. The Spirit of Tasmania (SOT) has taken us back from remote Tassie wilderness and cool climate to an Easter weekend of almost 30degrees in Melbourne. Yes, it is a bit of a culture shock.
    Luckily, we are able to stay in a dear friend's place while we're in Melbourne, figuring out the next leg of the journey. From disembarking the ferry at 8am in the morning (after a sound sleep in the ferry's recliner seats btw), we straight away drove to the flat, which is super central AND were lucky enough to find a free parking space close by as well. City adventure can start. On our list:
    - getting some pieces of camping gear and spare parts
    - getting the car checked one last time
    - picking up our passports WITH the Russian visa
    - finalising shipment of the car
    - finalising our trip to Japan (yup, we know when we'll get to Russia from Japan but haven't sorted out flights to Japan yet)
    - dealing with the embassy for passport related stuff
    - getting a map for the travel plans
    - possibly get stickers for the car
    - make jam
    - make pizza in a pot (it turned out SO yum)
    - make energy balls
    - sort pictures
    - once done, find a workaway placement to spend some time at
    - spend time with friends
    - explore
    - and most of all don't get overwhelmed.    Read more

  • Going home

    Our first workaway experience on a farm

    April 30, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    You gotta love farmlife! And I'll tell you why:
    Once we had done most of the things we needed to do in Melbourne, we still had quite a bit of time on our hands before we were handing over the car to the shipping company and heading off to Japan. To fill it, we could either go and explore more of Melbourne's surroundings or look for a workaway host in the area. If you've never heard of "workaway", it's a platform connecting hosts all over the world with travellers that look for a cultural exchange. The deal is you work for about 4-5hrs a day and get free accomodation, meals and most importantly cultural insights in return. Our goal is to be with at least a host in every country, so starting in Melbourne was very appealing.
    Luckily, Karen and Al agreed to take us in on very short notice and so we just spent the last 5 days on their gorgeous little farm in South-West Gippsland. Situated on top of a hill, it provides a gorgeous view, but unfortunately it was raining when we arrived. Al and Karen had made up for the gloomy weather by lighting a fire in our bedroom and turning on the heater in the living room and so we spent the first couple of hours getting to know each other and the five birds and three cats that live in the house. Yes, Al and Karen have a big heart for animals and have rescued most of theirs from bad fates. Apart from the in house family members, there are a Maremma (north italian sheep dog), five Murray Grey cows, two Highlanders, three horses, three goats, a flock of guinea fowls and a few chickens. No wonder Al and Karen moved further away from the city to find a home for all of them!
    Over the next few days, we learned more and more about how to take care of all of them (the animals), as well as what it means to set up a farm on a long-time neglected property. Our hosts not only had to clear vast areas of the land but also take on huge renovation projects in the houses (there are two on the property). Step by step it's all shaping up.
    I was particularly impressed by the community spirit that seemed to be present in the area. The neighbours would trade use of machinery for stock feed, bring over leftovers if someone's kitchen wasn't working and generally be very supportive. Al and Karen have some ideas for further community building as well and being the great hosts they are, I'm curious to keep on following their journey.
    Our work mainly consisted of help in the household, clearing out some concrete in the back paddock and stacking up some wood. Al was a great teacher for the big machinery, including an excavator and a front loader. Tom had fun like a little boy and I equally loved playing and cuddling with all the animals. Both of us enjoyed the physical activity and being outside (despite of the rain) and yet appreciated coming into the house to enjoy great food by Karen and have meaningful conversations over dinner in the living room (that were interrupted by the birds needing attention only every now and then ;-)). Karen's interest in sourdough gave Tom a chance to bake bread in her great oven almost every day which of course added another plus to the whole experience.
    As we had spoken about food in general quite a bit, Tom and I thought it would be a good idea to have a Bavarian dinner on the last day and so we cooked bread dumplings with a creamy mushroom sauce (Semmelknödel mit Pilzsauce). And since no real Bavarian dish should be served without beer, we got some local craft beer to pair it with. After dinner we watched an episode of "Fawlty Towers", a TV series Al introduced us to, quite similar to the "dinner for one" humour. Picture perfect cultural exchange.
    All in all we had a marvellous time, learned new skills and have just been strengthened in our wish to some day do something similar somewhere.
    All the best to Al and Karen and the pursuit of their vision!    Read more

  • Going home

    Starting the container journey

    May 6, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    And off he goes... I still can't quite believe it and I think neither can Tom but we won't see Hans for another at least four weeks.
    The weekend was spent getting a few last things done, like putting vinyl decals on the car, creating a blackboard surface for people to leave a message, washing the car and most importantly, deciding what we would need for the next month.
    It feels kind of weird leaving everything you own behind. I guess it's not very often that you put your home into a container.
    Japan will be a backpacking adventure for us, so we took essential clothing, our valuables, the coffee maker (bialetti) and a few documents, but everything else is now locked up in a 20ft container on the way to Valdivostok.
    Tom drove Hans in himself, which was a huge help in not worrying too much what would be going on at the port. As was the fact that Brent from Bikes abroad, our shipping agent, was there to make sure everything went well. Apparently there has been a last minute vessel change, but Brent seemed not too worried about anything. Boy, organising sea freight and custom clearance etc etc really is far from being child's play!
    A last hurdle had to be taken: Unfortunately we were a few centimeters too long with the bikes. Thankfully we had an easy fix: we took them off on the spot and they're in the car now. The container doors could shut.
    And as always when you get ready for a trip, now we're thinking about all the things that we could have taken out of the car. Oh well, too late. Just wish us luck that everything will still be there when we'll be reunited in early June.

    For those of you interested in shipping your car somewhere, here is a quick timeline:

    - a long time ago we started saving
    - 6months ago we started researching and contacting different shipping agents and freight companies
    - 4 months ago we had the offers narrowed down and decided which agent to use. We also decided on container shipping opposed to RollOn RollOff (RoRo), as we were hoping prices were comparable and it seemed to be the safer option.
    - 3months ago we decided on the suitable timeframe (flexibility helps when you're looking to share the costs with travel partners). We also decided on the final port of departure and arrival.
    We received a quote and confirmed.
    - 2months ago we received a first shipping schedule and set the date to 9th May
    - 2weeks before the shipping date we got the booking confirmation from our agent, got to know that instead of sharing a 40ft container, Hans would now travel alone in a 20ft one and we paid the invoice. We were also introduced to the agent that will handle the Russian side of things.
    - a few days before actual departure of the ship the car was loaded into the container
    - we're now waiting for the bill of landing that will allow us to track our car on its journey and we will let you know how everything went once we're reunited.    Read more

  • Going home

    Autumn forest colours - a tale of fungi

    May 8, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    We're about to leave Autralia which, apart from many other things, also means that we'll be approaching summer instead of winter soon. Time for a tribute to autumn.
    Spring and autumn in Brisbane were very short periods of time and since it never really got cold, there were only few things to marvel at. At least in autumn.
    This season, we had the chance to fully experience autumn in Australia. First in Tassie and now in Melbourne, too. And it's a beautiful season. Not as wet as it would be in Germany, there are so many things to appreciate outside. The golden rays of sunlight, the changing leave colours, the cooler breezes challenging the ones still clinging on to their summer wardrobe and encouraging the others to switch over to the warmer clothes.
    This year, I've been particularly impressed by all the mushrooms and lichen. Vivi, my sister, had amazing stories to tell (of one-cell fungi spreading meters wide over a forest surface for example) and more than once we've found ourselves hunting for the most beautiful mushroom, eyes firmly directed to the ground, fallen logs or dead branches. The beauty of mushroom hunting is, once you've found it, it won't run away. All the time in the world to get the best shot. And trust me, we discovered a whole new world! Amazing colours and shapes, surprising locations and so much fun. Have a look yourself!    Read more

  • Going home
    Locally caught snapper in Stanley
    Pineapple cobblerRosehip jamEnergy ballsBlackberriesKale salad wirh apple, raisins and almonds

    What we eat on the road in Australia

    May 8, 2019 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    While driving along Australia's east coast and Tasmania, we hardly ate out. Instead, we embraced the nomadic lifestyle and our Coleman cooker and prepared our meals ourselves.

    Coffee, the most important thing to start (Tom's) day, is made on Tom's soda can cooker, using methylated spirit for ease and speed to get the day going. Towards the end of our time in AUS we even buy a handgrinder, Australia's fondness of good quality coffee will accompany us along the way, it seems.

    Breakfast then depends on the climate of the day: on a hot day we eat cereal with milk or the soy/coconut version, on a cold day we have porridge with different toppings, such as raisins, dried apricots, almonds, walnuts, maple syrup, honey and cinnamon. If we're fancy and its locally available we'll have fresh fruit such as apple, banana, passionfruit etc. as well.

    As free electric BBQs are very common in many places in Australia, we also eat toasted bread with peanut butter and jam sometimes. Or fried egg and avocado.
    In order to do so, Tom needs to find the possibility to bake bread first, though. We're simply not the biggest fans of the white toast that can be bought everywhere. Tom is still experimenting with baking in a Dutch oven on a campfire, however, the results are always super tasty and so much better than anything that can be bought. Only downfall are the local firebans... no fire, no bread.

    When we started our roadtrip, I had been convinced that a pressure cooker would be a good idea, allowing us to cook legumes, potatoes and soup etc. much faster. Well, I was wrong. Unfortunately, the Coleman doesn't produce enough heat for large quantities and after three attempts to cook potatoes or soup, we give up. It worked, but took forever and hence wasn't economical anymore.
    It now has a new home with Ange and Mathew, giving us a bit more space and them great meals. Or so I hope!

    We still cook soups and vegetable curries quite often in a common pot. Especially in Tasmania's cold they keep us warm and our bellies full.
    Another staple is stir fried veggies with pasta or rice. Anything using fresh and local products really.

    And we're still trying to avoid plastic as much as we can. That means shopping at farmers' markets and bulk shops whenever possible - even if it results in our pantry box taking up a huge amount of space in the car.
    Avoiding plastic also means that we don't want to buy cookies wrapped in it. Being quite big fans of sweet snacks on the road, I had to find a solution: energy balls! I fought for space for our mixer in the car, mostly to be able to make them. And now, I can turn whatever dried fruits we've got, oats, shredded coconut and other nuts into tiny little treats that satisfy our cravings and are environmentally friendly. Win win.

    Talking about sweets: we also tried our hands on "cobbler" once. Basically cake made in the Dutch oven over a campfire. We still need to get the temperature right, but the result did taste like pineapple cake and was super delicious. Quite a treat after a day long hike.

    And last but not least, I am still a big fan of foraging. Now probably more than ever. In Tasmania we found an abundance of blackberries (great addition to our porridge) and rosehips (got turned into jam, made on a campfire when the fireban was lifted) and back in Melbourne, I foraged prickly pears (be aware of the thorns. They aren't called "prickly" for nothing). They made an awesome smoothie paired with coconut milk!

    All in all, our diet hasn't changed much. It's still about what is available locally, lots of veggies, a few carbs (mainly to prevent Tom from losing weight) and fruit (to prevent me from being grumpy). And the occasional serve of chips and craft beer from a local pub. Gotta support the locals!    Read more

  • Going home

    Fare thee well

    May 9, 2019 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    The time has come to say goodbye to OZ. It took a few days to digest the fact that we are not going on a vacation, we are not just gone for a few weeks. This is in fact a goodbye. But no, I will use the much preferred German “Auf Wiedersehen” which at least conveys the notion of a reunion.
    Thank you Australia! Thanks for your amazing natural wonders, thanks for the interesting culture, thanks for the uncomplicated travel opportunities. But more than anything thanks for the people! Thanks for the friends we made, the hospitality we were lucky to experience and thanks for all the support we received in the last weeks and months! The people we met are what made the past two years fantabulous and what will leave a hole in our hearts once we’ll have jumped on the plane in just 3 hours!

    We’ll miss you all terribly!

    Jo and Tom    Read more

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