Reset search
Going homeGoing home
SatelliteEdit route

Going home

March - December 2019
An epic journey from Australia to Germany by car Read more
+4
  • 116footprints
  • 12countries
  • 283days
  • 694photos
  • 0videos
  • 46.3kkilometers
  • 11.6kkilometers
Follow Calendar Share Bucket list
Date ascending
  • Going home
    Day 23

    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
    Day 24

    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
    Day 25

    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
    Day 28

    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
    Day 31

    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
    2
    Day 34

    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
    Day 36

    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
    Day 39

    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
    Day 41

    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

  • 2024© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Blog
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Support
  • Legal notice
  • English