December 2009

Switzerland Winterwonderland

It was getting colder in Switzerland, and with the arrival of Santa it was fair to say that winter had officially started. In my second month back at home real life was waiting for me, and I started to look for a job. I also received a visit from Lauren, who made the thirty hour long journey from Australia to stay over Christmas and New years. The day she arrived it started snowing, which was a nice white surprise for her. We started to explore Switzerland together, and in a way I felt like a tourist myself, as I had been away from home for such a long time.

We drove east to visit St.Gallen and the famous church, and then continued our drive through a snowstorm to Einsiedeln to see to see the immense monastery, which was a bit too pink for me. We also visited Luzern, which is of course a touristic highlight so we didn’t want to miss it. It was a beautiful sunny winter’s day as we went there, with lovely fresh snow on the ground. We strolled around the old city, walked over the Kappeler Bridge, got lost in the mirrored maze of the glacier gardens, and finished the day with a cheese fondue. While waiting for Christmas day to arrive, we had several nice days in Zurich, full of activities such as seeing the Circus Conelli, visiting the Christmas market for an obligatory Glühwine, and roaming through churches, cobbled streets, viewpoints, and hundreds of shops. We also went to see “Körperwelten” (body world), which was just fascinating for me.

On Christmas day we went to my sister’s house and introduced Lauren to fondue chinoise, which was delicious. We all had a good night and with our belly’s full of food and wine we went home for a lot of beauty sleep. Lucky for us the sun came out again the next day and so we drove to the Rheinfall and Schaffhausen. It was a beautiful day and we were even silly enough to eat ice cream in the arctic temperatures! In Schaffhausen we climbed the Munot (the old castle), and lunched in an Italian restaurant with fabulous wood fired pizza.

Back in Zurich we bought our last presents for Lauren to take back home, and then drove up to the mountains to Lenzerheide. The weather was alright, so we went out for a wander, and of course a snowball fight ;-). It was so good to be out in the snow and we stopped for hot chocolates as we walked around the frozen lake. We also took the cable car up high on to the Rothorn, where you can get a stunning view over the thousand peaks. Strengthened with soup and sausages we then hired a sledge for the arvo. It was so much fun, cruising down the hill in the fresh snow and attempting to get around the corners at breakneck speed! Happy but frozen through, we went home for hot showers and dry clothes, and more yet more cheese and chocolate for dinner. On New Years Eve we ate and drank a lot of champagne, and watched the fireworks (thanks to the sponsors!) which illuminated all the mountains and the valley, it was beautiful.

Back in Zurich, it was then time to say good bye, with Lauren having to fly home to the land of kangaroos. For me, the next day was the start of a new job after a long, long break.
More new soon, but till then stay tuned for new pics soon from lovely Switzerland…

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November 2009

Zurich

For the first few days back I was constantly cold! For the last few years I have traveled with the summer and so was not used to the cold and had to take out the winter coat immediately. Now am used to it, but I still miss the heat a lot...
It is great to see my family and friends, we have exchanged a lot of information, and feels like I have never been away. Shortly after I returned, my mates and I went to our card and game weekend in the mountains. We had a fabulous weekend with lots of wine and games, and saw some snow fall overnight in the mountains as well. I am finding that in Zurich not much has changed. We have a new tram called cobra, an enormous long bus, and few more house blocks here and there, but otherwise everything is the same old thing. So now, after settling in with pictures sorted out (I hope so) and website updated, I should perhaps take life seriously and am currently in the process of looking for a new job.

I wish you all a great Christmas time, till then stay tuned...

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October 2009

Yangon - Bangkok,(BKK) - Chiang Mai - Pai - Bangkok - Zurich

I ended up back in BKK where everything is open all night and very busy. It was a complete change of scene after Burma. I stayed my usual night and then took the night bus up to Chiang Mai. I had been here before at the beginning of my journey and wanted to see more of the city. Here I decided to take a Thai Massage course, something I had always wanted to do. Although doing a massage looked very simple in the first place, it was actually quite hard. You need to be free from thoughts, have the right breathing and remember to do all the movements in the right order... was not easy. After two days I was exhausted, and finally got the hang of it on the third, just as it was all over.
From Chiang Mai I then headed to Pai. I had been here before as well, and liked it that much that I came back for a second time. A lot had changed in Pai in the last two years since I had been there. There are more cafes, bars and shops, but the atmosphere and people are still the same.
Here my journey was nearing to an end..... I therefore didn't do much anymore, just wasted my days reading, eating loads of Thai food, swimming and sun baking. The day I had to leave was quite sad for me. Back in BKK I did a bit of shopping (new books of course) and enjoyed the last lot of curries, pad thai and cold singha. On the way back in the plane I got used to the German language again, as I had booked a cheap German charter... ;-).
Arriving in Zurich I was welcomed by my dad and my best mates. With a few beers I started my stories and continued chatting until it was time for bed! It was my sister's birthday and she didn't know that I was home so being able to surprise her was absolutely awesome... We celebrated with a small family party, and started to get ready for the big bash on the weekend...

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September 2009

Yangon - Mandalay - Hsipaw - Mandalay - Kalaw - Inle Lake - Bagan -Monywa - Bago - Kyaiktiyo (Golden Rock) - Yangon - Bangkok

Min gala ba Switzerland...
Arrived in Yangon, to friendly greetings from immigration and the locals,and I soon started to explore the capital city. The city is nice, with colonial buildings, teashops everywhere like mushrooms, shops and stalls, and soon I ate my first Mohinga (Burmes noddle dish).It was excellent.
My first impressions where that this place was unbelievable. The people were friendly, they smiled and waved and said hello on every corner. The next day, after a hearty breakfast, I saw more of the city and visited the enormous Shwedagon Pagoda, which was impressive.
Lots of people warned me about the pothole roads in Burma, but the ride up to Mandalay was actually pleasant and fast. In Mandalay I started with a visit to the Mahamuni temple, Mandalay Hill and Gold leaf shops, and then ended my first day with nice chapattis and tea. The next day I went with the local pick-up to Sagaing Hill. The view was amazing, a lot of temples and pagodas to visit which made it very worth while. The trip continued to Inwa. Inwa is set on an island so you take a boat and get driven around in a horse car. The sites are really nice, and you get to see little monks study, farmers looking after the rice paddies, and kids playing in the fields. As it was then time for sunset I headed down to the U Bein's bridge in Amarapura. The old teak bridge is stunning; many people come along to see a fabulous sunset and the bridge. Here I sipped on my first Myanmar beer, watched the fishermen, and enjoyed a peaceful atmosphere. Was up early again the next day and of to Mingun where one of the biggest planned (150m) Mingun Paya is located. I visited the second largest bell and a the white Hsinbyume temple,fought again with the souvenir sellers, and then got back on the boat to Mandalay.
In the North-east of Mandalay is Hsipaw and this was the place where I finally got out of the fully packed bus. Hsipaw is a small town and an excellent starting point for some trekking. I checked in to Mr. Kids Guesthouse, ate by Mr. Food and exchanged a book by (guess what), Mr.Books. With a map from the guesthouse we then went trekking for the next three days. Along the way we saw rice paddies, streams, buffalo cars and monasteries, and enjoyed the nice scenery. We stopped in almost every tea house on the way (which gave me a new nickname "tea boy") and stopped for the night in Pankam.
We slept in a local house, got served nice food, and tried to communicate with the people. We continued on, seeing locals with pack horses going to town and selling tea, and then that night we stopped in Om nuh. With hands and feet I convinced the abbot of the monastery that we would like to sleep there and would like something to eat. We could stay, but unfortunately didn't see any food. Luckily for us, we got invited by locals for food and spirits. We sang songs, they played the guitar, and everyone was happy.
On our last day we walked back to Hsipaw, and spent the rest of the day doing laundry and nothing much else.
I then got the train back to Mandalay. With ordinary class being only 2 dollars, the trip being eight hours, and a crossing the Gokteik gorge on the way, the trip was worthwhile. I had to stay another day in Mandalay and so I visited Ganayon Monastery. Around 1300 monks have breakfast here every morning, which is spectacular to see. The monks here teach the poor kids from the villages and donations are very welcome.
I then took the overnight bus to Kalaw. As they dropped me off in the middle of the night, I was glad to have met Jimmy (a tour guide) who accommodated me in his house. Early the next morning I started my three day trek to Inle Lake. The scenery along the way was pretty, and we stopped in a few places and stayed overnight with a local family. Our cook was fantastic and spoiled us with excellent Myanmar food. The next night we slept in a monastery and got woken up at 5am by the chanting of the monks, which was very nice. With a belly full of banana pancake, we then made it through the last kilometers down to Inle Lake, where we took a boat to Nyaungshwe.
In and around the Lake the Buddha festival was occurring, where they bring the Buddha from village to village for a month. The ceremony was impressive, with rowing boats everywhere. The boys row with their legs in order to pull the boat with the Buddha on it. In Nyaungshwe we watched some boat races take place, and the town was crowded with a fair that was on. It was a great atmosphere.
Two days later I left for Bagan. The twelve hour trip on a pothole road (as supposed in Burma) was alright, but I was relieved when I got there! Bagan is home to over 3000 thousand Pagodas. I hired a pushbike for the days, and visited quiet a few of them. Some you can climb up which gives you a fabulous view over the place. Other sites have fantastic wall paintings about Buddha's life or the Ramayana. The only hassle is that on every pagoda you get hunted by the souvenir sellers, but with a smile you can also handle that ;-).
I also visited Mt. Popa where you have to walk up barefoot. The top was rather disappointing (the view probably good on a nice day I reckon) so I wouldn't go again. Further I moved on over Pakoku, to Monywa. The town isn't that spectacular but nearby is the home of the second tallest Buddha in the world. As soon as you get close enough you can see how massive he is, it's quite impressive.
From Monywa I went over Mandalay, down to Bago, also known as Buddha world. I was lucky and the full moon festival was on. In the monastery I went it was very busy and crowded. The richer people from the town brought offerings to the monks, everyone gets free food, and candles where lit at night. I then went off to the famous Golden Rock. After two hours of waiting (while the rain started) we got driven up the hill, and completely soaked I started my walk to the top. Yes, it is touristic but I still wonder how the rock got there and how it stays there! Another nice day in Burma ended in the rain, before I headed back to Yangon. I really loved Burma, it was different to all the other places I've been. Felt like real Asia, with its own character. Hope I am able to go back one day and see more of this beautiful country...
Till then I am now back in Thailand, figuring out what am going to do next......

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August 2009

Miri - Sibu - Kuching / Bako NP - Johor Bahru - Kuala Lumpur (KL) - Cameron Highlands - Penang - Had Yai - Bangkok (BKK) - Koh Chang - Bangkok

Being back in reality after living far away from everything, I needed a few days to sort myself out. I enjoyed a comfy bed, icy cold beer, a hot shower and food I hadn't eaten in a while. I then had to say good bye to some friends and left for Sibu.
I arrived in Sibu, which wasn't the most pleasant place on earth, but I had to stay overnight. As the river was shallow at this time of year to go upriver to Kabit, I instead decided to head down to Kuching on a boat trip. It is unbelievable and upsetting how many logging companies you see on the way where they ship the timber overseas.
In then arrived in Kuching, the Sarawak capital, which wasn't a bad place. It had a nice riverfront, a Little India and a few museums, and the atmosphere in the hostel was great. I also visited the nearby Bako NP for the day which has lovely beaches and treks. From Kuching I then flew to Johor Bahru and took the bus up to KL again. Stayed here overnight in the rooftop dorm, which means sleeping outside apparently, so I didn't get much sleep because of the noise that night.
Early the next morning I got out of the city up to the Cameron Highlands. When I got out of the bus, the temperature was really pleasant, perfectly right for hiking and exploring the region. I did a few hikes where I was able to walk through strawberry and tea plantation fields, and of course I tasted freshly made strawberry ice cream. After a few days I continued on to Penang (Georgetown) where I stayed longer than expected.
I liked the town, it had nice Indian places to eat, street food, a nearby beach, a good mix of culture and a fabulous bookshop. After 9 days I decided to move on and went to Had Yai (Thailand), followed by a seventeen hour train ride up to BKK. Back here for the x-time I applied for a Burmese Visa and headed down to Koh Chang for the week. I was hanging out there, not doing much as the monsoon kicked in, and waiting till it was time to fly to Yangon in Burma...
Stay tuned for news from amazing Burma soon...

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July 2009

Miri - Mulu - The Pinnacles - Miri - Bario - Ba Tik - Long Lobang - Bario - Miri

When I arrived in Miri I checked in into the Minda Guesthouse, which I highly Recommend - the guys are fab there. I met a guy called Mick here, who had just came back from a trip to the indigenous people (the Penan) in Sarawak. It was always in my mind to visit them and he gave me the last input and inspiration for it. But all in order ;-).
I first flew to the legendary Mulu Caves which I had booked in advance. The park is really nice, though a bit to touristic for my liking, and you "need a guide" for everything. I visited the Deer and Langs caves, which were stunning. The Deer cave has the World's largest cave passage. Here we all waited for the thousand of bats who eat 15 tons of insects a day, (cool no mozzies) to come out at dusk to feed. It started raining unfortunately, which meant the bats stayed in and we got soaked instead :-).
The next day the Pinnacle adventure started. We cruised upriver visiting Clear water and Cave of the Winds before heading on track to Camp 5, the base for the Pinnacles. We got up early at 5.45, had a short noodle soup for breakie, and then it was time to go to the Pinnacles. The track is only 2.4km long but there are no flat bits until the top. The last few hundred meters are built with ladders cause you just can't walk anymore. We has a well earned rest when we got to the top, and viewed the pinnacle formation which was very impressive. On the way down it was even harder going, but we spotted a chameleon and heard the horn bills cry. Back at camp 5 we cooled our weary legs down in the icy cold river. The next day, we were up early again (normal for campsites) so we ate more noodle soup and walked back to the boat pick up point. On the way we saw a nice green snake sleeping/lurking on a tree branch. At my last day in Mulu I did a canopy walk, walked to a dribble of waterfall and tried agaub to see the bats come out of the cave (with still no luck!)
Back in Miri the next day, I desperately needed to do laundry, and the feel of a hot shower made my day. I spent the weekend in Miri with a little trip to the Lambir Hills, and a few too many beers :-) then got my stuff together for the trip to Bario and the Kelabit Highlands.
On a little propeller plane from Miri to Bario the next morning my Penan adventure started. I didn't know what to expect (which is good) when I got there. Bario is a developed town in the Kelabit Highlands, surrounded by mountains and located in a valley. This is the area of the Kelabit tribe, one of many tribes here in the region.

Lucky for me, my friend Mick was still in Bario, and together we organized our trip into the land of the Penan. As the Penan are easy going we started sometime in the morning and then spent two days walking to their home. I met for the first time Rose, James and Ramcis our Penan family who took us to Ba Tik. We climbed the first hill up to the Bario Gap and down on the other side into the land of the Penan. The walk takes you through a combination of amazing virgin forest, and sadly over logged roads which are being taken over by the bigger companies. We stayed over night in a shelter in Long Manau and went early to sleep as we still had an other days walk to go. The next day we arrived in the late afternoon at our destination Ba Tik (which means at the river) which would be my home for the next few weeks.
The village was relatively well developed, with a water pipe (though I found a bath in the river was better anyway), and a generator (if they have fuel to run it). Mick and I spent our days in Ba Tik fishing, exploring the region and forest, carving forks, shooting the blowpipe (Kelaput) and collecting food. Meals play an important part with the Penan and so we ate a lot of rice, tapioca, nao (made from a palm tree), different fern and leaves, wild pineapple and mango. Everyone gets enough food and the socializing part with each other is great. They share all their food in the village - if someone caught fish, a hunted deer or pig, everyone got a bite. Apart from the planted rice and tapioca, the Penan still live from the food in the forest. There is so much food out there, you wouldn't believe it, and I learned a lot about their forest and home over generations.
Unfortunately a lot is destroyed from the logging company's and there is no end in sight. We also learned a bit of the Penan language, because they speak no English. Rose and James are excellent teachers and explain the words as good as they can.
Near the village lived one of the last nomadic Penan, and we had the chance to go with him into the Tong Tana (Rain forest) for a few days. At a place in the middle of the forest, near a stream, we stopped and started building our shelter. We chopped trees down, stacked certain palm leaves together for the roof and after three hours our shelter was finished.
The boys went out and shot an animal which we roasted and boiled overthe fire, it was delicious. Living in the forest means also collecting food. An Uwud palm tree was soon found and chopped down, and we started to dig out the palm heart of it which was hard work. The whole thing then filtered with water and in the end you got a powder, called sego, out of it. You mix the powder with hot and cold water and you will get the nao, which tasted a bit like wallpaper paste ;-).
One of the boys was lucky again and shot a deer. We sat around the fire, ate tons of fresh roasted deer till we were all full, ak'au beso. My favorite time of the day was before sunset when all the different noises in the forest are really intense, before it gets quiet and still.

We were all then invited to a feast in Long Lobang only an hour walk from Ba Tik, so we headed off after some unforgettable days in the forest. In the Longhouse in Long Lobang lived around fifty Penan, and everyone from the grandmothers to the babies were there for a little celebration. We got a warm welcome, more food of course, and exchanged greetings. After two days of talking, dancing, too much rice, and roasted pig, we walked back to "our home" Ba Tik. Back in Ba Tik we had lots to tell our hosts and guess what, more food!
For me it was time then to go back to reality. I had to say good bye to my new friend the Penan from Ba Tik, and promised to come back. So James and I walked back over the mountains to Bario where I collected my stuff and drank a well earned beer :-). On the way back to Miri an engine failed in the propeller plane and caused slightly panic for the passengers, but I arrived back safe. I am now back in Miri for the next few days until I head off again...
Jian kenin tai Penan, tomo kepeh...

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June 2009

Melacca - Kuala Lumpur (KL) - Kota Kinabalu (KK) - Mt.Kinabalu - Sandakan - Kinabatangan River - Semporna - Mabul- Sipadan Island - Kota Kinabalu - Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB in Brunei)

I caught one of the morning buses out of Singapore to Melacca in "Malaysia truly Asia". The buses in Malaysia are "luxury" something I am not used to. Arrived in Melacca and immediately liked it, so found a lovely place to stay in Chinatown. There was a summer festival on and the city was crowded with people, market stalls, street artists and the atmosphere was excellent. After a few days I made my way to KL.
Just like in every big city here, Chinatown is the place to be with cheap food, beer and accommodation. I strolled around the city and soon got my first glimpse of the incredible Petronas Twin Towers. The towers are really stunning, even more so at night time when they are illuminated. Early the next morning (you have to get up early otherwise you don't get a ticket) we queued up to get a ticket for the sky bridge which gives you a good view over KL. Spent the rest of the time strolling around in the city, orchid gardens, and the golden triangle and then that was it for KL.
It was then time to fly to Borneo, KK. It was boiling hot in KK and I checked in to Lucy's Homestay which I can recommend. The next day we went out to the Tunkun Abdul Rahmen NP which is only an half an hour offshore from KK. The islands are nice for snorkeling, relaxing, or just having a dip in the sea. The phillipino market is superb at night, and you can get fresh caught and grilled fish for unbelievable prices. My Chilean mate Guillermo and I went off the next morning to Mt.Kinabalu. We couldn't climb the mountain because you have to book in advance and the mountain trails were packed with people anyway. So instead, we did a few other trails before heading down to Sandakan where we had to organize ourselves for trips to Sipadan island and Kinabatangan river. There isn't much to do in Sandakan (apart from a none existent heritage Trail) so we just chilled in the hostel.

We then started our trip to the NP Kinabatangan River which is a small corridor of rain forest between large Palm oil farms (the whole area surrounding it got logged (they still do it) which is a shame!). Nevermind, we did a few river cruises where you can spot Proboscis monkeys, Orangutan, Long- and pigtail macaques, crocodiles, kingfishers, and if you're really lucky, elephants (unfortunately we weren't lucky). Next we put on our gumboots for our bush walk to Oxbow lake. It was so muddy because it rained the night before, so the leeches had good fun with us! ;-). Covered in mud we then came back to camp. We had good fun out there and I then said good bye to my "dangerous" Chilean mate and headed to Semporna.
Semporna is considered a Mecca for divers in Borneo. I stayed overnight in the Dragon Inn (very chinese) and cruised the next morning to Mabul-Sipadan island. I snorkeled and sun-baked in Mabul for the day, enjoyed good food and local entertainment. As soon as I was awake the next morning I got really excited about my trip to Sipadan. The island itself is beautiful and heavily guarded by the army because of the Philippine pirates. I couldn't wait anymore to get into the water and explore the most beautiful sea life I have ever seen in my life. I swam with turtles, reef sharks and barracudas, and got attacked by a trigger fish - an unforgettable day in Borneo.
Back in KK, I made a stop at the Phillipino market and headed off to Brunei, home off the richest man - the Sultan off Brunei. I took the ferry from KK to Labuan which played a "Modern Talking" DVD :-( and continued on to the capital city Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB).

Brunei

Thankfully I found the youth hostel which was the only cheap option for us backpackers. BSB's center is very small and everything can be reached by foot. I visited the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque, Royal Regalia Museum which is full of photographs and history of the royal family. They also show you presents to the Sultan which are incredible in taste and luxury. I visited the City mosque which I thought was quite impressive until I went to the Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque built by the 29th Sultan. The minarets are made out of 24carat gold, and there is a special royal entrance with elevator and imported carved Italian marble. It was just unbelievably impressive - too much money to spend :-). I also went to the old water-village, looking for authenticity, but these days the inhabitants have air-con, satellite TV and a few cars parked on shore! It was then time to leave and I took a bus to the Sarawak border. As I had to wait five hours for the connection bus I decided to hitch. Thankfully I didn't have to wait very long and a friendly Bruneian gave me a lift over the border into Miri city in Sarawak.
Stay tuned the journey continues in beautiful Sarawak, home of the Penan...

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May 2009

Denpasar / Kuta - Ubud - Lovina - Probolinggo - Bromo - Yogyakarta - Jakarta - Medan - Bukit Lawang - Parapat - Lake Toba - Bukutinggi - Padang - Singapore

Selamat datang di Indonesia! Welcome to Indonesia!
After making it through customs, convincing them i dont have swine flu, I opened the airport door and a wave of taxi drivers, tourist hunters and sellers ran towards me. Welcome back in Southeast Asia. I took a cab down to Kuta town, a hip noisy party city, and finally found a cheap room late that night. I settled in and enjoyed my first icy cold Bintang (2Dollars). Kuta town is quite a mad place, tonnes of shops, travel agents, surf shops, bars and clubs around the city. The legendary beach was packed with surfers and has a good atmosphere tohang out as well.
After two days here i then traveled to Ubud. In Ubud I stayed in a very nice losmen (home stay) where I was spoiled with a hot shower and an excellent breakfast. Here I visited the Monkey Forest - the makas here are semi-wild and very cheeky. As I was sitting on a bench one of the little buggers put his hand into my pocket to steal my cash! I whacked him a little ;-) and was surprised when he immediately whacked me back - now we where even...! I then took a tour which took me all around Bali to places like the famous temple Besakih, Gunung Agung, Kunklung and the Elephant temple. That night I also went to one of the uncountable dance shows in and around Ubud.
After Ubud i moved on to Lovina, a quiet almost deserted beach town. From here I visited a Buddhist temple, hot springs, waterfalls and the temple in the lake in Bedugul. That was it for Bali, so i then made my way to the next island, Java.
After 12 hours on a bemo, public bus, ferry, and another public bus, I arrived in the mountain village Bromo. It was real chilly there in the mountains, and my sleeping bag came in handy. Was up at 3.30a.m, early as usual, to see the sunrise on Gunung Bromo Volcano. After seeing a beautiful sunrise we drove to the crater. Here we could hire a horse, but they were so small and skinny i decided it was better to walk instead around the steep crater. Back in the hotel I gladly paid a dollar for a long and luxurious hot shower, much needed after this walk ;-). Back to Probolinggo, i waited for the night bus to Yogyakarta, where I arrived the next morning.
Yogyakarta is a nice city with one of the sultans who still exist in Indonesia (the other is Banda Aceh). Up and down the Malioboro street there are hundreds of shops, batik sellers (real and otherwise), and the rather disappointing sultan palace. All trips start early here and so I got up early again for the Borobudur and Prambanan trip. Borobudur is an old Buddhist temple carved out of Lava stone, and the peaceful atmosphere and the mist over the landscape made it well worthwhile to get up that early. Prambanan, the other temple area (which unfortunate got hit by an earthquake), is also very nice. The entrance price sux a bit, but luckily I had my student card ;-). I continued my trip further with an overnight train to the capital Jakarta.
After a short nights sleep I went into the city, or the main hub, called Kota and Glodok. I took the train which was a wise decision because Jakarta was totally mad when it comes to traffic. Around Kota I had a look at the old dutch colonial houses, cafe batavia and enjoyed bakso soup (kinda meatballs). As my shorts where falling apart and people were laughing at me in the streets I went to Chinatown and bought myself some new ones, cheap cheap :-). A day in Jakarta was enough for me and so I then flew on to Medan in Sumatra the next morning.
In Medan I stayed next to Mejia Raya Mosque which is incredibly loud at 4.30 in the morning for the first prayers... nevermind I had to catch the bus early in the morning to Bukit Lawang anyway! It is always an experience and good fun in the so called "chickenbus" and I met many interesting people that day...
Bukit Lawang is a nice town surounded by jungle and hills. The town is famous for its orangutan sanctuary where they feed semi-wild orangutans. I signed up for a two day trip and we started the next morning. Our guide, Ian, explained to us a lot about the nature, plants, and of course orangutans in the area. After a while we spotted the first gibbons playing in the trees. It was so amazing how easy and gentle the orangutans are as they swing from tree to tree. We watched them for a while until they got bored with us and headed off, back in the jungle. We continued and spotted the punky monkey along the way, and got trapped by a big male orangutan - he was around 100kg and not in the best mood! An orangutan like this big and can easy kill you if he wanted to! Thankfully nothing happened to us and we made our way through the beautiful jungle to our night camp. A swim in the refreshing river felt like heaven, cause I was soaked right through with sweat ;). That night we camped in the jungle, ate fabulous food and played games. The next day we continued our journey (though saw no more monkeys) and tube-rafted back to Bukit Lawang. I spent the arvo with necessary laundry and trying to get myself clean.
From Bukit Lawang I traveled to Parapat and then further to Samosir Island. The island is located in a lake and surrounded by mountains. I had a 4dollar room on the top of the building and the view was absolutely stunning. I relaxed for a few days, hired a cycle, explored the island, and got invited for lunch in a Battak house. I then took the overnight bus down to Bukitinggi in West-Sumatra.
Bukitinggi was a nice relatively clean city. Went to the markets, which are huge and have everything from flowers, to clothes, to birds! In the afternoon I walked through the river valley where I saw flying foxes. I ended up in a silver store for a coke, and made my way back to town. That night I had a dessert called Roti Bakar it was so yummy, chocolate on one side and strawberry on the other side... just yummy ;-)!
From Bukitinggi to Lake Maninjau, my supposed two hour drive turned in to a five hour one, because they had to wait till the "chickenbus" was full. I finally got there, checked in to a beachfront bungalow and went straight out for a swim. It was a real quiet place and I was the only guest for the next few days, so i liked it a lot. Reading, sleeping, swimming, with some good Indonesian food between, what more can i want....
My visa was almost finished so I traveled down to Padang for the night, which has the most expensive rooms (10dollar and shabby) in the whole of Indonesia. Nevermind the city was nice, and then had to say good bye to Indonesia. Early the next morning, i caught my flight to Singapore where my travels continue...

Singapore

Welcome to the shopping paradise Singapore. It is like being in an other world (so clean and organized) after a month of travel in beautiful Indonesia. I took the MRT into the city to Little India where I stayed for the next few days. The Little India square is really cool and lively with lots of shops and fantastic indian food, no wonder ;-).
The next morning I wandered around in the city, down to the Esplanade, Merlion statue, and through the colonial business district to china town. Here I ate a fantastic home made noodle soup, was just delicious. Singapore is as clean as they say, even in china town where I expected it to be a bit messier. It was a bit cloudy and rained the next day for a while, but I was glad for the change (the heat is about 32 degrees or more on average). This day I made my way down Orchard road where all the fancy, expensive shops are, to the botanical gardens. The gardens where nice but soon I had enough and walked back to Little India. To my surprise I had no clean shirts left so I needed instantly to do laundry - don't know if they have law about smeling in public ;-).
That night I ate fantastic indian food (all with my hands), walked down to the Esplanade to watch the skyline and enjoy a Tiger beer. The city is deserted in the night and totally secure, was phenomenal. The next day i had a lazy one, slept in, took a stroll, had some lovely fruit juices, and window shopped around in the electronic shops. I met Stan, a travel mate for dinner in La pat in the middle of the CBD. They block the streets, pitch stools and tables out sell the "best" Singapore sate. We chatted and dinned for a while till we where full and it was time to go home. Early the next morning I left Singapore to Malaysia with the bus...
Stay tuned, news coming soon from beautiful Malaysia!

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April 2009

Perth - Fremantle - Perth - Geraldton - Monkey Mia - Coral Bay - Exmouth - Karijini NP - Indee Station - Broome - Darwin

Welcome to Perth and Western Australia, WA! Here I met up with Matt, a travel mate from South East Asia, and was able to stay in his house (T Hill Sharehouse) for a few days which was very welcoming. Matt showed me around in his hometown and fed me with pizza and pasta thanks too his job ;-). Thanks very much to Matt for a great time. Perth is pretty laid back with nice restaurants and bars, and the popular Swan Bell Tower and Kings Park really makes it special.
On Good Friday I went to Fremantle (Freo) where some old neighbours are now living, Daniel and Simi. Freo is quite charming and has lovely cafes, old buildings and beaches. It was the long weekend and Daniel had some time to show me around, so we spent some time chilling at the beach and enjoyed a few arvo beers in the Little Creature brewery. Thank you to Daniel and Simi for a fab time in their new hometown. I also visited the Freo prison which is a dark, terrible place - it just got closed down in the 80's because of bad hygiene. I then went back to Perth on a Swan river cruise and the next morning started my tour from Perth to Broome.
Our first stop, after loads of hours driving, was the Pinnacles Desert. The rock formations here are formed out of sand over millions of years and look similar to termite mounds. After a short overnight stay in Geraldton we then drove to Kalbarri NP where we explored the Murchinson and Z-Bend Gorge, and watched the landscape through natures' window. That night we stayed in Monkey Mia, home to dolphins and beautiful wildlife. Early each morning we fed the dolphins from the shore, and the beach was packed because it was so spectacular. It is really nice to see dolphins that close and to learn a bit about there behaviour.
Next up I took an aboriginal tour. Our fascinating guide, Capes, explained a lot about his country, nature and animal trails, and told us stories from his life out in the desert. It was only 2 hours but then left Monkey Mia with new good impressions. We then made our way up to Coral Bay stopping at Shell beach to see the stromatolites on the way.
In Coral Bay (home of the Ningaloo Reef) I took the opportunity to Snorkel with manta rays, dolphins, dugongs and turtles. The mantas are such beautiful creatures and it looks like a ballet when they circle in the water hunting. With lots of big smiles on our faces and unforgettable memories we then made our way to Exmouth in the late arvo.
Our first night in Exmouth turned into a big drinking night with games and mankinis (don't ask!). Some off us suffered the next morning as we got ready to see the biggest creature in the sea, the Whale Shark. As we finally spotted them we all got so excited and couldn't wait to get in to the water. We swam alongside a massive but peaceful whale shark. He hardly noticed us and it was just amazing to see how they glide through the sea. That night I fell fast a sleep with dreaming of a whale shark ;-).
Karijini NP time! On the way we stopped to buy fresh seafood which was really yummy and then made our way inland to Karijini NP. As we finally got there, we started to cook our massive seafood and sushi dinner.....in the middle of nowhere. With full belly's we rolled out our swag, watched the stars and prayed that no snakes come along!
Next morning after a hearty brekkie we drove out to Hamersley Range, which are 2500 million years old. We walked through Dales Gorge, swam in Circular pool, climbed the Fortescue Falls and enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere in Fern pool. In the arvo we climbed another waterfall in Joffre Gorge for a refreshing swim which was very welcome. As if this wasn't adventurous enough, I then decided to do a canyoning tour. We climbed in to the gorge, abseiled, slid over a waterfall and tubed down the Red Gorge. We made our way through by jumping from cliffs, saw beautiful rock formations, and ended up in what felt like the center of the earth. The only way out was to climb! It was good fun and, after passing Kermits pool and having to walk like a spider between the rocks, we ended a wonderful day in Karijini.
It was still a long way to Broome and so we made our way over Port Hedland (you don't want to live there) which was covered in red dust from all the mining around, and up to Indee station. The refreshing pool and the delicious food at the end of the day were very welcome, and here we spent our last night sleeping under the stars of the Southern Cross. It was then time to head to Broome. Still 600km to drive, but we got there in the end!
That night we went out with our tour guides for food and drinks, and said goodbye to fellow travelers. It was quiet in Broome (Anzac weekend) so we went down to Cable Beach to see the amazing sunset...
After a few days relaxing by the pool, doing laundry and trying to get free from the red dirt of the Aussie outback, I flew to Darwin. Here, Lauren came up from Sydney (for both work and pleasure) and we headed down to Mindil beach markets for food and drinks. On the weekend, we booked ourselves on a jumping crocodile cruise. It was fantastic and amazing to see a hundred year old, six meter long croc jumping out of the water to get a piece of meat! You really don't want to swim there, the crocs were lurking everywhere... We spent some time hanging out in Darwin and of course in the pub, and enjoyed the summer heat. It was then time to say goodbye again, with Lauren flying back to Sydney, and myself off to Denpasar in Bali, where my trip now continues...
New news soon from back in South East Asia.

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March 2009

Earth hour, AFL Aussie Rules

Summer is coming to a close and the weather is getting cooler. Everyone has been out a lot over the last few weeks before getting ready to hibernate for the winter. Our latest adventures out have involved the Earth hour experience in Sydney, where the lights off the famous Opera House and Harbour Bridge where turned off. We finished the night with a few beers by candlelight...!
This weekend Loz and I decided to do a first for both of us and check out an AFL game. The Sydney Swans played last years winners the Hawthorn Hawks, and kicked their butts. A couple of beers and a game of Aussie rules... can't get more aussie than that! ;-) The updated photos you'll find in Sydney summer 08/09, have fun.

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February - March 2009

Nadi - Bounty Island - Waya Lailai Island - Naviti Island - Matacawalevu Island - Nanuya Lailai Island - Tavewa Island - Nadi

Bula people and welcome to Fiji! Bula means hello in Fijian and you hear it always, everyday, everywhere. As soon as the door opened in Nadi we could feel the hot air flowing into the plane, welcoming us to the South Pacific. Straight off the plane, the local band played us our first Fijian songs and we were soon sipping our first of many Fiji bitters under the sun.
The next morning we started our island hopping trip in the Mamanuca and Yasawa islands. Our first stop was Bounty Island, which was so beautiful and looked even better than a postcard! We spent three nights on this sand island, where the trip from our bure to the water and corals was only 15 metres, so the swimming and snorkelling was endless..
Sadly leaving Bounty behind us we then stopped at Waya Lailai Island. The bures here weren't that great, but the food and friendly locals (who own the resort) more than made up for that. Here we were invited for our first Kava ceremony and Fijian dance night (and learnt the first of many Bula dances). I also climbed to highest mountain peak in the mud to see the sunrise. We snorkelled in the reef off the beach, got attacked by Picasso trigger fish, and relaxed in the hammocks each day.
Once again on to the 'yellow boat' we rode to Longbeach resort on Matacawalevu Island. The beach is quite long and sandy in low tide, and in high tide the water is crystal clear and goes on forever, so swimming is fantastic. Our bure was almost as big as our unit, and our daily schedule J included beach going, sunbaking and the waiting for the drums to wake us up for the next lunch or dinner break. A totally lazy life which suited us very well.
Next stop was Tavewa Island on the top of the Yasawas. Here we stayed at the lovely Coral View resort where we made ourselves at home for the next two nights. Like the name of the resort the corals where absolutely stunning and in really good condition, so the snorkelling was amazing and we saw loads of fish, and even a Manta ray. We strolled around the island and made friends with the local dog "Sebby" who was quite entertaining to watch while he hunted for fish in the water.
Just around the corner was the Gold Coast resort (no not in Queensland) on Nanuya Lailai Island. The island was beautiful, but the resort was pretty much deserted and hasn't seen visitors in a long time. We had to blow the dust off the bed to get in! ;-). I also broke a stool (no am not overweight) which was rusty! The people were friendly though and we met Quin (the local village 'queen') and friends who invited us for an afternoon tea of fresh coconuts.
Our last stop was on Naviti Island at the White Sandy Beach Resort. Here we spent our time swimming, snorkelling and hanging out in hammocks. The lovely staff entertained us with lots of singing and dancing in the night, and we really enjoyed our stay here. It was hard to say goodbye but after 3 days we sadly had to go back to Nadi.
Back on the mainland (Viti Levu), we spent our last day with a wander in Nadi town. Here you still can see the flood damages from the recent floods in January (no pics cause the camera broke), but the town was really busy with some interesting shops and markets. We enjoyed a farewell Kava ceremony and got on the sauce with plenty of cocktails and beer in the arvo.
We're back in Sydney after a flight with smelly men, kids who never stopped screaming, and a lecture on immigration policy at the airport. Glad to be home we showered (with the luxury of hot water) and went to bed without insect repellent and a mozzi net for the first time in weeks!
Sa moce for now, more news soon.

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December 2008, January - February 2009

Melbourne - Sydney summer - Newcastle - Xmas and New Years Eve - Australia Day

It has taken a while (new website) but here are the new and latest stories from my life Downunder.
After a short questioning by Immigration at the airport, I took the shuttle to the city and hostel. It was hot like I expected in Melbourne and the whole city was in pre-xmas fever. My first impression in comparing Melbourne to Sydney was that it wasn't so busy and had quite a different flair. Surprisingly Lauren had to go for business in Melbourne and we met in the arvo for a few hours and a happy reunion after a long three months.
The next day I strolled around the city, south bank, and fed square, then walked along the river front down to Rod Laver Arena (Rogers Home). Back in the hostel later in the arvo I sipped on my Coopers and watched the sunset from the deck. Lauren then came down to Melbourne again for the weekend as planned. We had a great time, wandering, shopping (such a girl thing), eating, drinking and relaxing at St. Kilda Beach. Our highlight was seeing the musical 'Wicked' in the Reagent Theatre. It really was "wicked"!
But soon it was Monday and time to fly back to Sydney, so we went home. In Newcastle we were part of the wedding party for Lauren's sister Hayley and her brother-in-law Andy. They came over from the UK for Xmas and a holiday. The venue was great, Andy and I made our auntie points ;-) and the cake was also excellent, in spite of the little accident that made it fall apart earlier! A good night was had by all.
The next day we went to Dungog (in the middle of nowhere) were we stayed in her Dads' house for the night. He took us horse riding in the bush, though some of the horses where still asleep (move Nugget) or did not want to do what they were told. The country side is great and we went to the cheapest cinema ever to see 'Australia'!
Back in Sydney we celebrated the thirtieth birthday of a couple of friends of ours with a barefoot bowling party. It was a great night as I hadn't seen most of them for ages. Got a little drunk and suffered a bit the next day.
Christmas morning in Newcastle (night for me 06.30) half asleep we opened our presents and went for breakfast at a friends house. We started the day with a traditional English brekkie, beer and champers as it supposed to be. Back home we continued drinking in the backyard and started a dart competition. After way to much food for lunch we ended the day at the beach. This pattern continued for the next couple a days. That's a good life!

We celebrated New Years Eve in a friend's house, playing Singstar, eating and drinking a lot. At midnight the Sydney city fireworks went off and we were able to see them from the balcony. They were beautiful as always. After a few too many Tequila shots we stumbled home and spent New Years Day recovering on the beach.
In summer time there is so much on in Sydney and you could really go out every night. We went to the Sydney festival in the Domain and saw The Cat Empire and Grace Jones. It was so much fun, some people were a bit nut,s but never mind we danced in the streets. My favourite highlight of the night was a Bratwurst stall. I enjoyed two of the Swiss Bratwurst and it was delicious, just like home. Am not homesick, don't worry ;-)
Australia day was Monday the 26th of January, so we had a long weekend and drove three hours down south to meet friends and camp in Batemans bay. We had an excellent three days with beach, lots of beer, bbq, aussie breakfast, trivial pursuit and card games. The boys almost beat the girls ;-), it was close.
The weather was surprisingly chilly over night, but during the day was comfortably warm and the surf was a welcoming chance to cool down. We all had a fabulous time.
This summer is extremely hot (30 degrees upwards) and we are spending a lot of time at the beach. It is so good to jump and cool down in the ocean. A friend of mine also has a house with pool and garden, so it is really relaxing to have a few beers and go for swim in their lovely pool. That is it for the moment; soon we're off to Fiji. Hopefully the rain and floods are gone, island life here we come ;-).

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November 2008

Wellington - Napier - Taupo - Rotorua - Whakatane - Tauranga / Mt. Maunganui - Whitianga - Thames - Hamilton - Waitomo - Paihia - Whangarei - Auckland

"Kia Ora"! Welcome to the North Island and Wellington. In Wellington, the always windy capital city, I met up with Dec (we travelled together in Oz). I was able stay in his house for a few days which saved money. It was the labour weekend and we went out for beer, rugby and exchanged travel stories.
I strolled around the city, visiting the parliament house, took a cable car ride to the botanical gardens (highly recommended), and visited the zoo where I saw my first Kiwi. The national museum Te Papa was absolutely beautiful; you could spend hours and days in it. The information presented about Maori culture is absolutely fantastic. I also went to the National Tattoo Museum which was rather disappointing...don't worry I don't have any more ink on my body.
My next destination was sunny Napier. I hiked (20km) out to Cape Kidnappers named after a story from Capt. James Cook (as are many). The Australasian Gannet colony there was amazing. It was breeding season and thousand of birds were defending their nests. It is amazing how the male always find there way back to the right nest.
I then took the bus to Taupo which is located on the largest lake in New Zealand; Lake Taupo. I made myself at home in the Rainbow Lodge and was immediately surrounded by Germans ;-)! I relaxed for a day and wandered to the Huka Falls and the Craters of the Moon, and then waited for better weather conditions to cross the Tongariro National park. Woke up at five o'clock (ouch), had a big breakfast and was ready to start the 18km crossing through the volcanic area. First the weather was kinda miserable but as soon as we were on the top, it cleared up. If you're a fan of Lord of the Rings this is the right place to be and you can just imagine the Orcs run out of the fog. The views over the partially frozen blue lakes and craters were stunning. I hope I can come back sometime and do another hike here.
When the bus door opened in Rotorua you could immediately smell the sulphur in the air. All around Rotorua are hot springs and steam clouds arising from the earth. I needed a bit adventure and so went white water rafting and sledging. The Kaituna raft is very short, but the seven meter waterfall is absolutely crazy and makes it worthwhile. Lucky us; we didn't flip the raft. Sledging is a bit harder and we all needed a bit of practising. Overall it was a great day in Kaituna River. The hostel then recommended "Mitai" a Maori cultural sing and dance night. It was nice, the traditional food (Hangi) was good and I was stuffed; but slightly too touristy for my liking.
Have you ever stood on an active volcano? Me neither; till I stood on White Island, New Zealand's only active volcano. The trip was amazing and a special highlight of my trip. As you get closer you can see the steam rise from the craters. It steams out of holes, lava streams and the smell of sulphur is always present. The guide told us to stay on the path so we don't fall into a mud pool. It was another excellent day.
My journey then continued in Tauranga / Mt. Maunganui. Tauranga is quite a big city and I was stuck in a traffic jam for ages. I explored the region and went to Mt. Maunganui. The view was stunning, with never ending coastlines and little islands surrounding the area. It was my birthday so I started drinking early and chilled at the beach till sunset.
Next in Whitianga I stayed in a hostel right at the beach front. I cycled to cathedral cove and the legendary hot water beach. So many people go there every day, digging little hot pools and mix them up with water from the sea, otherwise it is to hot. On the way back I got lucky and spotted two orcas who were chasing mantas in the bay.
In Thames an old goldmining town I did a little hike on the gold track. Didn't find any gold ;-)! The rest of the arvo I relaxed in the hostels hammock and feel asleep. After a brief stop in Hamilton, I arrived at the last minute in Waitomo for the legendary black water rafting. We got dressed like cavers for our abseiling and raft trip. It is real fun to abseil forty metres in to the dark. The glow worms are amazing, and we were crawling and swimming through the caves till we found the sunlight again. We finished the day with a few beers in the local pub.
When you get closer to Auckland you can see the Sky Tower, even though it's still far away. I only stopped briefly here for a night, and watched the Rugby league final NZ vs. OZ, before I was then on my way to the northland.
Paihia in the bay of islands is a nice booming town. After I stayed out the rain I hiked through forest, took the ferry to Russel; a picturesque town, and relaxed at the beach. I did a trip up to Cape Reinga and ninety mile beach. Cape Reinga is the point where the Tasman and Pacific Ocean join each other. It was so foggy we could only imagine where the sea was. Sand board surfing is great fun, is actually hard to climb the dunes but the ride down is great. We then went back along the ninety mile beach with stops at the obligatory souvenir shops and for yummy ice cream of course.
The sun was out, with a slight breeze, which was perfect weather for sailing. On a small yacht we sailed for the whole day around the Bay of Islands. We stopped on a little island, strolled through high grass, snorkelled and sunbaked on the boat. A group of dolphins followed us as we sailed back to the wharf.
I then went to Whangarei visit some friends, Anita and Jack. I first met Anita and Jack over a year ago in Laos where we travelled together. They both highly recommended NZ to me and here I am. They live in Whangarei, around two hours from Auckland. Anita and Jack showed me around their hometown. We went to Jacks parents farm and visited the big tree 'Tane Mahuta'. Then on to a non commercial caving place which is only known to locals and was excellent. We then took their little daughter, Lua, for her first steps on the beach. Thank you very much to you both for an excellent weekend. I hope I can show you around some day in my hometown.
Finally ended up back in Auckland. The outstanding Sky Tower, the wharf, Mt. Eden and the CBD, are the main tourist highlights. I was looking for greenstone and now know everything about it. The carvings and meaning go far back to Maori culture and myths. It was then time to get my gear together and say good bye to NZ, my flight back to OZ left at 6am. Hope am able to come back one day. Till then, Haere ra.

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October 2008

Wanaka - Aoraki/Mt.Cook - Tekapo - Kaikoura - Hanmer Springs - Marahau - Nelson - Picton

After a couple of days in Wanaka (where is visited Puzzling World, and naturally got lost in the Maze) I headed to Aoraki/Mt.Cook. The ride along the light blue Pukaki lake through the valley, with views of Mt.Cook, was definitely worthwhile. That same afternoon I then attempted to walk to the Hooker Valley, but unfortunately had to turn around because of the weather conditions. I was almost blown off the hang bridge ;-)!
After one rainy day the sun finally came out and Mt.Cook (highest mountain New Zealand) presented its best side and I was able to explore. I then moved on further to lovely Lake Tekapo!
Here in the first (and only!) pub, I watched the rugby league grand final. My favourite team - Manly Sea Eagles - won by loads, 40-0! That was pretty much it for Tekapo, and after a short walk around Mt.John, I travelled over Christchurch to Kaikoura.
In the Dolphin Lodge there I made myself at home. I really enjoyed the garden with sea views and a hot tub. Had to get up early 06.00am the next day in order to catch the whale tour, and by chance I saw another sunrise. The speedboat was completely packed and we all had our cameras ready and were waiting for the captain's signal to make good shots! It was incredible to watch those massive sperm whales. They float totally peaceful in the sea, surfacing to take deep breaths, then diving back under again. Unfortunately, as several countries still hunt the whales, most of the specious are now endangered.
Next day I became a fishermen and went fishing! We let the hooks down to 75m deep just off the Kaikoura coast, and were lucky that the fish began biting immediately! It was hard work to reel them in, but guess what? I had fish filet and crayfish for dinner! Had to drown "Craig the Craigfish" first before I cooked him ;) It was so yummy!
Headed back inland then, into Hamner Springs where there are famous hot pools. It was 41 degrees and sweaty! They are fabulous to relax in after a hike. Also had a fun day driving through little rivers and puddles on quadbikes, it was excellent! We drove the hills up and down till we were full of mud ;-)! After three days I said goodbye to Barb (our friendly hostel owner) and drove on to the Abel Tasman National Park.
There in Marahau, the start point for tours in the park, I stayed in a really peaceful, comfortable backpackers. After a lazy day of doing absolutely nothing, I updated my batteries and was ready to go hiking. Took the watertaxi up to Totaranui, where my three day trip started. Worked my way along sandy beaches, rainforests, and high and lowtide to cross the bay, to get to the first hut where I would stay the night. Maybe I am to heavy, or the water to high, but in the end I was hip deep in water trying to cross! That was a good laugh, and thankfully, soon we were dry again.
The next day it rained, but luckily the sun came out on the third again. Got back to the backpackers, happy and tired, and in need of a long hot shower. By lucky accident I met a local guy called Peter and his dog Trixi. He was a really nice person and invited me to go kayaking along the coast and in the islands. We had a fantastic day, and I hope I can return sometime for kayaking and more exchange of stories over a beer with him.
I am now back in Nelson where I have done nothing apart from write the news for you ;-). The city is very nice, with its little cafes and shops around. Bought myself some new jeans because I couldn't wear the old ones in public anymore! Now am on to Picton, which is my last destination on the south island, before I set off over to Wellington on the north island. That's all for the moment, news from the North Island coming soon...
Bye for now

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September 2008

Christchurch - Dunedin - Invercargill - Queenstown - TeAnau - Franz Josef Gletscher - Wanaka

After a short amount of confusion at Sydney airport about visa formalities I set off to Christchurch, New Zealand. In Christchurch I read my Lonely Planet and sorted myself out for my trip (organised bus, hostel etc). I also visited the museum and watched the chess players at Cathedral Square.
It was then on to Dunedin, the student city in Otago. You can do lots of free activities here like the Cadbury chocolate factory mmh ;-), plus many interesting museums and art galleries. In the surrounding area I went to Otago Peninsula where I visited the albatross colonies (their wingspan is over 3m!), and also saw the yellow-eyed penguins who are endangered, and my first seals and sea lions in the wild. It is so totally different than in the zoo.
After that i hired a car and drove into the Catlins. The ride along the southern scenic route is just awesome. Beaches, superb landscape and thousands of sheep on the fields along the way. I was really lucky and could watch sea lions playing on the shore at one point - although I did get attacked by sand flies! By chance I was able to stay over night on a sheep farm and got to witness the farmer hard at work. I also found that next to the farm was a nice waterfall where you could go to see glow worms at night.
Arrived next in Invercargill where nothing was going on, so I headed off to Stewart Island. Unfortunately the weather forecast was so bad that I just went for a day trip. Here you should be able to see a "Kiwi" but the bird is so shy and hard to spot unfortunately!
Made my way then up to Queenstown. In this party town you can book any kind of adreneline activity you can find (Bungy, Skydive, Jetboat.....) I chose to do the Nevis High Wire Bungy and a Jet boat ride. The bungy is just unbelievable and the experience is over before you can even think about it. It makes your whole body shake and gets the adrenalin pumping. I would do it again, anytime....
Aside from the fun stuff I did something for my fitness and walked up to the mountain. The scenery is just stunning. From Queenstown i travelled to TeAnau where my journey ended because of an land slide over the road. Lucky me I was spontaneously offered a free boat ride with locals. instead! We were spreading out traps for stouts because they're eating the bird eggs. It was a fabulous day. Totally wet to the skin, we then enjoyed a few beers in the pub afterwards. The next day headed out to Doubtful Sound. We visited the Manapouri Hydro Power Station, watched sea lions and waterfalls, and drove out to the Tasman Sea. The weather was really rough and not inviting for a swim.
Back to Queenstown over snow covered roads and picturesque landscape. I had to say farewell to my travel mates and headed off to the Franz Josef Glacier.
The ride from Queenstown to the west coast passing vineyards, waterfalls, big lakes and stunning landscape, is fantastic. The buses are really good and the drivers tell you loads about the region and culture. I woke up the next morning ready for my glacier tour and of course it was raining ;-).
None the less I headed off to the glacier for my hike. By halftime (after four hours) we were totally soaked but it was so much fun to hang around Franz Josef and worth dealing with the rain! To get a lift here is really simple and so I then got one on to Wanaka. I plan to stay here for a couple off nights, do some hikes, hang around and enjoy the sunshine before I go to Mt. Cook.

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August 2008

Sydney and around

I've been back a while now in Sydney and enjoy my time here. There is always something on and things to do in this city of 4 million: World Youth Day (the city was covered in pilgrims), City 2 Surf (charity race from the city to Bondi Beach), Taronga Zoo (which is beautiful and located with views over the Harbour), the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. At Darling Harbour there are very nice restaurants, along with the Sydney Aquarium which is excellent, and really good place to watch sharks, seals, turtles and fish.
When Francoise visited from Switzerland we went out for dinner in Chinatown, fed the Possums in Hyde Park with low fat banana cake ;-) and went back to the warm pub for another beer.
I have also been enjoying the social Trivia nights in the local pub where you have to answer different theme questions from all around the world and can win cool prices, my favourite being the bar tab :-)! In Newcastle, about two hours north from Sydney, we watched the Rugby League game of Newcastle Knights against the Sydney Rabbithos, where eating hot meat pies and having a few beers is a must. Rugby league and union is big here all over the place and now I know the footy rules as well. At the moment it is winter here and so is it a bit cooler (15 degrees during the day) but this is not close to a real winter for a european ;-).
All aussies are in the Beijing olympic fever and are so happy that their athletes made such good effort, mostly in swimming. My time in Australia is unfortunately over soon as my visa is running out. I head off at the start of September to New Zealand. I'm looking forward to discovering the North and South islands, and following the path of the Maori. Hopefully I can spot a Kiwi and will write new news from New Zealand soon. Thats it for moment, wish you a nice time.
Check again soon for news from New Zealand.

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June - July 2008

Northern Territory, South Australia und Victoria

Darwin, a nice city with a long history during the world wars and the start- and end destination for traveller. I headed off with a funny group to Kakadu and Litchfield National park...the parks are just a dream.
My personal highlights were the Wetlands, where we spotted Salt and Freshwater crocodiles and a variety of birds and wallabies, and the Jim Jim- and Twin falls, where we enjoyed a nice swim. We also saw the Aboriginal rock arts where they tell you stories - they are different in depending on who is telling it :-).
Heading off down the almost never ending Stuart Highway down to Alice Springs, we stopped in Tennant Creek, Katherine (the gorge is beautiful) and the Devils Marbles. After a BBQ, we stayed overnight in a swag (aussie bedroll). Sleeping near the campfire, watching the stars (southern cross, milky way) is just unforgettable. Alice Springs, I did my laundry and shaved after a week ;-) and hung out for a while.
The landscape around Alice Springs is fantastic for hiking and 4WD tours, so I went off to Mc Donnell Ranges. There I saw the ocker stone where the Aboriginals used to make the colours for Rock- and Body paintings.
The next day early in the morning 05.00 am we headed off to Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kings Canyon and the Kata Tjutas. We did a hike in Kings Canyon and learned a lot about nature and Aboriginal Culture, (they have lived in oz over 16'000 years).
Next day up early again hurrying to see the sunrise at Uluru, the big red monolith awakened with its colours. I'm still fascinated by the big red rock. It is 9km to walk around, with many fairy tales from the Anangu, historical backgrounds and sacred sites which are still used by the Aboriginal people.
We also visted the Kata Tjutas, another stunning rock formation close to Uluru, and also a place for meetings or to find shelter from sun and rain. The sunset spectacle was superb and we celebrated that nice day with a glass of champagne. Woke up at 04.30 am to go to South Australia and the opal city Coober Pedy. It is a long ride, with red soil to the left and right, before finally seeing the Soilhillls (mining holes) at the horizon from Coober Pedy. Most people here live underground because during summer is it 50 degrees and in the underground they keep temperatures always at 22 degrees.
Further down is Flinders Range a huge area with mountains and beautiful nature and thousands of kangaroos. That night we stayed in Parachilna where the Cole train (10'000t Cole for producing electricity in Port Augusta everyday) is passing through - it is just 2.8km long. The ride down to Adelaide was easy and we all enjoyed a long shower and an ice cold beer.
I then travelled from Adelaide to Melbourne with stops in the Grampians (mountain area), down to the Great Ocean Road with the fantastic coastline and the Twelve Apostles. We stayed overnight in Princetown with only twelve inhabitants and a pub, and watched the European Championship Final at 05.00am - Viva Espania!! We celebrated with a cup of coffee. It is really cold at this time of the year along the coast, and we were watching for wales passing through.
From Melbourne we travelled through Canberra back to Sydney. We stopped in the Lakes Entrance and Jindabyne where I saw my first snow since a long time. It was so cold, we went tobogganing and drank hot chocolate. Then we watched State of Origin (Rugby Final) NSW against QLD...unfortunately NSW lost. Last off we visited Canberra (Capital City) in the middle of nowhere (nothing on there only politics) then headed back to Sydney.
That's it for the moment...

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March 2008

From Airlie Beach to Cairns

Came back from the Whitsundays and had a good night out for St.Paddys Day. The next day, was really tired but drove to Bowen. It looked like a ghost city at first because there where no people around when I arrived at midday. I decided to camp, and enjoyed the beaches and lookouts in the afternoon, then had a quiet night.
The next morning I drove to Townsville. It is a nice City and here you really can feel the Tropical heat 36 degrees ;-) I was happy that the Air-Conditioning was running in the room and enjoyed a nice swim near Townsville in the Rock pools at Little Crystal Creek.
On "good" Friday, I went to Magnetic Island. I couldn't believe that they don't sell beer because of "good Friday", it's against the Law ;-)!
Anyway, I hiked from one end of the island to the other, and spotted my first wildlife Koala, juhui! It was really busy on the island because of the Easter weekend. Went back to Townsville after two nights on the island and went to Cairns, my final destination on the east coast.
Cairns is a nice beautiful city with nice restaurants, a night market, and lots travel agents and hostels. I started to sell my "reliable" Holden Commodore here and sold him in unbelievable four hours! A group of us (English/Irish/Swiss) headed off to Cape Tribulation and the Daintree Rainforest. We stopped some places to have lunch and beer before we arrived at the Cape. It is absolutely beautiful there ;-) and the scenery is like a postcard, seriously! Unfortunately, we didn't see any animals in the Rainforest. On the way back we stopped in Port Douglas, a nice town to live when you are retired, but not now! We all enjoyed the trip to the Cape and had good fun with playing Shades up!
The Great Barrier is Heritage listed and that is for a good reason, the Reef is absolutely amazing. The colours from the Corals are so nice and the fish population is absolutely fantastic. I couldn't spot a turtles or a shark - hopefully next time. After a few lazy days (sleeping, reading and doing nothing) my scenic flight started from Cairns, and went all over the Barrier Reef up to Port Douglas and back, with good weather conditions. It was so amazing to see the Reef from another side and the ride was excellent anyway. I've never done that before.
Sunday morning, at 6.30am I headed off to the Tully River for White Water Rafting. After 2hours in the bus we arrived at the start destination. The weather was beautiful - it couldn't be better...! After a short intro from the guides we started down the river! Rafting is hard work ;-) and we all really enjoyed it. We flipped the boat, we jumped from rocks and were having a nice swim in the river. I can say that I would recommend Raging Thunder, it was well organized and the lunch was pretty good. It was another day with lots of fun here in downunder.
That's it for the moment, new news soon from Australia.

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February 2008

From Brisbane to Airlie Beach

After Brisbane I headed off to Noosa Heads where I visited the Nationalpark and the beautiful beaches and where I've met two nice English Guys, Rick and John. After a few relaxed days I drove to Hervey Bay, the base for all Fraser Island tours.
On Friday was the "Meeting" where you meet all the people and you got into groups and cars. I was totally lucky with my group and had lots of fun with the two Irish guys, Dec and Ronan, not only drinking ;-)! Fraser Island is absolutely awesome, the big sandy Island gives you all what you need, the fresh Water Lakes Mckenzie and Birrabeen where you can Camp and an endless long beach where we were driving, (its so much fun to drive in the Sand) up to Indian Head. If you're lucky you can spot Sharks, unfortunately no luck ;-) and it is better not to go for a swimm here (Box Jelly and Sharks) and of course the really popular Shipwreck In the arvo we pitched up the tents, we had a big bbq good chats and a few beers but not too much, wake up time is at 05.00 am ;-)!
Back from the Trip and really exhausted I drove the next day to Bundaberg, where the Rum comes from, the Distillery Tour was good fun and the Rum is tasty. Further north the next day, sometimes over the near endless Bruce Highway direction north to Rockhampton where is nothing goes on, just to stay over night. I've spoted here in the Botanical Garden a King Brown, they're really poisonous.I didn't make friend with her!
Airlie Beach the next popular Base (where I met the English and Irish guys) for the Whitsunday was absolutely fantastic. We (59people and me) were lucky and we had brilliant weather and it made it to an unforgetable adventure, Sailing, Snorkeling with Turtles, colourful Corals and Fish what I could want more?
That's it for the moment, I'm heading off in the direction of Cairns now and catch you later from Downunder.

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January 2008

From Sydney to Brisbane

After a great time in Sydney (I really like the city) I headed off up north.
My first stop, where I put up the biggest tent ever ;-), was Port Stephens. After a few relaxing days on the beach with BBQ's and dolphins, I travelled up to Coffs Harbour where the ridiculous Big Banana is located. Here was the first time it rained the whole day, but it didn't matter, we just started partying a bit earlier. In Coffs I met Karsten, a nice German Guy, and we drove inland to Bellingen, Dorrigo and Nymbodia along the Waterfall way, where we visited Waterfalls and hiked in the Rainforest "thanks to all the leeches". The kayaking trip was absolutely funny and we enjoyed the Australian pub culture on the weekend. An old Aussie showed us how to play pool, we where really astonished.
Back on the coast in Ballina with the Big Prawn ;-), a little sleepy town and very peaceful, we where lying down under the sun at the beach and enjoying the waves.
Next stop was party Byron Bay! There is a lot to see and to do there - the Lighthouse and the most easterly point in Australia. Beach of course, and just surfing and chilling out. We also attended a didgeridoo lesson, though we were out of breath and a bit dizzy after a while). Australia Day was fantastic, it just means triple B - Beach, Beer, BBQ- and doing nothing!
A few days later we headed off again, missing the hammocks already, and after a short trip to Nimbin we ended up in Coolangatta. It is recommended as a peaceful place in the Lonely Planet, but in reality it's a city (that's easy we're on holidays)! From the beach we could see the skyscrapers from Surfers, on one hand very impressive and scary on the other. We decided to go to Currumbin and visited the enormous Rock pools and the nice Wildlife Sanctuary. The sleepy Koalas and the Kangaroos we're brilliant and we had a lot of fun, same as usual. That was also the end of car sharing (the car is reliable so far ;-)) because Karsten was in a bit of a hurry.
I ended up in Murwillumbah in a peaceful hostel, where every night there is free ice cream, and all travellers sit together having a chat and a few drinks. I was active as well and took a cycling tour and climbed up to Mt. Warning.
After Murwillumbah, I drove to Surfers Paradise. the waves are enormous, but it's a bit crazy to lye in the shade on the beach because of the skyscrapers. Never mind, the beaches are excellent and body boarding is good fun. That night I had a good reason to have a party and celebrated my First Certificate in English with a couple of beers. Thanks for the company Karoline, it was good fun.
The next day, it was time to leave and I headed off to a friends house in Paradise Point (Fred and Denise, thanks a lot for everything). I was very welcome there, and enjoyed a few peaceful days. I did a day trip to Mt. Tamborine; it's a beautiful view up there, nice chocolate cake and waterfalls, and enjoyed the rainforest. Had to take my car to a garage as the breaks were close to empty, my car isn't the youngest anymore.
The last destination, before boring you ;-), was Brisbane, the third biggest city in Downunder, nice and not as busy as Sydney. Fortitude Valley was a good place for going out. In Chinatown they started to celebrate the Chinese New year, and we, Lauren and I visited the Andy Warhol art exhibition (it was amazing) and had a few drinks in Southbank. It was an excellent weekend in Brisvegas ;-)!
That's it for a while; hopefully it wasn't boring! See you next time from Downunder.

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