Rockhampton, 09.09.2007 English

Hi everybody!

I am in Rockhampton for the moment. Few days ago, I left Cairns. I stayed there 1 day longer than planned, because I wanted to see the Great Barrier Reef. This is the best to do by snorkeling and diving, so I thought: NO FEAR, I AM GOING TO DIVE!!! I did a 1 day trip by boat. Around 10 am, they explained us how to dive and let us sign a contract that 'it was all at our risk'. 1 hour later, it was so far... We went till 15 meter under water and it was worth. I thought:'Don't worry, Rubes, everything is going to be fine... Just enjoy!' That is what I did, but was quite happy to be out of the water after the half an hour!!!:) Afterwards, I just did the snorkeling and we finished the day with a glass of champaign in the boat.:)

The day afterwards, I took the bus to Townsville. There was a lovely beach where I spent some time in the evening and then had the great idea to walk up a mountain... When I was on the top (I felt to be on top of the world!:) ), it was already dark and had to go back all the way with flip flops...:) That feeling of being on top of the world was gone very fast!:) It was not that nice, because I could hear a lot of animal noices as well... Snakes would not be that far away in the grass over there... It was a little scary to go back... But managed it!

The day afterwards, I continued my journey towards Brisbane and stopped in Mackay. If you would every be on the Australian Eastcoast: this is definitely NOT the place to visit. I arrived in the evening, had a discussion the whole evening with a Kiwi guy about Israel (!?) and next day I had some hours to discover this town before taking the bus to Rockhampton. After a 30 minutes walk, I felt bored (not much to see), so I decided to walk further 20 minutes to go to the beach. It was worth, because the beach was absolutely beautiful. I asked a local if I could walk in the sea with my feet... She said:"No worries, mate. There are no crocs in September!". So I enjoyed me walking with my feet in the sea... 20 minutes later I remarked so footsteps and the traces of a croc (!?) on the beach... Well, I jumped out of the water, cried 3 times 'f*ck' and ran as fast as I could where I was coming from!!!!

I had 1 day of in Rockhampton, Australia's beef capital. I remarked that the honey, that I was carrying with me, did not make it to Rockhampton... And was spread all over my clothes... So I had to do some washing... Afterwards, I visited the Rockhampton Zoo (again crocs... had now enough of crocs!:) ) and the Botanic Gardens. And how could I finish this day better than with a big hamburger in this Beef Capital??? According to a Kiwi that I met yesterday, there was a place where they served 'hamburgers as big as a cow'... Well I got such a thing for 5 dollars and I definitely am no longer hungry!!!!:) Will go to Hervey Bay tomorrow and do a trip to Fraser Island...

I met 2 Italian girls on my trip from Darwin to Cairns and the funny thing was that afterwards I met them 3 more times: in Cairns, Townsville and in Mackay. They will go to New Zealand as well and asked to share a van and travel together around... Can you imagine me traveling around with 2 Italian girls??? Definitely be fun, but I think it is better to take the bus!!!:)))) 2 is a little bit too much Italy...:)))) And in Cairns, I met an American girl of San Diego... We went out and will see her again in Brisbane. She is funny. Very American: very sure of herself but not so intelligent!:) Am invited to San Diego next year...:)

Take care, Rubes

Fotos again!

Hi, some new pics:

CU mates, Ruben

Ruben in Australia

Cairns, 03.09.2007 English

Hello!

I just arrived in Cairns, a town full of life on Australia's East Coast. On Thursday, I went for dinner last time with my new Aussie friend, Jason. I tried a crocodile steak... Not bad, not bad! It was sad to leave beautiful Darwin... But I had no choice. I was going to taste... "the real Australian outback": 4 days without mobile connection, hunderds of kilometers without crossing another car, the toilets are the bush,... It was fun, but stressfull as well.

The first night we slept in the 'Heartbreak Hotel', Australia's most remote hotel. They planned to build it in 9 months, but because it was so difficult to get all the material there, it took them 2.5 years... That is why they called it like that. We traveled through villages of 7 inhabitants, towns of 160 inhabitants,... and the rest was bush, bush and bush! The thing which was shocking, was the many pictures of missing backpackers in those bars where we stopped. Our bus driver told us the story that he, when he was a truck driver before, saw one day a backpacker hitch-hiking. He stopped to go to a bar to get some food. When he wanted to continue his trip, he saw that the backpacker was gone but his backpack was still there. He went to the bar again and asked if someone noticed something strange. Nobody did... A few weeks later, he saw a picture in a bar of the guy 'MISSING'. No worries, I am not going to hitch-hike!!! PROMISED!!!

When we arrived nearer to Cairns, the landscape changed from outback into rain forest. We made walk there and went for a swim. It was a beautiful trip, but I am sooooo tired. Had not much sleep last 3 nights...

Now I will start traveling on Australia's East Coast... Keep you informed!

Sleepy Ruben

Fotos! Bilder!

Hi,

Here some more pics of my travels:

CU, mates!!! Ruben

Ruben in Australia

Darwin, 30.08.2007 English

Hi!

Leaving Alice Springs to Darwin, I had my last part of the trip in the famous train 'The Ghan'. I met a German from Bamberg in the train. The train stopped for about 5 hours in Catherine. A small town of 10000 inhabitants South from Darwin. The town was not so spectacular, but there is the beautiful Catherine Gorge that we visited. Then we headed on to Darwin. Darwin is just FAB! An amazing place on Earth!!! Though tired from the train, the German and me decided not to loose any moment and to go straight for some beers in Mitchel Street, the famous boulevard in Darwin with lots of pubs and restaurants.

The day afterwards I decided to make a trip on my own and discover Darwin. The German went on a 2-day tour, so I had to go out alone in the evening. I went to some dance-pub in Mitchell street. It was hilarious: 90% of the people were there in walking shoes, or 'have been wearing this shirt the whole week'... I FELT TOTALLY OVERDRESSED in my jeans and T-shirt! This is
just the capital of outback Australia!!! But it was funny, because I got into contact with some guy, Jason (in jeans and T-shirt as well) so the obvious question came up:"Do you also feel to have chosen the wrong spot to go out!".:) After chatting about an half an hour, this local decided to show me Darwin by night: we started with some cocktails on the beach and ended in a party buss that took us partying through the town! It was a great night.

The day afterwards, I went to the Mindel Beach in order to recover from my night life!:) Swimming was allowed, but at own risk: it is not the high crocodile season, so there should be no croc in the sea... But the past prooved that this was not always so reliable. Anyway, the alcoholic effect of the night before made me go into the water without fears... No worries: still have my 2 arms, 2 feet and 10 fingers!:) In the evening, Jason called me and took me to some market. An alternative market (lots of hippies) not far from Mindel Beach. Nice market!

The day afterwards I had a lazy day. It is the 'Darwin-effect': all people are so laid-back here. It is amazing. Most businesses do not start before 10am... In the evening, Jason showed me the most beautiful spot in Darwin to watch sunset. This is so good about Aussies: you can meet people so easily. Just by meeting that local, he showed me in that 1 week Darwin 'the things to see in Darwin', where I, as normal tourist, would never come!

Tuesday, I went on a 2-day tour to Kakadu National Park. Kakadu, a nature reserve as half as big as Belgium (!) is just wonderful. We started the day with a boat trip. So many crocs in the water!!! The boat was really surrounded by crocs. Our lady capitain warned us about 10 times:"Everything that has an heartbeat is just meat for them! You are just 1 good looking breakfast for these fellows, so don't hang over the boats!'. She said it so many times, that it became obvious that the woman had trauma about her job. Fair enough: she told us a story of a few years ago. A couple with a small child and they did not pay enough attention to their child. And that child was grapped by a croc. And there is nothing that you can do. If you shoot the croc, there are another 500 to replace them...

In the evening we made a camp-fire, had dinner around the fire. It was amazing how many stars there were in the sky. Because of no pollution in that area, you can see so many stars!!! We could also see the eclipse. I did not know about that, but just on that night, there was 'something that went in front of the moon' (sorry I am not so good in Geography of the universe). We slept in tents. Had to wake up at 5 am to enjoy the other day the most!!! Pfff! I got up once at night because we could hear a dingo. I slept with an Aussie, with Maltese roots, in the tent and we were like:'Do you think that this animal is far away?'.:))))) Luckily I was so tired, so I didn't care if that animal was just 1 meter from our tent or not!!!! Again: still have my 2 feet, 2 arms and 10 fingers!!!:)) The day afterwards we made some big walks in the park and in the afternoon, we could swim in the most beautiful beach I have every seen in my life. Chances were low to have crocs in it, but again: own risk! I did swim, but made sure that I was not the only one in the water...!!!:)

Everybody in the tour had to same feeling about Darwin: WE JUST ALL WANT TO STAY HERE. I can tell you: 'people, NEVER travel to Darwin, because it is a really sad feeling to leave this place when you have to!':)))

Normally, I should have left on the Litchfield tour today, but that one is cancelled. Because it is not that far and the park not so big, most people just go there on their own. So not enough participants. Could have done the tour on Friday, but then UNFORTUNATELY I have to leave Darwin in the morning... I think I will ask Jason to go for dinner, because I need to thank him.

Take care... Really feel sad that this is the last day in Darwin...:) But ok, it is time to discover Australia's East Coast!

Ruben