On My Way To New Zealand

On my way to New Zealand! After I have checked almost everything off my ToDo-List for Australia, i am finally leaving to New Zealand! The plan is to travel around both islands in a bit more than one month. I have booked myself an annual ticket for a Hop-On Hop-Off coach where i can freely decide if want to remain on a specific place any longer or not, I am curious! Here a few pictures of my way to NZ, trying to kill some time anyhow while i am waiting for my flight, airport life! NZ pictures will follow!

we are leaving!

passport to terror - suspicious?

air-bus

goodbye for good sydney

The Red Centre

One of the last things i really wanted to see in Australia was the "Red Centre" and the holy mountain "Uluru". I got to Alice Springs straight after Melbourne with a immediate temperature difference from +18C °. Unfortunately Alice Springs is really dull. I had to spent two days there before I left on my trip to the real Red Centre. I didn't know what to do in Alice Springs anymore after half an hour already. :) The town exists primarily of empty shopping centres and drunk Aborigines. Luckily i had a new book with me. :)

Finally, after two days i left to the "real" desert. The journey from Alice Springs to our first stop took approx. 5 hours where we have been almost exclusively driven on a straight street through red sandy hills and passing by old car wreks for more than 200 km.

Because we left Alice Springs already at six o'clock in the morning we arrived at the Uluru at 11 o'clock. Before we got the chance to get closer to the rock we have visited a cultural centre of the Aborigines to get to know a little bit more about the history of the mountain. After that we went directly to the bottom of Uluru where we did a short walk around.

tod is teaching us the history of uluru

After the Uluru we reached our camp at the evening where Tod our guide served Kangaroo Pasta, very special! We slept in a "Swag", a huge sleeping-bag under the open night sky. 

The night was very short because I was observing the stars most of the time, the stars got occupied by shooting stars almost every 2 minutes, stunning! The next day we got up early at 4 o'clock to see the sunrise above the Uluru.

We definitely didn't got disappointed, that whole scenery has reminded me a lot of "The Lion King", simply fantastic!

Then after breakfast we went to the second highlight of three, the Kata Tjuta, a mixture of mountain, wood and desert. After a nearly 4-hour hike at approx. 38C ° we were gladly happy to finally reach our next camp which even had a pool. Here we got welcomed by a wild dingo which luckily disappeared for the rest of our staying.

the holy mountain "uluru"

With the help of Tod, our guide we have prepared a proper dinner on the campfire. After that we were listening to a very talented member of your group, she has played her own- and cover-songs on the guitar and sang with her very awesome voice! We slept in the "Swags" again and the star sky was even more impressive this time than the night before! I think I have never seen so many stars on a spot in my life! I must have stared in the sky for more than two hours, observing the Milky Way und counting shooting stars. :)

On the last day of our trip we went to the "Kings Canyon", a gigantic canyon in the middle of the desert.

Then after another hike we went back to Alice Springs where I spent one more night before I left to Sydney. 

Uluru and the desert are an absolute must have seen for everyone who is traveling through Australia!

stunning night sky! thousands of stars!

welcome to the desert!

the desert is alive! we found a thorny devil

preparing dinner like campers

beautiful voice great memories on the bonfire 

"kings canyon" welcome to the mars

Last Days In Melbourne

The last days in Melbourne, what a great City! Here are some pictures. 

white night melbourne not straight :)

yes thats luna park at white night melbourne

UFOs welcome

faces

what a great festival!

fireballs at the crown casino

the crown casino fire-show

st. kilda pier

melbourne university

street-art

street-art 2

queen victoria market, where i bought to much fruits :D

market

penguin at st. kilda pier

Great Ocean Road-Trip

Finally, with one day delay we have made it to the Great Ocean Road. Unfortunately, Basti was not able come on friday because his flight was overbooked so he had to catch the flight on the next day early in the morning. For Saturday we rented a car and have driven down the coast for 600 km, past wonderful beaches and small coastal places. The road goes almost the whole way by the sea, sometimes directly on the beach, sometimes next to high cliffs.

Unfortunately, the weather on the day wasn't that good , however, this has not damaged whole trip. The highlight after nearly 300 km were the twelve apostles, a collection of limestone stacks off the shore of the Port Campbell National Park. Unfortunately, that was the end of the untouched nature on the Great Ocean Road. The viewing platform of the apostles reminds rather of a fun park with helicopter flights, thousands of tourists and totally overcharged coffees. However, the rock formation itself is very impressive! Shortly before the apostles there are the Gipson steps. Here it is possibly to climpe down directly to the beach to experience the real size of the rocks. Nearly even more impressively than the famous apostles in my opinion are "Loch Ard Gorge". This small beach is separated by a small entrance of the sea. The whole scene has reminded my very strongly of the film "The Beach". Besides the bay there are other gigantic rocks in the sea. We had them almost for our selfs, maybe they are not that famouse like the apostles. The Great Ocean Road was my absolute highlight in Melbourne and surroundings!

beautiful beaches along the road

road-trip basti and me

the twelve apostles

ver impressive! even with bad weather

so huge!

loch ard gorge

no! where is the next toilet! ;)

WoW You Melbourne

Wow, finally, out of Sydney and straight to Melbourne. This city totally got me from the first day on. Melbourne is so quiet and takes everything so easy in addition you have art and architecture on every corner, a complete distinction to the hectic rush and noise in Sydney.

My Hostel is directly at the Federation Square, the city centre of Melbourne. With the City Circle tram it is perfectly to explore the town and it is for free! 

I visited to famous graffiti streets of Melbourne, the beautiful Promenade along the Yarra river and the Melbourne Eye, a giant wheel similar to the London Eye. 

I was by myself for the first four days. On friday Basti from Sydney joins me over the weekend. On the third day it has rained almost all the time and I was quite bored in the Hostel as i talked to some guys at the kitchen i found out that Eminem will be playing a show at the same day. Just for fun I have driven to the arena in which the show should be in the evening and asked for tickets and really there where still some left!! I have been happy like a little child. So i bought the ticket and enjoyed a unique 7 hours!!!! show of Eminem, what a day!

On Friday Sebastian an me are going to the Great Ocean Road, the most beautiful ocean road of the world, I am curious!

Flinders St. next to my hostel and city center

Federation Square Melbourne

art everywhere in the city

Melbourne skyline

Yarra Bridge

Yarra River so beautiful

Graffiti Art in Melbourne amazing work

Melbourne Skyline and me freezing

Yarra Bridge and the very cool Ponyfish Island Bar