Melbourne at Night <2009.6.17>

70days later and more than 14.000 km on the road I reached the end of the first stage on my Australian trip – Melbourne.



Looking forward meeting my good old friends Nong & Thanthep who will give me shelter over these days and show me around.

Melbourne is such a contrast to everything I saw so far!
Here black is still in fashion and the speed is minimum twice as the rest of whole Australia. But beside the hustle it has a lot to offer – for everyone.

Just a stroll during the night hours can show you charm of the capital of Victoria.














Time to say goodbye (for a week) to Oz and heading back home for my beloved granny`s 90th Birthday!

So no worries &
I`LL BE BACK

THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD <2009.6.14>

Here I am – on my way from Adelaide to Melbourne – driving along the coastlines and chased by dark mystic rain clouds. But with the deep diesel-power of Jacqueline and my luck with the weather god, we always managed to escape the bad weather front !



I left over the Adelaide Hills famous for the great wines and the old German town Hahndorf.



After I filled up my stock with delicious smoked sausages, I continued down to coast via the Murray River – the sweet water source of the entire region – until Mt. Gambier. Famous for its deep blue crater lakes, which invites for walk at the rim or picnic at the lake.





Further 400km south the coast awaits me now one of the most famous sight of Australia and the most beautiful coastal roads – the great ocean road.



This is a stretch over several hundred kilometers of coast lines with all kind of lime stone formations and cliffs. The most famous ones are the 12 Apostles, London Bridge and Loch Ard Gorge.









Don`t miss the other ones up west which easily can compete with those famous 3.






Another highlight is Cape Otwell and its National Park featuring Australia`s first light house with its spectacular views from top.









I liked most, that here you can find many wild Koala`s hanging around up in the gum trees waiting to be spotted.



So I stayed here overnight where I could camp just below that mates - they are soooo cute!





If you are lucky - you can even spot one of the rare night active brown bandicot`s:



Are you into rainforests or Jurassic Parks? Than the Cape Otway Fly – a Top Tree Walk in 50m (longest & highest in the world) height will thrill you and gives you the feeling of being back 300mio. years in time.







Leaving this place with great impression - I can`t better describe this drive as a …



… Real Great Ocean Road

WINE - Welcome to Adelaide and the Wineries <2009.06.10>

Australia is the land of extremes - you can see this on my next trip.

We just got out of the desert of the opal field and only few hundred km`s south are Oz most famous wine yards: Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, Barrossa Valley & Clare Valley.



Those areas are parted by the huge flinder ranges - the largest national park in South Australia - famous for daylong hikes & spectecular gorges and lookouts.







This is the perfect location for us to celebrate my parents 40 years marriage anniversary where we visited the 40th gorge as well ;-)



Overcoming this final gorge we reached the Clare Valley with a great welcome of fantastic wines at a bit chilly 3 degrees - brr.





Wine lovers describe this area as the Toscana of Oz - which fits pretty well!
You are send back in time to the 1850s were Jesuits introduced the skill of winery.



Stralling through the ancient wine fields, the 20 km riesling trail or the many wine cellars are the highlights of this trip.









After several extensive wine tastings we are rolling on over the hills down to Adelaide - the capital of SA.





Its lovely city with a buzzing inner city and the first walking mall in Australia. Famous for art & festivals you won`t be bored spending some time in this lively city.





This is now the end of the first part of the Australia trip as my parents and Luigi will leave from Adelaide back home to Graz.



So I sattled Jaqueline (our campervan) to make my way on alone to new adventures...

Riding in the sunset

My Presious - The Land of OPALS <2009.6.5>

On the way further south you can experience the real australian outback. So far I haven`t got the real feeling beeing in the desert but there is one place where there you feel like on Moon - Coober Pedy.



First you have to cross the border to South Australia - the driest state of the driest continent on this planet!





First - it realy look like as there is nothing - but here you have to look closer!
Much closer - 20m below the earth!

Here you can find (if you are very lucky) valuable gem stones - the OPAL.



Coober Pedy is the Opal captial of the world which looks on its first sight more as the biggest collection of mole hills!





With all those treasures around me it didn`t took long, to receive the ultimate mission from her majestiy - find her lost opals!



Here I am, with a leathal mission and completle glueless - so I start as everyone around - with "noodeling" (by digging with your own hands in dirt)



My tough trainings as double 00 payed off after I hold the jewel in my hands:



Yes - and not only THE Opal I found, also GOLD was with me!!!



Blessed by god ...



...and all the lost souls on this digging grounds....



... I could fulfill this mission and return safely!

This was a long way to go - here is the evidence - happy anniversery!!!



Yours 007