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| Australia 5 |
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| Freycinet National Park: After spending another day in the city center of Hobart, it was time again to escape the crowds of people and go back to nature. We rented an old car (a real rent-a-wreck) and headed towards Coles Bay on the east coast, gateway to the Freycinet National Park. Anita had to wear in her new shoes and we choose an easy one day walking track to Wineglass Bay (for obvious reasons!). picture coming soon... The next day we cruised north along the east coast towards Launceston. We intended to go rockclimbing in the Cataract Gorge but couldn't find an guide... No worries, there were also supposed to be good climbing and diving spots on the Tasmanian Peninsula in the south, so that was where we were going next. However, the wheather worked against us, because of the heavy rainfall and high winds both the climbing and diving were not possible. We felt like being back in Holland again....rain, wind, cold. We checked into a nice warm hotel room with our own bathroom! luxury! Tasmanian Peninsula Plan B had to be activated, this meant walking a 2 day track to Cape Pillar, the southernmost point of the Tasmanian Peninsula. When we arrived at the start of the track it was raining, for a short time we hesitated whether to start or not. Brave us, we put on our rain jackets and gaiters and after 1 hour we were rewarded with dry skies but wet grounds. After 6 hours of walking through the mud we reached the stunning lookouts at Cape Pillar. Precisely at this moment the sun decided to break through the clouds. Magnificent views were our reward. We now know how it feels to be on the edge of the world, only the ocean separated us from Antartica. picture coming soon... We camped in splendid isolation, nobody else was crazy enough to walk this track in such wheather conditions. |
| Sydney: The last months, all Aussies have been telling us that Sydney is the most beautiful city in the country. Now that we have been here for a few days ourselves, we can confirm this. Besides the natural harbour with the famous opera house, Sydney has many other things to offer. Although we have spend a lot of time lying in some parks, we managed to see some musea and experience some of the many events organized during the summer festival which is currently ongoing. Sydney is definitely not a city to get bored! The Blue Mountains: Despite the recent bushfires that have destroyed part of the Blue Mountains, we decided to visit this National Park. The Blue Mountains consists of steep cliffs and low forest lands. The cliffs have been shaped by the sea millions of years ago, when sealevels were higher than today. Very impressive. Fortunately the fires did not reach the part where we went. We stayed in Katoomba, about 2 hours by train from Sydney, in the backyard of the Blue Mountain Backpackers. Friendly place. The next day was adventure day, we got up early to go climbing on of the great vertical walls with a guide. When we arrive on top of the lookout we were suprised to see a thick layer of clouds beneath us in the valley. From there we had a great view of the top attraction (a little overrated) of the park: 'the three sisters' a rockformation. To go climbing we first had to go down, which turned out to be the most dangerous part of the day. After arriving more or less safely at the bottom we roped ourselves together and started the ascent. The wall was about 150 meters high so we had to make several stops on small ridges as the rope was only 30 meters long. Great views and good fun. Anita also climbed without falling once, but paid for it the next day(s) with severe muscle ache and lots of scratches and bruises on the knees. Fortunately the next day we went horseriding (aiaiai) bumping for 3 hours on the back of a horse. Jurriaan also managed to stay in the saddle, even in canter, and suffered the consequences with a sore butt... It was a great couple of days to conclude our stay in Australia. Off to Buenos Aires! |