Thumb Sydney city skyline

Sunday, 17th of July 2011
Sydney City
I did not like the city of Sydney too much. The weather was mixed this day with clouds and rain and windy. It took me over an hour and a half to reach the city centre by train and car and I had to travel back the same way in the evening.
There is no point in trying to go there by car, parking is way too expensive up to 50 a day.
I used, as recommended by some people, the Sydney harbour ferry boat, only 5 $ to cross the whole harbour the Harbour Bridge and to reach the opera house. I walked through the Botanical Garden up to the old wharf area.
On my way back "home" to Cathai I had a burger at Hungry Jack.
I our shag we, Rowen and his father Manfred, had a nice fire in the chimney. Which meant a little warmth, like in a sauna, for the day which was cold an chilly all day.

Ich fand heute die City von Sydney nicht so aufregend. Das Wetter war durchwachsen, mit etwas Regen am Nachmittag. Ich brauche ungefähr 1.5 Std. in die Stadt mit Auto zur Bahn und mit der Bahn in die City und dann auch wieder den gleichen Weg zurück.
Mit dem Auto völlig sinnlos, Parken in der City: 50,- $ pro Tag.
Ich bin, wie empfohlen mit der Sydney Ferry, für 5,- $ (das ist günstig!) einmal durch den ganzen Hafen bis zur Oper und dann durch den Botanischen Garten mit einem Essenstop, bis zur Wharf und durch die City wieder zurück.
Auf dem Heimweg noch zu : "Hungry Jack" so heißt hier der Burger King. McDoof hat dafür gratis WiFi (Internet).
Heute gibt es Kaminfeuer in der Shag, der alten Holzhütte, in der ich kampiere, bei Rowan und seinem Vater Manfred, der 1960 von Köln emigriert ist. So ist es zur Abwechslung einmal nicht zu kalt und fröstelnd, sondern eher wie in der Sauna.

Waves spraying at coastal rocks

Saturday 11th of June
Apollo Bay - Bimbipark - Cape Otway - hiking
After last evenings telephone call with Orb Shuttle Service, I left may backpack at the YHA early in the next morning, hoping they will pick it up and later in the evening me at Blanket Bay, as discussed on the phone. I headed out walking nervously only with my tiny day-pack and a litre of water, some biscuits and fruits.
I had to leave the village on the main road and hit the beach at Marengo. Cool weather, some wind, low tide, perfect hiking conditions, good, I liked it. The first 7 sandy beaches where really nice for walking. Heading inland at Elliot River, passing one night camp was fun. In the eucalyptus forest the ground was very muddy, hard to walk. Suddenly a slow motion on the track: a koala bear is slowly strolling along the path, I could take some nice portrait photos. Later I passed a bush wallaby and I could always hear a lot of birds, but I did not see any in the dense forest vegetation.
I passed the American couple, I had met at the hostel in Apollo Bay, they where heavily packed, she only with naked feet in leather sandals, sliding in the mud. Later I passed one other couple and we did help each other with chatting through the sludge.
Walking down to Blanket Beach was a little easier and I made it to the discussed pick-up point a little earlier. After a few minutes Peter arrived and picked me up. On the road to Bimbipark was a short way. I looked at the cabin offered to me, single for a good value, that was good. the public kitchen had no atmosphere, but I managed to cook something and did it with good appetite, I was hungry.

Waves breaking in the surf

Saturday 11th of June 2011
Hiking from Apollo Bay to Bimbipark
On Saturday, quite early I started walking the GOW from the YHA to Marengo beach. Its nice walking on the sandy beach, but quite strenuous as well.
Hitting the eucalyptus wood everything changed. Mud everywhere, really everything was moist or wet. The first camp I passed looked shaded, cold and damp: brr, glad I did not stayed there outdoors.
I overtook the American couple which stayed in the hostel last night and they really struggle with their heavy backpacks. the 8 km through woodland with no view and mud all the way: that's not the best of all experiences.
I crossed my first Koala bear. There are loads of them everywhere in the trees, you just have to spot these lazy bastards, almost still, moving so slow, it's kind of difficult to see them, same colour as the tree trunks.

The Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia, and the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae. The koala is found in coastal regions of eastern and southern Australia, from Adelaide to the southern part of Cape York Peninsula. Populations also extend for considerable distances inland in regions with enough moisture to support suitable woodlands. The koalas of South Australia were largely exterminated during the early part of the 20th century, but the state has since been repopulated with Victorian stock.

I made it to Blanket Bay and phoned Abbi. 15 minutes later Peter was there and picked me up with all my luggage. And off we went to Bimbipark. I got a cabin there for two days, washed, cleaned everything: getting rid of the mud was some sort of a fight.

Samstag, 11.06.2011
Apollo Bay Bimbipark bei Cape Otway
Heute bin ich die ersten beiden Teilstücke das "Great Ocean Walks" gelaufen.
Der Weg gestern war von der Szenerie her fast schöner gewesen als der Ocean Walk von Eliot Ridge Camp bis zur Blanket Bay. Die Strecke durch den Wald ist nur auf den ersten Kilometern interessant gewesen, dann ähnelt sich der Wald doch immer wieder sehr.
Mit den Beiden aus Melbourne, die ich auf dem Weg getroffen habe, konnte ich mich ein Weile ganz gut unterhalten. Das hat gut getan, sonst war es stellenweise einsam. Das amerikanische Pärchen, die im Backpacker am Vortag getroffen hatte, habe ich überholt. Er mit seinen Maori-Tatoos im Gesicht sah schon cool aus. Sie waren mit schwerem Gepäck unterwegs und das mit Sandalen.
Der Weg war an vielen Stellen wirklich sehr schlammig und ich hatte mir die Schuhe und Socken völlig versaut.
Ich habe wie ein Besessener versucht hier im Bimbipark alles wieder auszuwaschen, mal sehen, die Schuhe stehen jetzt auf dem Elektrogrill, vielleicht trocknet ja doch etwas bis morgen.
Die ich doch jemanden, Abbi, gefunden habe, der zu halbwegs brauchbaren Preisen (heute Gepäck und dann mich abholen und in Bimbipark absetzen 30,- $ verlangt), was für hier wirklich ok ist.
So sitze ich jetzt im Warmen in einer Cabin (eigentlich für 4-5 Personen) alleine. Nur ein wenig alleine bin ich ...
Heute war es trocken (von oben) das war gut. Sonne hatte ich keine. Da ich morgens Richtung Westen bei starker Bewölkung los gelaufen bin.
Der Weg über die Steinplatten an der Küste entlang war schon beeindruckend und ganz gut begehbar, wenn stellenweise auch rutschig und nass.
Ich musste doch sehr aufpassen mit den Joggingschuhen, nicht zwischen Felsbrocken auszurutschen. Das ist mir gut gelungen. An zwei Stellen war es auch richtig aufregend, mit 2 - 3 Meter hohen Wellen zur Linken, dies sich schäumend an den Felsen brachen und teilweise auch Gicht hochschießen ließen sowie Steilküsten zur Rechten und Steinplatten unter den Füßen.
Heute schreibe ich wieder Textprosa zum in das Blog kopieren, weil ich zur Strom und Licht habe, aber kein Telefon und kein Web.
Für die Australier ist dies ein langes Wochenende, da am Montag "Queen Mams birthday" ist. Deshalb ist draußen auch einiges an Betrieb, was sonst nicht der Fall wäre.
Bei uns ist Pfingsten und Pfingstmontag. Das wirkt ganz schön weit weg im Moment.
Gerade habe ich mit 2 Kids hier auf der Campsite in der "Lounge" direkt neben der Küche, wo ich mir schlicht Nudeln gekochte hatte und eine grüne Gurke mit etwas Olivenöl klein geschnitten, gekickert. Die haben ganz schön dumm aus der Wäsche geguckt, wie ich ihnen ein Tor nach den anderen reingesemmelt habe.
Dann habe ich mir noch ein Magnum geleistet und jetzt gerade ein Snickers: verbrauchte Energie zuführen.
Jetzt sehe ich mir einmal die Bilder an.
Die Bilder sind ganz gut geworden, vor allem die Wasser, Wellen und Brandungsfotos. Der Koala ist auch ok. Sogar das Känguru ist diesmal nicht gleich wieder davon gehüpft. So habe ich ein Foto ...
So ist das schon ganz gut, das ich jetzt tippen und schreibend denken kann, sonst wäre es völlig öde.
Jetzt bin ich schön ganz schön müde.
Meine Wäscheleine habe ich verbummelt, keine Ahnung, wo ich die gelassen habe. Ich könnte schwören, das ich die eingepackt hatte...
Das "Alter" würde ich sagen.
Geld ist noch ok, auch wenn jeder Scheiß kostet und es nur so weggeht.
Mal sehen, was meine Füße zu dem Weg morgen sagen?

Version 2:
Saturday 11th of June
Apollo Bay - Bimbipark - Cape Otway - hiking
After last evenings telephone call with Orb Shuttle Service, I left may backpack at the YHA early in the next morning, hoping they will pick it up and later in the evening me at Blanket Bay, as discussed on the phone. I headed out walking nervously only with my tiny day-pack and a litre of water, some biscuits and fruits.
I had to leave the village on the main road and hit the beach at Marengo. Cool weather, some wind, low tide, perfect hiking conditions, good, I liked it. The first 7 sandy beaches where really nice for walking. Heading inland at Elliot River, passing one night camp was fun. In the eucalyptus forest the ground was very muddy, hard to walk. Suddenly a slow motion on the track: a koala bear is slowly strolling along the path, I could take some nice portrait photos. Later I passed a bush wallaby and I could always hear a lot of birds, but I did not see any in the dense forest vegetation.
I passed the American couple, I had met at the hostel in Apollo Bay, they where heavily packed, she only with naked feet in leather sandals, sliding in the mud. Later I passed one other couple and we did help each other with chatting through the sludge.
Walking down to Blanket Beach was a little easier and I made it to the discussed pick-up point a little earlier. After a few minutes Peter arrived and picked me up. On the road to Bimbipark was a short way. I looked at the cabin offered to me, single for a good value, that was good. the public kitchen had no atmosphere, but I managed to cook something and did it with good appetite, I was hungry.

On the ferry boat from Sorrento to Queenscliff

Thursday 09th of June 2011
Dromana - Queenscliff - Apollo Bay
I am on the road again ...
Hitting the bus early in Dromana heading to Sorrento where I picked up the ferry to Queenscliff.
In Queenscliff I had made my first stop in a beautiful restaurant in an old church called the "Apostles".
Then I got the bus 76 to Geelong, where I am right now.
Sitting in the university cafeteria, which is a nice huge and very quiet place.
At 15:15 I head off to Apollo Bay staying in Otway Lodge at least for one night.
Just checking out supported walks in all the brochures I got at the tourist information.
May be there is one I can afford and which makes sense to me.
Maybe there are even some more other people. Would be nice walking in a small group as well.
If I had a wish: let it be! Thank you so much!
Tonight I hopefully got some internet access again, so I can check out more.
And look for other couch possibilities.
The weather is dry, that's the best I can say, which is something, better than two days ago with hail and rain showers.

Tuesday 07th of June
Dromana on Mornington Peninsula
Early in the morning, was went to the medical centre in Rosebud to get Andrew x-rayed, to ensure nothing is broken. Everything fine, I drove him up to his place, nice little house, where he is about to move to Singapore. I could use the internet and did some research for long period car rental and some new hosts on me way to Adelaide. Answered emails ...
I drove up to Arthur's Seat and had a quick walk through the Sea Gardens, which is a very nice garden or park on top of the mountain overlooking the whole Philly Bay. The weather was really windy all day, damn cold with hail and gusts of rain. Freezing my head off. Nice vegetarian night meal, a little of Australians Top Talents on TV, don't remember which channel, then to bed, had a good warm sleep. Very calm and no traffic noise what so ever.
The whole house is damn cold and not heated at all, because its not really finished jet. They are about to set the chimney up for a steel stove.

1th of June 2011
Melbourne
I arrived early this morning after a 22 hour flight straight from London with a quick fuel stop in Hong Kong. It was a little weird to disembark the Boeing 474 leaving your luggage on board heading for the exit and then re-enter after one more serious security check from the Chinese authorities. Seats I had to changes as well. Second place was a little better, with a skinny girl to the left, so more space for me.
...weiterlesen "Melbourne Friday – Monday"

Category description

Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate is the term for the average atmospheric conditions over longer periods of time. When used without qualification, „weather“ is understood to be the weather of Earth.
Weather is driven by density (temperature and moisture) differences between one place and another. These differences can occur due to the sun angle at any particular spot, which varies by latitude from the tropics. The strong temperature contrast between polar and tropical air gives rise to the jet stream. Weather systems in the mid-latitudes, such as extratropical cyclones, are caused by instabilities of the jet stream flow. Because the Earth’s axis is tilted relative to its orbital plane, sunlight is incident at different angles…