Tuesday, 28. June 2011
Red Cliffs - Broken Hill by car driving
Driving is quite boring, especially when everything is flat and no distinct differences can be seen. Just shrubs and sand and weeds and grass and small trees and grass and shrubs and weeds and ...
I made it eventually and did a lot of plant images on every stop I made. I made a lot of stops, at almost every rest area. There is water in the Darlington river which is unusual. All along the Murray river is fruit plantations, grapes and oranges mainly. I picked some fresh oranges myself, just a view.
Halfway I wanted to make me a sandwich and I noticed I had forgotten all the fresh food in the fridge in the last motel. No way back, it hurts a little.
To arrive in a unknown strange place is always, again and again, weird. I will probably never getting used to it.
Kategorie: Victoria
Halls Gap – Red Cliffs, Mildura 
Montag 27.06.2011
Halls Gap - Red Cliff (Mildura)
Die Sonne scheint, es wird wohl ein wunderbarer Tag.
Den ganzen Tag mit dem Auto fahren, das macht mir keine Freude. Gute 300 km und ich war über 6-7 Stdunden unterwegs, obwohl auf allen Überlandstraßen locker 100 km gefahren werden kann. Ich finde das nicht so spannend, aber ich bin wenigstens nicht so schrecklich müde geworden und ich bin auch nicht eingeschlafen, was allerdings bei dem Schlafpensum, das ich die letzten Tage hinter mich gebracht habe, auch ein Wunder wäre.
Gestern Abend das Dinner im YHA mit der Crew und den wenigen Gästen hat mir wirklich gut gefallen und auch sehr gut getan. Mein Beitrag, Nudeln, Knoblauchbrot, saure Gurken und insbesondere die M&M am Ende fanden Anklang. Es war nicht zu viel Essen für uns 10. Vielen Dank noch einmal für die nette Einladung.
Jetzt habe ich mir gerade noch einmal die Bilder von Ela und Tobi angesehen, der Abschied fällt schwer, auch von Tim musste ich mich heute morgen losreißen, Marie kam noch vorbei.
Und jetzt wieder völlig alleine auf der Straße, der Motor brummt, die Karre schaukelt wie ein Schiff auf den huckeligen Nebenstraßen. Die Landschaft, flach, leicht gewellt, gigantische Felder mit vereinzelt Baumgruppen und -reihen. Sehr öde, die Highlights: riesige Kornspeicher, die an der Eisenbahn und bei den Dörfern ca. alle 20 - 30 aufgereiht sind. Keine Tiere nichts. Landwirtschaftliche Wüste.
Internet heute Abend hier in Red Cliffs im Communty centre nur per Mobile, mal sehen wie das klappen wird.
Nachdem ich dem Murray river ca 30 km abgeklappert hatte, nach den "drei guten Campingplätzen" (manchmal sind die Tips einfach Scheiße), alle leer, verlassen ohne jede Facility, öde, dreckig. Hier gibt es nur Farmarbeiter für die Orangenplantagen.
Der Fluss wird abgesaugt und in riesige Weinfelder und Fruchtplantagen gepumpt.
Jetzt bin ich in Red Cliffs zum ersten Mal in einem Motel, nicht billig, aber der Raum, Bad, Handtücher etc. ist echt ok. Der Backpacker nebenan war furchtbar.
Hier in dem Community Centre (man muss eigentlich Mitglied sein) gerade Wienerschnitzel mit Pommes und Salat für 10,- $. Das ist ein Toppreis!
Halls Gap – hiking 
25th of June 2011
Halls Gap in the Grampions
Today I got up late, half past eight, because it was foggy and quiet dark. Had a quick breakfast and off I was on the search for the trail start, which walked me into the main places and then back again, because I missed it first place.
Up it went gently and a well build path. To the waterfall and up the track to the rim.
High up I was caught up be an Irish guy and his wife. so we strolled along and chatted our way away.
Melbourne – Halls Gap – motor vehicle
24th of June 2011
Second try to pick up my new rented car: again not enough credit because now they want me to pay the invoice as well: What do we do, I get annoyed and frustrated. The solution: ATM, money-machine, I got it all in cash incredible!
So finally I am heading out of Melbourne city to the Grampains. Found a very nice place to stay at: Tims Place! Good food all together: 6 at one table, chatting, eating, wonderful!
The drive myself was a little boring and tiring. But so further I got, the nice the landscape looked.
Tomorrow, hiking, and mountain walking.
Stuck in Melbourne for one day 
Thursday, 23rd of June 2011
Melbourne
Today I wanted to pick up my car, but the credit card limit was insufficient. I tried to call the bank, but nobody on the phone in Germany at night, so one more day in Melbourne.
New backpacker: The Greenhouse, it's ok, but again shared rooms, shared showers, shared urinals, shared kitchens: not clean, always smelly, naja.
I had some rolls from a nice looking bakery, but it is always the same wheat and kind of soft white dough.
And finished reading the book I have bought in Adelaide "Dog Boy": quite interesting, something different.
I checked in the hostel, it's ok, 6 in the room, very warm, no window; had a nice chat with Reza, who is a php programmer him self, from New Zealand, looking for a job in Australia.
Got some lunch from him offered, very nice, thank you.
Now I am sitting in the library, free WiFi, quiet and good to sit and sort your mind.
What do I have to do?
Tonight I join in the party tour from the hostel: lets get inspired.
Adelaide – Melbourne Flight – Ash Clouds 
Wednesday 22dn 06. 2011
Stuck in Adelaide trying to fly out to Melbourne.
bendigoadvertiser:
The ash cloud, from a volcano in Chile, has caused havoc with air travel from airports in Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Adelaide and Tasmania.
Air-services Australia warned the ash cloud would cause disruptions in Melbourne until Friday.
I am sitting in the airport since 06:00 am, flight delayed, which is good, boarding hopefully 09:30 am and out to Melbourne.
Would be great!
Well I finally made it, I am in the city of Melbourne in a nice café with free web-access, had a good burger with chips and a coke. Everything is fine, besides the laundry, no place there really.
I stay in the Elephant Backpacker because I had a recommendation, but it is no good. With some luck only for this night, tomorrow I will be gone ... picking up the car and off we go.
I probably need a map and maybe some sort of car-charger as well.
I will see tomorrow. I am tired, up since 05:00.
Stuck in Adelaide 
Monday, June 20th 2011
Adelaide South Australia
I missed my train yesterday due to wrong time understanding. Now am stuck in Adelaide with no refund.
I was really pissed off this morning. Lost some money: I hate that, who would not.
So I changed plans completely.
Got a car hired for two month now for a fairly reasonable rate. It is quite a huge station wagon I can sleep in with free camping equipment.
I need to get a mattress, and some blanket maybe.
So I do not always have to look for hostels. Which can be kind of fun as well.
Anyway I booked my flight back to Melbourne for 22nd of June. Plenty of time here and in Melbourne. I am not really interested in cities I must admit.
I should go out now and use the little daylight we have here for some exploration. I just do not feel like.
Where to go to from Melbourne?
I got a car now, because everything is by car here, I do not like this, but that's the way it is.
Travelling from Mount Gambier to Adelaide 
Sunday 19th of June 2011
Mount Gambier
I visited the Umperthon sink-hole by push bike I could hire in the public library for free. But it had a flat tire right there, so I walked all the way back and decided to read magazines until it was time to move.
Sitting in the library I had a tea and some reading in a magazine about stray bail houses and energy efficient reconstruction of old small houses.
Raining like hell outside at the moment.
The bus comes 14:45 I got to move soon.
Sonntag, 19.06.2011
Mount Gambier - Adelaide
Jetzt bin ich etwas frustriert und aus dem Konzept, da ich den Zug heute verpasst habe, ich hatte 12:30 pm als Mitternacht interpretiert, aber es soll wohl Mittags gewesen sein.
Jedenfalls sitze ich jetzt hier in Adelaide mindestens 3 Tage fest, da der nächste Zug erst dann wieder fährt und die Frage ist auch noch, ob ich überhaupt umbuchen kann.
Keine Ahnung was ich jetzt die nächsten Tage mache ...
Category description
Victoria is a state of Australia, located in the south-east of the country. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively.
Victoria is Australia’s most densely populated state, and has a highly centralised population, with almost 75% of Victorians living in Melbourne, the state capital and largest city.
After the founding of the colony of New South Wales in 1788, Australia was divided into an eastern half named New South Wales and a western half named New Holland, under the administration of the colonial government in Sydney. The first European settlement in the area later known as Victoria was established in October 1803 under Lieutenant-Governor David Collins at Sullivan Bay, Victoria on Port Phillip. It consisted of 308 convicts, 51 marines, 17 free settlers, 12 civil officers, a missionary and his wife. They had been sent from England in HMS Calcutta under the command of Captain Daniel Woodriff, principally out of fear that the French, who had been exploring the area, might establish their own settlement and thereby challenge British rights to the continent.
Victoria’s next settlement was at Portland, on the west coast of what is now Victoria. Edward Henty settled Portland Bay in 1834. Shortly after arriving from Tasmania in December 1834, Henty (aged 24 yrs) set off for thickly-populated country inland from Portland, with resident whalers, an Aboriginal woman abducted by one of them and 14 hunting dogs (a cross between greyhound and wolfhound}. On spotting a single Aboriginal man, the men set the dogs on him.
Melbourne was founded in 1835 by John Batman. From settlement the region around Melbourne was known as the Port Phillip District, a separately administered part of New South Wales.