Hello Readers! I just can't resist adding to this Blog, some of the most memorable shots from one of our "last" extended trips before we became parents. Now, don't get me wrong, we still do a lot of travelling with kids in tow, but only within a radius of (say, give or take) 800km, by train or car, depending on the distance and quite often than not, close to the country!
This was however, Australia, requiring a entire day just to get there. During my last year of my Doctoral degree (and this was 8 years ago), with husband in tow we spent a wonderful time in Southern Australia. I am only giving a quick snap shot of the highlights here, based on the fact that we had done and seen so much, that the complete narration would simply be impossible within this limited space. :-) Naturally, there were no direct flights from Frankfurt to Adelaide. So we did a stop over in Malaysia (which is covered in a separate Blog), a time most fun and delightful.
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| Departing from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport |
We spend our time primarily in Adelaide, the city being where my university is located. Adelaide struck us as an extremely charming city, with a slight colonial touch. Upon arriving in the little airport, we were greeted by explosive-food-detection beagles. Australian immigration was very particular about food stuff imported into the country. Being an isolated continent, the country had to take extra care to keep unwanted "bugs" at bay.
We experienced the Adelaide Fringe, which is the largest annual arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere. Held for over 4 weeks, it featured more than 4,000 local and international artists. We drove along the magical route of the
Great Ocean Road. [Note: This is best traveled (if you are leaving from Adelaide) from to Warrnambool through Anglesea, Lorne, Apollo Bay and Tourquay. If you are planning to drive on towards Melbourne, it's highly recommended to turn off immediately, avoiding the sea route and take on the alternative. ;-) ]
We visited the (unfortunately rather commercial) Barossa Wine Valley, spendt days wandering around the Kangaroo Island (beautiful place, highly recommended!), visited some charming towns (e.g. Queenscliff, Hahndorf (er..., skip this if you are from Germany), got to know Melbourne, spendt a memorable night in The Oil Jail in Mount Gambier, and met the local furry natives.
Here are some of our favorite scenes/experiences:
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| Adelaide Shopping Arcade |
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| A row of commercial shops in Adelaide |
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| A charming little hotel in Adelaide |
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| Groovy car |
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| The Adelaide Fringe banner |
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| Water lilies in the Adelaide Botanical Garden |
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| International Rose Garden in Adelaide |
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| Hahndorf: A little German Village |
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| Welcome to the Kangaroo Island! |
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| The Old Jail Hostel: one can't miss the security features |
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The Old Jail Hostel: Double decker bed (with the toilet
conveniently located one meter away at the head/leg end) |
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| The rare albino Kangaroos |
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| A typical landscape in Australia |
During this trip we had done some regular International Hostel hopping. :-) Like Track IV, each is different, each has it's own characteristics. When we were not bunking in hostels when travelling, we had spent a night in Jail (leaves you quite speechless, really. Although it was renovated rather nicely then, one still can't wait to check out! Note: It has changed over the years. So google for updates if interested.) The Queenscliff Hotel was a beautiful place with its victorian splendour. In the Barossa Valley we found a newly renovated cottage to spend the night. And others were just good experiences in the youth hostels.
Next time, we are bringing the kids... :-))
