Christmas 16277km from home

When I realized I was going to be in Australia for christmas, I had many ideas what it would be like. One of the pictures I had in my head was the following: me sitting on a beach, having an ice cold beer, enjoying the sun and a clear blue sky.

Ummmmm this did not happen. Instead my christmas this year looks like this:

On the bright side, this means, I get sunsets like this:

I sit here and wonder; where is my fondue chinoise???

Nontheless I am a happy man, enjoying my trip to the fullest. I hope my family, my friends back in Switzerland and everybody that I met on my trip, are good, happy and healthy. Enjoy christmas whereever you are, with whoever you are and whatever weather you might have.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!

Mojo Surf Camp

I am back!

I know I know it's been a while since my last post on here and I have good reason why I was so quite. No really I do. Let me explain...

(btw. I am doing something different today.. instead of telling my whole story at the beginning of the post and then following up with pictures. I will start the story like usual and then progress it to accompany the pics.)

I left Brisbane with a laughing and a crying eye over a week ago. Laughing because I was really looking forward to my planned surf adventure. Crying because I had an absolutly great time in Brisbane and had to leave people behind who had grown really close to me. First I stayed two nights in Byron Bay.. which was supposed to be like the best Backpacker place ever. I have to admit, I didn't feel it. It was OK but I was glad I didn't stay there longer than one full day. Too bad though I heard about Nimbin too late. A day there would have been a 'high'light?

Come wendsday morning I went to the local Mojosurf office to get picked up for my 7 day surfcamp. I have to admit I wasn't to enthusiastic at this point. Sure, surfing for 7 days sounded great but you all know me, I am lazyiness incarnate.

Sitting in front of the office, I was expecting the above (see pic) bus to turn around the corner to pick me up....

...needless to say I was a bit dissapointed when this bus turned the corner. But I was soon to learn that you just have to be bit more relaxed about everything when around surfers.

When not surfing, this trailer was my home. I do have to admit I felt like white trailerpark trash sitting in front of this smoking in between surf lessons. I stayed at this place for 7 days.

I should have gone to two different spots but as I mentioned earlier, this place is run by surfers and they are not the cleverest folks out there. So they f*cked up and I was in the same spot for the whole stay. It didn't bother me too much but I would have liked to see the other one because I heard the waves there were bigger and well... the waves at the Spot X beach weren't exactly challenging after a few days of surfing.

This was the 'bridge' that led us down to the beach every day. We had 2 hours of surfing lessons in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon. I could have rented the board and wetsuit for free anytime I felt like it, but honestly, after 4h of surfing every day you don't really have the energy to do more surfing. This is especially true for the first 2 or so days. At times I was sure I felt muscles in my body that I didn't even know where there.

The lessons weren't really lessons though. Yeah sure there was an 'Instructor' out there with us buuuut I didn't feel like I was getting that many instructions. They would mostly make jokes and push us into the waves.. which I obviously didn't need! Actually I always kinda lost my balance when pushed into the wave and ended up with a wipe out. Not that I needed any help for wipe out's, I got very good at doing them.

Some 'Instructors' were great, with others you didn't even realize they were there.

The most essential gear for surfers. We surfed mostly on soft boards. I tried a hard board once but after 30min of having no fun at all I switched boards again. Surfing rule number 1. have fun! It doesn't matter if you catch big, small or no waves at all. As long as your having fun out there you are a surfer.

Remember rule number 1?

Surfing rule number 2; look cool.

clearly I nailed rule number two.

I am like the master of rule number two. In all honesty, nobody sees how many waves you catch out there and if you wipe out all the time. All that counts is how you walk down the beach with your board.

But I did catch waves of course. I was actually surprised how good I got it in the 7 days I spent surfing. I am now really looking forward to go surfing again. Good thing I have a few places coming up on my trip where surfing is possible (NZ, Fiji, HAWAI'I).

After the 7 days I was quite glad to leave. Yes it was a good ol' time but the camp was not exactly near an urban centre and so there was nothing else to do than surfing. Of course there was a lot of socialising and drinking going on but since I started getting a cold a few days into the camp I didn't really feel like either.

So where is this reason to not blog for something close to two weeks? Here: Internet was really shitty, like reaaaallly shitty at Spot X. I could hardly get a connection and certainly not one that would allow me to upload pictures. Reason number two is that I didn't get the pics they took of me surfing until earlier today... there you have it!

I am now back in Brisbane (oh wow Simon you must really love this place!) where I will stay over X-mas and New Year. As you (my faitful blog follower) will know, I never had a fixed plan on where I would be around that time of year. Here I kn0w, I will spend those days in great company. What's more important than that? Nothing!

What's next after that? After New Year I will board a plane and fly to Tasmania. After all the Backpacker madness on australia's East coast I can't wait to see something else. If you didn't know. Tasmania is 40% national park and there are only 500'000 people on that Island. It will be awesome!

that's it all folks....

p.s. if you find spelling mistakes.. you can keep them.. you know who you are! ^.^

Chillin and surfin...

at Spot X ... internet sucks and I can't update my blog due to that. Will be back near a good connection on Wendsday

Blog ya

Hervey Bay - Fraser Island - Brisbane

Hello there

Nice you made it over to my blog. This time around I will tell a little bit about Hervey Bay and Brisbane but before we go there, I want to share something else.

If your not here for the first time you will know that on my last post a few days back I bitched about some stuff I encountered since I started traveling Australia's east coast. I do want to say that I was very tired that day. And might have went over the top a tiny bit ;). I am sorry if I stepped on anybody's toes! That being said, I have NEVER had so many hits on my blog as that day. I think I should do this more often ;).

So what's new? Well I spent two days in Hervey Bay. No that's not really true. I spent one day in Hervey Bay and one, on or around Fraser Island. Right of the bat I can tell you this; Hervey Bay is a boring little place with not much to do. BUT from here you can hop over to Fraser Island which really IS worth a visit. I only did a day trip because I already had my Bus booked to get down to Brisbane, but I advise you take the time and visit it for two days. It's a beautiful place!

On to Brisbane. Here I met up with Bianca who I met on my first day in Cairns. She was so kind to take a few days off work to show me around and take me out with her friends. I am really having a blast hanging out with them. Meeting fellow travelers is good, but I still think that nothing beats meeting locals and getting to hang out with them. I really like the city too. It's not too big and not too small... although I have to admit I do hang around the same area a lot.

I bought a ticket to a Music festival here in Brisbane. It's called Stereosonic (Google is your friend!) and features a few of my favorite artists. I am really really excited about this. Going to a Music festival was one of the things I really wanted to do in Australia, but because I never plan too much ahead I wasn't sure if it was going to work out.

Before I get on with the pictures, let me say something about them. I know there has been a shift in what kind of pictures I post. Some are still your usual tourist pictures, but I do enjoy more and more, showing some that don't really show that much about where I am but just look good (at least in my opinion). I hope you forgive me for this! I promise that I will not forget to post pics about the places I visit and one of myself every now and then.

Alright I think that's everything I had to say this time.. enjoy the pics.

Meet the tourist with his new fancy cam.

Just love the look of this pic... beach in Hervey Bay

A bug I encountered on Fraser Island.

The famous coloured sands of Fraser Island. Fun fact: Fraser Island is the biggest sand island in the world and is made up of many different sands. In this picture you can see 3 of them.

The lagoon we spent some time at while being on Fraser.

Brisbane by day....

.... and night.

This is Bianca, she blew my duck.

Hey fellow swiss, does this building remind you of anything? I'll give you a hint: Luzern. Scandalous right?

MJ crossing! Or at least that's always my first thought when I see one of these signs

And this pic is just to confirm your suspicion.. yes you did see me sporting facial hair in that first pic.

Next please!

Hello and welcome to the newest edition of my blog.

I the last few days I have made my way all the way from Cairns down to Hervey Beach. That's 1193km in just under 6 days. You might think me a fool or just wonder why I did it in such a short time. Well there are multiple reasons and I think you will be interested to hear them. IT'S RANT TIME! And oh boy is it a long one.. I hope you have some time on your hand!

So hey Simon, how is the weather over there? Getting sunburned already? How tan are you now? Sick of the sun already? Well matter of fact I did get a pretty bad sunburn but that was about the only day that was sunny in the last 7 days. Yes you heard me right. The east coast seems to be all about rain at the moment. From what I heard it hasn't been this rainy (in November) for many years. Too bad then that most activities here are outdoors, which brings me nicely to my next complaint.

Want to go snorkeling? That's just one million Dollars please. How about diving sir? Or maybe a 2 night / 2 days sailing trip with shitty food and nothing to do than stare at the sea and wish you would have spent your money otherwise? We'll make a special price for you sir, that's just a one hundred million dollars. Want to see some crocodiles or take a picture with you hugging a scared and confused Koala? We have an ultra special price today, just for you, we just want you first born child for that. Thank you very much, next please.

You might think I might be exaggerating well maybe a little bit BUT everything here cost's a lot. LIKE REALLY A LOT. Worst thing? You can't really do anything by yourself. Most places that (according to the guidebooks) are worth seeing, are not reachable by yourself. So you you will have to book at tour. And to my wonder everybody actually does it. You might think Backpackers are on a tight budget. They allow themselves nothing, have bread or rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner, drink the cheapest booze (so bad you have to slap it before you drink it) but when it comes to booking a tour they throw the money out the window. I have to admit, even I am part of this craze. Today I just booked a 1 day tour to Fraser Island. I am very excited about it cause according to everybody I meet here, it's an absolute most-see thing. What did that run me? Just a cool 180$. Now I don't know about you guys but I can't figure out the math here. They drive me around in an old Bus all day, offer me lunch, morning and afternoon tea and, oh gosh, I also get free snorkeling and kayaking (with gear they had for about 10000 years). To me that sounds like I am going to cost them about 30$ at the very most. Nice profit in that! But wait, there is more!

If the weather is going to be too bad and you won't see Nemo cause the sea is too rough and you fight against the waves to not drown instead of enjoying the reef, they usually won't tell you. I met a guy on the Greyhound Bus on the way from Airlie Beach to Hervey Bay. He told me an amusing story. Last week he went on a boat trip around the Whitsundays (which seems to be the best thing since the invention of the orgasm). The waves were around 4 – 6 meters high, they sky cloudy and the rain so bad that they were all soaked to the bones. Of the 36 guests on board, 32 got seasick. They ran out of barf bags by 1 pm (the tour lasting until 4 pm). That average must be higher than the world famous Nasa “Vomit Comet”. Wow that sure sounds like a lot of fun. I don't know what these people paid to feel shitty for a day but from what I gather it must have been at least 150$.

Are you done yet Simon? Nooooooo I am just getting warm here. I don't feel like spending a gazillion dollars today, so again, I am doomed to do nothing in a boring little town and I have plenty of time to tell you guys some more!

I was talking about the the Greyhound Bus just a few lines up. I don't have an issue with the bus itself (well it would be nice to be allowed to eat and drink on the bus if your going to be stuck on it for 12hours, but so what). There is a very nice observation you can make once you hop on the bus. Now remember, this is the main public transport up and down the Australian east coast. The buses are usually at least ¾ full and 99.5% of the people on board are Backpackers. Sometimes it really feels like Cairns – Sydney is one big Club Med for backpackers. I long for the days when I found myself in some unknown city in Japan or Korea and no other tourist, let alone backpacker for 100km. But it gets worse. I swear at least 70% of the backpackers are German. It feels like Germany must be empty. Has anybody actually checked if there is still somebody there?

Now don't get me wrong, I like the Germans and it's cool to be able to speak German again after a long while of just English or whatever I pretended was the local language. But for the love of god, I would like to meet people from all over the world and not “just” another guy/girl from Germany. And oh yeah, if they are not German they are English!

These Backpackers are a weird bunch too. Most of them come here on a working holiday visa. Sounds like a good Idea to me. Surf all day, work in a Bar at night and get laid by some random chick at the end of the night, very tempting indeed! The thing is, all the good, more or less easy jobs are taken by pretty girls. So what is there left for the average Backpacker? Working on a farm for instance, or working in construction is another popular choice. Does working for 8h – 12h in the blazing sun or bone soaking rain sound like fun to you? Sure doesn't to me. I really wonder why they don't just stay at home for a year longer before they visit Australia and save up more money at a much more comfortable job, that usually pays way better than what they get over here.

In my dorm at the hostel in Cairns there were 3 guys staying with me. I swear I never saw them during the day. When I went to bed though, 2 were very sound asleep cause they had an exhausting day at work and needed to get up early again next day and the third one just got ready to do the night shift (midnight – 4 am) of washing dishes at the popular bar. That much fun guys? Really? I know it sounds a bit cocky because I have to admit I seem to have a tiny bit more on the side than the average Backpacker (I am also at least 5 years older than the average backpacker), but then again, why won't you just save up a bit longer and then just enjoy your stay in Australia? Seriously, I don't get it!

And then you turn around and go fuck with my head. Everybody is on a tight budget and nobody has any money to spare but everybody and I mean EVERYBODY wants to go Sydney for new year. Yeah at first this sounds like a great Idea. I get it, because it's the first major city in the world that welcomes the new year, we always see these beautiful pictures of the fireworks over the Harbour bridge. And it seems it's THE place to be for new year while your staying in Australia. BUT DUDE, have you checked the prices? Well, assuming you'll be so lucky to still find a place this time of the year. I thought about going there when I planned my trip early this year and even then there were like 2 rooms left for way way way to much money AND on top of that you can't just book 2 or 3 nights... nooooooo sir.. if they milk you here, the do it properly. In most cases you have to book around 10 days!

Hey I could go on about the world famous Goon or drinking games or at least another 10 topics, but you probably haven't even read this far.

So there you have it, essentially the Australian east coast is an expensive, boring, always rainy Disney land for backpackers and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else! I'm having a great time and I recommend everybody to come and see for themselves. Just make sure you bring enough money!

Due to heavy rainfall there are not many pics since the last post but I do have a few. Consider them your reward for reading all that.


Parties are wild, awesome and a many in OZ!

Best dorms ever, little huts in the "forest" --> Airlie Beach

Love the "run-down-forgotten-seaside-resort" feel

preeeettty colours

One of the few sunny moments in Airlie Beach. The next rain fall was just around the corner.

12h on the bus is annoying but much better than on a plane.

Cairns

Hi all

I greet you all from the wonderful city of cairns. Life up here is beautiful.

I got here on monday 10 minutes before a thing called "mad monday" started. It's essentialy a pub crawl organized by the hostel. And it really is mad! I had so much fun. Within an hour I knew everybody that stays at the Hostel and I ended the night with a smilie cut into my tshirt. I would call that a successful night. I have to admit, this is the best Hostel I stayed at on my trip. It's more a big family than a bunch of strangers. There might be hostels that are cleaner and have better facilities but you can't beat atmosphere! Mad monday was that good, that I decided to extend my stay here. I know your craving pictures from that night and I have to dissapoint you. I left my camera at home and the pictures the hostel took are not yet online. I might post them at a later point.

What else did I do? I took a historic train ride to Kuranda. This takes you on a very scenic ride through the rainforst. It was quite nice and the village Kuranda was good too but the best was the Skyrail which took my back to the starting point over the canopy of the rainforst. The sights and sounds were just stunning. I'm not sure but I think those 45min are the best 45min I have ever spent on a Skyrail (Gondelbahn).

On friday I went snorkling at the great barrier reef. That was just absolutly stunning. Again no pictures. They wanted an extra 45 Dollar for an underwater camera and I just decided I would enjoy the moment and not worry about pictures. Two best things that day? A massive sunburn and seeing Nemo. No sharks, dolphins or turtels but the trip was def. worth the trip.

What did I do between those trips? Not all that much to be honest. I had alot of beer, smoked too much and had plenty of fun times with new friends at the hostel. And I enjoyed every moment of. So much I was thinking about staying here for a month or so and just enjoy life but there is so much to see. So no, I will go on.

On tuesday I will start my way down south. First major stop will be the whitsunday Islands.

After an "alright" stay in Sydney I have finally "landed" in Australia. I'm having a blast again.
I think the pictures show just that.

Nights at the hostel. Here, you don't stay for yourself. You mix with the world.

On the way to Kuranda.

On the way to Kuranda

The historic train on a most spectacular bridge.

The view of the coast from the train.

The trainstation in Kuranda. Kuranda is a bit like Disneyland.. minus the rides.

A Plane wreck in Kuranda... I could tell you an awesome story how it crashed here in the second world war etc. or I could just tell you the truth that it was put here just to look cool.

Paid 17 bloody dollars just to take a few pictures of butterflies.. but I think I got some awesome shots!

On the Skyrail above the Rainforst.

Nights at the Asylum in Cairns. Honestly, if you ever come here, stay at this hostel. You will remember your stay forever.

Dramatic picture taken when going out to the reef.

Hope you enjoyed the post. I wish you all just the best and enjoy life.

cheers

Eight days down under

Welcome back to my blog!

So eight days. What have I been up to? I kinda enjoyed beeing back in Sydney but it wasn't all that exciting because, well, I have been here before. Everywhere I went I saw something I still remembered. It was nice though to meet Connay again. I met her here back in 2008 when I was in Sydney for the first time.

The only significant things worth mentioning are the following: Thursday I went on a pub crawl with the OZ Party Bus. That was a blast. I am not one that drinks and drinks and drinks but those few hours were really fun. The people were just absolutly crazy!

The second thing is the size of the Hostel in Sydney. It was huuuuuuuge. I didn't like it. Why? It just wasn't personal enough. I think it is far easier to get in contact with people if the hostel is smaller. I met a few nice people but those were mainly one's that stayed in my room. I was rather suprised though that in a 10 bed dorm I didnt have a single person that snored.

I got to Cairns last night and there is already lots to tell but this I will keep for the next blog entry. Just enjoy the pictures for now. I think I am slowly getting the hang of my new cam.

Opera House. How could I not post a picture of this?

Skyline of Sydney. Really like the City but after exploring many places I have never been before, it was a bit underwhelming.

Not much to add here.

The bus that took us from bar to bar on my most fun night out in Sydney

Newtown is one of the places I haven't been before. Got some nice street art there.

Retro.

Australia.

Simon.

Con and Simon

Sorry for the boring blog entry this time around.. I'll do a better job next time.

cyaaaaaa