Tuesday 19^th June, 2012

In the morning we first cleaned our camper. After we started to drive towards Darwin. We wanted to go to several Billabongs, but unfortunately the hiking tracks were closed. At Fogg Dam we had more luck and made two walks through the Nature Reserve. We got accompanied by some butterflies and birds. After we ate our last food Konrad wanted to cross the dam to a bird observation tower. It was noon and I thought this is a bad idea as it was very hot in the sun. We then crossed the dam with the camper and saw, that it was closed for walking due to crocodiles. But we still managed to enjoy the many water birds from the observation platform. In Darwin we went back to Apollo to ask where there is a car wash nearby. They explained us we only need to wash it if it is very dirty. As this was not the case, everything went very fast. A kind taxi driver drove us to the airport. At 35 °C we entered the airplane and at cool 4 °C we left it in Melbourne. We booked in the same motel when we arrived and thus we fast were again in the warm.

Sunday 10^th June, 2012

In the room beside us it was sometimes quite load because of the Football Euro Championship and I could only sleep badly. After a lazy start into the day we went to get our camper van. The kind lady from the rental office talked to us in a mix of high German and Swiss German. We learnt that she is from former Yugoslavia and lived for a long time in Zurich. She made a perfect handover and we got a nearly new camper with only 11'000 km. Next we bought food for the next few days. After we had everything packed we started. On the Stuart Highway we drove towards Kakadu National Park. In the Wetland region we made a short stop and visited the visitor center. We enjoyed the view into the wide country. It was already late afternoon as we reached Kakadu National Park and thus we went directly to the first camping site. From there we wanted to make a short hike. We asked at reception if the path is open. Unfortunately there is still to much water and so it could have salties there. So are the saltwater crocodiles, the biggest crocodile species, commonly called by the Australians. So we spend the rest of the day studying the brochures of the region. I met a slightly shocked Dutch when I went to the toilet in the late evening. She just met a frog in the toilet. Nothing new for me as on the west coast I had seen some frogs in the restrooms. When being in the nature you may see some animals you usually do not see.

Saturday 9^th June, 2012

We started today early after we spent the last evening in Sydney with the workmates of Konrad. Until this morning everything looked good with our luggage, but the last few things we had to push into Konrad's suitcase. As I brought the suitcase to the car, I realized that the zip was not holding at two places. So we started with the hope to be able to solve this problem at the airport. First we drove to the office of Open Systems to leave there the keys of the flat. After Yin, a friend from Tango, gave us a lift to the airport. Unfortunately there was no shop at the airport which would have solved our suitcase problem. Konrad opened the zip and tried to close it again and now it was holding. After I was caught at the security. Unintentionally I put my pocket knife from the big backpack to the hand luggage. The officer was so nice that I could go out again and so that I could send the pocket knife. As there was not a normal post office, I had to send it to the office of Open Systems and hope now that someone there can bring it home. As it was a present of my godfather I did not want to have it disposed. At the gate the plane was already waiting. “We are waiting for the engineer to give the plane free” were we told. But that did not happen and so we had to go to another gate were we boarded another plane. With a delay of more than an hour we started to Darwin. The flight was without problem and we marvelled at the Australian outback from above. After we checked-in at the accommodation we went to buy a new suitcase. I had warned Konrad already before that his suitcase will soon break completely. Now we did not want to have this risk again and immediately found a suitable suitcase on sale.

We went for sightseeing in Darwin after the put everything in the new suitcase and disposed the old one. There is not much in the city so we had soon seen it. But as there was a Greek festival this weekend we walked through the festival area and enjoyed a delicious Greek dinner. The sun was now setting and we walked back to the accommodation. Tomorrow we will start with the camper.