Wednesday 27^th June, 2012

In the early morning we packed our luggage for the last time. We started after a fine breakfast. We went to the market for antiques, but at 8:30am not many stands were already open. So we went to the nearby pet market. Here birds, fishes, insects, hamsters, etc. were sold. For Swiss understanding the market was close to animal cruelty. Often the animals did have nearly no space in their cages. After we went back to the antiques market where we had now more to see. After we dared to use the metro. Everything was also written in Englisch and thus it went very well. After my handbag got x-rayed at the security control we we could ride to our destination. From there we walked to the Jade Buddha Temple. In this Buddhist Temple were some statues of Buddha and from different gods. The most valuable one was a two meter high Buddha and a lying Buddha, each made of one piece of pale jade. It was not yet noon and so we walked to the Jing-An Temple. In the middle of the city this temple is beside skyscrapers and shopping malls. Also here a some statues for Buddha and gods were to see. Only there were fewer tourists here. After lunch we picked up our luggage at the youth hostel and let us order a taxi to the Maglev (Transrapid) station. With 300 km/h we travelled the 30 km to the airport. At the check-in the lady explained us that we first have to go into the next room as there is something with our luggage. I had to show the clamping set and the raclette cooking gear and then the lady from the security was content. Now we are sitting in the airport at the gate and wait for our long trip home.

Friday 22^nd June, 2012

This morning we did not have more time to further explore Hong Kong. We went to the escalators to get to the train station. On the airport we had more time than expected as our flight was late. After a very shaky flight we got to Shanghai. To enter we required a visa which we issued in Sydney. Caren and her boys were already awaiting us. As Caren spotted us, she came towards us. In front of her was man which started to talk in German to us. We were so perplex that we did not even answer. As Caren then look at him inquiring, he realized immediately that we did not wave him. Caren lives in Kunshan. This city is about one hour outside of Shanghai. In the car I thought “something is wrong”. I soon realized that in China they are driving right. From Australia I am still used to driving left. We saw people which were hitch-hiking on the motor way, some were also selling food. In the city itself there some motorcycles, but the drivers do not seam to need helmets. Caren book a hotel for us and brought us there. After check-in we went to dinner with her family. She told us that it will be simple. But our menu was much more. There was freshly pressed apple juice, soup, a plate with prawns, salad, meat to choose and pudding with tea. Not really simple food.

Tuesday 8^th May, 2012

Now it is the time to realize my Christmas present for Konrad. With a small plane we went to a scenic flight. First we flew over Hill Inlet and Whitehaven Beach which also look gorgeous from above. Passing some small islands we went out to the Great Barrier Reef. We flew over the Hardy Reef where we stayed overnight. But now we could see how big it really is. The highlight was flying over the heart reef, a small coral formation on Hardy Reef, not much bigger than the plane. Back on the mainland we went to the bus stop, but unfortunately the bus was just gone and we would have to wait another 30 minutes. On the same flight was an elder couple which passed by car and asked us if we would like a lift. We accepted with many thanks and thus had a bit more than an hour left in Airlie Beach. After lunch we went by bus to the airport which is 40km outside. With a stopover in Brisbane we flew back to Sydney.

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.

Friday 16^th March, 2012

In the morning we went again to the beach of Monkey Mia. We watched the first dolphin feeding from the pier. We hopped for a second feeding, but until 10am the dolphins did not return to the bay. After we drove to Denham and did some sightseeing in the small fisher village. Here I learnt that pumping up tires is quite easy. The kind sir from the petrol station told us how much we need to fill them. I do not know what kind of dimension they use, but not bar. First we visited a pearl shop and I bought a black pearl pendant, then we went to the airport. Here we entered a propeller machine and made a scenic flight of 30 minutes from Denham to the Big Lagoon. I would not have stood it longer as I got a bit sick from the many air holes. We enjoyed a beautiful view over the lagoons and the Francois Peron National Park. The we drove to Eagle Buff, a lookout over Shark Bay. We could count many sharks swimming below. On the Shell Beach we walked many small shells to the beach. The beach consists of small white, beige and reddish shells. At 5pm we reached a Road House (Petrol Station with shop and usually with accommodations on a outback road) with a camping. We decided to drive to the next one and at 6:30pm we found a closed camping. We wanted to stay on the carpark as it was already getting dark. As soon as we stood there and opened the roof clamps, the owner came out and told us that we are not allowed to stay here over night. He did not want to hear my explanation that we did not know that the camping is closed. On request he finally explained that the next carpark is in 5 km and in 42 km we can stay for free. So we had to drive another 42 km. The sight got worse and worse. On the carpark we were not the only ones. As we did not have current here, it was very warm inside and we sweated. Tired from everything we went to bed early.