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Published: March 2nd 2010
ayers rock(s)!
posing the rock, Uluru, central AustraliaAustralia, east coast & central
Coming from Asia, despite of all the warnings we already received about Australia, we still are quite shocked: everything is really expensive (even when compared to European standards) and if, as a consequence, you need to stick to a budget, you have to be prepared to stay in hostels and sleep in dorms with hoards of 18 year old backpackers. That is probably why so many youngsters first work there.
Overall we also were not so impressed by the scenery/ landscapes on the east coast, maybe partly because we have seen much nicer beaches in Asia or other parts of the world and most of the places here look the same. On top of it all, for the largest part of our stay, we were cursed with bad weather: it constantly rains and almost everywhere the scenery is covered in gray/ white clouds and mist. So
for us Australia felt a bit like being in England only with (more) surfers.
Rules and regulations I don't quite understand, why Australia is often associated with a relaxed life style and where the 'no worries, mate' is coming from. In fact there are maney worries over there, as it is all about rules and regulations. 'The rock band Tesla must have been in Australia before writing the song 'Signs': 'Signs, signs, everywhere there's signs blockin' up the scenery, breakin' my mind. Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign'. On beaches you are not allowed to drink alcohol, smoke, play ball games, skate, and so on. Everything is over-regulated and over-organized. In hostels you can read on signs that you will get evicted if you do not clean the kitchen utensils used. How would they know? Simple: they check on you via surveillance cameras. Like in Sweden you cannot buy alcohol (not even beer) in the supermarket, but only in bottle shops at very high prices.
Our Itinerary
Central Australia
Alice Springs This little town in the outback with approx 30.000 inhabitants is our base for a camping trip to Uluru with the
gas station
central australia famous 350 mio year old Ayers Rock, the Olgas (Katja Tjuta) and the Kings Canyon in the Watarrka NP. This trip was the highlight of our stay in Australia: the scenery is very special and we enjoy sleeping outdoors and watching the stars before falling asleep. Of course the tours there are over-organized with a lot of do's and dont's and it kinda feels like we are at a boyscout camp. There are almost no Aborigines in/ around Uluru any more, the ones we see are mainly drunk lying next to the streets in Alice Springs.
East Coast
Sydney:
Upon arrival it starts raining and stays so for an entire week. According to the local radio we were able to witness the rain of the decade. As Sydney is very expensive, the weather was bad, and it doesn't feel so exotic, we did not enjoy our stay there so much. Apart from walking around the inner city, the bridge and checking out the opera house, we watched the surfers at Bondi beach. Despite of the rain, I was amazed by the amount of surfers in the water, I have to admit it is an interesting sight. I was
bush walk
central Australia also amazed by the amount of rules and regulations there: on the beach you are not allowed to smoke, drink, eat, play ball games, pick up shells, ride bikes, skate etc. I think the only thing you are allowed to do there is surf. We also check out two alternative neighborhoods Newtown and Glebe and visit relatives of Els, who migrated to Australia in the 50s. We visit Royal national park, the oldest NP in Australia, but the whole coastal scenery is covered in white clouds and mist. We successfully skip the other tourist attractions: the aquarium, the zoo, the Imax theater (with the world’s biggest screen) and the Sydney tower due to high entry prices and bad weather.
New Castle We use this relaxed little town as a base for a trip to hunter valley to do some wine tasting. The scenery is not so spectacular, but the wine tasting is fine and and for a change on the wine tour trip we were the youngest ones this time. Furthermore I take private surf lessons, which are considered to be the cheapest on the east coast (25 AUD for 3 hours). I was not so lucky, as the
sea was too messy (waves coming from everywhere), however I enjoy the little workout. New castle is a relaxed little town and a great place to escape the young backpacking scene: due to a lack of attractions, most backpackers skip this destination. The majority of them staying there, do so due to work (eg. Grape picking at the wine yards).
Byron Bay:
We enjoy a couple of sunny days in this small and relaxed surf & backpacker Mecca. We like the place and the relaxed vibe in general, but we sometimes get a bit annoyed by the amounts of very young backpackers and arrogant surf posers. We bike to the most easterly point of Australia, close to the light house and visit Nimbin, a small hippie town one hour outside of town, where the alternative lifestyle is tolerated including consuming certain hallucinating substances. The little town itself is not that special but the surroundings make it worth the trip. We normally don’t like going on organized tours, especially in Australia where everything is over-organized and the crowd very young, but we can really recommend Jim’s alternative tours (www.jimsalternativetours.com): the bus driver is an old hippie who plays excellent music
perfectly synchronized to the surroundings and provides you with interesting commentary. You also get the chance to visit another interesting hippie living somewhere in the forest. Furthermore I take 3 days surf lessons and realize that Australia offers the best conditions to learn to surf: the surf school takes you to the right spot suitable for beginners: the small waves are easy to catch and the white wash is strong enough to keep you floating on the long boards for quite a while, beginners start on soft boards (I didn’t even know such thing existed), so you can’t hurt yourself so much, when the board snaps back on you.
Surfer’s Paradise:
We only drive through this popular destination and don’t regret it, as we are not so found of over commercial beaches covered with skyscrapers.
Brisbane:
Brisbane aka Bris-rain: upon arrival, again, it starts to rain and stays so for our entire stay. The city itself is not so special and the weather was really bad, so we restricted our sightseeing program to a minimum: I could imagine that the fake beach in the middle of the city could be nice on a sunny day; the Lone Pine
Kings Canyon
central Australia Koala Sanctuary is worth the 30 minutes ride and the entrance price: apart from interesting information about exotic animals and a couple of shows, you can feed and pet Kangaroos and Emus.
Fraser Islands & Whitsundays:
After having seen pictures and having heard stories of other travelers, we decide to skip these two popular destinations. Especially after the beaches & landscapes we already have seen in South East Asia the destinations do not seem to have anything special to offer. Furthermore the fact of having to wear a full body (stinger) suit before going into the water (nov-april is stinger season on the East coast from Brisbane up North), turns me off a bit, I have to admit.
Cairns:
Apparently the bad weather follows us up North: during our entire stay in Cairns it rains again. However our main purpose - diving the Great Barrier Reef - does not get affected too much by the bad weather. Although we were a bit shocked by the prices and the masses (a boat with 70 divers and snorkelers on board is considered to be small), we still enjoy our dives. It is not so much the quantity of (big) fish
Kings Canyon
central Australia and the water visibility (15-20 meters) that we found impressive, but the fact that there were coral formations everywhere. I guess that’s why they call it the great reef. Together with Balicasag (Philippines), the dive sites at the Agincourt Reef, part of the outer reef at the GBR, were the best dive sites I’ve been to so far. Of course, compared to diving in South East Asia, also everything is really over-organized, regulated and super safe.
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