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Nullabor 14. January ’19
How was it…..
“ Tomorrow we’re off to the Nullarbor Plain, world language at last! Made up of null, l’arbor (the tree) and plain. So no tree, no bush and not even a hill. The only thing that reassures me is that it cools down at night and I shower with a bottle from the fridge. “
This is what you get when you read what our travel guide says: „Many travellers probably only try to cross the plain to prove to themselves that they can do it. It takes days, and you need a damn big supply of water and music cassettes. The highway runs mainly through the treeless area to the south. I don’t think any guidebook writer has travelled through the area since John Eyre was the first to do so in 1841.
So in Norseman we do some final shopping, fruit and vegetables for the long about 2000 kilometres to Adelaide, fill up the water tank and all the empty water bottles and off we go. First we pass a plethora of salt lakes. And then, zero labours my ass: first we drove all day through the „largest“ contiguous FOREST in the world.
Tonight there was a huge storm and after the husband made sure that the trees around us were all stable we tried to go to sleep, a little rain, a little thunderstorm, but a storm that made the car rock quite a bit and, because of the heat (44°), we only had the fly screen in front of the door. At some point there was a scratching at the door and we were both sitting in bed, but it was probably just a kangaroo trying to get in. It cooled down and today we only have 24° and a jumper on. Today we also left the world’s longest straight stretch (146km) behind us, yes, it was also announced with a sign. Confidentially, I wouldn’t have noticed, we’ve driven so many straight stretches that a few kilometres don’t matter to me!
Today, after a long time, many dead kangaroos on the roadside. It’s almost worse now that you’ve seen these cute, curious creatures so close. It must be the stretch of road that the road trains pass at dusk.
And as I don’t have much to do on the long journeys :
Man rides down the track with ease
and is still very lively
He presses the accelerator like a young god
As if he had a plot at the finish
Keeps control of road trains
No matter how big they are
He bravely withstands the draught
Only pulls over to the side to stop
as is often recommended
so they can overtake
We really want to enjoy, don`t want to race
and watch the animals graze with pleasure
only Nullabor disappointed us
it is very dry and not wet
the flora was there in all varieties
very diverse as we had never seen before.
To imagine that over 100 years ago
two men were the first hikers here
they walked the many kilometres alone
and sometimes with a lot of hardship.
They had neither water nor wine
Their backpacks were far too small.
They must have been very obsessed
so they will never forget
The highway is named after them
so many people will remember them.
PTB
We wanted to take a picture to at least show off : we didn’t manage to take a picture without a tree on it. The treeless area only began afterwards. Otherwise shrubbery, over hundreds of kilometres past a mountain ridge. Once again very interesting.
It’s a good 2000 kilometres to Adelaide with 2 tiny roadhouses and virtually no parking spaces. No mobile phone, no internet or sometimes very weak and in the middle of it all with very weak reception we got the news that Gerhard’s mother had passed away. Now it was just a case of drive, drive, drive. And what happened after our first coffee break: the car wouldn’t start. It was also in one of the few car parks, i.e. the caravan was shielded by bushes, nobody could see us, no mobile phone, no internet. Everything was checked, I withdrew and distracted myself by reading (I had found a 100-year-old book by Josef Conrad, which was fortunately very exciting) as Mrs Mann disturbed his train of thought with her attempts to be helpful with good suggestions (which are sometimes really very good! Yes, that’s right!! -G.). in the end, all that was left was the battery. That would have been a disaster, of course. At some point Gerhard came across the electronics. And it (the VAN ) started up and we jumped for joy. In the meantime it was too late to continue driving, which Mann also had to realise.
It then took a few more days until we had reception. We sped (as best we could with such a RV) to Adelaide, the nearest airport, and so Gerhard flew to Berlin. Good to know for later, the shorter the distance to departure, the more expensive the flight. However, there is no time specification, whether there are many or few free seats also plays a role.
We were also very lucky with the manager, David, of this RV park. All the sites are fully booked this weekend and quite expensive as there is a big event in Adelaide, the biggest bike race of the year. After much deliberation, a temporary pitch was made available to us for one night. On Saturday, one became free, in the centre without any shade and it is getting hotter and hotter here, today 40 again, tomorrow it should be 45 or 47. It is probably even hotter on this pitch anyway. In the meantime it’s emptied out a bit and I’m still the only one here in the centre and fully exposed to the sun. Tomorrow we’ll get the shadiest spot there is here, I had a look at it today. Yesterday David also drove Gerhard to the airport.
Then the shady spot finally became available. I told the office today that we would be staying for 3 weeks. I hope it won’t be so hot then, these temperatures are also unusual for Adelaide. I’m going to cool off in the pool.
David has his day off today and so does the employee, so tomorrow. Well, the other one would have moved me too if I had insisted, but she would have had to find someone to drive the car, but then I wanted to leave that to the boss and everything else that happens when the man is not there (handyman stuff, oh dear, well, what then…). First the water connection was no longer tight, after a nice neighbour tried to fix it, it ran more like before, then there was a hole in the hose, the fault was the heat, which made the hose soft and the ants, which spread in large numbers in the RV and which I wanted to block access via the hose.
Well, we have a bonus with the boss because Gerhard’s name is Polish and his wife (David’s! -G.) is Polish. But the fact that we can leave the caravan for 8 days free of charge when we fly to Sydney to meet up with friends is amazing. Another angel? Or are we perhaps … ???
Wednesday, 23. January
Today is the only cool spot in the pool, which is also empty until the afternoon. Tomorrow it’s supposed to be 47° and tonight it’s supposed to „cool down“ to 30°.
I tried to call Gerhard yesterday, but unfortunately the mobile phone wouldn’t work. After a few attempts, an „oil can“ finally appeared, preceded by a small bright triangle with a small „oil can“ inside, which was crossed out with a slash. My struggle to remove the oil can was totally unsuccessful, pressing the switch-on button always ended with the large can also shining in bright light and not disappearing all night despite pulling the plug. This morning, after some initial resistance, it gave up after all (or the oil had run out…??? -G.) but luckily I remembered in time that it was night in Germany.
The move here has gone well and it is making itself felt. Yesterday evening it actually cooled down to 24° in the RV after it had been up to 39° in the RV during the day despite the climate.
Shit, the ladder to the roof of the RV is ruined. David, the manager, drove the RV too close to the tree, I was already holding my breath, but didn’t notice it from the front, only Gerhard discovered the damage when he came back, but you can’t say anything when someone does you a favour. It’s a major issue, but we can replace it in Melbourne at the earliest.
Luckily the 47° heatwave didn’t materialise today, we only have 28° and no sun, which is very pleasant for a change.
I’ve been well supplied here recently: first a woman came with a whole bag of vegetables, then a Frenchman came with 3 tins of vegetables and today a German came with a large cucumber and a large red pepper. That’s just what I need, as I didn’t feel like going to the supermarket in the heat. Because of the heat, I’ve also got into the habit of cooking in the park kitchen and „frying“ my bread, which works really well there. The place is starting to fill up again for the weekend. So – the water supply was dripping, the hose had slipped a bit, I couldn’t get the thread open and asked the neighbour to loosen the thread for me – I would do everything else myself. But he wouldn’t let it out of his hands, cut off the top narrow part of the hose and then explained that the hose was dripping because it was too wide. That was the short version, of course he said the connection was too small and should be one size bigger, but you could actually see beforehand that the hose had only slipped a little. Now I turn off the tap outside when I don’t need it and I do most of the work in the kitchen, which is quite practical, it’s usually pretty empty anyway and the bread gets even better there.
So – and now the drain is no longer tight. After searching again for the entrance of the ants, which are more lively here than ever before, I think the car needs to be moved, I realised that all the service water is draining under the WW, the hose is completely dry. There was no waste water for a few days because I used the kitchen and shower from the park and every 2nd day was over 40°, maybe that’s why. First the tap burst, now the waste water is bursting.
In the meantime, however, it turned out (embarrassing, embarrassing) that the lever on the connection had not been changed, luckily I realised this the day before Gerhard arrived.
So David sorted everything out with the hose and made us an offer to store the car here free of charge if we fly to Sydney for a week. I had already thought about it. The flight is of course more expensive from here, but if we save on parking fees again – and that would be the most stress-free option. We could also see what we’ve missed in Sydney. I’ll see what’s available and what the options are from here, but at least this offer will take some of the stress away.
I also had very nice young, helpful neighbours here for 2 days, Italians who spent 2 weeks driving around Australia and then spent another week „recovering“ in Thailand.
Saturday, 26. January
Today is Australia Day, when Australia celebrates itself with a big parade where all ethnic groups present their national costumes. Australians love diversity and celebrate it. They are made up of over 200 different ethnic groups. I have also thought a lot about this. I was always of the opinion ‚If you’re in Rome, be a Roman‘, and now I’m being shown how shitty that is.
Our RV park is right on the River Torres. I cycled into town at 12 noon. The path along the river is so practical. Curious, I also cycled in the other direction, which is so great. I got some advice from the traffic information centre, hung around there until 5 o’clock and then set off for Parade. Most of the Australia Day events, including the fireworks and concerts, take place at Torres. You didn’t notice anything about Aussie Day in the city itself. The main street was lined with people waiting for the parade all the way to the park and it took over an hour for the countless different ethnic groups to pass by.
Friday, 1. February
The highest fare from Adelaide City to the furthest beach is $3.70 „depense on time and if you have a card“ and is valid for 2 hours. It’s amazing again, but that’s how they get people to leave their cars, that would be the right thing for Panama City, they are all gas powered to reduce emissions and only $2.20 on Sundays.
Yesterday I sprayed poison. I thought I had the ants under control, I came back from the pool yesterday —– I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. I come into the RV. It was dark and suddenly I was stung up to my knees, I switched on the light, my legs were full of ants, the floor was black, the bathroom was full. I thought I was going mad. I hit myself with all the rags, soaking wet, until they were all dead. Then I went to the front, the office was already closed, but luckily they live there and the woman gave me a spray, when I came back everything was full again, now the poor ants were poisoned.
I finally remembered what helps against ants: cloves, because spraying poison again is something I’ve never done in my life! – I also found a packet at the City Market. Just imagine: the official City Market is a Chinese market with over 800 stalls in a huge hall steeped in history. Very few stalls belong to non-Chinese. At first I wondered whether I should even write Chinese, because they are actually Australians too, but since the neighbouring area is called „Chinese Village“ and Aussies don’t see it that closely.
Adelaide February ’19
After my return from Berlin, I finally had time to look around Adelaide.
Adelaide is the capital of South Australia. The city was founded in 1836, but not as a penal colony. It was named after Adelheit von Sachsen-Meiningen (wife of the British King William IV).
Adelaide was designed by the architect Colonel William Light as a spacious metropolis with wide streets and a series of large parks. It is also clear to see that the city was developed on the drawing board. The centre (population approx. 17,500) is surrounded by a generous ring of parks. The city was ranked 29th most liveable city in the world in 2018. Due to its design, the city centre is very manageable and
clearly laid out. As in other cities, the interesting juxtaposition of old buildings with the new glass palaces is impressive. The surrounding area consists of around 250 smaller and larger towns. Glenelg, which can be reached by a modern tram from the centre in 20 minutes, can be highlighted as an interesting seaside resort. The temperatures are comparable to those in the Mediterranean.
Due to the introduction of religious freedom, many religious refugees came from Europe. The close access to the sea (Port Adelaide) allowed the city to grow rapidly through lead and silver deposits and later through the export of wheat, making it an important economic centre.
Adelaide has an international airport and is a hub for rail transport. There is an extensive regional rail and bus system in the city, making it easy to reach all the surrounding areas. And of course a free bus service that connects the city centre and the outskirts with 2 lines 7 days a week. The two tram lines in the city centre can also be used free of charge.
The State Library of South Australia is very interesting. It was opened in December 1884 and you can feel the atmosphere of a bygone era.
We were particularly pleased to be greeted by the Beatles from the balcony.
The Adelaide „O-Bahn“ is a speciality. The track bus system originated from Mercedes in the 1980s and was put into operation in 1986. It consists of 2 six-kilometre sections. The buses run on a separate track and are steered automatically – the driver takes his hands off the steering wheel – unusual for me as a passenger at around 90 kilometres per hour. When the buses leave the route, they continue as normal city buses. This has created a fast connection with regional transport without the need to change buses.
Described in detail here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O-Bahn_Busway
We visited the Railway Museum, which provides an interesting insight into railway transport in days gone by. Not only were the carriages generally very elegant and generously equipped – there was also a „butcher’s wagon“ in which food was freshly prepared for the passengers during the journey. Travelling on the steam locomotives was certainly very cosy and comfortable – but also smelly. There were two track gauges, which did not necessarily facilitate continuous transport. Most of the locomotives and carriages were built and shipped from England. Even on the new regional trains, the English style is unmistakable.
Another highlight is a visit to the Botanical Gardens right in the city centre, which cover 51 hectares and were opened in 1857. It is not only beautifully laid out, but also has a large variety of plants and trees, not only from Australia. There are free guided tours every day. We were lucky enough to be the only ones there, so our guide was able to answer any specific questions and explain special features. Incidentally, you will look in vain for „No trespassing“ signs everywhere in the parks. There are benches everywhere on the lawns and in the botanical garden there are signs encouraging visitors to look at everything up close. -G.)
Then came the day when we flew to Sydney to meet up with our friends Iris and Wolfgang. They are on a cruise and are also in Sydney. The evening before, we had dinner with David and his wife in a very nice Chinese restaurant. They met in a game chat on the internet. He in Australia, she in Poland. Over time, they also got to know each other better in private. He then visited her in Poland and from then on they called her every day. After 2 years he travelled back to Poland to marry her and now they have been married for 10 years and you get the impression that they didn’t look for each other, but found each other. Anyone who gets to know them is impressed by this unusual story.
In the morning we drove round the corner with the campervan to fill the gas bottle, it was hot and the fridge runs on gas when we are not connected to the power supply in the caravan park. I was already sniffing because it smelled so funny, but thought it was coming from outside, then realised it wasn’t coming from outside, Gerhard came back and suddenly we saw thick clouds of smoke coming out from under the windscreen. I thought fire was about to break out, the bonnet was stuck, it was horror. We were standing in a small car park right in front of the entrance to the shop with our monster of a car.
The smoke then subsided, at some point we got the bonnet open, there was nothing to see, the car wouldn’t start, the only thing that happened when Gerhard turned the key was that the lights and windscreen wipers came on. It was maddening. We had to be at the airport in an hour. Anyway, the car had to stay put, the employee didn’t see any problem with leaving it there for a week, but his boss did and he bombarded us with phone calls, as it was also obstructing the entrance. He then had it towed away to where it didn’t cause such a nuisance.
Sydney, the second…. 20. – 27. February ’19
Unfortunately, our meeting in Sydney could not take place as we had planned. Fortunately, we had already seen each other briefly in Adelaide, as your train journey to Alice Springs could not take place due to a derailed goods train and closed track. In Sydney, Iris was in bed with the flu and we were unfortunately only able to meet up with Wolfgang briefly in the drizzly weather in the city. Nevertheless, we explored a few corners of the city that we hadn’t seen before.
During our second stay in Sydney, we also went to the Harbour Bridge. It really is an impressive steel structure. There were already plans to build a bridge at the end of the 19th century, but it wasn’t until the beginning of the 20th century that an agreement was reached on the construction. At that time there were a large number of freight and passenger ferries connecting the two halves of the city. Construction began in 1924 and it was opened in March 1932. The bridge construction is 503m long (1149m total length) and 134m high (52m ship passage). It was designed for 6 lanes, 2 railway and 2 tram tracks, as well as a pedestrian and a cycle path. As described in the next section, the tram tracks have been removed and there are now 8 lanes. At 49 metres, the bridge is the widest in the world with these dimensions. Since 1998, the bridge arches can be climbed in groups. Climbing one of the stone bridge pillars with a magnificent view was enough for me. For the price of climbing the bridge arch, you should actually be carried over it. -G.
For further information click here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Harbour_Bridge
This time a completely different impression when visiting the Tramway Museum near Sydney.
Until the early 1960s, Sydney had a very extensive tram network that also connected the suburbs with the city centre. It was the largest tram network in the southern hemisphere, the first tram ran as early as 1861, the last tram was taken out of service in 1961. Probably one of the biggest mistakes and errors. A new line is currently being built through the city to the harbour (a metro was simply too expensive) – yes, the old tracks are unfortunately already out. But everyone knows this mistake from Berlin, which had one of the most tram lines and vehicles in the world. Buses are simply not an alternative when they are stuck in traffic jams just like everyone else.
Here is an example of how to avoid traffic jams:
The visit provided many interesting and above all exciting insights into the tram system, not only in Sydney. We had never seen or heard of many types of tram before. For example, the tram with a steam boiler or the gas-powered version was a surprise. Of course, it was also interesting to take a short ride on some of these trams and to see two old double-decker buses that are still in running order and are used for special trips. Also on display are trams from other countries (Korea, Los Angeles) and we had a brief look into the workshop where the trams are built up and look like new. A big surprise was the railcar from Berlin, which I often travelled in myself. -G.
More and detailed information can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Sydney
Very important: even today, this rule must be observed on every train journey! 
Wednesday, 27. Februar
On the way back from Sydney, the plane was also 2 hours late so we arrived quite late, but luckily we found the Motorhome quite quickly so that we could at least spend the night there, because there was another event in Adelaide, this time a big car race. Fortunately, there was a large garage near Adelaide that towed us and the Motorhome the next morning. After spending half the day there, it turned out that the control unit had burnt out and it would take about 5-6 days, as the part had to be sent from Sydney (!) and the weekend was in between.
So we booked a hotel for 5 days via booking.com in the next town and to our surprise we had a very cosy, large room. We were also provided with a company hire car.
The employees really went to great lengths to find the fault as quickly as possible and they probably put so much pressure on the company that they sent someone with the part straight away and the next day we got a call to say the car was ready. Oh dear, we could pick it up right away, but if we wanted to come tomorrow, Paulo would be free, but he would come, that would be ok. Where can you find something like that? We then agreed on Monday, with a bit of a guilty conscience because he had gone to such lengths to get the car ready for us as quickly as possible. But 1. we had already planned a lot with the small car, 2. the hotel had been booked via booking.com and could not be cancelled. On Saturday we went to the beach and were finally able to swim without waves, which was the best thing about it being over 40° again. On Sunday we went to a wildlife park, but we couldn’t bring ourselves to have our photo taken with koalas – we had the feeling that it would be better to leave them alone. But even so, it was an experience. I miss my proud emus and the curious kangaroos anyway.
Monday, 4. March
So wanted to pick up the car today – – – well, you could say handyman, but I just assume Paulo was firing people up so 3 things were wrong. The bonnet still didn’t work, needs a new cable, takes about 5 days, could have been there today if it had been ordered straight away, the fridge suddenly stopped turning over. It runs on 12 volts (car), 240 volts (power) or gas and that no longer works. We had to make it clear to Paulo that this couldn’t be. The keys had not been reprogrammed. (Necessary because the new control unit has different software – computer stuff -G.) One of them was busy with the keys, one of them worked and after a long wait Paulo realised that this wasn’t going to work, gave us the car again and we extended our stay for another night. At some point the next day the boss himself realised (give me the key, I’ll sort it out) that one of the keys was a counterfeit, supposedly available on the Internet. So we had to order a new key in Italy, which took 5-6 weeks! Paulo offered to send the key to an authorised dealer, who we would then tell him.