marvellous melbourne

A city beaming with diversity.

When I came to Australia I had a few places in mind that I absolutely wanted to visit, Melbourne was one of them and as the semester was coming towards an end, it looked like I wouldn't get the opportunity to visit after all. When study break came along I decided to go there for the weekend, exams...so what? How often do you get to go to Australia?! So I booked a flight, packed my bag and brought my books along, why not combine pain with pleasure?! Luckily my lovely flatmate offered me a ride to the airport (as we all know the Australian bus system is f*cked up and going on a 1 hour ride at 6 in the morning when it takes you 15 minutes by car, well let's just say I'm glad she offered to drive) and basically this is how I ended up going to Melbourne after all. As the others were either busy studying, going some place else or simply couldn't make up their mind, I went on my own and in the end that was the best decision I could have made. I stayed at the Base Hostel in St. Kilda which I'd definitely recommend; the location is great, staff are friendly, there's a nice bar downstairs and I got to meet open-minded people with whom I spend an amazing time at the beach and in bars. Oh and btw free champagne for the ladies every evening from 9 to 10... I don't have to tell you that we took advantage of that offer every single night, the advantages of being a lady!

I learned from my mistake of bringing too much luggage to Australia, those who travel light travel happy, and so I only brought the necessities, even more because I knew I'd probably be going on a shopping spree in Melbourne. I arrived at the hostel via free transfer and came into a room where only one bed was free, mine. My first thought: 'oh great I'm gonna be that new girl and they probably already know each other'...NOPE well yeah I was the new girl and they met each other the day before but they immediatly welcomed me and asked me to join them. That morning I went to the beach with the two girls from my room, one was from Scotland, the other one from England and a guy they met the day before, from Ireland. Finally I've had to speak English for more than a few hours, because let's be honest in Robina you only speak English at uni, shops or with your non-German flatmates... I loved the fact that for the following days I had no other choice but to talk in English and only English, how I missed this!! After enjoying a relaxing and fun day at the beach we went back to the hostel and I got to meet the rest of my roomies, another one from Scotland, a French girl and another English one, every single one of them just as nice as the ones I met earlier on. Of course we headed to the bar downstairs and claimed our free champagne, furthermore we got on really well with the bartenders and somehow managed to get several free shots throughout the night. A little tipsy but really happy we hit the streets and discovered Melbourne's nightlife. Chatting, drinking, dancing, laughing... all in all a great first night. Next morning we spend another few hours at the beach and I decided to go and see a bit more of St. Kilda. I had lunch at a really artsy café sitting outside enjoying the sun, a cold lemonade and the grilled salmon. After strolling through the little streets and spotting some peculiar places, such as a tiny barber shop where a whole band of 6 men performed in front of an audience of maybe 10 (at the most), I went back to the hostel to get ready for another champagne night with the girls. Jo and I ended up meeting some of her English friends who currently live in Australia and going out with two Aussie boys we met later on. It was a fun night and it ended in watching football in a sports bar which neither of us didn't really see coming but enjoyed just as much as going yet to another noisy club filled with drunk people.

 
Next day I went to the central, spend several hours in a beautiful park reading and relaxing on the green, wandered through Melbourne, took tons of pictures of all kinds of things and of course did a little shopping. Best way to get around is by taking the free tram, it is supposed to take tourists around town and show them the best places in the city but lots of people just take it to get around (for free). The city made me smile, also because I'm really into art and Melbourne is filled with it, on every corner you find a piece of art whether it's a statue, graffiti or a monument.

That day it was incredibly hot in Melbourne and that's probably why most streets weren't busy at all. No matter what one was doing, even if it was only sitting still in a corner or eating ice cream, everyone was sweating and sighing. At one point I got a little lost and ended up in a street with nothing but a restaurant and a 7/11 (and some artsy figure of course). In front of the restaurant was a sign which caught my attention so I got closer and read it:

you see why it caught my attention, it's something else isn't it? It made me smile because yes I was searching for the word 'shit' for several seconds before realising that I was staring at the sign for far too long and that I basically got fooled by some words written in chalk. So I took a picture and kept on walking, still smiling about myself when a guy stepped out of the 7/11 and stared at me. At first I thought I had something on my face or that maybe he was just wondering why the hell I'd be smiling like a fool all on my own... (if signs would have feelings, that's how it would feel like every single minute of its life) I almost wanted to shout 'don't worry I'm not a psycho just some lost tourist' but then he held out his hand. He smiled at me and said 'hey I just bought this ice cream when I saw you smiling, I like that you walk around with a smile on your face, that's a rare thing to spot. So I thought I'd give you the ice cream, it might just make you smile a little longer...and it will help against the heat wave I guess. Keep it up' Then he went back inside, I assume to buy himself a new ice cream and left me grinning from ear to ear. Did that just happen? That was definitely a Hollywood moment wasn't it?? Well if the guy would have been Zac Efron or Channing Tatum, it would have been!! But even like that, with the guy just being a complete stranger, he made my day! This person restored my faith in humanity right there by offering me his ice cream, for what? For a smile? I will never forget this moment, it showed me that we need to worry less and smile more often because as the saying goes: 'you never know who will fall in love with your smile' and I learned my lesson: an honest smile cannot do any harm, on the contrary it can even get you free food! Mission accomplished, his words and present made me smile a whole lot longer...maybe even the whole day. The day ended in me spending some money on Mac products (which also meant getting my make up done as they always test everything on you first) and then having dinner in an asian restaurant, which are also to be found on every corner.

Next day I packed my bags early in the morning and made my way back to the Gold Coast where my books and notes awaited me eagerly. I knew that the following days would be horrible as I didn't really get to do much learning on the weekend, nevertheless I didn't regret spending these 4 days away from Robina and if that meant that I'd have to replace sleep with nights over books and red bull that's okay, I wouldn't do it any other way if I were to choose again.

 Ein etwas anderer Weihnachtsbaum im Hafen von Melbourne

 

what a city can turn you into...madness is awaiting you

A city can be a very crowded place and it is true the more people the more you feel alone at times, after having lived in London for a year I have to admit this is partly true, however I also believe that in a city you can be a more free version of yourself. Whenever I am in a place where everybody knows me I grow kind of shy and dare not to draw too much attention to me, whether it be my style, my way of talking or my attitude. In a city nobody cares how you dress, they may look at you but who cares? Either they like it or they don't, anyhow you won't see them again and if you do it probably means you've got to know them and you like each other, same style or not.
I'm not saying that I can only be my crazy self when I know that nobody will look at me twice, no but it's easier to try new stuff when you know that you won't be judged even before having started. I don't know if I could live in a city for all of my life, I guess I'd turn into that guy in the picture after a few years as it really is stressful when everybody's running around, having no time. I love being layed back and take it easy, but once in a while I need that city buzz to re-create myself.

In my next blog I'm going to tell you about final's week and my last days in Australia so keep on reading! Love,
Cathy xxx

In the land of Oz

27 facts about Aussies and their lifestyle

1. Don't mock the accent...hey!
2. Aussies are layed back and fun to hang out with, however, I noticed that relationships often present themselves as superficial...at least here at Bond Uni
3. They love to drink, but they are not really good at it. Either they are just not used to it or they are all leightweights. Anyways considering the prices of alcohol this isn't a bad thing!
4. They love a good barbie (BBQ)
5. Aussies do not like drama and are mindful about other people, still direct and outgoing though.
6. G'day mate! They are always up for small talk, wherever you go people will ask you about your day and how you've been. Don't you dare not chatting with the cashier about god and the world.
7. Australians are obsessed with staying healthy. There is no 'too early' when it comes to working out, as a matter of fact go to the gym at 6am and I guarantee you it will be packed with ridiculously skinny and fit people.
8. There is no real national cuisine, they love good food and have some really nice and fancy restaurants but there's nothing particularly Australian to the food. Well except if you order a kangaroo steak...
9. There are however, some products which can defo be related to Australia: TimTam, Vegemite, pies... (kinda similiar to English habits)
10. No worries!
11. Lots of natives haven't been to the places international students and travellers came here for. I know Australians who have never been to Ayers Rock or Cairns. Whaaaat?!
12. Humpty Doo, Mugdbeera, Burrumbuttock... are totally reasonable names for towns...NOT?!
13. At the Gold Coast dressing up is a must for nights out. Often too short, too bright and too tight it reminds me of England, however, there are also many stylish people running around here. Even in daytime most people dress up, or just pay attention to their looks.
14. Bright colors! Girls at the Gold Coast love their clothes to be bright and to show flesh.
15. Where are the hippies we all expected? Sorry to disappoint you but if you imagined hippies and surferboys to be the norm you were wrong, just like me! It really depends on where you go in Australia, styles differ from city to city!
16. Hot pal? Well I cannot deny there are some good looking guys to be spotted at the beach, some bars or sometimes at Uni, but the hotties do not tend to go out in surfer's or hang out around Robina.
17. They earn a shitload of money! And they need to...considering the prices. Everything is so expensive down under, from alcohol, to food, to clothes, living here without having a job will get you broke in no time!
18. There is no I in the word Australia
19. Sushi is cheap!! Dream come true, saving me money and getting me through the first weeks of not wanting to cook...
20. Australian television is different! Lots of advertisement and news... oh and of course there is Home and Away.
21. Thongs are shoes! Duh, what did you think of, you little piggies?!
22. Names have to be shortened or you're not a friend... (My name's Cathy btw)
23. The plural of you is youse
24. Ants, cockroaches and flies in your kitchen...normal thing ain't it?
25. Train or bus timetables do not exist, and if so the drivers are not aware of it. Seriously I have never seen a bus here arriving or leaving at the indicated time. Pain in the ass if you have to wait over half an hour for the bus which totally comes every 10 minutes...or so!
26. Toast is bread and does not need to be toasted! Ugh the ones not coming from Australia, England or America will get why I do not understand that eating habit! Actually one of the things I miss most is real bread (that doesn't cost 10$ a loaf), croissants, buns, pains au chocolat... oh you lovely bakeries!
27.  Having a pool, spa, bbq and fitness area in the living complex is normal even for student accomodations (I like the way you're thinking Australia)

Here's the national anthem in case you're interested...I think it's a beautiful one!

 kisses from down under!

sweaty days, annoying assignments

This weather is killing me...

 

I know I shouldn't complain about the weather in Australia, with us having around 27 degrees and most of you guys dealing with sweater weather already. However, I really do miss those days where you can just sit on the couch, a blanket wrapped around you and having a nice cup of tea..without sweating your ass off! Don't get me wrong! I do love summer and everything that comes with it, but I find it hard to enjoy the heat without the sun. Since a few days (maybe even weeks) it is incredibly muggy at the Gold Coast, the sun is playing hide and seek with the clouds, unfortunately the extreme heat doesn't vanish once the sun is gone. Out of nowhere it can start raining, which at times is a relief, but makes it really hard to enjoy days off... As the weather is so unpredictable I haven't been to the beach or pool in quite a while (not that I have time to do that anyways). In the evenings or early mornings it is raining cats and dogs, which is not that bad as it cools off a bit and I can actually sleep without tossing and turning all night long.




Seeing that I got much on my plate anyways (uni-wise) you might think that this weather would be convenient for me to not get distracted...well yes and no! Yes because as I said going to the pool or beach has become a rarity. No because it is boiling hot in my room and I am so close to just melting away. I often go to the library only to enjoy the benefits of air conditioning, which also helps my studying, but for some of my assignments I cannot leave my room. The specific assignment we're talking about is my podcast for digital media. My task is to write a script about censorship and make it informative but also intersting for my audience. Sounds fun, and it is! I love the idea of working with new software and learning more practical media stuff. However, in order to create a podcast of good quality, you must find a place where you can record as undisturbed by any kind of noise as possible.
I have tried several places outside because I liked the idea of recording in nature, which is supposed to be calm and relaxing...bollocks! Those insects and other animals living in Australia are anything but quiet! (Sometimes I wake up only because of one tiny bird screaming his head off on my balcony). So I quickly got rid of that idea and tried out the library. Main library is not a possibility, as there are way too many talkative students, who would be better off studying but choose to come to the library to chat with their friends and drink coffee all day long. So I tried out those silent study rooms, which aren't too bad but every now and then there's somebody walking past in their thongs making more noise than a herd of horses... So I decided to barricade myself in my room and record the whole thing there. I did the script writing in the library of course, and thought how hard can it be to spend some hours in a tiny room when you're distracted by work? VERY! Problem is that I have no air conditioning in my room and in order to have the best possible quality I must reduce the noise to a limit, so opening windows or doors is not an option! Better get it over with as quick as possible then... well after already one day of recording in my room I found out that it is not as quiet as one thought it might be. I never realised this before but there is so much noise around you the whole day! I live with 3 other people in a house and I cannot expect them to not talk or move around while I'm doing my thing, but as it never disturbed me so far, I didn't think it would matter that much. I was wrong! Every now and then it's quiet and I get a bit done, but then all of a sudden when you think you're actually getting somewhere, someone is making food and what it seems juggling with those plates, or hoovering the floor...even just sneezing makes you want to throw your laptop at somebody for ruining the record. I know this sounds a bit extreme, but believe me if you're stuck in the same tiny room all day, sweating your butt off to get something done and realise that at the end of the day the recordings are just average and not even close to finished, there is no way you don't turn into a sad little fury.

Conclusion: If there's a heat wave you just shouldn't be forced to study or work at all! No seriously I'll probably stop sitting in my room all day to study because that will make me sad and grumpy and my surrounding will have to suffer for it... So I'll try those silent study rooms at uni again, maybe I can sneak into the law library because somehow I imagine those people not wearing thongs and being quiet around one another. I'll find a solution, perfect recording isn't possible anyways and I shouldn't expect too much because with such a noisy laptop there is no way I'll be satisfied with the result anyways. If anyone with heaps of money reads this, feel free to sponsor me by buying me a mac, I would really appreciate the gesture! ;-) No for real now, I'll do my best as I have done so far and I'll just hope it will result in good marks.

Thanks for reading, I'll keep you posted! xxx

home is where your heart is

 feet may leave a place, the heart does not

Three months ago I came to Australia, excited, nervous and open minded. I did not realize at any moment of the journey that after my parents will leave, I will have another 4 months left in this amazing country. I did not want to overthink it, so I just ignored it. Now, months after my first day in Robina, the frighting few hours of moving into the villa in the shores, the exciting first encounters with other international students, I must say that up until now I still wasn't fully aware of me having settled in! Yes, I've been enjoying life down under, seen many beautiful places and extraordinary animals, I made friends and I met some people I just can't cope with, I had good moments and bad ones, from smiling from ear to ear, to crying my soul out...I had it all and I'm glad I did. I live here now, I settled in...the thing is, now that I come to the conclusion how much I got used to this place and how it became yet another home for me, I have to leave in less than 4 weeks! Ironic isn't it?

As a matter of fact, it is not the first time something like this happens to me. As a human being infected by Wanderlust, I've got a few places I would call my home! First is of course Luxembourg, to be more specific Beringen! I love it, I miss it and would never trade my hometown for any other city. I'm happy that I grew up in this tiny town, the people know each other, my whole family lives there and it is the place I spend most time at. Of course it also my home because of the people I grew up with. Family is home, so I guess wherever I would met up with them it would feel like home, because it is the only place where one can be exactly himself without fearing rejection. Then there are my friends, the ones it seems that I'd always known such as Sharon my best and oldest friend, but also those who gained a place in my heart later on in my life (JvB I guess I mean you guys).

At the age of 20 I went to Costa Rica for a month. I know, four weeks don't seem like an awful lot of time, but it depends on how intense the time is you spend at a place, and believe me those were four intense and amazing weeks! I lived in host family, sharing a room with two other girls and the house with several other volunteers. As we were all there for the same reasons, to see more of the world, experience other cultures and help children. We shared the same values and interests, I guess you can imagine that we all got along very well. The house immediatly became a home, our host mother's cooking skills were amazing, the whole family seemed so happy and friendly, and those friends I made over there...let's just say: good people! I loved every bit of this journey and Samara has a special place in my heart, just as much as Chinampas where I teached English to 20 adorable and sweet kids. They may have been used to different volunteers coming up there and leaving again, but every day they were excited to see our faces once more, to learn from us and more importantly talk to us. I could get used to doing this for a very long time, and I think that's already indicating that Samara became yet another home for me.

After my A-levels (or as we call it: 1ère) I moved to England, to study at Kingston University in London, eager to learn, to grow up and have fun. Living in student accomodations has been a challenge, its tiny rooms drive you insane at times and I cannot tell you how much I hated this impractical kitchen or minuscule bathroom. My flatmates turned out to be nice, but moving in with people you have never met in your life, into such a small space...that is something very frightning! It turned out to be okay, not that bad actually. I got along with my flatmates, we weren't exactly what you would call best friends but we talked to each other and I liked them. It was just as the rooms: okay, I guess. Hold on. If it was only 'okay' and bearable, why would I call this home? I lived there for a year: I studied there, celebrated my birthday, had long skyping sessions, cried because of uni stress, bursted out laughing because of a stupid movie, got homesick, had friends staying over and enjoyed living on my own for the first time. I lived there, enough said! All in all, it was an experience and even though I would never choose  to move in there again, I know that if I would go back now and step into that hallway, it would feel as if nothing had changed. It would feel like coming home...to my tiny room, way too small bed, awful carpet, annoyingly cold shower and those horrible fire alarms going off in the middle of the night (well in the morning, but I'm a student hey!).

All of these experiences made me come to the conclusion that home does not have to be a place, it can be a memory and remembering emotions or situations, it just makes you feel alive and like you belong somewhere. Memories are always related to feelings and if there were only one or two happy situations you can link to a place, it means that it somehow gained a place in your heart and head. Isn't that what we all want? Something to remember, to back someday and tell our stories, the places we've seen, the people we've met... In the end I want to be able to say that my home cannot be located to one place, it is the world and its people.

Credits for that last sentence, and all in all for inspiring me on writing something like this, go to my sister, Jill, who has made this statement a million times before me, 'die Welt ist mein Zuhause'. My family likes to travel, especially my grand-ma who is always touring the world, and I guess this desire to see more of this planet comes from that side of the family, even though the other side was also very interested in other cultures. However, I think that my sister was my biggest influence, we always had a strong bond and I guess it is normal for younger sister to look up at older ones and kind of imitate them. So yeah, I think my sister definitely encouraged me to become so fond of travelling and I'm thankful for that.

Anyways, there's a new home waiting already...GVSU! I hope it will be just as good as the one I found at the Gold Coast. Not yet sure whether I'm sad to leave this place or excited to start somewhere new. We'll see, all I know is despite all those lovely places I haven been and yet have to see, at times I really do miss home home and cannot wait to get comfy and see those familiar faces I miss most once I'm back 'home'. (Nothing and nobody can beat childhood memories)

until then, lots of kisses from far far away!

Get on it!

The Kin in concert

Kisshead, the Kin, Janina and I after the show

On Wednesday Janina and I drove over to Brisbane, picked up a friend of hers on our way and had dinner together at a nice restaurant. I treated myself with a yummy steak as the restaurant was known for their grilled food, and I know this may sound totally random but most students will understand why I'm pointing this out as meat is so expensive and students just can't afford to have it that often, or simply can't bother to cook something which needs to taste amazing to be actually worth buying it... Anyways, after our little treat Janina and I headed off to Alhambra Lounge where a concert of the kin was about to take place, we bought our tickets earlier on and even though neither of us knew a lot about the band or their songs we were excited to finally attend a concert after all this time in Australia. The reason why we went there was mostly because Janina knows the father of the two singers, as she has worked for their father's company a few years ago in Melbourne and still keeps in contact with the family. So he pointed out to her that she was more than welcome to come by and as she is very much into music herself she was happy to do so, and she asked me to come along which I'm glad about because it turned out to be one of the best nights down under I had so far.
Kisshead was first to perform, playing a range of cover songs and some of her own songs, and I've got to say she has an amazing voice! Next was the band slip of stereo and those guys totally rocked the stage, making the audience dance and sing along to songs most of us didn't even know. And then finally it was time for the kin to perform.

They recently toured with Pink and, as they announced that evening, have the honour to go on tour with her once again this year. They're not that famous yet but after what I've seen that night in Brisbane in that tiny hipster lounge, they definitely have the potential to be headliners sooner or later! They just released their album Get on It so that's also what their tour throughout Australia was called and they have some great songs, amazing voices and skills so the night was a huge success and I'm glad I've got to see them for only 15 dollars (believe me one day you'll have to pay much more to see those guys)!

For me a highlight of the show was the two singers stepping off the stage and asking the audience to gather around them in a circle, they then performed two of my favourite songs Mary and Abraham in an acoustic version and so close to their fans. The whole ambience was great and the band seemed very layed back and happy to be there.

After the concert, Janina and I talked for a little while to the singers' father and to Kisshead, until the band appeared again to talk to their fans and take pictures with them. Later on they came to us and asked Janina about why she knows their father and so we got into a conversation with them and stayed a little while to chat. They were so nice to us, invited us to their next shows in America as I told them that my next destination will be Michigan and gave us free band shirts and their newest album. All in all really layed back and friendly guys so check out their music!

Here's a video from the show Janina made:

enjoy!

and also very IMPORTANT: don't forget to check out Janina's music as well, she has an album coming out in February (German Pop Music and a lovely voice & personality) so like her facebook page JA Nina and stay updated!

Creepy Catherine

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

different from where I come from, Halloween is pretty big over here (although it's actually an american thing) and people tend to go out and dress up for the occasion. So that's what we did!

Rather than spending an awful lot of money on costumes I decided to only use makeup to create a scary version of me, and so I bought some black and white paint from pacfair and looked in my closet for a black and white outfit and tadaa my look was finished: skull face. To my amazement the "painting" worked out quite well as I've never tried it before but see for yourselves:

 we went to our bar on campus, Don's, which they decorated and turned into a fright night so it all seemed promising... Unfortunately it wasn't a very fun night after all but hey at least we got cool pictures! After a while you just get fed up by going to that same small bar and meeting the same people over and over again...but I won't complain, at least we are still able to go out and not be stressed out 'cause of uni every day of the week (the time will come very soon).

...and yes that's a real snake!

Enjoy your weekend everyone! xxx

beach babe

Palm trees, ocean breeze,salty air and sunkissed hair...endless summer take me there!

Living close to the beach was always one of my dreams, with moving to Australia and studying at Gold Coast this wish came true. As I only have three months to spend here I've got to enjoy every minute, so no wonder that I spend a lot of my time at the beach.In the beginning this was easier, people were still excited and had time so we went to the beach whenever we didn't have anything else to do. Now that midterms have begun and everybody's got so much stuff to do for uni, the days where one can do nothing but relax at the beach are over... It is not like we completely stopped going to the seaside, it's just that it became limited and we only go there every second weekend. At first I was like 'yeah sure I'm just going to study at the beach'...that did not work out! I mean you can't tell me that studying at the beach is possible, there are so many distractions, too much noise, the beautiful view, it's too hot and your books get all sandy and wet! I found out studying at the pool is actually much easier, doesn't always work but for english literature as it's mostly about reading I often go to the pool to not get trapped in my room all day and feel like I'm wasting my time here.

Anyways living near to the beach is something I never experienced before, sure whenever we were on vacation our hotel was always located quite close to the beach but it's not the same because in a hotel you're always the guest, over here it really feels like your home after a while. I know that it's only 3-4 months but it's my room, my belongings and most of all there are no servants and it turns into routine due to uni, which never really happens when being on vacation.

The picture above was taken at Surfer's Paradise around 5am.
After clubbing and having missed the bus back to uni, we decided to go to the beach
and watch the sunrise up close. While waiting we had some fun taking pictures and
running around in the sand. Even though the party wasn't that good, it was worth going out
because of that moment at the beach.

Australia hasn't got many things to offer when it comes to culture, but they definitely own the beach culture! 80% of its population live within 50 km of the coast and for them the beach is not just a beautiful place to relax, it is a real part of their lives. Everything revolves around the beach: lifestyle, fashion, food, music and sports.

                                                                                            

A must do for me when living this close to the beach is spending time there doing different things. It is not only about sunbathing and going for a swim like most tourists would say, it is also about meeting friends, having a bbq there or a simple picnic, enjoying the view and silence (do it on your own, it is truly relaxing!) or having drinks with friends in the evening...take it all in!

Barbeque at Burleigh Heads with a bunch of Bondies

         

         Best
         Escape
         Anyone
         Can
         Have

The beach comes with a sense of freedom, a place where we can let ourselves go and be like kids.
Here at the Gold Coast people tend to be quite superficial, girls are always styled, very fit and conscious about their looks. At first this stressed me out and I've got to admit I'm often annoyed by how skinny and fit everybody is around here...I felt bad about myself and sometimes still do. But then I remind myself that I'm lucky to be here and that I should be glad for this opportunity and not worrying about how I look in a bikini! As long as I'm happy and healthy, everything's fine, more than that...it's great!

I dig my toes into the sand
The ocean looks like a thousand diamonds
Strewn across a blue blanket
I lean against the wind
Pretend that I am weightless
And in this moment I am happy...and free

I wish I could experience this with all of you...but as this is not possible I'll just keep on making you jealous by posting beautiful landscape pictures. Hope you're enjoying winter time back home ;-)

xxx

Cuteness overload in Currumbin

Currumbin Sanctuary

alle einsteigen und los geht's! Auf zu den Kangaroos, Koalas, Crocodiles...

An einem wunderschönen sonnigen Tag hier an der Gold Coast haben Sarah, Armin, Dino und ich uns überlegt die Flora und Fauna Australien's etwas besser kennenzulernen und sind zum Currumbin Sanctuary gefahren. Ich muss zugeben dass der Hauptgrund dahin zu fahren die Koalas und Kangaroos waren, die man dort hautnah erleben kann...primär sind wir halt doch Touristen!

tasmanian devil...looks cute but can actually be really dangerous!
Man hat ihn wohl nicht umsonst den Tasmanischen "Teufel" genannt

I fell in love with a kangaroo...




Die Kangaroos waren alle sehr zutraulich, kuschelig und so süß! Wir haben Stunden bei ihnen verbracht und hunderte von Fotos gemacht, von denen ich hier (leider) nur ein par hochladen kann. Ich denke es wird trotzdem reichen damit ihr euch ein Bild von dieser unglaublich Erfahrung machen könnt...

hanging out with my new mate

so fluffy and so cute that you cannot help the constant smile on your face!

 rumalbern gehört dazu

However the kangaroos were not the only animals we spend hours looking at
there's this other animal which is really layed back and always sleepy...No I'm not talking about me! I'm talking about Koalas, in this case about Lily, the koala we were allowed to pick up and cuddle...

 ohne Worte... Lily und ich posen für die Kamera!

Baby Koalas die sich ganz doll lieb haben

tree kangaroos

Emu, Krokodile und Uhrzeitvögel... im Currumbin Sanctuary gibt es jegliche spannende und vor allem für uns Europäer exotische Tierarten die Australien zu bieten hat.


Nach der ganzen Wildnis mussten wir uns erstmal erholen und ein bisschen Zivilisation in Form von Burger and Fries genießen:

direkt gegenüber vom Currumbin Beach haben wir uns in einem schönen Strandcafé ein leckeres Abendessen mit Blick auf den Strand gegönnt und den Tag ausklingen lassen.
Somit geht ein gelungener Tag, wenn nicht sogar einer der schönsten die ich hier bisher erleben durfte, zu Ende.

For more exciting stories and amazing pictures don't forget to keep on reading my blog!
I'll keep you posted. xxx
Cathy

Byron Bay

what started with lots of stress, ended in happiness...well let's just say more or less

(holy moly noticed that rhyme right there! I should make a song out of it and I assure you I could totally become the next Phoebe Buffay...to all of you philistines out there Phoebe is this crazy but lovely character from 'friends' which likes singing her own really badly written songs )

Anyways! Back to the trip...the first one we went on as a bunch of Bondies

It was all very exciting and fun even though I cannot deny that there were some tensions we had to deal with within the group. However I'll not go into detail, first of all it would take me way too long and most of all you couldn't relate to it as you don't know the people, hence, I would bore you to death! And that's what I definitely wasn't on planning when talking about the amazing landscape Byron Bay has to offer.

Our Hostel

We stayed in the Arts Factory Backpackers Lodge and as the name indicates, it is a very artsy and  relaxed place to stay at. People of all sorts come together and get along really well because the atmosphere is just so layed back and attracts mostly hippies, surfers and backpackers or simply young travellers wanting to explore Australia. So people are all on the same level, they are there for a few days, to meet new people, enjoy Byron and have a good time.

For two nights we stayed there, in a dorm with three other girls from different countries, challenging me to practice my french once more. The hostel was clean (as clean as hostels can be), the kitchen, the eating area and lounge were quite big and walking around just felt like being in a summer camp with friends, discovering this new way of living and interacting.

Lighthouse

 on the way to the lighthouse

enjoying the look-out on the platform

most easterly point of Australia!

beautiful beach and an amazing look-out

when the way down is easy...walking back to the top is almost always hard!

 this quiet beach is worth the walking!

 not a soul to be seen...nice change from surfers or rather tourists paradise

 natürlich mussten wir unser Revier verteidigen und haben erst mal unsere Piratenflagge gehisst...Arrr!

happy and relaxed on top of the cliffs
btw wearing shoes when climbing up is definitely an advantage in this case...

ZEN

Party in Byron Bay (students...)

pre-drinks in the dorms

 part of the crew ready to hit the clubs

Nimbim

Nimbim is a very little village (really just a street!) famous for its hippie style and most of all for its attitude towards smoking weed. As lonely planet and every other tourist guide advises people to go there because it is said to be a relaxing and layed back city painted in the colours of reggae, a must see for all tourists...

It is true that it is quite something else...everything's colorful and handwritten, the shops look cute and the sayings on walls tell you what kind of people live there. Not too bad really...but not at all what I expected! Maybe it was because we arrived there in late afternoon and most of the shops were closed already (lucky for my wallet as I'm obsessed with those slouchy pants...) but I expected something more special, maybe a little market or at least a nice bar or restaurant to chill at. 

The people we met were all nice, don't get me wrong, but didn't seem all that free and happy as you might expect them to. Every five meters somebody asked you if you wanted to buy drugs, which was kinda scary as you could so obviously tell by looking at them that they were hooked on it (in a very sad way). 

After walking up and down the streets, taking some pictures and enjoying some italian food in the only restaurant we could find, we left Nimbim again.

                   peace and love

Next day, on the way back home to Robina we made another quick stop at the beautiful beach and then at the National Park to walk down (and up) to see the Minyon Falls and the jungle surrounding it

walking into the jungle still sure that we would make it out 1 or 2 hours later...

there's always time for a group picture..even though I'm pretty sure that we were already lost at that point and starting to realise that something must have gone wrong as the minyon falls seemed nowhere near but two hours passed already...

 über Stock und über Stein... yes it was exhausting but in the end we found the falls, they were hiding behind a massive walls of rocks...

dear readers, I present to you: the Minyon Falls!

they might not look that extraordinary but believe me after two hours of desperately searching for them it was amazing to sit down, look up and take it all in. Power of nature...

In case you're wondering why we couldn't find them in the first place, we took the wrong turn and unconsciously decided to walk the 4 hours hike instead of the easier one...typical isn't it?!

The end

  I'm not kidding...this is not a picture I took in Luxembourg as some of you might have guessed. This happened on our way back to Robina.

So that was our first road trip together here in Australia, I hoped you enjoyed reading about it but I can assure you not as much as I experiencing it!

As I said it all started with stress but after having seen the magical beach, walking through the jungle only minutes away from civilisation and having a great time with other bondies, I can say it was all worth it! Byron Bay is a nice place and if I ever go back there it is to do skydiving...who knows what will happen in such a crazy place as Australia so don't miss my next blog entries...!

I'll keep you posted! xxxCatherine