Down Under
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shue
2005-12-24T01:33:28Z
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2000-01-01T00:00:00Z
Down Under
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http://shue.twoday.net/
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Victoria the place to be
http://shue.twoday.net/stories/1307611/
Even if I have already been there in June with Brit and Paul, I decided to bring my parents to the stunning Great Ocean Road and the Grampians Nationalpark. We did not do exactly the same things as I did before so the second visit was well worth it for me, too.<br />
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<img width="225" height="300" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/lighthouse.jpg" alt="lighthouse" /><br />
Port Fairy Lighthouse<br />
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<img width="300" height="228" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/koala2.jpg" alt="koala2" /><br />
Koala in nature did it pose for me? ;-)<br />
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We had a great day on the Victoria coast and in Port Fairy where we stayed for a night. We stayed in the Grampians for two nights afterwards. Would not be a problem to stay here for a week or more lots of walking trecks to do. And - I finally found it: the perfect backpacker hostel! Go Grampians YHA best hostel I've ever stayed in!<br />
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We will go back to civilization tomorrow Adelaide will be our next stop. And on Sunday we will catch the Indian Pacific to Perth. Don't say it! Ups, I did it again! ... or so... ;-)
shue
<a href="http://shue.twoday.net/topics/10%29+On+Tour">10) On Tour</a>
Copyright © 2005 shue
2005-12-21T05:50:17Z
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The Nation's Capital
http://shue.twoday.net/stories/1260783/
As most of you know, my parents are here with me since a week now. After one week in Sydney we left for Canberra Australia's capital city. And look what they did to me as soon as they got the chance in Berrima (that's halfway between Sydney and Canberra):<br />
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<img width="300" height="225" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/pranger.jpg" alt="pranger" /><br />
They left me like that for hours wuaaaaah! ;-)<br />
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Canberra is very streched out amazingly wide streets and no chance to get around without a car if you don't want to walk for ages. But we have a rental car for two weeks now no problem. We visited some of the major sights, for example the Telstra Tower. To pay 4,50 Dollar each to get on the viewing platform high above the city was definiteley worth it. Great 360 angle views.<br />
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<img width="300" height="225" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/canberra.jpg" alt="canberra" /><br />
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We will leave Canberra again on Monday (one-and-a-half days is enough!) and head down to the coast for three days before we get to Melbourne. And yes, I know, it will be the third time that I'm there...
shue
<a href="http://shue.twoday.net/topics/10%29+On+Tour">10) On Tour</a>
Copyright © 2005 shue
2005-12-12T04:44:57Z
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Let's go to Broome!
http://shue.twoday.net/stories/908844/
Finally that letter from Germany arrived this morning. So we will leave within the next two hours for Broome. About 2000 kilometers to go. We plan to take a week to ten days of time and slowly make our way trough Katherine, Kununurra, Bungle Bungle, Fitzroy Crossing. And then - finally - we will reach the Westcoast. Sea, beaches... wonderful! :-)
shue
<a href="http://shue.twoday.net/topics/10%29+On+Tour">10) On Tour</a>
Copyright © 2005 shue
2005-08-18T00:53:52Z
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Wanna go! :-(
http://shue.twoday.net/stories/906182/
Well, our plan to leave Darwin towards Broome today did not work out. The reason for this is not (as I was thinking) that the website I was doing for VBS in Melbourne is not ready yet. No, that website was launched yesterday, only one day after the planned date. :-)<br />
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But I am still waiting for a letter from Germany. My Mom sent it to me ages ago, poste restante to Alice Springs. I left Alice before the letter arrived and paid 11 Dollars to have it redirected to Darwin. But il today it is not here yet. So we can't leave. We give it another two days, if it is not here until Friday we will leave anyway. I will pay another 11 Dollars then to have it redirected to Perth. :-(
shue
<a href="http://shue.twoday.net/topics/10%29+On+Tour">10) On Tour</a>
Copyright © 2005 shue
2005-08-17T00:51:31Z
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Darwin sucks - a bit ...
http://shue.twoday.net/stories/898802/
On Thursday we went on a daytrip to Litchfield NP. The pity with Darwin is that the sea is just five minutes walking time from the city - but you cannot go for a swim because of the saltwater crocodiles. :-( So we went to Litchfield for a relaxed day of swimming at different waterfalls and a picnic in a park with Jörn und Heike. Wonderful. Refreshing after the heat and noise and the crowds in Darwin.<br />
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<img width="300" height="225" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/litchfield1.jpg" alt="litchfield1" /><br />
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On the way back, Brit and I got lost for the first time. The signs there are a bit strange, so we chose the wrong direction, of course (Murphy...). Both directions lead to Darwin in the end, but one of them is only suitable for 4WD cars. "We did not come that way, did we?" Haha. You realize that after 25 kilometers when the sealed road ends... What a laugh. :-)<br />
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<img width="300" height="225" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/litchfield3.jpg" alt="litchfield3" /><br />
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Well, I would love to show you a few more pictures of that day, but on Friday something else, even more annoying than being a little lost, happend: Some idiots broke into Freddy (on a big supermarket carpark!) and stole everything valuable that was in there. Which means, Brit's camera (with the pictures on), her passport, her ticket etc. - all gone. So is Dyana's camera. My luck was that I was still living in the hostel and not in Freddy again otherwise everything would have been gone. Laptop, camera, etc. Nightmare. But no-one got hurt, they still have their money, mobiles and credit cards because they had them with them in the Shopping Center.
shue
<a href="http://shue.twoday.net/topics/10%29+On+Tour">10) On Tour</a>
Copyright © 2005 shue
2005-08-14T05:40:05Z
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From Alice to Darwin
http://shue.twoday.net/stories/887206/
Our tour from Alice to Darwin was mainly one thing: Sitting in the bus, driving up north, 1500 kilometers in three days. But we stopped at interesting points to have a little bit of sightseeing. Not that there is much in between Alice and Darwin... ;-) First interesting stop after Alice was at the Devils Marbles (400 kilometers north of Alice) for Lunch and a short walk trough the marbles.<br />
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<img width="300" height="225" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/devilsmarbles.jpg" alt="devilsmarbles" /><br />
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Later on that first day we stopped at the Mary Ann Dam. To say it with tourguide Brad's words: A lake with no water. We go there because it says so on our tour plan... That guy was really funny. He did not say much but if he did we couldn't stop laughing about his wry comments. Example? We arrived at our camp for the first night. Brad's words: This is the communication center of the town. The telephone box. And so on. He was kind of lovely in his way...<br />
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<img width="300" height="225" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/maryanndam.jpg" alt="maryanndam" /><br />
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After a long long drive on day two we had a few glorious minutes of spare time to relax in the hot thermal springs of Mataranka. Sounds odd to go into 34 degrees warm water when the temperature of the air is nearly the same but it was quite refreshing.<br />
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<img width="300" height="225" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/mataranka.jpg" alt="mataranka" /><br />
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The third day was a bit more relaxed with less driving. We had the whole morning for free to do what we want at Katherine Gorge. Tanja and I decided just to swim and relax instead of spending money on kayaking or a cruise or a helicopter flight.<br />
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<img width="300" height="225" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/katherinegorge.jpg" alt="katherinegorge" /><br />
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After a short visit at Edith Falls (a little paradise looks like in that movie Blue Lagoon) we headed directly into Darwin with a short stop in Adelaide River. <br />
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Adelaide River is famous because of Charlie, the Buffalo. This Buffalo starred in Crocodile Dundee, some of you may remember the scene with the buffalo in the middle of the road... He is dead by now, of course, but they stuffed him. So you can visit Charlie at the Pub in Adelaide River. Aussies are crazy, did I mention that before ...? ;-)<br />
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<img width="300" height="225" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/milo.jpg" alt="milo" /><br />
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Tanja tried Milo for the first time on that trip. For my german friends: Milo is pretty much the same as Ovomaltine and therefore very yummy. Juliette, Tanja and Claudia have a new job: Advertisement for Milo :-)
shue
<a href="http://shue.twoday.net/topics/10%29+On+Tour">10) On Tour</a>
Copyright © 2005 shue
2005-08-09T00:13:43Z
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Welcome to the heat
http://shue.twoday.net/stories/882865/
Yesterday we arrived in Darwin after our three-days-tour. I'll load some pictures up tomorrow. Bloody hell, is that hot over here in the north of Australia! I know, I know, I'm never ever satisfied. Too hot, too cold, too wet, too... ;-) But it is absolutely brillant to wear shorts, t-shirts and flipflops the whole day instead of jeans and fleece-jumerps like I had to the last four or maybe five months.<br />
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Here in Darwin is "silly time" at the moment. Highseason. Dry season. Which means everyone, absolutely everyone, is here. Busy. Busy. Busy. Let's see what comes up next for me. Look forward to meet Brit and Dyana (and Freddy) again who already arrived in Darwin a few days ago. :-)
shue
<a href="http://shue.twoday.net/topics/10%29+On+Tour">10) On Tour</a>
Copyright © 2005 shue
2005-08-07T01:01:35Z
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Up to Darwin
http://shue.twoday.net/stories/875057/
Much quicker than planned I will leave Alice and go up to Darwin now. As the train (The Ghan) was booked up for the next three weeks(!), Tanja and I decided to book a oneway-3days-tour up to Darwin. It costs nearly the same as the Greyhound coach (bus) would cost - but we will see all the attractions on the way up. Much better, I would say... We will have to get up at five tomorrow morning, but then we will have lots of fun with this adeventure tour, hopefully. :-) So, next time you will here from me will be in five days from Darwin.
shue
<a href="http://shue.twoday.net/topics/10%29+On+Tour">10) On Tour</a>
Copyright © 2005 shue
2005-08-03T04:38:33Z
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The Red Center
http://shue.twoday.net/stories/853143/
Now we have been there, we still ARE there the so called Red Center of Australia. And as all other tourists, we could not miss the following: Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock).<br />
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<img width="300" height="224" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/uluruschild.jpg" alt="uluruschild" /><br />
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Many many people there, but it's very impressive to see Uluru live and to walk around it. It is allowed to climb Uluru, but the aboriginal people (Anangu) of the region don't want that the tourists do it. There are many signs Please respect the wishes of the Anangu, don't climb Uluru. For Brit and me it was no question: We don't climb. Why should we do so, if we know it is a sacred place for these people and they don't want us to? So we did the 10 kilometer long basewalk on Tuesday morning after watching Uluru-in-sunrise (getting up at 6:15!!!). Joined by two boys we met at the sunset-viewing-area the night before: Markus and Kanji. It's funny, how often you meet the same people in that big country. But everyone has the same sights on their to-do-list, so it is easy to meet again if you travel in the same direction... ;-)<br />
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<img width="300" height="225" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/uluruwalk.jpg" alt="uluruwalk" /><br />
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30 kilometers from Uluru is Kata Tjuta (means: many heads). It is not as well known as Uluru, but very beautiful and also a sacred place for the aboriginal people. We had a short walk there in the afternoon after the Uluru basewalk and watched it in the the sunset. Nice, sooo nice. Beautiful.<br />
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<img width="300" height="225" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/katatjuta.jpg" alt="katatjuta" /><br />
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To conclude our Red-Center-Tour we visited Kings Canyon, about 300 kilometers from Uluru, halfways to Alice Springs. We had a lovely walk/climb there. I just loved it, even if it was a bit exhausting. But the rock formations and the wonderful views from the top make sure the climb is worth it!<br />
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<img width="225" height="300" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/kingscanyon.jpg" alt="kingscanyon" /><br />
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The last night before we got to Alice we stayed at a rest area on the highway in the middle of nowhere. It's just amazing, how much a camping site at the Ayers Rock Resort costs. More than the hostel here in Alice! So we decided to camp in the wild for one night. For free. And joined by many others. ;-) In Alice, we stay in a hostel again. Sleeping in Freddy is really ok, but not for every night, especially as Brit needed to go to the toilet every night at around 1:30! Waah! I have to get up then as well.<br />
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<img width="300" height="225" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/redsand.jpg" alt="redsand" /><br />
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Red sand... Alle red. So red. :-)
shue
<a href="http://shue.twoday.net/topics/10%29+On+Tour">10) On Tour</a>
Copyright © 2005 shue
2005-07-22T03:47:56Z
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Arrived in Alice
http://shue.twoday.net/stories/850774/
Just a short notice - we safely arrived in Alice Springs today. Freddy was doing good - over 4000 kilometers yet and not a single problem. Tomorrow, I will take some photos of the Red Center up here for you. Promised! At least, they have cheap and quick internet here in Alice... and mobile phone reception. So: Call me! :-) We will stay here for three weeks and try to find some work to gain some money...
shue
<a href="http://shue.twoday.net/topics/10%29+On+Tour">10) On Tour</a>
Copyright © 2005 shue
2005-07-21T07:32:41Z
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Coober Pedy
http://shue.twoday.net/stories/840679/
A town in the middle of nowhere in the desert between Port Augusta and Alice Springs. Nothing here. Except of opal, lots of opal. Which is apparently the reason that Coober Pedy (The opal capital of the world) exists. As in every village you pass up on the way to Alice, there is not much here. One of them uglier than the other, but you have to stay somewhere overnight and therefore no choice at all. Well, they have internet (only 8$/p.h.) and so I can update you immediately...<br />
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<img width="300" height="225" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/cooberpedy.jpg" alt="cooberpedy" /><br />
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Coober Pedy is, compared to other stops we had so far, nice. Not beautiful, but ok, and it has two supermarkets! It also has one pub, around 20 night clubs (nearly one for every nationality, as there live people from 50 different countries in Coober), a bowling club and, of course, a golf course like every village in Australia seems to have one. So, the 3500 people who live here, can do something in their spare time. I can only say one thing: Do mechast jo ned doad am Zaun ummihänga! But, as usual, I found something for you, that shows a certain sense of humor: Which f... grass?!? ;-)<br />
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<img width="300" height="225" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/grass.jpg" alt="grass" /><br />
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We decided, to stay here for two nights and go on a desert tour. The hostel we stayed in is, as most of the things in Coober, underground. Which means that the bedrooms find their place in a dugout - an old opal mine six meters under the surface. That is absoluteley cool and a bit freaky when you go down there the first time... ;-)<br />
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<img width="300" height="225" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/dugout.jpg" alt="dugout" /><br />
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The tour took us trough the opal mining fields (I'm not sure if I have ever seen something more ugly), to the Brakeaways, the Moon Plane, the Dog Fence (the worlds longest fence over 5000 kilometers long) and so on. <br />
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<img width="300" height="225" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/brakeaways.jpg" alt="brakeaways" /><br />
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As part of the tour, we were allowed to go noodeling for a while in an old opal mine. Noodeling means, you go trough the stones and sand that has bees dugged out of the mine and hope to find some left opal in it. Of course, you don't find anything, but it was fun anyway. Opal fever...<br />
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<img width="300" height="225" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/noodeling.jpg" alt="noodeling" /><br />
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Our next stop major stop will be Uluru on Monday for two days! That will be impressive Uluru at sunset and/or at sunrise. We really look forward to it! :-)
shue
<a href="http://shue.twoday.net/topics/10%29+On+Tour">10) On Tour</a>
Copyright © 2005 shue
2005-07-16T11:12:12Z
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Flinders Ranges
http://shue.twoday.net/stories/838694/
While we are slowly making our way up to Alice Springs, there are plenty of opportunities to stop at interesting places for a night or two. We found out that going with 80 km/h is best. If we go quicker, Freddy needs so much petrol that we can't believe it... <br />
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<img width="300" height="225" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/freddy_outback.jpg" alt="freddy_outback" /><br />
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Shortly behind Adelaide, you hit Flinders Ranges - a big outback area which is supposed to be the most beautiful outback area of Australia. We did not want to miss that, so we headed up to Quorn and stayed at the YHA hostel there for two nights. And then, just ten kilometers from Port Augusta, you know, you've hit the outback, the real Australia: No radio reception and no mobile phone reception any more... ;-)<br />
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<img width="300" height="225" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/roteerde.jpg" alt="roteerde" /><br />
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This area is one of the driest in Australia. Do I really have to say, that it was pouring all the two days we were there? ;-) I know, water is bitterly needed and that it is a blessing for the land if it rains. But... It was just freeeeeezing!!! Anyway, even in rain the scenerie is stunning.<br />
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<img width="300" height="225" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/baeume.jpg" alt="baeume" /><br />
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On Wednesday, we drove up tp Wilpena Pound the heart of the Flinders. The 120-kilometer-drive is beautiful and I was surprised how different the landscape looks every few kilometers. I mean, if you hear outback as a stupid european tourist, you think, it will look the same all over. It does'nt. Far from it. I wouldn't like to live there but to look at it is absoluteley beautiful.<br />
shue
<a href="http://shue.twoday.net/topics/10%29+On+Tour">10) On Tour</a>
Copyright © 2005 shue
2005-07-15T10:36:21Z
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Adelaide and around
http://shue.twoday.net/stories/826965/
After a ten hour drive (with brakes, of course), we safely arrived in Adelaide on Friday night. Freddy was doing good, we were tired and very happy that we finally made it out of Melbourne. We had no problems to find our hostel finding a parking spot for Freddy was a bigger challenge. What a luck that it was a weekend, otherwise we would'nt have had a chance to park Freddy here in the city all limited 1-hour parking spots.<br />
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On Saturday, we drove up to the Adelaide Hills and visited the oldest surviving german settlement in Australia: Hahndorf. It's quite funny over there. Nice little village, lots of tourist crap and lots of german flags in a row with australian flags. The german experience there is more a bavarian experience - as you can see here:<br />
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<img width="300" height="225" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/bavaria.jpg" alt="bavaria" /><br />
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Even the Bürgermeister of Hahndorf is a lady from Munich she and her family immigrated to Australia 15 years ago and now she is the head of the city (or whatever the english expression for Bürgermeister may be). We had a nice chat with her at the tourist information centre. Apart from walking through the lovely village, we enjoyed a bavarian lunch at the German Inn - Bratwurst with Sauerkraut. Yummy! And, of course, we bought a piece of real bread in the german bakery there you won't believe this, but it is really what we call a Vollkornbrot! Wow! Missed it for a long time and we are really enjoying it now. :-) Please recognize the blue sign on the photo: Hofbräuhaus München it's wunderbar! Which language is that supposed to be? ;-)<br />
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<img width="300" height="225" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/germaninn.jpg" alt="germaninn" /><br />
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Today, we did a bit of sightseeing a long walk trough Adelaide, the Botanic Garden, having a look at a few major sights and a walk trough the free Art Gallery. Adelaide is nice and green many parks surround the city centre, which I think is really good. No problem to find a place to go for a run so, after three weeks, we managed to go jogging this morning! Wow! <br />
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<img width="300" height="225" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/adelaide.jpg" alt="adelaide" /><br />
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This morning was quite exciting: Just before we left for our walk, the fire alarm started ringing. Was a false alarm, but the firemen did not know that and minutes later the hostel was filled up with them, trying to evacuate all people. Good to know, that they actually come within five minutes, if there is a real fire. Well, that false alarm will cost the hostel 700 bucks lots of money...<br />
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<img width="300" height="225" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/firemen.jpg" alt="firemen" /><br />
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Tomorrow, we plan to have another go up to the Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley maybe we wanna visit a chocolate factory (what else?) and a wildlife park, where visitors can hold a koala and take a picture with one of these always stoned looking animals we must do that! :-) On Tuesday, we will travel on to Port Augusta and then up north into the Outback, up Stuart Highway towards Uluru and Alice Springs. Which reminds me that I have to call Daniel, who is looking for a lift to Alice, and who we met for a beer yesterday to see if we like him. I have to ask him, if he wants to come with us or not. We would welcome it petrol shared between three is better than petrol shared between two. But we'll leave anyway if he's coming or not, does'nt matter. :-)
shue
<a href="http://shue.twoday.net/topics/10%29+On+Tour">10) On Tour</a>
Copyright © 2005 shue
2005-07-10T09:21:51Z
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Freddy, the Ford
http://shue.twoday.net/stories/820715/
Let me introduce you to Freddy, the Ford. He will be our best friend for the next weeks and hopefully, he will not stop going somewhere in the middle of nowhere. :-) <br />
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<img width="300" height="225" title="" src="http://twoday.net/static/shue/images/freddy.jpg" alt="freddy" /><br />
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Today we just filled him up with petrol, cleaned all the cupboards and the fridge out (yes, Freddy comes with everything we need to survive), took him to a little ride and later on we wanna to go to the next ALDI-store and fill the car up with Haribo Goldbären and other food and stuff we need for the next days and weeks. Then, tomorrow morning by eight, we will cry a few tears, hug Paul goodbye and leave. Finally. To Adelaide next.
shue
<a href="http://shue.twoday.net/topics/10%29+On+Tour">10) On Tour</a>
Copyright © 2005 shue
2005-07-07T05:59:29Z
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