Sydney back to Brisbane

It has been nearly two weeks since the trip and I have been posting in retrospect. But its time for the last post of that roadtrip otherwise this could take way to long and its time to move on to new things.So I will summ up the way back.
On our last day in Sydney we took the hopp on hopp off ferry to the taronga zoo.
This was by far the nicest zoo I have ever been to. So natural and big enclosures for the animals.
We spent nearly the whole day there.

After taking the ferry back to the rocks we had a beer and it started to rain pretty strong. We walked back to our hostel for 30 minutes and got ready to have some dinner. We had a korean bbq. Very yummy and interesting.

That night I had my first migrane attack ever. My fingers aswell as lipps and nose got numb on one side and the next day I had a huge headache. Hope that never happends again.
We took the train back the next morning and picked up our cow. First stopp was Boudi national park. We had to pay 7 dollars NP fee but it was worth it. Did a 6km hike and decided we had to find a place to stay for the night cause it was getting to late to drive.

Lake Macquarie was our caravan park of choice. Pelicans everywhere and great facilities.

On the morning of the 25.07 we made our van travelsafe once again and head toward port stephens.
I can recommend taking a few days to see this great place. We took the whole day and I could have stayed  even longer. Port Stephens is a large natural harbour and has about 120km of shoreline. There is so much to explore and so many different landscapes.

We continued through the Myall Lakes NP on unsealed roads. I like unsealed roads when I am driving my own car that can go in the rubbisch after that. But with a rental its a bit nervewrecking. I didnt hold back but some of the potholes could have made the axles break.
We camped for free near Sealrocks as we didnt know where to pay the campingfee.

The next morning we drove of very early to avoid having to pay after all and had breakfast at sealrocks with the sun coming up over the ocean. DONT FEED THE BIRDS! take it seriously in australia cause they will attack you and come flying at you if they dont get anything. Well, the pretty pigeons got my pancake and we drove off.

On our way to Red Rock I had a yummy apricot chicken pie at fridos famous pies and saw an accident unfold because a big truck stopped in the middle of the road obviously wanting a pie and deciding where to park. A jung guy drove right in the back of a little van. Eveyone stared and I was the only one going over to his car and asking if he needed an ambulance. Humans are useless sometimes !

 In Red Rock we saw a Whale having fun in the ocean and the next day Dennis saw some Dolfins playing with waves as I was still sleeping and couldnt be bothered getting up that early again.
After bacon and eggs for breakfast, once again I sat down behind the steering wheel and drove towards our last camping site of this trip. Fingal Heads, right opposite the queensland border.
On the way there we stopped in Angourie. A great place I can recommend for a short holiday. Great surfing, blue pools, nice beach. The lot!

 
That evening we had a picnic at the beach and afterwords I had such a thirst for cold beer we drover over to tweed heads to a bottleshop. A few beers and bbq later we head to bed.

On the 28.07 the cow needed to be unpacked completly, cleaned and repacked so we could bring it back to the station. We spent the morning doing that and then had lots of time left to explore the gold coast. Tweed heads, coolangatta, palm beach. For lunch we had the australian version of a doener kebab. With hummus, and cheese ? hmm... was more like a wrap.

 
We said goodbye to Molly at 4pm.

I have to say this was a great start to my adventure in Australia. I learnt a lot that I can apply to my next travel all around this continent. The most important thing.... the driving needs to be devided evenly otherwise my mood goes down the crapper !!
The most impresive places for me where the blue lake at jenolan caves and all of port stephens.
My least favourite place was sydney. It just didnt grow on me. Normaly I love big cities but somehow this just didnt work.
What did we spend on this trip ? Exluding the flights we spent nearly AUS3000
So if you are thinking about doing something like this make sure you have a credit card on you. It always gets more expensive then you think.

Arriving in Sydney

After deciding to go to Sydney early I checked out some backpacker hostels online.
I booked the Maze Backpackers only 5 minutes away from central Station. It all sounded pretty good but oh where we wrong.
Anyway, we arrived in North Sydney on the evening of the 21.07. and drove to a caravan park and took a powered site. It was already dark so we had some dinner, had a walk around and asked the park officer if we could park the car here for two nights. Thank god that worked out cause parking in Sydney for 2 nights would have cost us 150 dollars.

The next day we took the train to the city center. We arrived at the hostel and put our luggage in storage.
We had a walk through china town, the botanic gardens and then towards and around the opera house.

After some yummy peri peri chicken at nandos we checked in and went up to our room. Private room, 2 nights for 120 dollars.

It was REALLY crappy. The bed was hard as stone and the room smelt. I wanted a new room and got one that was better but the bathrooms and showers in the hostel where just terrible, dirty and full of hair. It was also really loud the second night and the long term residents where a bit creapy.

Anyway, we went to the Sydney Aquarium that evening. It made me really sad. Huge rays in tiny aquariums and way to many sharks and rays in one single enclosure.
It wasnt worth the 20 dollars (discount!) for a ticket.

 A little dissapointed we looked for a restaurant. A thai place was our choice. The food was great but so hot. We ordered medium and could barely finish because our mouths where burning.

Blue mountains day two

The next day we wanted to start at 7.30 until an older man came up to us and warned us not to drive too early cause of all the kangaroos on the road. He told us that he started in darwin and once he drove at 8am and a big roo just ran into the side of his trailer.
We took the advice and drove even more careful from then on.
Blackheath was our first stop. We checked out anvil rock and pulpit rock.

There was lots more to see but it was all in the same gorge so we decided to head over to the scenic world in katoomba.
We payed 27 dollars to use all the rides. I went onto the skyway that has a glass floor and is suspended 270m over the rainforrest.

Then we used the steapest incline railway in the world to get to the bottom.Took an hours walk and used the cableway to get back up.


After having a little snack in form of chocolate and chips we decided to head to sydney earlier then planned.