Australia part 2: Experiencing the Worst of.. EVERYTHING!

Worst bushfires in Australian history

Before we start our own disaster story, we would like to share with you the immense tragedy of the bush fires in Australia, even though we are not close to the area. We don't know how much you've seen on your news, but we see the images and stories on TV every day. Entire families, with small children and teenagers have been burnt alive in their own house, there was no way of escaping the fires that were as high as 50 meters and came from everywhere. Roads were blocked by burning trees, cars melted and people's shoes melted while trying to run away. Children phoning their parents and people calling their spouses screaming for help or just a last goodbye as the fire engolfed their houses, burning them alive. This is a tragic time for many Australians, and we are shocked and sad to be witnessing this up close.

Worst flooding in 60 years
Lisette will never complain again about not having enough adventure in her life. She mentioned it the other day, we are not having enough adrenaline on this trip. Well brace yourself for what is to come the next days...

We got up a little later than normal for our 600 km drive up to Cairns. We would have all the time in the world to get there and we would make some stops along the way. Besides, it was raining (has been raining all week) so we were slow and non-energetic. We were looking forward to a second chance to go diving on the Barrier Reef in Cairns, as all attemps have failed so far due to the heavy rains.

We stopped for lunch in Townsville, supposedly one of the largest cities in North Queensland, but it was boring and rainy. We decided to continue our trip to Cairns. Next town was Ingham. There we were stopped by the police in front of a river crossing. It was flooded and we could not pass. So we took many detour along many many flooded roads and finally came back onto the highway which bypassed the road closure. But just 2 minutes in front of us was another police who got out to check the crossing ahead and they decided to close it right in front of our face! We could easily have crossed with our SUV.

So the only other possible detour was through the hinterland, the forests and mountains inland, a detour of 750 km from Ingham! We had no choice but to take this road. We informed at the local petrol station and they confirmed the road was open. So we drove back to Townsville and took the back road through the mountains from there. After about 100 km we came to our first river crossing, the bridge was flooded. An approaching car who wasn't able to cross told us a similar SUV as ours had managed to cross. So we did the same. The current was strong and the water was hitting the car hard and any slip of the wheel would wash our car off the bridge. Our hearts where beating double-time. In what seemed forever, we finally made it across.

Another 50 km later, while the rains were getting heavier and heavier, an approaching SUV signaled us. The bridge ahead was flooded pretty badly. The driver was not able not cross. We decided to have a look. It didn't look like there was any bridge there at all! It was a full-fledged river, rapids, broken trees and all! We were now desperate, we've come all this way and it was getting dark, what now?? The man in the SUV had followed us to see what we would do. Then he got out and walked into the river to see how deep it was (there are crocs in this river, as we learnt later two people were killed by crocs in this same area during the floods!). Just a little bit onto the “bridge” the man sunk up to his waist and almost got washed away... NO WAY we could cross this river! We had to turn back.

But the rains were getting heavier and heavier and the sky was getting dark. We both drove 140 km/hr, as fast as we could to get back to the first crossing in time. By the time we got there the floods had reached even higher levels and had gotten fiercer and it was downright scary. The other SUV went first and we went right behind them. The water came up to the hood of the car and almost to the windows (and we had a BIG car!). You could feel the water pounding at the car every meter was nerve-wrecking, we could easily be washed away within a second. We made it across by a hair. If we would be there 15 minutes later we would not have made it back and would have been stuck between the two crossings for (what we learnt later) for a week or longer. Australia is a rugged country, there are no systems and processes in place for saving stranded people in floods. You would just have to sit it out.

Hours later, and back in Townsville where we started from. Now what?? We had to make a judgment call, stay in Townsville and wait for the rain to stop and the waterlevels to drop or take an airplane to Cairns and leave our car behind? Our apartment in Cairns was already booked and payed for and the airfare was not cheap. Hmmm.. Yet we still decided take our losses and leave our car behind and take the plane the next day. An excellent judgment call, which we were to learn later. The floods had become worse, all flights were fully booked and no one was able to leave for more than a week. It was at the time the worst flooding in 30 years, later turned out the worst flooding in 60 years!

Happy to be in the plane...

Worst rainy season in Cairns, worst dengue fever outbreak in decades and a tropical cyclone for dessert..

We were happy to have made it into Cairns, but not for long. The constant rains were driving us crazy. No boats going out to the Great Barrier Reef as winds were too hard and visibility too low. There was not much more to do in this weather. It was hot, humid and rainy but we had to be extremely careful with dengue fever being severe in the area. So we had to wear sticky mosquito repellent and long clothing in this humidity. In Australia they use 80-90% DEET against mosquitos and other blood-sucking bugs, I think the strongest we can get in Europe is 50% DEET...

We did the best we could, considering we've both dreamed of coming to Australia to see the Barrier Reef and that had literally gone down the drain. But we actually enjoyed each other's company very much and had quite some laughs and fun together, just doing nothing. Then you know your marriage is good. When the rain had stopped for a little while, Marcel prepared a super BBQ meal at the gumongeous man-made lagoon in Cairns. You GOTTA see this lagoon! It's like a beach on a tropical island and no stinging creatures.

We did the skyrail tour in the raintree forest, it was amazing and we even had a spek of sun. Just before heading out to Ayers Rock, we were treated to tropical cyclone Ellie... oh well, why not?

Ayers Rock (and the worst fly-plague ever!)

We made it out of wet and rainy Cairns to finally go somewhere where we were guaranteed SUN! It was Ururu (Ayers Rock), in the middle of the desert, 40C and HOT! We were so happy with sun, we didn't care about the 40C (we had airco in the room any way). But one thing we were not prepared for was the masses and masses of FLIES! The minute we walked out of the airplane we were bombarded by them. They flew into our ears, mouth, eyes, neck, flies everywhere! Lisette was grateful to Anna Maria for giving her one of those fly-nets for over your head, Marcel bought one immediately and we bought hats. But even armed with hats and nets, it was unbearable. People were even sunbathing at the pool with mosquito nets. Locals told us it was the worst they've ever seen. Of course..

We did a couple of tours at Ayers Rock and the neighbouring Kata Tjuta but the heat combined with the flies made us happy to be back in our room in the airco.

Ayers Rock itself is fascinating! Unfortunately this opinion is shared with millions of other tourists and the place has become quite expensive and very, very commercial. The mystical feel of the place has sadly faded away because of the busloads of tours. We had dinner in the desert “Sounds of Silence”, which is potentially a unique experience, having dinner while watching the sun go down under Ayers Rock and seeing the colour of the rock change dramatically every (yes) 6 minutes. We did it all: sunset tour, sunrise tour, (short walks).. nice.. costly, touristy, but nice.. It was a little dissapointing that we have not seen a single aboriginal there. The whole area is owned by the aboriginals, the themes are all built around the aboriginal storytelling and myths, the shops are full of aboriginal art, but nothing at all is actually run by aboriginals. Even the diggerydoo players were not aboriginal. Tsk..

Sydney (and the worst temperature swings)

Last part of our Australia trip. We arrived in Sydney on Saturday, the news of the past weeks was that Sydney was suffering from a heat wave (not sure if it was the worst EVER..:-)) but we did not mind at all. But all that changed on Monday: the temperature plummeted with 15C!! From 35C to 25C and chily winds. Lisette had already unpacked her short dresses and shorts which she had wanted to wear since our arrival in Australia. She was so excited to finally dress up again. But that didn't last. She packed them up again, exchanging them for long sleeves and trousers.
The poor girl has half a suitcase full of dresses and has not been able to wear them the entire trip. Marcel, on the other hand, just wore his shorts and t-shirt anytime and anywhere.

Sydney is a great city. It has it all: beaches, restaurants, nightlife, shopping, did we mention beaches? :-) We went to Manly beach, very laidback place with lots of surfer dudes and dudettes. Unfortunately it was too cold to swim. The rest of the days we did the usual city-stuff, wining dining dancing, shopping.

Lisette found her new solemate aboriginal.

The very last day we went abseiling in the Blue Mountains, unfortunately it very extremely misty and the 60 meter abseil did not feel like 60 meters because you could not see down below. But it was fun! We are now ready to abseil Table Mountain in Cape Town. Ain't no mountain high enough..

February 12th... a sunny day in Sydney and we're off to Johannesburg, South Africa!