Granny by Pushi around in Australia

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Granny (75) by Puschi around in Australia

Hermine Stampa-Rabe

1. Ebook-Edition

I tried to translate it by myself. Please excuse me my mistakes.

Imprint

Granny by Pushi around in Australia

Hermine Stampa-Rabe

published by: epubli GmbH, Berlin, www.epubli.de

Copyright: © 2014 Hermine Stampa-Rabe

ISBN 978-3-8442-8463-8

Cover: Gudrun Meisiek, Lliria, Spanien

Layout: Hermine Stampa-Rabe

Layout für Ebook: Dagmar R. Rehberg, Borgstedt

Text Copyright © 2013 Hermine Stampa-Rabe

Email: Hermine.stampa-rabe@web.de

Tel.: 0049-431-735565


For Klaus-Otto, Olaf, Ines, Achim, Alexandra, Annika, Steffen, Gudrun, Carlos, Anna-Lena and Marie

INTRODUCTION

Australien (out of: Das neue große farbige Lexikon von Bassermann, ISBN 3-8094-0002-5)

Addition to the mainland smallest continent to the S. hemisphere btw Ind. U. silent ocean comprises the islands lying on the common base , which v. - Tasmania in the SO is the largest. The only less-structured in its coastal mainland has an area v. 7.68 million square kilometers in an east-west extent of 4100 km v. . In the north of Carpentaria golf grips 700 km deep into the country and in the south the Great Austr. Bay and the NO Coast is preceded by the Great Barrier Reef. A. is a flat , 400 m high on average tableland, whose edges are usually bent. In W, the large trunk area of the West Austr expands. Panel with island mountains and sand and gravel deserts busy after means -A. from, the SO is best. from the deep basin of the Murray-Darling, which collects the water from the largest part of the fold mountain range that runs along the entire O-coast and is dissected by faults. In the Alps in Austr SO it reaches 2234 m (Mt Kosciusko). 60% of the area As are without outlet, so that collect only occasionally flying in the interior waters in salt pans. Some artes. Pools reduce water poverty of the country in whose far inside there is a hot and dry desert climate, in the north it is trop - hot, in SO subtrop. – warm moderate with uniform rainfall. All shows the strong climate fluctuations and heatwaves. The orig. flora (eg Eucalyptus, Bottle & Grass Tree) and fauna (kangaroo, koala, platypus, echidna, emu, lyre tail, parrot species) have an independent development after the secession as (with Tasmania, New Zealand and New Guinea) v. the land mass of the big old S-continent "Gondwanaland" out the o. in the later Cretaceous period in the early Tertiary and was the O-plaice isolated. Through a post-Pleistocene. Sea level rise were separated and Tasmania New Guinea, New Zealand.

Commonwealth of Australia, amtl. The Commonwealth of Australia, the Australasian. Continent, and the islands includes Tasmania with 7,686,848 square kilometers. Population: The Ew. are mostly British and ir Ethnicity, Indigenous Australians and mixed race, Asian. State Language: Engl Hptst. Canberra, which creates its own district in addition to the six states of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Vicoria, Western Australia and Northern Territory. Head of state since 1952 Kg Elizabeth II, represented by a Governor General. The constitutional political. Bonds of parlamentar. But monarchy in Britain are only slight. Agriculture and mining are the basic sectors of the economy, but the industry production represents the gross national product. Agriculture esp. in the SO and SW z.T. with artificial. Irrigation, wheat, oats, barley, corn, cotton, rice, sugarcane, fruit and S-fruits. More extensive is the livestock (sheep, cattle). Australia is the largest growers worldwide. In addition, a lot of meat is exported. The mining industry uses rich deposits of gold, silver, copper, uranium, lead, iron, manganese and stone and brown coal , increasingly, oil and gas is developed.

Prolog

Being three months home after my departure from Australia a postal employee rings the bell in Kiel. My three big parcels arrive! I am full exited and open them without the parcel with my trailer. In them I find the little, old and scrubbed mobile phone of Matthew’s friend Sony from Darwin and the long rope of Barry from Cullen Bay against snakes. I take deep breath with emotion. Tears out of gratitude drop down my cheeks.

My whole, great adventure Australia rises in front of my inner eyes. This I would write now onto paper and you, my readers, shall share it. I invite you, to join me by reading. You will see the peace, the heat, the cold, the country, the animals and above all the absolutely kind and helpful people of Australia. A big adventure waits for you.

Perth

Departure from Hamburg-Fuhlsbüttel via London Heathrow in England to Sydney in Australia.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA


In Sydney overtook me the first shock: There I waited for my boxed bicycle. But it did not come with this airplane. I will be assured that it will be forwarded to me in Perth in the hostel when it arrives.

Delayed flight to Perth. There informed me a student on the bus from the airport during the tour into the city center about, that I can not buy me here in Perth a SIM Cart, because it applies only to the city and the surrounding countryside. He helps me to get to my hostel. There I am booked for a long time and get a lower bed in a four-bedroom. The other three girls are very nice.

In the evening I walk into the city at Christmas lights. Perth is situated on the Swan River. There is a promenade on the shore and separately along a bicycle lane.

The next day I buy a SIM Cart at Telstra, because only this works throughout Australia. Likewise, I get there a WIFI for my little laptop that will work for a whole year. Against the intense rays of the sun I get in the pharmacy the usual zinc ointment. For the nose, there is a zinc albums pen.

I am waiting eagerly for my bicyle. In a bicycle shop the young man searches in the Internet the Sydney airport and finds out that the bicycle has arrived and this evening will be delivered in the hostel.

Here it begins the big sort of my goods brought with me. What do I need and what I will not miss? The stove and the large black ink cartridge remains at home. A scale is available in the hostel for large pieces of luggage.

In our room is new a young woman from Swisserland. The next day she comes back in the evening from a visit to friends and tells me excitedly that in front of Perth on the island Rottnest Iceland a man's cut off head was found on the beach.. This message puts me in a frenzy. I am afraid to start with my slow bicycle. Can I take the train and drive from Perth to Adelaide to cycle further?

At the tourist information I get the message that the train is already fully booked. One week later first the next train goes. No, as long I do not want to stay in Perth. I want to go.

My daughter Gudrun calms me down and says that the police is already looking for this man and he is long gone.

In fact, my bicycle is delivered in the hostel. In the bicycle shop the young man is eager to see my bicycle. I imagine it there and buy me also the same time in this shop new bicycle shoes for clip pedals and gel gloves.

Then I trimmed my luggage from 51 kg to 31 kg, I drive off.

Final, I go on!

10.01.2013: Perth – Mandurah: 75 km

When I crawl at 5 am from the bed, I carry my panniers completely quietly from the room and down on the inner court of the Youth Hostel. After my muesli breakfast I check out at the reception and load my bicycle. But who takes a photo of me when starting, if none is here? Completely down I push the bicycle off the yard. Oh, which happy adding! A motorcyclist drives on the yard and takes my start from the Youth Hostel by video.

And then it goes through the nearly sleeping Perth by radiating blue morning sky! Perth is a bead of a city. Here the hecticness of the many other cities does not prevail over day. Here it pleases me. Also because of the long and large bank promenade of the broad Swan River, where everyone can take a beautifull walk or ride its bicycle.

With the left-hand traffic I do not have difficulties. The drivers do not honk. I hope for their compassion. With sunshine and 23 ° C I cycle above the Swan River on the Freemantle Highway out of the city. In order to photograph, I would have to stop on the road. I do not dare that, however, in order not to bring the drivers in conflict.

Thus I cycle along on the highway towards the south. At 11 am provokes me the first large gas station, in which I buy a small can of Sprite. Sprite belongs to my large bicycle tours. This cold and wonderful sweet liquid makes me happy. A cockerel salad forms my firm meal.

Outside stand ICE containers. I would like to carry these ice cubes gladly forward in my cool box. They would dissolve slowly. In this way I would have always cool drinking water. The panniers are however heavy with their 4 kg too. The gas station-waiter gives me the hint to drive and buy me a water sack at the camping and fishing road shop in the next place, by whose large opening I can put the cubes in it. I find it also. But the water bags have also a much too close opening.

 

Thus I decide for a small 3 l cool box with firm screw-type cap and drinking valve and leave there my 10 l cool box for the nice shop assistant. Therefore I receive the cool-box $10 more cheaply. The next problem follows: How do I fasten this round, oblong equipment together with my tent on my porter? All my cooled water from my small drinking bottles and the 2 l water sack I poure in it. Beautifully firmly screwed on, I hope it will be close. First I place it upright behind my saddle and behind it crosswise against sliding down the tent.

Works, presses however in the back at my bottom at my extended spinal column. I must sit far in front on the saddle. No, that can not be done. I am thinking: If this container is firmly screwed on, no water might actually withdraw and therefore it can lay down.

If something water nevertheless withdraws, it drips only on waterproof local clear packing ashes. Now I sit again correctly on the saddle, in order to move freely and merrily the pedals.

Here I cycle for a short time on a cycle track or the side strip of the highway. If a large truck drives past at me, all this goes well.

On the caravan park of Mandurah I receive a shady grass field and set up the tent for the first time. It takes long time. That is thus capable of improvement. But why shall I actually hurry? I am nevertheless not on the escape! Evening temperature: 27 ° C.

I, the thirsty camel

11.01.2013: Mandurah – Bunbury: 105 km

At the night it storms enormously. Fortunately my tent stands protected behind a high wall. In the night drive the cars, which are standing beside my tent, at different times away. From sleeping I can not speak. At midnight the storm suddenly falls asleep, and against morning isolated small fair waether clouds swim such as cotton wool balls in the blue sky.

My thermometer shows 26 ° C. In the high tree beside me several black-and-white magpies pipe. Before the entrance of my tent more highly and closely shrubs grow. If I had had fear, I could not have slept, because therein spiders, perhaps also poisonous, surely have woven its nets. But those were not interested in me. And a snake had also no longing to creep to me in the tent.

Tiredly I start at 7.30 am. Two different highways are to me after Bunbury at the disposal. The man from the bicycle shop in Perth advised me to take the coastal highway. That I do, can also shoot some photos.

After a long distance the whole traffic is led on the new highway, which goes parallel to the old coastal highway. With water muesli in the belly and hardly slept, I roll so slowly with head wind forward. It cools me down. My thermometer shows 27 ° C.

When I recover in a roadhouse, a woman tells me that one week ago here still prevailed 45 ° C. We will soon again have those. A heat wave always follows a cooling. Well, there is approaching some for me still in such a way.

During my next respite the today’s hard bicycle route does not go out of my head. Tomorrow my distance leads me through a low mountain range. In addition with my current achievement I am not able to do it. That I must keep clear before my eyes. But how can I come through it to reach Albany?

Some years ago I read the travel blog of an young English journalist, who wanted to cycle from Sydney around Australia. When he drove here from Bunbury to Albany through this very high-wavy low mountain range, he fell so hard that he had to lie several months in the hospital. And if this man did not create it, then I can create it as a small woman less than ever.

I remember the lady of the Perth tourist information after 5 pm, whose business card is in my wallet. Thus I keep simple, get out my mobile phone on a crossing and call her. From her I receive the message that a course drives from Bunbury through this mountain landscape until Albany. This connection I still will book in the evening. I am completely relieved and look forward to the course trip. With the cars, which populate the highways, the gruesome question goes again and again through my head: Will sit in one of these cars the head cutter?

Since I reach only at 6.20 pm the station Bunbury, there it is already closed. As I come to the caravan park, there it is also already closed. Fortunately still another woman stands in her yellow protective clothing on the yard, which helps me. She finds a telephone receiver at the entrance door including telephone number and hands me the listener. The lady at the other end wants to come directly. She does also. And because I have only a small person tent, I receive a lawn for $20. I would have paid that gladly also in Mandurah, but unfortunately I had for the primitive caravan place to pay $35! This neck cutter!

Here stands a great deal and many larger tents. None person answeres my greeting. It storms. It is not so simple at all to set up the tent. After my luggage also lies in it I attach still my bicycle at the railing before my tent.

Again back in my tent I make it cosy for me in the darkness. But in my small down sleeping bag me freeze the naked feet. I set up my tent against the wind, so that the cold wind whistles from the rear by the fly net. So I can not sleep. There I remember the cool bag, which is in my luggage. This I get out and invert it over the basing of my sleeping bag and sleep happy and contently.

By bus through the low mountain range

12.01.2013: Bunbury – Albany (bus): 7 km

Outside there are pleasant 26 ° C. I slept excellently. At 8.30 am I should be at the boss of the caravan park; because she wants to announce my railway trip by telephone. By then I lod my accumulator and write on my notebook. I also would like to send still clothes ahead at the post office.

Punctually I stand at the boss on the mat. After several attempts she creates it. But today on Sunday no railway drives, instead a long haul bus. That is totally no matter to me, main thing, it carries forward my bicycle.

With my full loaded bicycle I leave my sleeping place. After approximately 200 m a small dead alligator lies beside the cycle track. Well, actually I do not take corpses in my camera with me home. But I would like to carry an alligator forward, which represents a fright ghost here in large size. It is approximately 35 cm long and is drained from the heat of the last days.

Oh yes, a dead kangaroo is also on the road. That is perhaps a giant animal! Since it lies on the back, I see that it is a male. Thus a baby can not live there more in the belly. But a collision with such a large kangaroo can have deadly consequences! Even if it would give bears here, it would have been soon eaten up. But which animal is to destroy this monster by eating up?

The sun shines by 27 ° C, when I find the station and buy me there my ticket for the long haul bus who is already standing there. And because I am the first passenger, I may select for me a place. The kind bus driver – here captain called – askes me for my homeland. When he hears that I am from Germany, he radiates over the whole face and tells me that he already drove in Germany with his bicycle on the cycle track of the whole Midland Canal and far until Holland to the English Channel. He is still completely enthusiastic of it! Germany is very beautiful, he tells me out of deepest soul.

And then the full bus drives off. First I am surprised at the low landscape. Reciprocally many wine plantations lie here. Here the clusters mature in the hot sunshine. But then it becomes hilly. The landscape forces me off large respect. I am lucky that I am not by bicycle on this road. The highway leads two-lane without side strips by ochraceous sand, framed from enormous eucalyptus trees. A beautiful sight! The sun penetrates with its jets through the sheet crowns and makes every thing beautiful. Fascinated I hypnotize the landscape. How gladly I would have rushed here along with my racing bicycle! Thus I do now only in thoughts. Who has a heavy marathon before himself like that of Paris – Brest – Paris? He would find here the best and most pleasant training distance. Because only very little motor traffic prevails here. And the warmth is guaranteed.

The bus holds in the places, in which I wanted to sleep on caravan parks. Rather far in the proximity of the south coast already driving past, I constitute left hand a group of kangaroos with babies. Somewhat very much fallow dear continues to stand on a large meadow. Since there are so many animals, it only can concern a farm. And some more far black alpakkas eat on the pasture.

Perhaps one hour later lies a dead kangaroo beside the road. In the place Denmark it is unusually cold. The warmth or heat is more pleasant to me. Now our bus rolls the last 53 km to Albany. This place is rather right at the bottom because of the coast of a bay. A mountain range is pre-aged to it, which helds the surf from the South Pole. The water is covered with white crests and looks unpleasantly grey. The sky is cloudly. It makes the appearance, as if it still wants also to rain to all accident.

I stand as the latest all alone before the bus terminal. And where do I find a bed here? No humans are to be seen. That is understandably. With this cold weather (for Australia) from 20 ° C I also would not have gone to more out of the house. Thus I look around. The houses were built graduated like in Italy one above the other as to the tendency. And up in the first intersection roads “Backpacker” stands in large type characters at one of these houses. That is exactly what I need today. With this cold weather I sleep in the tent? No, not!

But how can I come up there? I look around. Cars drive down far left. Yes, there I would like to drive up the mountain. I find the name “Backpackers” above also at a house. Two young people sit there, which describe me the way to the entrance. They sleep also therein.

The boss, his wife and a German, young employee are urgently advised me here and just also another young man not to cycle with the bicycle through the 45 ° C hot Nullarbor. That is simply not for bearing! There I will die in the heat!

The Nullarbor seems to be probably a preliminary stage of hell. Differently I can not present it to me. What can I do now? As a precaution I book myself a second night in order to consider me exactly everything in peace. Here that begins for me the wild tenting in the free country. The adventure signs are already coming in a distance!