Dreaming of a White Christmas

Well, probably the most unusual Christmas I have ever spend, sailing the Whitsunday Islands on the sexy Siska with lots of sunshine, white sandy beaches around Whithavenbeach, lots of Goon within the nighttime.

Whitehaven Beach
Merry Christmas

Whitehaven Beach

Titanic Feeling

Sexy Stinger Suits

The most important thing on board...

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Hey ihr Lieben,

ich wuensche euch ein frohes Weihnachtsfest und ein paar geruh- und erholsame Tage! Ich denke an euch!

Lasst es euch gut gehen. XXX

Great Barrier Reef - Above the Water

3 days, 2 nights on Ocean Quest on the Great Barrier Reef. 3 days including 12 dives (10 day, 2 night) around the Saxon and Norman Reef close to Green Island. Well, what can I say: I absolutely loved it! Great dive sites (lots of turtles, grey and white tip reef sharks, trigger fish, anemone fish...), great boat and catering, great people... again a place to come back to. Even managed to survive my second and first unguided night dive, which was kind of scary to be honest. Diving down with my buddy and a little torch, the Giant Travelliers learned to hunt in the torch light. Thus, you have to imagine us, being surrounded by approx. 10 massive and ugly fish in the dark. Only black pinnacles around you and in between some green pair of eyes (sharks) pointing at you. Scary.

Nothing except Water and the blue Sky

Tim, Lauren, Jonathan and I

Hawskill Turtle

BCD

Sketch of the next Divesite

Pot of Dolphins

Filling Log Books and Chilling in between Dives

Great Barrier Reef - Under Water

Best diving Buddy Tim and I
Just another expensive hobby to enjoy...

Little Nemo

Lone Sweetlip Cod

Hawskill Turle

Daintree and Cape Tribulation, Day 2

Decided to go for another waterhole in the forrest for a swim since the temperature is boiling before heading back to Cairns in the afternoon.

At the waterhole
Jungle Boys

Siw and I

Jungle Ladies

20 cm diameter - I am not talking about the net

Hostel Pool

Nice View

Silly Hats in Port Douglas

Daintree and Cape Tribulation, Day 1

I got well into Cairns after an approx. 5 hour flight with transfer in Sydney. However, arrinving in Cairns, I needed to find out that my luggage did not make it and would hopefully be transfered to my accomodation the same night. Furthermore, checking some bookings at Peterpans, some travel agency, they closed my credit card as Peterpans exceeded my day limit. While getting some cash by traveller checks it finally started to pour down that heavily, I was wet all over arriving back in the office... yay.
Well, I survived, luckily. Somehow stuff like that freaks me out less than I would normally freak in such a situation, which is a good thing about travelling.

The next morning I got a bus up to Daintree for some cruise on the Daintree River, although crocodiles are hard to spot in the wet season here right now (indeed, we could not find one) and then moving further north to Cape Tribulation - where the rainforrest meets the Great Barrier Reef. One of the few places where natural world heritage sites "live" next to each other.
On a short guided rainforrest walk, we could spot some dragons, all kinds of nasty and big insects as well as a baby Python next to the path. After checking in to my accomodation, I decised for a 5 hour hike together with Lauren from Scotland. Walking from the beaches into the forrest for some waterhole swimming, we did not forget to look out for some crocodiles. None.
Treated ourselves with some nice red wine and some social time in the "local pub".

Well, they love toilets and bathrooms...
Fan Palmtree

Baby Python of approx. 3 m length

Up on Cape Tribulation

No swimming due to nasty jelly stingers and crocodiles

An artistic one

Where the Rainforrest meets the Great Barrier Reef

Night encounters

Dolphin Swimming and Beach Time in Adelaide

After three days of tour stressing it is time for a little travel break in the city of Adelaide. With the temperature rising to about 35 degrees Celsius, I picked the right date, for some city sightseeing as well as some beach time down at Glenelg joining the Dolphin Swimming of Temptation Sailing. However, least was a tiny bit disapointing. Saw a couple of dolphin pots coming close but still keeping the distance of about 5 m under water (after diving my standards are high). Spotting a pot it was time for the swimmers to jump into the water holding onto a rope attached to the moving boat. An additional rope would send out electronic signals in order to keep white sharks (which can be found here along the coast of South Australia) away. Relaxed with Andreas and one of his mates at Glenelg Beach before heading to Adelaide Airpot for some comfortable hours of sleep at an outer terrace.

Botanical Garden of Adelaide
Ready to go

Couple of Dolphins cruising around the boat

Glenelg Beach

Leaving Adelaide Airport 5:45 am

Kangaroo Island, Day 2

More stuff to do, more stuff to see before returning to the city including New Zealand Fur Seal Colony and the Remarkable Rocks.

Andreas and I in Double Private Room, shared bathroom
Fantastic Colours - massive Size

Dinosaurier Egg
Time for a Group Pic
Fingerprint of the Bushfire in 2007
New Zealand Fur Seal