German version

Our fifth trip to Australia is another outback adventure. This is a short description to give you an idea about the trip.        

Friday 10.9. Departure Frankfurt - 23:55 - Flight QF 6       As always we are already tired when the journey begins. It’s not a nice thought for me to be in an airplane all day on 9/11, thankfully, nothing happens.

Sat 11.9. Arrival Singapore 17:55  /  Departure Singapore 22:15 - Flight QF 82      We have to change planes in singapore, and spend four long hours on the airport. We walk back and forth from the shopping area to the smoking areas. Cactus Garden is a nice spot outside, even if the air is filled with kerosene smell.

Sunday 12.9.  Arrival Darwin - 4:10   Departure Darwin 5:30 - Flight QF 82 - Arrival Adelaide 9:00    Finally, we arrive in Adelaide. This flight has even taken longer since Qantas doesn’t fly direct from Singapore to Adelaide anymore. The stop in Darwin is an advantage for the family as they don’t have to be at the airport at 5am to pick us up. Even 9am is rather early for a Sunday morning. Nusch, Russell, Dagmar & Steven are waiting for us at the airport. It is great to see the family again. We are going to stay a few days with Nusch & Russell in their lovely home in a suburb in the Adelaide Hills.

Monday 13.9.   In the morning we go to pick up the car at Brits. It’s a Toyota bushcamper, a great car to go back outback!! In the afternoon we spend some time strolling around Adelaide mall.

Tuesday 14.9.   Once again Nusch and I go for a walk with Sidney (the dog) in the morning. The Adelaide Hills are a beautiful place for walking, and I enjoy the scenery very much. There is always the possibility to spot a koala in this area. and yes, we already saw one yesterday!!                   In the afternoon we are busy bying food, water, and whatever we think that we could need during our trip. The Marion shopping centre is a big place to get most of the things.

our “suzie” at the Darling river run, NSW

a koala sitting in the front yard, Adelaide hills

Adelaide Hills

Adelaide spreads from the ocean to the hills

Wednesday 15.9.   The last day in Adelaide we spend preparing the car, and try to stow all the stuff into the cupboards in the car. Surprisingly, everything fits in. Now that’ll be our home for the next three weeks.

Thursday 16.9.   We leave Adelaide in the morning. The first day on the road should have been a leisure trip along the Main North Road to Hawker, about 350 km. But something has cropped up.                                                                In Gawler we miss the correct exit to the north and end up on the highway to Mildura. No problem, I think, we take the road via Kapunda to the north. How wrong I am!!! We stop in Kapunda to get us something for lunch. I stumple into a hole in the pavement, and fall down on the street with full speed. I know immediately that there’s something wrong with my arm. I am really sick with pain. The helpful people explain us the way to the health centre. We go to see a doctor, and we have to go back to Gawler for a x-ray. While we are in the surgery in Gawler, someone hits our car, and breaks the mud flap. Peter fixes it a little, and we go back to the doctor in Kapunda again. He looks at the x-ray pics, and then he tells me the bad news. I’ve got a fracture in my upper arm, close to the shoulder joint. However, he says the good news is that I don’t need surgery, or a plaster, and he allows me to continue with the trip. Now it is late afternoon, and we won’t make it to Hawker in daylight. We decide to drive a little further, and stay in a cabin on the campground in Clare.                                                    As you all can imagine this has not been a very cheerful day. My arm and shoulder are very sore. This is the end of our camping trip, before it even has begun. I guess it won’t be very comfortable to sleep in the car, so we decide to stay in cabins on campgrounds until I have less pain.

Copyright Rita 2007

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