Nicole schreibt...

Australia 2023

Almost 20 years on the dot I was back to the country where my big solo travelling adventures began: Australia. Back then it seemed the more civilized alternative to the South East Asian countries I most longed to see and was yet scared to visit on my own and beyond that, the daily diet of the popular soap Neighbours had left me with a love for all things Aussie anyway. Given the sheer bloody size of the place, I only visited Melbourne and Sydney back then, so I had always wanted to see more, Queensland and the Gold Coast in particular. But with such a wide range of destinations luring me, it needed something special to nudge me into the very long trip and it finally came in 2020, when Bat out of Hell announced a "spectacular arena tour" in a few select Australian cities. It was just before Covid brought the world in general and my two big loves travel and theatre to a crashing halt, so in order to cheer myself up I said, that "when all this madness is over, I will go to Australia to see that arena tour". And well, here I was, with the tour dates coinciding perfectly with the Aussie summer while it’s cold and grisly back home.

It also meant, I could put my accumulated airmiles with Lufthansa to good use by flying Business Class to Singapore and having a proper bed of sorts for the 12 hour flight. Things went off to a good start in Frankfurt with just enough time to visit the Business Class lounge for a coffee and feel very very important for a bit, before boarding the flight. Which of course was extremely comfy too with Lufthansa now also offering slippers and a fine cotton nightshirt (which I am not ashamed to admit I nicked) and an additional thin mattress for the bed. I just about managed to watch one movie (the lovely anime Belle) until dinner was done, then actually slept for quite a good time as we trundled above Asia. We had departed late as we had to wait for ages for one of the de-icing things to come and de-ice the plane and then circled above Singapore, starting to make me worry whether I’d get my connection.

But I had put my faith in Changi’s efficiency and my suitcase being “priority“ and had plenty of time to pick it up, change terminals and check in with British Airways for the second leg from Singapore to Sydney. Back then I had done stop-overs on both sides of the journey, so doing both flights in one was a new one, but not too bad really and the seven hours to Sydney felt almost short now. Arrival was on time – at 7am in the morning. I made my way to the city and to my delight, could fork over 100 dollar for an early check-in at the Novotel I had chosen. So I didn’t really do much else that day – bought a few snacks, slept all afternoon, then wandered down to Darling Harbour for the walk itself and for finding dinner (where I learned it would be wise to convert the Aussie dollar before entering a restaurant, because cripes, it was expensive for a simple Thai dinner). Ah well. The endless travel and changing of time zones had turned time into such a blur that I slept well the first full night and had no jetlag whatsoever.

I had coincidentally arrived for Australia Day, these days often critically referred to as Invasion Day, as the day when the Brits first arrived to settle the continent and fuck up things forever for the local aborigines. But it’s still a big to do, so I went down to Sydney Harbour after breakfast to check things out, but it was all done in typical half-arsed Aussie fashion. The “tall-ship parade“ consisted of several boats and yachts, very few of them tall (or indeed ships), bobbing around the harbour in no particular order and the “fly-past“ of a single military jet doing one round above the harbour, creating noise and not much else. Ah well, it was still fun be there and have something to gawk at, such as the replica of an ancient sailing ship and one of the modern frigates of the Australian navy:

Above the noon salute with several loud booms making me jump and the traditional "ferry race" in which the clunky ferries that are part of Sydney's public transport system around the harbour put on their glad rags and race each other into the harbour (!).

I returned to the hotel to chill by the pool for a while, then back to the harbour once more to meet my friend Sherry, who I had met during my first trip back then and later in London, while she lived there for a while. There was just something amazing to travel to the end of the world and then meet a local friendly face there (and chatter about musicals!) in a lovely cocktail bar overlooking the harbour and the chaos outside. Back on my first trip I had looked at the opera house as little more than Sydney's major sight, so this time I was really keen on actually catching a show there and Sherry kept me company until it was time to go in. Due to the timing, the only thing on offer that evening was a disco/circus show called "Velvet Rewired", which ultimately suited me better than a very long opera anyway. And once you move on from the spectacular roof outside, inside it's really just another bland modern cultural venue with a total of five auditoriums for opera, drama and other stuff. My show took place in the small studio and and turned out to be a real good mix of old-fashioned disco pop and stunning circus acts, among them a German roller-skating duo.

Another benefit was that the show let out during the big Australia Day Live concert that was happening in front of the opera house (and broadcast to the whole country) and lots more going on in the harbour. Normal people would have had to secure a place hours ahead before they'd close the area to avoid overcrowding, but we could just wander into it right on time for the spectacular finale with an amazing light show and fireworks. It was really quite amazing to be there just then and also a little amusing that Sydney always throws me a party - during my first trip I was there for the spectacular New Year's Eve fireworks, now for this! The only drawback being that the tram was closed at Circular Quay, so I had to walk for a long long time to catch it from Town Hall back to Haymarket and my hotel (at which point it was only two stops) and I was pretty knackered, but still it was worth it all, so here are so more images from the fireworks and show:

Friday I finally had time for some proper sightseeing, doing things I didn’t do back then (when I was mostly lured to Sydney’s famous beaches Bondi and Manly). With Sydney being as young as it is, there isn't all that much to see, so I walked into and through the pretty Botanical Gardens for the standard tourist picture of the opera house and harbour bridge (see above) sadly now against a rather glum background of grey skies. When the first English penal colony was started in Sydney Cove, the colonial overlords and other free people settled on this side of the harbour, leaving the convicts to toil on the other side. Part of the gardens soon became the first Botanical Gardens of Australia (and the second in the southern hemisphere after Rio de Janeiro), while the gouvernor's wife took full advantage of having free convict labour handy to create her a beautiful stone bench overlooking the harbour, still known today as Mrs Macquarie's Chair (see below):

Passing along the opera house and Circular Quay one final time, I wandered over to the site of the convict settlement, which became the core of Sydney as a city and is now known as The Rocks. It had been left to decay for a long time and then as in so many other cities in the world, was re-discovered by a new urban hipster elite, who've done up the old buildings as living spaces, art galleries, cafes and a little museum depicting the history (which was very welcome during an unexpected downpour when the grey skies finally opened). It was also very interesting to see, for all that it's good and right that colonialism is seen through a critical lens these days, I still find that it's just as important to reflect on the incredible strength of mind and soul of the first settlers (so many of them shipped out involuntarily as convicts) who created such an impressive modern country out of nothing within 250 years.

Finally I walked back into the modern city centre which holds some more major attractions in the form of Sydney's gorgeous Victorian shopping arcades like the Queen Victoria Building here and the Strand Arcade. Not surprisingly they are given to high-end shops now and fancy tea rooms, but still lovely to walk around in. I also visited Kinokuniya Books to complete my first sidequest of this trip (100 bonus points scored!) then returned to the hotel pool for a few hours to chill ahead of the first biggie - seeing the Aussie tour of Bat out of Hell at the Qudos Arena in the Olympic Park, the site of Sydney's Olympic Summer Games 2000, when the arena had hosted the basketball tournament. Public Transport in Australia is a bit of a mess as I found out to my detriment when I got onto the wrong train to Liscombe for the branch line to the Olympic Park, that earned me an hour's trundle through suburbia and a bit of anxiety whether I'd make it in time. Well, I did, but I didn't really get a chance to look around the Olympic Park more, so here's just a quick photo of the Olympic Fire in the Cathy Freeman Park, which I luckily had to cross anyway to get from the train station to the arena.

My hopes for a big arena spectacle were quickly dashed though, as it was basically reduced to "Bat in Concert" with no stage sets whatsoever and everyone using hand-held mics and of course it was slightly bizarre to see exactly the same people I saw back home in Germany only three weeks ago, but it was still amazing to be there amid a large crowd of Aussies and to have pulled another crazy trip like this.

Next morning I took it easy at the hotel before it was time to check out and return to Sydney Airport, this time to the Domestic Terminal for my Jetstar flight to Brisbane. Which, despite being even further east, is one hour back and also turned out to be a whole different and very tropical climate. Once again I was on an airport train and then a brief slog through the CBD of Brisbane, to my hotel, the Skytower (yes, the building in the picture) which actually had fancy apartments with my own kitchen, living room and everything, making me feel like moving into some VIP accommodation. Though I guess VIPs wouldn’t then rush out to the nearest supermarket to buy some breakfast stuff and other food and drink to live on. I didn’t do much more the first day beyond a walk through the Botanical Garden and to the Brisbane River that encloses the CBD on three sides, followed by dinner at a nice pub where I could finally try the Australian staple Chicken Parmi, a concoction with ham and cheese that’s rather heavy on the stomach. After the hectic days I was happy for an early evening on my own living room couch with good telly and that other Aussie staple, Lamington Sponge Cake.

Sunday was dedicated to the tourist biggie, a trip to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, where I could meet the (in)famous Australian wildlife face to face from kangaroos hopping around stupidly via toothy crocs and poisonous snakes to that weirdest joke of evolution, the platypus. The place, as the name indicates, is mostly dedicated to koalas though, taking in fluffy beasts who had been injured in the wilderness to take care of them. For 15 Aussie dollars extra you could have your photo taken with one and I just couldn’t resist (plus, it’s money for a good cause). While my new friend was wonderfully fluffy indeed, I was admittedly surprised by their heft, as it felt like a sack of potatoes being placed in my arms. Anyway, all together now: d'awwww! And here's some more Aussie wildlife, though I failed to catch a good pic of the platypus, I guess he's sick of everyone taking the piss.

Among the many koalas now living in the sanctuary was this mommy and her little one. Koalas have been screwed by evolution basically, because they only eat a few particular kinds of eucalyptus that aren't very nutritional. So they spend all their time to either eat or not do much, because they simply don't have the energy. Which doesn't do them any favours whenever parts of Australia go up in flames in summer and they can't get away quick enough. Plus one of the many kangaroos and wallabies who live in a large enclosure that allows you to feed and pet them (and watch them hop around, which, seen up close, is one of the most ludicrous things I've ever watched). And finally... some Baaaats. Well, Flying Foxes actually. Which I admit I was fine with seeing behind mesh wire, but wouldn't really want to come across in great numbers in the wild.

Above two of Australia's main predators. Even though the dingo looks like a fluffy doggo, he's really a mean one and more of a wolf. But also not clever, because by mating frequently with actual dogs he's almost literally getting rid of his predatory instincts and turning himself into a lapdog.

And here some pretty birdies, including the sung-about Kookaburra on the right, endemic only in Australia and New Guinea, the emu (saved from the brink of exinction) and finally, because Australia is just that mad, this big fat lizard that wasn't actually a zoo animal, but just wandered around the cafe like he owned it.

It was surprisingly easy to get there by public bus and back, and I was back early enough for what I had hoped would be a few hours by the hotel pool.Though while the pool’s location on the 40th floor of the Skytower offered spectacular 270-degree-views all over the Brisbane and the river, the pool area itself was rather bare and practical without any kind of loungers around the actual (fairly warm) pool. So after a few rounds, I returned to the apartment to chill there, then went on my merry way again to the South Bank, which much like London’s South Bank hosts a massive concrete bunker dedicated to the Performing Arts and a Big Wheel, but all set in lush tropical vegetation. It was wonderful to stroll around for a while and enjoy the Sunday afternoon buzz, before it was time for another show.

By sheer luck I was able to catch the Aussie tour of Six in Brisbane and since it’s one of my favourite musicals in recent years, plus a short one at only 75 mins, it was impossible to resist. I was able to grab a fairly cheap ticket at the end of the second row, which gave me a great view and the show itself was just amazing as in London with a very enthusiastic (and thoroughly female) audience. Then after a quick stop for a Tropical Burger with pineapple (yes, it’s pretty good actually) it was back in for an early evening once more, as I enjoyed having my own apartment more than I had realized. Brisbane is even shorter on history than Sydney and I also just didn't feel much like museums or anything, so on Monday morning I decided to just take it easy with another stroll through the wonderful Botanical Gardens with their ponds and some recreated mangroves by the river before heading back to my apartment for the stupidest of coincidences... a livestreamed concert from New York I had booked and paid for, which meant that while it was only Sunday evening in the Big Apple, it was Monday early afternoon in Brisbane (well, it beat a livestream at 3am German time).

Afterwards there was time for another quick trip to the pool before getting ready for the second and final outing to see Bat, this time at the Brisbane Entertainment Center, far outside the city near Boondall. I walked past the pretty city hall of Brisbane to get onto yet another suburban train, and this time even the fastest one. But as easy as it was to GET there... coming back was quite another issue as the last train stopped there at 10.17pm while the show let out at 10.30pm. Great planning much? While I hadn’t noticed much unruly audience behaviour from my front stalls seat in Sydney, my front row seat in the lower tier here became a prime spot for just that with several people trooping up the stairs just in front of me during the first act to head for the bogs and the large lady next to me bopping and rocking to the music, or chatting to her friend when not singing along. Grrr. Being prepared for the fact that it was only a concert version now, I enjoyed it more, but after the triple in Düsseldorf and the double now I’m well and truly batted-out. The evening held more fun in store – I had already resigned myself to forking out for a taxi to get back to the city, but when I headed for the taxi rank (along with a few dozen others) there were ZERO cabs waiting. A young security dude assured me that taxis would be coming... but in ten minutes of waiting none materialized. Then a minibus turned up, taking a bigger group to Brisbane and I could hitch a ride with them, which was a big relief. Less fun was the fact that the driver still charged me a full fare as if for a single passenger rather than a split part of the group price, but oh well. At this stage I was just relieved to be back in the CBD and my hotel.

After this final show highlight, the last proper holiday stage of my trip began with a train ride south to the Gold Coast and Surfer’s Paradise, that most famous of all Aussie holiday spots with miles of glorious golden beach and Pacific waves. It looks a little like Miami with a string of high-rises, both hotels and condos, but down below it was the usual laid back Aussie style. I could check into my hotel early, but found that the wifi on my floor didn’t work, so I complained and got an upgrade to a much better room further up that was once more a full apartment with kitchenette and all. Just as well then, that I had brought the left-over breakfast stuff from Brisbane with me! I went down to the famous beach then, but found the current and waves pretty strong... guess there’s a reason why the place is called Surfer’s Paradise and not Swimmer’s Paradise. So after a single swim I called it a day and returned to the hotel and would spend the next two days rather at the lovely pool than brave the Pacific again. All the same it was a nice easy-going finale to this trip down under, chilling and enjoying some Aussie summer sun before making my way back home to frigid dreary Germany via my beloved Singapore.

I had consciously arranged my flights so that I could fly out of Brisbane in the evening rather than worrying about catching a morning flight, which also meant a very early arrival in Singapore just after 5am. Since I knew everything would be dead for hours to come I had rented a day room at the Yotel for four hours (for a fairly hefty sum I thought), which had the added advantage that I got to see the incredible Jewel, ostensibly yet another shopping mall near the airport, but with an absolutely stunning waterfall in the middle that needs to be seen to be believed. After a few hours’ rest and a shower, I was ready to actually head into town – which meant a lot to me at this stage because I have a poster of Singapore over my working desk at home and during the long dreary Covid days when travel was impossible, it had been a constant reminder of my love for South East Asia in general and this place in particular. I had also been given another sidequest to occupy me, which proved a bit harder to complete (another 100 points and a free bonus Hyunjin!). I had looked forward to a nice lunch by Clarke Quay, my favourite area, but it had been turned into a massive construction site, so instead I had a quick knock-your-socks-off papaya salad in the nearby Mall, then on to Orchard Road for the second half of my sidequest and finally back to Changi Airport. Since my measly bid for a Business Class upgrade had won, I could curl up most of the evening in Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer Lounge, which served delicious Asian foods and had lovely little half-cabins, giving me privacy to watch TV and just chill until it was time to board and go home.

And of course as soon as Germany, especially Deutsche Bahn, entered the game, things went tits up – the flight from Singapore arriving so late I missed my connection and the first jerk at the Lufthansa Service Center not giving a shit, but luckily a kind and competent lady at the Airrail Terminal sorted a ticket on the next train for me. Which then proceeded to be 20 minutes late as well and my seat was double booked amid a whole herd of noisy SC Freiburg fans on their way to the game to Dortmund. I certainly didn’t want to sit amid the lot, so instead of fighting for my seat I just found some empty seats at the end of the coach instead to finally get home. Was it worth the vast expense both in time and money to go Down Under again? I don’t know. While it’s a lovely country full of incredibly friendly laid-back people and I don’t regret going back to see more of it properly, I feel like I’m done with it now, too. The endless flights, despite using business class for the longer ones, left me as knackered as that little roo here and there's just an awful lot to see far closer to home...