hi guys,

since my last blog i travelled about 31 hours by bus ... my original plan was to stop in byron bay for surfing, but i couldn't find any accommodation in byron bay, as this is a very popular spot, especially at weekend ... so after trying to get a bunk bed in 4 hostels i decided to give my luggage in a public storage room for some hours and go with John to the most easterly point of Australia ... was quite a tough walk, as we had to hurry up to see the sunset we even runned uphill ... we nearly got the sunset, but anyway it was worth to go there ...

after our hike we had dinner and some beers in a pub and then i had to leave to get my 1am bus which took me in 13 hours to Sydney ... i arrived in Sydney at about 2:30 in the afternoon and as i was to lazy i took the first hostel ... was the most expensive hostel i ever took, 38.5 bucks per night (normally between 22-26) ... but anyway, i took it ... although i was tired i forced myself to do some sightseeing ... so i went to the skytower and baught a ticket for the next days skywalk ... then i went to the opera and and took fotos of the opera, royal botanic garden and the harbour bridge ... unfortunately it started to rain very heavy, so i tried to go back ... what i didn't know at that time is, that the rain would go on the next days ...s***! in the evening i did nothing special, i just met Gabrielle who also arrived that day in sydney in my hostel pub ...

the next day i had my skywalk ... was a little disappointed, as i thaught we would go outside the tower and have at least a little climb ... but we took only the lift and then went outside in the height of 250 metres above the ground ... the outside lift took us another 10 metres, so we were 260 metres above sydney ... the view was brilliant, although it was very cloudy ... we were equipped like mountain climbers, were connected with the tower with our own rope (for security, of course) had our own headset to listen to the guide, as it was very windy we couldn't understand him without that technical help ... unfortunately you are not allowed to take any picture (you are not allowed to take anything outside there for security reasons), so the guide made some and sold them very expensive afterwards ... but we were allowed to go for free once again to the tower's observation deck to take some pictures from there ... but all in all, i expected something different from this tour, but anyway the view was awesome ...

afterwards i went to harbour bridge, at least i tried to cross it, but it started to piss again so i searched for a roofed place near the bridge which i found at pylon look out ... waited there for 30-40 minutes, as the rain got less i went to The Rocks, Sydney's oldest district ... there i found a german beer restaurant (Loewenbraeu) ... they even had Stiegl Bier on their menu, but unfortunately it was out of stock, so i orderd german beer ... but believe me, after weeks of australian beer you appreciate german beer ;) ... even as austrian ;) ... i also got a brilliant goulash soup, a pretzel and the first time a real bread (not a sandwich, toast or similiar) ... after my lunch an australian guy came to me and asked if he could join me for some beers and ask me about austria as he visits our lovely country in septembre for some days on his way to england ... he even spoke some sentence in german ... when i asked him, why he wants to visit austria he explained to me:"Because of Inspector Rex (Kommissar Rex)". i couldn't believe, that this austrian serie is also shown in australia ... but every thursday at 7:30pm there is inspector rex on tv ... in GERMAN with english subtitle ... very cool ;) ... i didn't see it so far, hopefully i will manage to see it before i leave australia, but i don't think so ... so we talked about 3 hours about australia and austria, then his friend came and invited me without knowing me to 2 beers and as i wanted to pay one for him, he only answered "welcome to australia' ;)) unfortunately it still pissed so i had to run home to my hostel ... with a 3-hour pitstop in an internet shop ;)) ... i also decided to leave sydney the next day as it was not that great city i had expect ...

the next day i booked the overnight bus to melbourne ... from 3pm to 7:30 am the next day ... everything looks so close on the map, but in reality it's fu***** far away ;) ... on my last day (ok, i will return to sydney on the 10 of may for 3 days again) i visited darling harbour .. and guess how the weather was like ... yes, it pissed (still or again, i don't know) ... i don't know how to describe darling harbour, best would be that's a very touristic place, but you can also relax there in the park, visit the maritime museum, a war ship, a submarine, a wildlife park, an ocean park .... and lots of restaurants ... spent there the half day and at 3 pm i left sydney ... and it was still raining ... i really hoped, that melbourn will get better even if it's more in the south what means that it is colder there (remember, it's getting winter in australia) ... the bus journey was not that comfortable as the others, there was too much leg room so you couldn't press your feet on the front chair ... strange, i know ...

arrived in melbourne at 7:30 in the morning (i was always on time with premier bus, don't know how they could hold their timetables over such a long distane, other companies had big troubles with their timetables, i heard from other travellers) ... and the weather was perfect ... sunshine, no wind, not too hot, not too cold ...

so because of the bad weather in sydney and no accommodation in byron bay i didn't surf so far ... but i have one more chance in australia: sydney in may, i hope the weather will be better then ... if not, maybe i will try it in new zealand, where i will be in 2.5 weeks ... the time is real flying away ...

ok, melbourne stories will be written down the next time, ...

cu soon, i wish everybody a nice weekend, as i saw in the calender for some it might be a long weekend ... enjoy yourself!