Australia – nature of unlimited opportunities. Reason enough, to spend our holiday for many years there. 55 weeks in Australia leads to the fact, that we know our way around there better than in Germany. Fascinated by the colorful nature, the partly rare animal world and helpful, open residents, we lost our heart to the red continent. In Australia a focal point beside (then still analog) photography as a travel activity was also the innumerable kilometers of four-wheel drive tracks.
The main attraction is being in the outback, alone and off-road. If you ever sat in the desert under the star-studded sky, you know the longing for solitude far away from civilization.
But there are also days when the nights stay sleepless. In which we are concerned with the question of whether and how we will successfully master the track tomorrow. Nights in which there is a weak hope that it can not possibly be worse than today. The fact that today it took just 7 miles at 40 degrees for just 50km caused a lot of headache. Especially for the passenger, it is very exhausting on such tracks. He always has to run ahead and check the track. Auch bei Flussdurchquerungen. Krokodile? Nur nicht daran denken. Also at river crossings. Crocodiles? Just do not think about it. Conclusion: Being a passenger is not a dream job here.
Australia is also known for its high concentration of poisonous animals, whether on land or in the water. We may meet some of them, including several Western Brown Snakes and Tigersnakes. Luckily, the distance between us and the snakes is never less than 2 meters. No reason to panic, even if we realize that if we have a Western Brown bite, we will not have a chance to reach an ICU here in the outback. On a swimming trip in a canyon in Western Australia, we meet again on the way back such a nice snake. The “brownie” takes a relaxing sunbath on a narrow stone slab. With us at eye level. We have no other option, we have to float past her at a distance of 2 meters. Our pulse is significantly increased. But better as she visits us in the water. Flight distance? Not in the least. In fact, in all our venomous snake encounters, not one of the reptiles flees from us. We are convinced that they know HOW poisonous they are and that they do not need an escape. The advantage of this animal persistence: We always have the cuddly animals in view and can decide in peace. Turn around or keep going. Exception: blindness on the human side. If you come in a bath towel in flip-flops from the deserted beach, climb into the jeep and only walk a meter past a full-grown brownie, that’s unhelpful. Luckily the snake does not mind our importunity. Tourists bonus?
On our way through Australia we circle around the globe almost three times. The distances in Australia in comparisaon to Europe are gigantic. During unexpected rainfall in the Red Center you have to accept a detour of easily 1,000 km to reach your destination.
This means losing time, which is not available for taking photos. This is also a reason why leaving behind 10,000 km in only six weeks is a thing of the past for us. Africa has smaller distances between each spot and a more diverse animal population, which leads to better photography conditions. That’s why we gave away our heart again. True to the motto: changing kangaroos and koalas for elephants and lions. We have not looked back to this day.