It was time to hit the road again after the beautiful stay with Ben and his family in Jervis Bay. I am writing this in the first days of 2014 (shame on me, i promise to keep my journal updated more frequently from now on), but memories are still very much alive, exciting times lay behind me and more articles are in the making. The plan was to make my way to Melbourne (where i still am now), almost a 1000 km journey along the coast and the longest bit so far for me and my little van. I’m starting to get used to travelling on my own, but i have to admit, there have been some awkward moments challenging my instincts and showing me that i have been living in cities for the last few years. Those nights when you drive around trying to find a place to spend the night and end up on a dark parking lot, bravely heading out equipped with a torch to explore the surroundings, when you realise that the parking lot is very much alive and a few mammals are cruising around. I did retreat to my van, and had a good laugh about myself since i was most definitely the biggest living thing around, and the one seeking shelter while the cute Wombat a few meters away didn’t pretty much give a damn. The universe does not spin around me, I thought, i’m part of it. So I decided to become friends with that Wombat, hoping that a snake wouldn’t join the party. The road for me, just like for many others, symbolises a great bit of freedom. The right music, stopping when you want to, facing things when they come up, unplanned, unscheduled, be it rain or sun. I drove from Jervis Bay to Bawley Point and stayed at a great beach camp site on Pretty Beach. My morning Yoga on the beach was troubled by many dead birds washed ashore. Probably a storm that took them down. Bawley Point was the most wildlife i had seen and finally there where lots of Kangaroos, all around the camp site. I drove to Bermagui, Eden and down to Malacoota (rainy days, so not much to exploring i could do). I passed Metung and Port Albert (both very touristy and no places to stay for long) and got a great tip by a german couple pointing me to a free camping spot on a place called Paradise Beach. I arrived late but found the beach dipped in the most amazing red light. I took some pictures and i met a lady who had the same idea. She was maybe a bit over 60, but had that spark in her eyes. She told me how much she loved travelling and visiting new places, that she wanted to live in France and was currently trying to sell her house on that beach. With slight sadness she added “I wish i had started travelling earlier, but I waited for my children to grow up”. I was impressed by her will to still get out there and confidently told her that it is never too late to see the world. We spoke about visiting Australia, and she said something that stuck with me ever since “I would love to see more, but distances are a problem!”. Later on my trip this would become more obvious, by foot, by car and whatever means of transport, this place is BIG and I was still underestimating it. The next day I got a message from my friend from Melbourne recommending me to pass by a place called “Wilson’s Promontory”. The GPS behaved, gave me directions and i without any expectations arrived in a vast national park that left me with my mouth wide open. If you come to Victoria, come and see Wilson’s Prom! Stay for a few days, take your time and it will be long remembered. Later that day i had to be in Melbourne so i didn’t do what i am recommending you to do, but i promised “Wilson” that i’d be back. The city of Melbourne was next, after a week on the road and almost 1500 km a promising perspective. This city is bursting with creative souls, positive vibes and many little projects and startups i’ll happily write about. And that’s yet another tale still to be told… scroll down for photos. Happy New Year Everyone!
