4th month: let’s travel!

July 4th: Last day in Mansfield!

Today was my very last day in Mansfield! I packed all my stuff and then I drove around the area with a friend to check a few nice spots. It was amazing! It finally worked out to take a picture of the beautiful parrots which you can find everywhere in Australia. Usually these birds are way too fast and you can’t even get close enough to take a picture… but it worked today!! Later in the afternoon one of my colleagues from the ski resort picked me up to drive me to Benalla where I had to take the train to Sydney later in the evening. We had so much fun tonight! We made a stop at Nillachootie lake which is a very nice lake near Mansfield and then we drove to Benalla and had dumplings for dinner. We went to some stores and then Jamie dropped me at the train station. So sweet of her to drive me here as it’s 45 mins drive! Unfortunately the train was replaced by a bus due to the heavy rain so that would take way longer… Anyway, let’s go to Sydney!

July 5th: Welcome back to Sydney😍

This morning I finally arrived in Sydney at 9:30 AM after riding on a bus for almost 11 hours… Jees, that was a long ride! But luckily the bus usually goes overnight so people can sleep. It felt so nice to be back to the place I arrived 3 months ago! I walked to my hostel to drop all my stuff and then I went for a run. After that I met my Dutch friend Dara at Alexandria which was awesome! I still think it’s so funny we know each other from the US but never met in the Netherlands and now meet in Australi! So funny! We went to the Blue Mountains together when I first got to Sydney in April! Today we went to The Grounds of Alexandria which is a café/ restaurant with a theme and at the moment the theme is ‘Alice in Wonderland’ so everything was dressed up like that! So cool!

July 6th: Rainy day… 🌧

Today I finally woke up a little later. At 7:45 I woke up and got dressed. I walked to a fitness center to ask for possibilities as a backpacker with no permanent location but unfortunately there was no staff there and I called them but I have to go back tomorrow… so instead, I went for a run in Centennial park. But today it was a very rainy day so within 5 mins I was soaking wet.. I didn’t really care actually because I needed to shower anyways… I ran almost 15 km in total and then I took a shower at the hostel and I went for a walk and did some groceries. Luckily I didn’t experience any floodings yes even though it has been on the news everywhere and even back home already. It’s mostly in Sydney’s surrounding areas I think. I looked for a new backpack but unfortunately I couldn’t find much. Tomorrow is another day tho!

July 7th: Finally gym time!!

YES! Like the title of today says already: I FINALLY WENT TO THE GYM AGAIN! After 3 months of not being able to use the gym, I really couldn’t handle it anymore. I went to the gym again today but this time the owner was there to help me. I ended up getting one week free trial which is great! I went for almost 3 hours and then I decided I should go home and take a shower. After that I decided to explore a few spots in Sydney I hadn’t been to yet. I went to The Rocks, The Pylon Lookout and first fleek park. It was really nice! The weather was also great today! Later I walked back to the hostel to make vegetable risotto with chickpeas and topped with nuts and shredded coconut!😍

July 8th: Sydney’s Sunset

Today I walked to the gym at 6:00. Had a great upper body workout and then I showered and walked to the hostel. I arranged I can stay a week for free if I help them clean 5 hours for 3 days. I thought that was a pretty good deal! I also get to use the washing machine and dryer for free! So I worked till 3 and then walked around the city with a Dutch girl I met at the hostel. We crossed the harbor bridge during sunset which was beautiful! When we got back there was a bbq at the hostel which we joined for a bit and then she had to go to the bus to go to Byron bay. 

July 9th: Manly Beach!

Today I started the day at the gym again and after that I showered quick and walked back to the hostel to get ready to go to Manly. I was super excited as I hadn’t been there yet and everyone says it’s definitely worth going there! It’s one of Sydney’s northern beaches and my friend Tina, who also worked at the farmhouse, lives there since about a month now. I was so happy to see her again! We had such a great day together and walked around the whole afternoon! Later when I got back to the city I met my friend Dara to go to the Argyle for happy hour which was a great bar! Then we went bar hopping basically the rest of the night and that was so much fun! It’s nice to speak Dutch sometimes! And I still think it’s funny how we only met once I the US and now meet again on the other side of the world! How funny!

July 10th: Free pancake Sunday!

Yeah, almost every hostel does this! Free pancake Sunday! How nice?! Of course I want free pancakes on Sunday! I slept a little longer this morning as I was super tired. Not even because I got home late. Not at all! I just felt exhausted of strolling around the whole day! Made nearly 42.000 steps yesterday and I didn’t even go for a run! So around 7:30 I woke up and got dressed and then updated my blog and polarsteps. Then I waited till the pancakes were ready and they were delicious! From 10-3 I had to do housekeeping again for my free stay and tomorrow is the last day. Later this afternoon I went to the gym which was nice and then I had the risotto leftover for dinner.

July 11th: Spending money day!

Today I woke up early again to go to the gym. After that I walked back to the hostel to have breakfast and then I took the bus to a Sydenham where the Decathlon is. This is a big sports outlet and I really needed to get new running shoes. As they had a deal for new members that you get $20 off of you spend $100 or more, I decided to also get some new running pants, top, gloves, socks and resistance bands. All just for $83,50! Crazy! Never went to this store before but it’s so nice! Love it! While I was there I also called my friend Jasmine who I met in Chicago 2 years ago. She also lives close to Philly so we met quite a few times and we’re still in touch sometimes. I felt like I spent a lot of money today and I usually don’t (just for flights😂), but it was great! I met with Tina at the opera house where we took some pictures and later we went to Frankie’s pizza bar and apparently they had $1 slices every day between 4 and 6 so at least I saved some money there! Later in the hostel I watched a movie with another Dutch girl which was great!

July 13th: Watsons Bay

Today I went to the gym again in the morning. It was very rainy this morning so I was happy to be able to do something inside. After that I got accepted for a task on the app called ‘Airtasker’ and this is an app where people can post different tasks they need help with and t they pay you for that. Never tried this before but really wanted to give it a try. I went to Watsons Bay to help people with unpacking and organizing everything as they just moved in to a new house. They were such wonderful people! I really enjoyed helping them! And the area was absolutely beautiful! The view over the city was insane! When I went back the sunset was really beautiful! 

July 14th: Last day in Sydney

Today was my last day in Sydney. Finally going on a roadtrip tomorrow! I really can’t wait! Today I went to the gym one last time and after that I got ready and met with my travel buddies in the city. I planned the whole trip with Rebecca and Alex is joining us with his own car and rooftop tent. They’re both very nice and I’m very excited to finally head north and go to the warmer weather and go camping! We had lunch together and later after walking around a bit we went back to our stays and I did my laundry and talked with my friends from the hostel. 

July 15th: Roadtrip Day 1: Coffs Harbour!

Today it was FINALLY time for the roadtrip! Rebecca picked me up around 7:30 and then we drove to the camp ground Alex was staying at (a little north from Sydney). Then we all left in the direction of Port Macquarie. On the way we stopped for a lunch break and then we drove to the Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie. Such a wonderful place! It’s great to see how many kolas the hospital volunteers saved already. Each of them have a different story why they got there. Such lovely and beautIdyl animals!! After this nice koala visit we drove further to Coffs Harbour. This was our first Pitt stop. We are staying in Hoey Moey motel which is amazing and has a very cool bar and restaurant! We enjoyed the beach and I went for a beautiful sunset run and saw an amazing view on top of a hill! After that we had dinner and enjoyed the live music a lot! Tomorrow we’re heading towards Byron Bay!

July 16th: Roadtrip Day 2: Byron Bay!

Today I started the day with a nice morning run and the sunrise was amazing! After that I took a quick shower and at 8:00 we left towards Byron Bay which was about 2,5 hours drive. We arrived here in the morning so we had the whole day in front of us. So nice to be in the warm weather and be able to chill at the beach! We did some groceries first and then immediately walked to the beach! Amazing! Then we took some time for ourselves and I walked back to the beach as this is my happy place and it was a great afternoon! I couldn’t resist the frozen yogurt place I passed and I spent almost $10 for it, but it was amazing and I really needed this! After about 1,5 hour I walked to the campground we would stay at for at least one night (probably 2!). Alex set up the rooftop tent already and decorated it with some fairy lights and that was great! We went for dinner together and Rebecca went for dinner with a friend. Later we all went back together and went to bed. 

July 17: Roadtrip Day 3: Beach Day!

Today was another beautiful day in Byron Bay! The weather was great and I went for a run in the morning again. I ran to the lighthouse and it was pretty heavy with all the hills but the view was definitely  great! After that I took a shower and then we had breakfast together. After this I went to the beach as the other two wanted to check the lighthouse as well. Then I walked back to the camp ground where Alex started a camp fire. So nice! I went for a walk to the beach near the camp ground and then I cooked dinner. I made tortillas with veggies, guacamole and tuna and they were great! Later Rebecca came back and we all sat around the fire together. Cheers to another amazing day!

July 18th: Roadtrip Day 4: On the road again!

Today I went for a run towards the city (Byron Bay) at 6:20. When I came back I quickly took a shower and then we had breakfast all together. We got ready to go and we left towards the Minyon Falls. These water falls were very nice! Unfortunately the trail was closed due to the floodings probably but we could still see the falls a bit! After that we drove to Springbrook National park where we pull camp fro the night. On the way we made a stop at the National Bridge and that was such a magical spot! Amazing that Mother Nature created that! It was a little colder to camp in the middle of nowhere so we cooked pasta with veggies and pesto and set up the tent. There were some other creatures who really liked our dinner as well… Then we went to bed early as it was chilly outside. The stars were beautiful tho!

July 19th: Roadtrip Day 5: Springbrook National Park✨

Today I woke up early again. I decided to go for a walk this time as I knew we would go hiking pretty far later. Unfortunately the only cafe nearby was still closed as it was just 7:00 AM so I decided to walk to one of the look out points we wanted to go to later. Just to check the sunrise from there. By accident I ended up doing one of the hikes we planned on doing later all together as I got a little lost in the rain forest after the first look out. But the hike was amazing and I didn’t care if I had to do it again! The Purlingbrook falls are so stunning! Loved it! Later when I finally had reception to text the others what was going on, they drove towards me and then we went to another look out a little further. It was foggy in the beginning but later the clouds passed away and we had a great day in the rain forest! We did 2 hikes and one was the one I did earlier and the other one was to the Twin falls. Also amazing waterfalls! Between the hikes we went to a cafe nearby to have some lunch. After the second hike we went to a camp ground close to Lamington National park as we want to go there tomorrow. The owner wasn’t there but one of the guests told us he would be fine if we would stay the night and pay tomorrow. We made a camp fire an had a whole grass field for ourselves! Amazing! We made dinner together and took a fresh splash in the creek which was freezing but still very refreshing! And after that we went in the tent and went to sleep!

July 20th: Roadtrip Day 6: Lamington National Park🦜

Today was the last day in of camping in the nature. So sad because I loved it so much! Totally in the middle of nowhere, no reception, nothing. Just one with the nature. It felt amazing! This morning I went for a run and after wards I jumped in the creek again. After that we packed everything and drive to Lamington National park where we did 2 hikes, each 3-4 km. Both hikes were around the Morans Falls which was a beautiful waterfall. On top of the falls we meditated all together. I usually never meditate as I basically just don’t think it’s something for me or that I have enough patience for it, but it actually felt great! Later we had lunch close to the park and here the parrots flew around our face all the time. Crazy! But they’re such beautiful birds! Love the red ones especially! After that we drove to the camp ground we wanted to stay our last camping night. This was a camp ground at a farm close to Gold Coast. The owner can once we called and tried to move the kettles to their way. But that wasn’t as easy as he thought I think… it took him at least 45 mins to get them to the right spot. When he left we made a last camp fire and cooked together. I did a little workout before dinner and then we sat at the fire for a few hours. Once we were tired we went to bed. 

July 21st: Roadtrip Day 7: Gold Coast🙃

Today I woke up because of the heavy rain! We were so lucky so far the rest of our road trip, but today the sunny weather came to an end. I didn’t go running due to this and we packed up the tent but it was all wet. Luckily the last day of camping for Rebecca and me. But Alex has to go back tomorrow so that might be a problem for him… Around 8:30 we drove to Gold Coast and I checked in to my hostel. Rebecca and Alex wanted something fancier and went to a hotel instead. I had trouble with charging my phone as it kept saying I couldn’t charge it as there was liquid detected in the lightning connector. No idea how as my phone hadn’t been wet from the rain or something, but it didn’t charge. A few hours later it was still 1% but luckily later it worked again. I went to their hotel and stayed there to do my laundry and Rebecca gave me a key to use the hot tub and pool. That was amazing! Later Alex made dinner for all of us and that was a yummy salmon with veggies! Loved that!! After that I walked back to the hostel and talked with some other backpackers and after that I was so tired that I went to sleep! 

 July 22nd: Roadtrip Day 8: Surfers Paradise

Today it was mostly dry the whole day luckily! I went for a run in the morning and after that I met with Rebecca and Alex to drink something together before Alex had to go back to Sydney. So crazy that we’ve already had a week full of adventures! It actually feels like we’ve known each other for a long time and our friendship grow very fast! The rooftop tent was amazing and I’ll definitely miss it so much! The rest of the day I walked through the city and visited a few shops. After that I went to the hostel to cook dinner and then I went to bed pretty early. I decided to take the bus to Brisbane tomorrow as Rebecca wanted to stay in Gold Coast a bit longer and I didn’t really want to. Excited to see a new place again!

July 23rd: Roadtrip day 9: Let’s go to Brisbane!

Today I went for a run and then I got ready for my bus trip to Brisbane. Unfortunately the bus was late but we still arrived in Brisbane only 10 mins later than scheduled. I dropped my stuff at the hostel and walked through the city. It was great walking around until my phone was dead and I didn’t know where to go or how to get back to the hostel. I went to a mall but it didn’t charge either. After walking around for a few hours I found the way back luckily! In my hostel room was a Japanese guy who gave me a new charging cable for free as he had 3 of them! So nice! I charged my phone and had dinner and then I walked to Southbank which is the area along the Brisbane river. It’s very nice to walk along the River! The sunset was very pretty and I also walked to the Fairy trees.

July 24th: Roadtrip day 10: What a beautiful day!🤩

Today it was my dad’s birthday! It was the 4th year in a row I wasn’t home for his birthday. It feels so weird! Is tatted my day with a 15 K run and after that I called him which was nice! Then I took the ferry from South Bank to New Farm and this was very nice and relaxing in the sun! I didn’t know Brisbane has free ferry’s that take you to several spots along the Brisbane River! Definitely worth if you go here! Tomorrow I’ll drive to Noosa with Rebecca and there our road trip will come to an end unfortunately as :I’ll go to Fraser to do a tour and she’s going to do volunteering work there for a few weeks. In the evening I talked to a few people from my hostel which was nice!

July 25th: Last day roadtrip with Becca!

Today I went for a run again in the morning and after that Rebecca picked me up at the hostel to drive to Noosa. On the way I really wanted to stop at the Dutchy’s Bakehouse as I really wanted to know if they really had Dutch bakery stuff. They did have the Dutch Kroketten, frikandellen and fries as well and all kinds of breads, spreads, cakes and pies! So funny! Because it was still morning I didn’t want to eat this so I got two apple turnovers and they were delicious! After a quick stop here we drove to Noosa. I dropped my stuff at the hostel and after that I walked to Noosa National park to meet with Rebecca and do the coastal walk together. We walked along the beach and went to the look out points and unfortunately the fairy pools were ‘closed’ due to road construction, but because many other people just sneaked passed the fences, we did this as well! But the pools were not that pretty in my opinion but at least we’ve seen them now! Later we watched the sunset together and then it was time to say good bye which felt so weird! It really felt like I’ve known Becca for a long time! Learned so much from her and so grateful I met her! She’s going to work on Fraser Island and I’ll just do a tour there and then head further north by greyhound. Later in the night I had a briefing for my Fraser Island trip as we are allowed to drive as well in the 4WDs! So excited!

July 26th: Fraser Island Day 1!

Today my tour to Fraser Island finally started! Today the weather was best for this week so that was great! At 7 we left from the hostel towards Fraser Island. We are with a group of 22 people in total. When we got to Rainbow Beach we picked up the 4WDs and drove to the ferry which took us to Fraser. When we got there we got a nice welcome from one of the dingoes and a dolphin family with a white baby dolphin. So nice!! We drove to the camp ground and settled and had lunch. After that we drove to Lake McKenzie, one of the freshwater lakes on Fraser. The sand is so soft here as it doesn’t contain any salt or other minerals. After that we drove through the center of the island and it was so funny cause on the one side we had a rainforest and on the other side was bush with pine trees! Tonight we had pasta for dinner and after that we played some drinking games and I watched the stars with a few other people. I saw 4 shooting stars! Amazing!✨

July 27th: Tour Day 2!

Today I woke up at 5:45 to watch the sunrise and this was insane! So gorgeous with all the colors! The sun appeared at 6:30 but until that time, the colors were stunning! After this I was still the only one awake together with one other girl from Perth. Everyone had to be up at 7 but no one was. So we decided to make pancakes. Around 9 we left to the Champagne Pools and on the way there I drove for about an hour which was amazing! It was a bit scary in the beginning in the soft sand but I still liked it! The pools were amazing! I met my Dutch friend Dara there who was also on a Fraser Island tour but then a different one. During our lunch at a different camp ground we saw a really big lizard. So cool!! On the way back to our own camp ground we made a stop at the Maheno Shipwreck which is 85 years old and contains the best steal in the world apparently. Then we drove to Eli Creek and this was a very nice fresh water creek you could kinda slide down from as it went a little down hill and was only knee length so you could walk as well. We had dinner at the camp ground and played lots of drinking games which was very funny and I saw 8 shooting stars tonight! Omg!

July 28th: Tour day 3, last day Fraser!

Today I woke up again for the sunrise and I made breakfast with Iasla (the girl from Perth). Of course no one was ready on time besides us again so we left at 9:30 instead of 8:30 and we went to Lake Wobby. There we did a hike over the sand dunes and the hike ended in the Lake. It was a very nice and easy hike and the sand dunes were very cool! The lake was refreshing but the water was green so it felt a bit weird to swim in it. There were huge black fishes which looked like little sharks! So funny! After that we drove back towards the ferry and went to some souvenir shops and had lunch. After that it was time to head back to Noosa and we saw some dingoes on the way to the ferry! I had 3 amazing days on this beautiful island! So thankful for the people I met here! And the animals I saw! 

July 29th: Nice day in Noosa!

Today I had a nice day in noosa. Went for a run in the morning, took a shower and had breakfast. And then I walked to the Laguna Lookout which was very pretty. After that I walked to the National park again and I met Dara and her friend Sanne on the way. It was so funny cause we were all Au Pairs in the Us. I didn’t know Sanne but she was also Dutch and met Dara a few times in the US and The Netherlands and they came to Aussie together! We did a little hike and then chilled at the beach for a bit! I went back to the hostel to cook some dinner and after that I did my laundry and I chilled with some people from my Fraser tour which was nice!

July 30th: Last day in Noosa!

Today was my last day in Noosa. I went for a run in the morning and then I met with Dara, Sanne and another girl from the Uk from their Fraser tour and we went to the Eumundi Markets. These markets were lovely and we spent the whole morning there! Later we had lunch there and after that they went to Noosaville and I had to go back to the hostel and get ready for a 17-hour bus ride to Airlie! Yeehoo! So NOT looking forward to this bus trip! But excited to go to Airlie tho! Together with another guy from my Fraser tour, I walked to the bus and we waited there. And then the journey begin… Wish me luck…

July 31st: Finally in Airlie!

Today I finally got to Airlie Beach around 10:30. The ride was not horrible but not great either. The bus driver had his first day and drove the wrong direction a few times and that’s why it took longer. I also didn’t really fall asleep for long and my legs were so sore! When I arrived in Airlie and dropped my stuff at the hostel, I immediately went for a run as I needed to move my legs! My first impression about Airlie is that it’s a wonderful city with great beaches and good vibes! I could stay here for a while! Maybe I’ll come back in a few weeks! I met many Dutch people here which was fun! Also on the bus I met a few and they are at the same hostel and invited me to come over for a drink! It was a great night! 

August 1st: Honeyeater hike💪🏼

Today I woke up early again and I went for a run along the ocean which was nice. After that I decided to do a hike. This one was called the ‘Honeyeater hike’ and it was an 8 km hike. What I didn’t know was that the first 4 km were only up hill… so that was a great workout! The lookout at the top was nice but not as exciting as other views I had seen. The way back was mostly down hill which I dislike as it’s so bad for your knees. Tomorrow I’m going to the Whitsundays and I’m so excited for that! I’m going there together with Kristel, a Dutch girl I met in Sydney when I arrived in Australia in April! So fun we’re meeting again! I also booked skydiving for Wednesday and I can’t wait for this as this has been my dream forever! This evening I had pizza together with Kristel and she booked the skydive as well so we could do this together! So nice! We also met a woman from Belgium which was very nice and she’ll go to Whitsundays as well tomorrow!

August 2nd: Whitsundays!😍

Today I finally went to the Whitsundays! In other words- the Maldives of Australia! What a paradise! Insane how clear the ocean is there! I would’ve never thought there would be such a magical place like Curaçao since I went there in April 2019, but this, this place was just gorgeous! Kristel and I did the ocean rafting tour so we could see most of the Whitsundays in one day! We also enjoyed the Great Barrier Reef and went snorkeling there. So beautiful! My day couldn’t get any better when we spotted a whale and a sea turtle and later a tree snake! We did a short hike to different lookouts of Whitehaven beach which was nice! Then we chilled at the beach and had lunch there. Later in the afternoon we went back to Daydream island and then back to Airlie Beach. I met some more Dutch girls there and a few Germans and 2 of them wanted to go skydiving as well tomorrow! I’m so excited!

August 3rd: My dream came true!🪂😍

Today my biggest childhood dream finally came true! I went skydiving over the Whitsundays with a beach landing! Nothing better than that! I still don’t really realize I’ve finally done it! This morning at 7:10 AM we got picked up at the hostel and drove about half an hour to the little location where the plane and all skydiving gear were. I was tired but also very excited! For some reason I wasn’t scared at all whereas the days after I booked it, I was very nervous. But I looked forward to this for such a long time and now was the time finally! All I can say is that it was F*CkING AMAZING!!! The flips out of the plane, the free fall, stirring the parachute, every single second was the best second ever! I thought I would feel it a lot in my belly but I didn’t! Print because of the air pressure! After my jump I went for a run around the area as we had to wait a few hours for the others to jump and then when we got back to Airlie I jumped in the pool!

August 4th: Made it to Townsville!

Today I went for a run in the morning and after that I packed my stuff to get ready to go to Townsville. The bus was scheduled at 10:10 but we left at 10:30 because it was delayed and still everyone had to store all their luggage… Pff… At 3:15 we arrived in Townsville and I checked in at my hostel. It was a nice and quiet place which I liked! It seems a nice but quiet city as I walked through it but it’s nice to be in a more calming place! When I saw a sign to the Castle Hill lookout I remembered one of the girls I met in Airlie told me this was very nice so I decided to do that hike. Not knowing that there were 1300 steps to climb and I was just wearing normal clothes… Completely sweaty I made it to the top,  but the view was definitely worth the climb! I FaceTimed my parents for a bit so they could also see the view but the connection was very bad. They are on a holiday in France so I miss them a little more now! Later I went to an Indian restaurant with Martin, a Dutch guy I met in Airlie. (Omg I met soooo many Dutch people there! Unbelievable!!) The food was delicious!

August 5th: Magnetic Island🐨♥️

Today I went for an early morning run again and after that I hurried to get to the ferry on time to go to Magnetic Island. A couple I met on Fraser Island was also going there today and we decided to go together with the 3 of us and do some short hikes. But we ended up hiking non stop from 8:30-2:30  crazy! The 2 hikes I wanted to do were about an hour each but instead we walked all the way around and walked 18,5 km in total! Crazy! But the hikes were amazing! We saw very cute rock wallabies and later I finally spotted my first wild koala! Finally after almost 4 months! I’ve seen them in parks and a zoo but not in Wild! They’re so cute!! After hiking for so long and not feeling our legs anymore due to all the big hills and stairs we climbed, we decided to chill at the beach the rest of the day. We stayed in Horseshoe beach which was nice and watched the sunset there. Unfortunately the bus was late so we missed the ferry and had to wait 1,5 hour but we were going nuts for some reason and we couldn’t stop laughing! So fun! 

August 6th: Magnetic Island for free!🤣

Today I planned to go to cairns but after I went for a run and packed all my stuff I saw the bright blue sky with  the sun shining above and all I could think was ‘I don’t want to sit in a bus on a day like this’’ so I canceled my bus and changed my booking for the hostel in Cairns and instead, I stayed in Townsville one more night and took the ferry to Magnetic Island again. As they didn’t scan my ticket yesterday, I could use my ticket again for free and no one would notice as it’s valid for 30 days but for one return! So funny! I did a short hike in the south of the island and then chilled at the beach. I met some people form Airlie which was fun! Tomorrow I’m going to cairns in the morning!

August 7th: Off to Cairns!

Today I departed to Cairns in the morning. On the way we had a quick stop and then we drove straight to Cairns. Once I arrived there I checked in at the hostel right away. I did my laundry and explored the city while I was waiting. It seems pretty cool here! When I put my clothes in the dryer I walked to the Esplanade for sunset and that was very nice! Unfortunately the lagoon was still closed today but I heard it is gonna reopen tomorrow! How nice! I cooked pasta with mushrooms and onion and tuna and then I was totally exhausted and just talked with some girls from the hostel!

August 8th: Beach day Palm Cove!🌴

Today I went for a run along the beach in the direction of the botanical garden. I made it there and ran around for a bit and then I ran back. After that I took a quick shower and had breakfast and then I went to Palm Cove with 4 other German girls who invited me to join them. Unfortunately it was pretty cloudy here so we didn’t stay very long, but it was still nice! Once we got back to Cairns we went to the Lagoon and that was very refreshing! After that I cooked dinner at the hostel.

August 9th: Chasing Waterfalls!💦

Today I walked to another hostel after I went for a run as Bounce (where I stayed for 2 nights) was pretty noisy at night. I went to Giligan’s which I thought would be worst until I heard the German girls saying it was actually very nice and clean here. So I decided to give it a try. They were definitely right! Such a big and nice hostel with a very big bar and club and a pool! I waited for 2 other German girls I was with yesterday as we were gonna go to some waterfalls and rainforests with another Dutch couple who have a car. So nice! We started our trip at the Curtain Fig tree which is an extremely big tree. Basically 3 trees that cover each other like a curtain. It’s approximately 500 years old! After that we drove to Lake Eacham where I saw my first Crocodile warning. Didn’t see any crocs! We also stopped at a platypus lookout but nothing to be found here unfortunately… After that we drove to the Millaa Millaa waterfall and this was gorgeous! Couldn’t wait to jump in and so I did of course! It felt amazing to swim in the waterfall and stand behind it! We did a hike at the northern river lookout and then drove to the Josephine Falls! On the way back to Cairns we made an ice cream stop and then we drove back. Such a nice day!

August 10th: Fitzroy Island!

Today I started the day with a run again and after that I got ready for a day to Fitzroy Island which is an island on the Great Barrier Reef. Together with Milena, one of the German girls who joined yesterday as well. We met at 8 at the reception to walk to the ferry together and at 8:30 the ferry left. About 45 mins later we arrived and immediately start hiking the Summit trail as we wanted to do this before it would get too hot. It was such a cool but very steep hike with an amazing view! After this we went back down and then we chilled and snorkeled at the beach. The coral is crazy here! So beautiful! I was so scared to touch it by accident as the tide was very low! Later we walked to Nudey beach but it was very windy here so we didn’t stay very long. We grabbed a drink at a cafe and then went to another beach until we had to get back to the ferry. Fitzroy is a beautiful island and I definitely enjoyed my day here!

August 11th: Another day in Cairns!🌞

Today I went for another run and after that I had breakfast and did some shopping as I needed a few new tops. After that I went to the lagoon and later my friend Martin from The Netherlands joined me. I met him in Airlie as well and he’s traveling with another guy from Estland who he met a few weeks ago. Together we went for a walk and later we went to his hostel to pick up his friend to do a little hike. We did the Mount Whitfield hike and walked through the botanical Garden which was nice! After that they dropped me at my hostel and I cooked dinner and then I called my best friend from The Netherlands and that was very nice! Miss everyone a lot, especially this time of the year with all the holidays and festivals!

August 12th: Barron Gorge Falls & hike!

Today I went for a run and after that I met Martin and his friend Levor for breakfast as we planned to go on a little day trip to the Barron Falls togetherN I was super excited as they look beautiful on the pictures! We went to the look out point and after that we did a hike which was 12 km and very steep! On our way we saw the police, a helicopter and an SES (Social Evacuation Service) so we were sure something bad had happened… once we finally got back we heard from the police that someone jumped down a mountain and died. Got goosebumps right away when I heard that. Crazy how people can be so out of there mind and so far away that they do this. Same thing happened the other day in the hostel I stayed at in Airlie Beach. A 22-year-old English guy who worked at that hostel killed himself. Guys, those stories are just terrible and really touch me! There was a point in my life where I also didn’t want to live anymore but I’m so happy I got out of that part in my life! And that’s why it makes me so incredibly sad to hear these stories around me. I cooked dinner and nimmer with a Belgium girl and gave her some dinner as well. Later we went to my room as my roomies from Melbourne invited me to go out with them. They’re such amazing girls and I’m so happy I met them! I got changed and got ready and we went to the bar at Giligan’s as that was just downstairs. Anne, the Belgium girl decided to go back to her hostel as she didn’t feel like going out. So I went out with the other girls and I had a blast! Think I haven’t had that much fun for a while! I needed that!

August 13th: Nice Chill day!🌺

Today was my last full day in Cairns! So sad as I just met all these wonderful people! But, I honestly also want to go to Darwin and finally settle for a bit after being on the road for 6 weeks already! I’m a little sad I didn’t get to see Daintree yet and the Outer Barrier Reef, but I’m sure I’ll go back to Cairns later this year! I went for a run in the morning and then I went to Rusty’s market to get some avocados and apples. After that I went to the Lagoon and there I met the other girls from Melbourne. We chilled there for a bit and had some lunch and then we walked to the hostel and they went to the Dome (little indoor zoo) and I went back to the lagoon to make a travel plan and budget list. I needed to do this as I’ve got so many plans before the end of this year! I want to got to the West Coast, visit my host family in the Us, make a trip to Bali and Thailand with my best friend and all this in a few months! And it’s pretty tough to make a plan as I don’t like planning ahead too much and prefer to just go with the flow. But now I have to! Luckily the plan worked out and later I met with the Dutch couple to watch the fireworks. After that I went to The Salt House which is a nice restaurant and bar and here I met with 2 couples, one from Canada and one from NEw Zealand and the UK. Both very nice! I met with them cause I saw a Facebook comment from the Canadese couple that they also want to travel the west coast and they want to hire a car. Hope we can travel together maybe cause they are so sweet! I went out with another Dutch girl I met at Salt House and her name was Merel. We had so much fun!