A love letter to a very different country with so different people.
We were traveling in the heat and almost suffocated in it.
We reloaded the bicycles every day.
The day on the bicycle started at dusk and ended at midday when the heat became unbearable.
We needed to take care of our water management.
The highway seemed endless some days.
We pitched our tent on hot ground and kept sweating at night.
The sunrises and sunsets are the most beautiful I have seen in the last 2 years.
We cursed the rain, we cursed the drought.We held ice-cold beer in our hands in the evenings.
At least one dead kangaroo every 200 metres killed by a car or truck, each in a different stage of decomposition.
We cycled past endless expanses with an infinite number of termite mounds and burnt tree trunks.
Every now and then there were dead cows or wild boars lying on the side of the road and other now indefinable animals.
We are in a country where cyclists are respected and cyclists show consideration.
With Brisbane we have experienced the most bicycle-friendly city.
We have seen the cultivated cowboy mentality with little talking, cowboy hats and extra large boots.
Not one Australian was unfriendly.
Australians are sporty and at the same time real bon vivants.
And the road trains? Dead silence, but the earth trembles when a road train approaches the Australian down under.
We cycled past hundreds of kilometers of sugar cane plantations.
They must be survival artists.
The fact that Australians are able to survive on an island teeming with sharks, crocodiles, snakes, spiders, jellyfish and other terrifying creatures that are only too happy to send them to an early grave is a survival of the fittest. And we’ve heard stories about all these animals sending people to their graves. So they are probably true.
I felt in love with this country
Whatever it is, this country transports this special feeling.
I’ve never said this before and I admit it, I’m actually in love with this country Australia.
The Aussies aren’t quite as outgoing, but they greet you with a smile and a “G’day, mate”.
In a country plagued by bushfires, droughts, floods, cyclones, Australia has developed a strong tradition of friendship, where people volunteer to help and receive help from others, especially in times of need… A friend can be a partner, brother, sister, daughter, son or even a friend or a complete stranger. Yes, we actually became good friends with some Aussies 🙂
Australians are simple.
Not stupid, but simple. Nothing makes an Australian happier than a barbecue with the family, a beer at the end of the day with a friend, a good coffee after a morning ride together. Simple pleasures rather than something more extravagant.
We’ve often heard the saying “no worries, mate” in Australia. Maybe it’s the abundance of sunshine, the kilometres of beaches, the unspoilt nature or the excellent quality of life, but nothing seems to get under the skin of Australians.
People came here to make a new start. And for various reasons, the issue of equality is perhaps more important to them than it is in other countries. This perhaps leads to Australians sometimes having a more relaxed attitude than is true, as those who stand out too much are often ridiculed.
As a visitor, I couldn’t care less. We feel comfortable, respected and welcome. We are nothing special, just 2 people on a bike looking at Australia. And experiencing genuine hospitality.
The way of speaking also feels casual.
Australians tend not to formalise things. Words like “good day” became “g’day”, “afternoon” became “arvo”, “Brisbane became “Brisi” and “barbecue” became “barbie”.
And when you cycle through Australia, you inevitably realise that the country has a lot of space. Together with the abundance of free time and the favourable climate, this certainly contributes to the relaxed attitude of Australians.
Their sense of humour is hilarious.
They dress up the termite mounds, laugh at the cyclone putting up some signs “survived Kirrily” and think microwaves or refrigerators are the better letterboxes. There’s a whole series on the letterboxes actually that made us laugh.
Now our time in Australia is already over. And I am sad. I would have liked to have covered so many more kilometres. But we are travelling in the hottest time of the year and that is getting to us. And it won’t be long before autumn and the colder and more rainy season starts in New Zealand. So we have decided to fly from Brisbane to Queenstown, NZ. Country number 20 on our journey. Wonder if I do fall in love with this one as well.
Here just some more impressions of the buildings in the rural area and in Brisbane
