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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Jan 18, 2016 09:00 PM Adelaide after years...
Yes, it is hard to believe but for the first time in Adelaide – the capital city of South Australia I have been in 1986 – 30 years ago. The city is even nicer now. Staying with my hospitable friend Ela I took the public bus to the center. It cost 3,30 AUD and you can travel on any line for 2 hours. They also offer special free bus which will drive you around the centre.
Adelaide has many elegant parks, the Oval Stadium, concert hall - after visits to the remote and small desert settlements of Nullarbor it appears like a really huge metropolis.
It is worth go take a walk along the main King William St from Victoria Square to the St Peter Anglican Cathedral. On the route you will see the Parliament of SA and hidden in the garden Government building. It is cloudy day today, but still very hot – they expect temperatures up to 39 deg Celsius. My big laundry is already on the string, drying fast in such a high temperature :)
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Jan 17, 2016 09:00 PM Happy end of Nullarbor expedition
Wake-up at sunrise, then breakfast and soon we were packing-up our little camp. Our driver got from the police all necessary papers and at 9.40 we start driving. Not far… In Port Augusta there is interesting Wadlata Outback Center – a kind of the museum showing the nature, history and culture of South Australia. Ticket cost hefty 20.50 AUD but it is worth to be there. They have installed a/c – very important in the temperature of 38 deg Celsius.
Then we were driving in the direction of Flinders Ranges to have our lunch on the roadside under the eucalyptus tree.
From Wilmington we turned 12 kms right to Alligator Gorge. This was the invention of our driver, but let you know that it was not worth the effort and sweat. Heading south – to Adelaide
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Jan 15, 2016 09:00 PM Koalas in Mikkira station
And the end of the day we reached remote Mikkira Station – it is like huge, abandoned farm located at the southern end of the peninsula. It is famous for the koalas and kangaroos. After arrival we had like an hour to wander in the forest to take the pictures of this funny creatures.
So far it was the highlight of the expedition.
Can you see on the map of South Australia the big Eyre Peninsula?. That’s we were driving today after a rather cold night in Coodlie Camp. On the western side of the peninsula there is short but picturesque gravel ocean road with a nice views from the cliff and few idyllic, empty beaches…
Then we had our lunch on the open air (noodles from the last dinner) – the food is not sophisticated…
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Jan 12, 2016 09:00 PM Cliffs of Nullarbor
Internet in the Ceduna is too weak to upload the picture, but maybe I will be able to do that later. When we are in the settlement for, say 30 minutes my companions go to the shop to buy wine and beer for themselves and me – I am running around the village to find the internet and to send you the message. Sometimes I am successful.
In the afternoon we crossed the border with South Australia state – there was time change + 2,5 hours. Dark will come earlier. In the night we experience strong winds which is not so pleasant when you sleep outdoor. I feel good but it is quite hard experience… - real new adventure!
After a night in the bush (there is a lot of bush in the desert) we were driving further east through Nullarbor. The distances are killing here: more then hundred kms from one road station to the next. The main attraction of the day was a visit to the Bigh Cliffs – picturesque ocean cliffs, more then 100 m high.
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Jan 09, 2016 09:00 PM Through Western Australia
Special mini-bus of adventure company was waiting at the door of the youth hostel at 7 am. I met my travel companions: there are different nations:Netherlands, England, Switzerland, Korea and Poland - only 10 people in total. Soon we departed heading to the Wave Rock - our first stopover was in the historic township of York. Very sunny and hot day. After visiting the strange Wave rock (really like a granite wave formed 7 million years ago) we went further west, crossing the area affected by the huge cloud of the smoke from the bush fire. It was already after sunset when we reached Esperance on the coast of the ocean. We camp outside of the town. For the first time I was sleeping in the Australian SWAG - a kind of the heavy army sleeping bag - looking into the stars. Oh, yes, they have mosquitoes, but what a experience!
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Jan 08, 2016 09:00 PM Perth -as pretty as Sydney?
I found Perth even nicer then 15 years ago. The advantage of Sydney is that it is close to the sea. Perth is located on the bank of Swan River. There are nice skyscrapers in the compact downtown and nice samples of Victorian architecture. The best panoramic view of the town is from the Kings Park located on the hill just above the narrows of the river. To get there (it is not easyto climb the hill in the heat) I took a city bus 37. It was free! In Perth within the cectral district you can travel without any ticket. Fantastic invention! Back in the city I enjoyed the fenced Goverment House – where governer lives, many parks and bell tower on the bank of the river. The bells play lovely music but to take the evevator up you have to pay 14 AUD. For another 14 dollars you can sail one-way to Freemantle – the port of Perth with many cooonial houses – I have been there during my first visit to Western Australia.
Tomorrow morning my Nullarbor Desert expedition will start. There will be no internet and in most places no power at all. So do not panic. I will publish next notes as soon as possible – probably in 10 days. Keep the fingers crossed – this will be the great challenge…
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Jan 07, 2016 09:00 PM To Australia!
On the low-cost Air Asia airbus 330 I had more space for my legs then on Turkish - the best European airline! I boarded the plane in Kuala Lumpur at 9.30. It is worth to know that aboard AAsia planes you pay extra even for mineral water. But the budget travellers should know that if you ask, they will give you for free hot water, so the secret is that you have to bring your tea or coffee bags and you can enjoy your favorite drinks. Plus your sanwdwiches -like me.
We landed after 5,5 hours. It is my second visit to Perth - capital of Western Australia. Years ago I came here from Africa.
Passport control was fast, but the customs send me to the side lane where their trained dog was sniffing for forbidden fresh food.
No, I didn't bring any Polish sausage, nor fruits! They found nothing.
Then you have to know that if you turn right exiting terminal after some 100 m walk you will find the stop of 380 city bus. It will take you to the Pert center for just 4,5 austr dollars. I disembarked at Pier Street. Three block down Pier I found my youth hostel. Welcome to Australia!
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Jan 06, 2016 09:00 PM Celebrating birthday in the skies
Istanbul airport was yesterday crowded and pretty well disorganized. To get to the runway planes are sneaking between the buildings and machinery almost half an hour. Just after midnight they packed us to the airbus 330 of Turkish Airlines. Once you are inside the plane it is not bad. They provide free headphones. The hot meal was not bad. -May I have another bottle of red wine to celebrate my birthday? -Yes, it is my birthday today! They brought me champagne and cakes from the first class cabin. Happy birthday!
One crew member (purser?) on Turkish flights wears nice cook’s uniform -it was him who came with champagne and best wishes…
It was already late afternoon Malaysian time when, after 10-hours flight we landed in sunny Kuala Lumpur. 28 deg Celsius!
I disembarked in Terminal klia1. It was necessary to go to the distant terminal klia2 where I plan to spend the night before flight to Australia. The best way is to take the airtrain _ it is only 4 minutes ride. You can pay credit card for the ticket but take care: there are two different trains from the same platform: express and transit. Transit is cheaper and will cost you only 2 ringitts.
On klia2 take elevator to level 3 an there is a walkway to Tune hotel – that’s my place for tonight. Happy birthday in Malaysia!
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Jan 05, 2016 09:00 PM First stage -to Istanbul
It was minus 17 deg Celsius during last night in Gdansk! I got up in the dark to prepare a good stock of sandwiches. But the grand voyage started in the train going to Warsaw. "Pendolino" is quite and fast and if you book well in advance itis also cheap:45 zlotys Gdansk to Warsaw. On the way I saw snowy fields... After 3 hours On Warsaw Central I changed to suburban train and after 20 min ride I reached Okecie airport.
For the first time I will fly withTurkish Airline - first to Istanbul, then onward to Kuala Lumpur. On line check-in. My bag has 18,5 kilo. In Istanbul I have to wait some 6 hours for the connection, but I already know that "best European airline" do not offer any meals on the stopover. Shame...
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Jan 04, 2016 09:00 PM New voyage - Australasia!
New grand voyage starts tomorrow! -Where your travel fever send you again? - joke my friends. This time to Asia and Australia. At the beginning three consecutive planes will carry me to Perth in Western Australia. A real adventure will begin there with 9-day expedition through the Nullarbor desert, where I will be sleep under the stars. Nullarbor is for me probably the last unknown region of Australia. The expedition will end in Adelaide, next I will fly to Brisbane to embark the ship, sailing to the islands of Papua and Solomons. When after two weeks I'll return to Brisbane I plan to change my mode of transport to start a car trip to the hot interior of Australia. Again after 30 years I'll see the legendary Ayers Rock. But the route of up to 8,000 km long will also cover new places and new landscapes. Just look on the map.
From Australia via Indochina I'm going on cheap Air Asia flights to the "vestibule of the Tibet" - how I call the western parts of Sichuan and Yunnan, where there is still much of Tibetan culture. An just there I expect to see those mythical Shangri-La from the "Lost Horizon" story. This will be another challenge because of the altitude excising 4,000 meters and the prevailing cold weather there. So then to stay warm I plan at the end of voyage a week's stay on the islands scattered along the east coast of Malaysia. I should be back home in mid-March. News and photos from the voyage I will try to post in my new travel log if there will be access to the internet.
Please, keep your fingers crossed for me :)
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