旅行は私の人生なのだ

I arrive at Melbourne city at 8:30. The tram no.55 changes the usual route tonight suddently and I get off at the wrong stop. I'm a little nervous but lucky to find my hostel not far away from the unknown stop.

I exlpain to the YH staff why I check out one day earlier, and then call the taxi with the free phone in YH to send me directly to Southern Cross Station.

On the airport shuttle, I still could not believe that I'm going home now.

 Oh, my god！Today is my last day in Australia？

I wait for the bus at the same corder in the morning.

When I watch my flight information, I suddently find something wrong.

"Jesus, I misunderstand the departure time of my flight."

Five o'clock in the morning (Yes, it's five o'clock), I've already waked up.

My breakfast is m&m chocolate and hot chocolate. Actually, I forget to buy ingredients and I don't have anything for the breakfast.

Because of the event yesterday, I'm quite clear that the Grayline bus will pick me up.

Without any accident, I'm going to Mt. Buller today.

I recall that I always booked all the activities I wanted in advance whether travelling in New Zealand or Iceland. Of course, I also joined addtional activities that were not in my plan, but the situation will not become worse if I could not join the activity beacuse of some reasons. 

Someone may consider there is no necessary to book all the activities in the low season.

Therefore, before travelling in Australia, I trid only to booked the day trips in Kangaroo Island and Uluru and I didn't book any activity in Blue Mountains, Hoabrt, Bicheno and Melbourne.

Most of the time, I was lucky to join the trips as I wished.

I watch Uluru and Kata Tjuta in the morning for the last time.

They are the guardians of this red-soil kingdom standing firmly far away. 

Today I will fly to Melbourne, my last city in Australia.

As the journey comes to the end, I treasure the time more.

It's the third day and also the last day of the trip with The Rock Tour.

We wait for the sunrise at the viewing area we watched sunset yesterday.

Waiting for the sun rising from the sky line, I take lots of photos in different conditions of aperture and shutter time. Because Uluru and the sun are at the same direction, it's not very easy to get a nice and balanced shoot.

Except for Uluru, the cloud also changes the color as the time passed.

Wanyu Ulurunya tatintja wiyangku wantima

Please don’t climb Uluru

Ulurula tatintjaku tjinguru nguluringanyi

The Uluru climb can be dangerous

Five o'clock in the early morning, I'm waiting for the tour bus with all my luggages. Because the big buggages will be stored in the cart, I put some things I need in another backpack and the monopod is also taken with me.

Many tourists also wait for their bus in front of the hostel.

Alice Spring looks like a temperary place for the tourists. The tourists who arrive today may leave tomorrow.

After our bus collected all the members, we leave Alice Spring before sunrise.

7 o'clock in the morning, the rain in Adelaide makes me very busy when getting on the bus to the airport.

Because of the cold, I make a mistake when I use the self-boarding machine. Fortunately, I could check in at the desk to get my ticket.

Waiting the plane to Alice Spring on the seat, I take more cold madicine and rest.

Before noon, I arrive at Alice Spring and the weather is quite hot and sunny just like the summer.

Today is the relaxed day in my itinerary. My journey in Australia is quite long after all, and I don't have to be rush everyday. Besides, the daytime is not so long to arrange too many attactions far away from Adelaide city.

Around Adelaide, there are three worth-visiting attractions in my pocket. These places may not excellent as Kangroo Island but better than doing nothing in your hostel or coffee shop.

The first one is Barossa Valley where is located in the north-eastrn of Adelaide city and famous for wine-producing. The name Barrossa is derived from Barrossa Ranges which was named by William Light in memory of the Britsh victory in the battle of Barrossa.

The second is Hahndorf where is a town of Adelaide Hills located in the  south-eastern of Adeialde city. It's the oldest surviving German settlement in South Australia. The houses, food, agricultural prducts and other shops are the features of this town.

Five o'clock in the morning, I get up because drinking too much water last night.

It's quite cold to walk to the washing room without shoes.

Most of us wake up at about 7 o'clock. While Bob prepare the breakfast, we change the bed sheet and the pillow case by ourselves.

The pancake prepared by Bob is amazingly delicious! It's the five-star pancake I've never tasted before.

Today is the first day for the two-day tour in Kangaroo Island. I choose the same tour company "Surf and Sun" that my friend has joined before.

About 4:30, I spent some time finishing the spagetti I prepared yesterday and store my baggages in the luggage room. A medium backpack is already enough for me when I join the day tour or two-day tour. However, the paid locker in the luggage room could be only rented for one day. Therefore, I have to bring all the important things and I lock my two baggage together to make them safer (it would be very strange if someone want to take my baggages away without unlocking them).

There are twelve people, included me, going to Kangaroo Island with Surf and Sun. The car is medium in size with a luggage cart after it. You could put your baggages in the cart but do not bring all of your big luggages, or the space may not be enough for others.

It takes about two hours to arrive Cape Jervis where we will take the ferry.

Four o'clock in the dark morning, I wait for the shuttle bus to the airport. I've never stood in such a cold weather without wearing my coat because I think the weather in Adelaide may be warm as Sydney.

Before landing, I find a big lake located inside the city. I check for the google map and this lake should be in the Hope Valley Reservoir which is located in the north-eastern of Adelaide.

The baggages are delivered very quickly. I ask the information center for the transportation to the city and get on Skylink that send me directly to Adelaide YHA. I almost forget that I've done my travel homework and actually, Skylink is not the cheapest way for the transportation.

Anyway, I don't care so much because the weather in Adeliade is quite good now. Maybe I just experience the cold morning in Hobart, it makes me feel that it's a little hot here.

The night of Lake St.Clair was cold. Because I sleep too early, it's not so comfortable to go to the washing room located in another building. About six o'clock, I wake up after fourteen-hour sleeping.

The weather today seems to be better than yesterday. Before leaving Lake St.Clair, I go to the viewing point for watching the scenery once again. Although there is still the fog around the mountains, the lake is very poetic and painting-like under the affaction of the morning sunlight.

I stand alone beside the shore, listen to the sound of the wave, and watch for the change of sunlight. At this moment, I feel very peaceful. 

In Strahan YHA, I could see stars above. Though I tried to take a photo with my monopod, the lights around the building was the big matter.

Maybe Strahan is not a very popular place, the equipments of YHA are so simple that the heater is a small fan. Therefore, it was cold all the night even I had an extra blanket.

Eight o'clock in the morning, I leave Strahan without visiting Hogarth Fall so that I could enjoy all my time in Lake St.Clair. 

It takes about two hours to arrive there from Strahan. While reaching Queenstown, the scene of this place is quite different just as the information said. Though I have a chance to take pictures in the high position, I give it up because I'm quite afraid of the car crash if I park my car just on the road. In Tasmania, every vehicle is always running fast on the roads, and no one know when the cars behind you will come. So, if there is no shoulder or extra space on the road, I don't park my car on the road to prevent this terrible accident happening. By the way, the big truck that looks like "Optimus Prime (The Transformer)" is common. I think no one, included the wild wallaby, wants to be hit by this big monster.

I get up very early at 3 o'clock in the night because I sleep at 6 o'clock yesterday.

The outside is dark and cold, and I get nothing to do except watching the movies.

The spagetti left is no more dilicious but is the only food I have. 

The movie "Source Code" is a new one for me. Though I have to watch it without texts, I still could realize the content. As for another movie "Angry Drive", I could not understand what they are talking about. 

Last night, I thought a lot about my itinerary today. The big issue for me is driving in Lauceston. I would rather walk by foot so that I'll be much comfortable. Therefore, in the early morning, I decide to walk to Cataract Gorge before leaving Lauceston. The weather is still cloudy. It's not good at all.

Passing through a church on the half way, the Royal park is at the end of the street. By the way, I also record the direction of the streets along the way on my map so I could refer it when I drive later.

It's raining in the morning when I prepare the breakfast in the kitchen.

I guess the sunny day only appeared yesterday and the weather became rainny and cloudy after I leaved Freyciney. Today is so bad just like someone got cold, and my mood is also bad.

My destination today is going to Bay of Fires which was recommend by many backpackers for its scenery.

The name of Bay of Fires was given by the captain Tobias Furneaux in 1973 who found this bay and saw the fire made by the aboriginals.

Before the sun rises from the sea, I've walked to the beach by the track from my cottage.

I look around the sky, but the weather is not as well as I think. There is just a circle of cloud blocking my vision for the sunrise.

Listening to the sound of the sea, I stand alone on the rock and wait for the change as time goes by.

Though waiting here is not so boring, I only see the sky painted with cloud and sunlight until 7:30. The sun is hidden behind.