The big event started yesterday with a gathering of Asian specialists on Multiple Sclerosis.
Basically it was a reception with lots of superb food.

I meet so many interesting people. That guy who was working in Sydney, that was called to work in Singapore and is now the head of the Vietnam subsidiary.
Or the one who is from Germany but in Japan now and told me about his backpacking around the world when he was a student.
Or our PR agent who is training the Asian speakers for the symposium. Not an easy job.
She is so good. I had lots and lots of presentation trainings, all boring, nothing new. But this is professional and I am marveling and learning.

Later on we went to that Jazz Club, The Basement, huing around a bit but I was getting fussed.
My last Friday in Syd, I wanted to go clubbing for the last time.
Lucky enough I was not the only one so me and that Sales Rep from Perth sneaked out of the venue to go to the HOME.
It was so funny how we meet half an hour later, having got rid off the formal business wear and looking so much different in jeans. Is that you?!

It was not the greatest night out ever, the music was too hardcore techno and lacked the essential bit of melody I need to get into it. However on one small floor they played some decent house tunes, so it was still quite cool.

I HATE to even think about it, this is my last Friday in Australia.

Returned to Sydney yesterday. After a dreadful 13,5hrs bus tour.
I could literally feel how the air condition was blowing germs deep into my chest.
Today I have the flu. Exactly what I need for the World Congress.
Also I didn't get much sleep because the bus was packed and I squeezed into my little seat, no chance to find any agreeable position to close my eyes for longer than an hour.

Anyway, when the bus crossed Harbour Brigde I knew I was back in the best city on earth.
The sun was shining and the best boss in the world offered me to drop my big suitcase at my apartment later on, so I didn't have to pick up that thirty-something kg thing from the office.

On my way to the apartment I stopped at a hair dresser's - the 13$ per cut offer had caught my attention. I wanted an appointment cause I had all my luggage with me and I felt like looking
rather disastrous, desperate for a shower. But they pulled me in, which was their own fault.
The guy had a pretty hard time with my naugthy hair (salt water and no brush for 24hrs) but it all went right.
Didn't look like Tarzan's Jane anymore for a start. Only like a bloody backpacker.
After an additional 30min deep cleansing shower the metamorphosis job was complete and I was a city girl again.

At nights I went to the movies, they show "Pride and Prejudice".
I remembered how I enjoyed it when I read it (Jane Austen).
It was lovely. Not the movie, it was shallow, really, but again, I loved that fairytale.
Sometimes I need such cheesy stuff to remind me that I am a girl.

Talking about good books, the news of the day is: I went into that book store to get a little something for my boss. I was flipping through travellers' literature to find something funny about Germany.
As my eyes were screening the titles and authors they suddenly stumbled over the most unexpected name. I admire that person so much, for may reasons. (Except her recently proven bad taste when it comes to men.) But her being a writer, that's the cream tip on the strawberries.
My Godness Goddess!
(click on it)


Needless to say that I got that book without a second thought.
I want to enlighten my flight back to Berlin. If anything can, it is THIS book.

Yeah, I am a SURFER!!!!!

Damn it, I stood on that board!!! Couldn't get enough!
Okay there is much room for improvement but I rocked my first waves!!
The surf was beautiful, I can see why people spent days and weeks on their boards.
Pretty exhausting though, you always have to fight the current.
Reminded me of my first (=last) wind surfing lesson. I did rather poorly then.
But today I did great. For my own ambitions.

And I loved the instructors, they have such a cool life down here, they are full of positive
energy. No, no 22 year old lady killer sunny boys, let's say 27 ;)

Funny enough I ran into them down town afterwards and we had a nice little lunch
and chat in the sunshine. Life's great.

I arrived in Byron Bay at 6pm.
Back in New South Wales, Brisbane was the last stop in sunny Queensland.
But Byron Bay doesn't lack anything.


In fact, if you exclude Brisbane, it is the nicest township I have been to on this trip.
Actually not really for the town itself. It's another village - but a beautiful one .
But what really strikes me is the surrounding.
It's sunny, it's laid back, it has great beaches, bushland, mountains and rain forest.

Today was indeed the first real lazy day on that trip. I needed to rest anyway.

First thing I did in the morning was moving out of that terrible hostel.
I shared the room with 9 (!!!!!) girls and we had exactly 1 bathroom.
Is there anything I need to explain?
I escaped the disaster and moved into another place where I could use a bike for free.

Off I went, with a little map in my fabulous red backpack.
I left the bike at some entrance to a national park and walked in.
All bushland,burning sun.
I ended up at a wonderful white beach, I guess 5km long, if not more.
Far far away I saw the shapes of other people, maybe ten altogether.
Heaven, all for myself.
I just enjoyed lying there, watching the waves, jump in now and then...

And I got ridiculously brown.
I get crazy laughing when I look at the areas which are still "white".

I LOVE AUSTRALIA

BRISBANE ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a brilliant spot!

I had decided to make an 8 hr stop over in Brisbane, just in case.
I knew I'd miss 8hrs in Byron Bay and I wondered if I'd regret it.

NO WAY!!!!!!

I have to admit that at first I was actually bored by the city.
I am obsessed with Sydney. It spoiled me.
I thought something like "Just another little village"
But that misconception only lasted until I got on that sight seeing bus.

Brisbane is like a smaller, much cheaper version of Sydney.
Minus the beaches (a beautiful huge riverside pool instead).
Plus a great outdoor restaurants atmosphere.
And within few minutes or hours of so many cool East Coast locations.

Afterwards someone told me it was the most laid back City in Ozz.
This absolutely matches my impression.
How I love that life style.

I think Brisbane is brilliant.. The second best city of those I have seen in Australia.
I wasn't too impressed by Adelaide and Canberra, I need the buzz.

I left the city at 2pm knowing that I just found my second best option.
Brisbane is a place to be.

Sometimes you know things go wrong at the moment you start them.
I took the overnight bus from Airlie Beach to Hervey Bay. It was sheduled 12hrs , was supposed to arrive in Hervey Bay at 6.40am and I had booked a Fraser Island Tour , the guys were supposed to pick me up at the bus station at 7.20am.
I guess it's too easy to guess what happened.
I actually had a pretty good sleep - given that I had to fit my whole body on those 2 tiny seats
(lucky enough I had no one sitting next to me).
I slept some 7hrs without interruption and woke up at 5am. I enjoyed a beautiful sunrise and checked the landscape. And the roadsigns. And I compared them to the bus shedule. And figured we were running late. The driver confirmed that we were 1hr behind the shedule and we would't be able to make it up..Cause he HAD to take his break by law blabla. Some silly accident.
I kind of paniced, for missing that trip would not only waste a whole lot of money but more importantly, a whole priceless day ,too.
Thank god the place where we took that break had a payphone (my mobile was useless cause no reception in the middle of nowhere and not charged for ages)
. So I rang and rang and rang and finally someone answered the phone, too obvious I woke that guy up. Poor him. But lucky me, he said Ihe'd let the pick up people know.
So I only had to pray that we'd keep the pace.

Well, we did.
Despite that decent nap and all the nerve wrecking stuff in the morning I hardly managed keeping my eyes open. I guess this trip is starting to burn me out.
I wonder if it is physical or psychological exhaustion, certainly an ominous mix.

I got on that ferry to the Island and checked the company. Not too promising on the first glance.
Neither was that huge bus, some 35 people entered the 4WD and I felt like a pensioner on a Kaffeefahrt (that is a silly German thing, compare it to Tupper Parties if you want).

Anyway, I was on the largest sand-only island of the world and I wanted to explore it.
Share it! Fraser Island
I wish I had a driver's license, it would have been so much better with a self drive 4WD tour, take your time and go to the highlights when the crowds are storming the lunch bufet.
It's such a beautiful place to be but I felt like a bloody tourist.
I saw dunes, a 75mile beach, rainforest, an amazing ship wreck....
The absolute highlight of the tour was the Basin Lake we visited right at the end.
Cant wait to see the pictures (and share them with you!)

I was dropped off at the bus station at 6.30pm....my bus to Brisbane went 1.20am...
Long long time and I wanted nothing more than a bed.
I wondered if I could sleep on the bench, putting my stuff into the locker...
But I am a girl and I am supposed to be careful at nights and all.
I sat there for ages and saw all the other backpackers leave before me - into the opposite direction.
Thank God, an American couple arrived and waited for the bus too. We ended up playing cards (I introduced them to the ever so exciting Mau Mau) but after everyone had won once I put myself into my sleeping bag and slept. 2 odd hrs and then on in the bus. Brisbane ahead.
Second night in the bus...and no shower, only the lake at Frasers.