![IMG_1928.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/cwrIGBWO-IMG_1928.jpg)

Three years ago, I moved to Ireland. Instead of using a relocation service, I put everything I thought I needed into a few suitcases and did my own moving. In these suitcases, you would find a sleeping bag, outfits for work and leisure, important paperwork, shoes, all my tech-stuff, rain-gear, etc.

I didn't have a house yet, so what could I possibly need? The first two weeks I would spend in a hotel and I just kept my fingers crossed that I would find something soon enough... 

Let's say, that was a bit of an adventure. And doing it this way made it take a longer time for me to realise that I was actually moving to Ireland and not just there on a very long holiday.

The rest is history. I was lucky enough to find an apartment pretty soon, but it wasn't as completely furnishes as I hoped for. So I went to Ikea for an over the top shopping spree, assuming they would deliver which they would not for the small stuff. I went back to Amsterdam very regularly to bring another full suitcase with me on the way back to Dublin. And when I, one year later, moved back to Amsterdam, this resulted in an actual moving van having to drive all my stuff over. 

### But @r00sj3, why share this trip down memory lane now? 

Well... I'm going to do it all over again. I just heard that it's official now! 

### I'm moving to Dublin!!

I am pretty excited to have found a job where I can have a meaningful social impact. My @SteemPeak buddies are teasing me about my new employer though. But it will probably be a good addition to my resume anyway. (I can't and won't give more details here, sorry ;))

So the coming weeks will all be in preparation for the "big move". Having done it before makes me a little too chilled this time with the risk of not thinking things through. I didn't keep the lists that I created last time. But I also don't want to go to Ikea for a second time to end up with triple of everything I need (with having everything double still stored in the Netherlands). 

Last time I thought I was pretty clever to think about bringing a sleeping bag for the first night in my new house. What are things that you would bring if you can only bring 2 suitcases for the first 2 months in a furnished apartment? Apart from the standard clothes and things?





 




Moving...

![_DSC8139.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/ORy7MXXY-_DSC8139.jpg)

I am travelling. Wasn't feeling like exploring or photographing anything yet. I have just been chilling on my balcony and enjoyed the food in the hotel. I still have plenty of time to go see stuff, I think... Also, I have been here before...sort of.

But when I went for some groceries, I saw this cat. He really wanted my attention. Lucky for him, I had my camera with me (just in case). So I dusted it off and snapped a picture. 

I'm terrible at keeping secrets so plenty of you will already know where I am hanging out. But if you don't... feel free to guess. @soyrosa started this: #destinationunknown 

Okay, I'll grab my camera!

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### RV day 6: Clueless driving into the unknown

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![20180916_150928.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/wpdFdZQB-20180916_150928.jpg)
<sup>Quiet...</sup>
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I wasn't ready, not the slightest bit. I got in the RV and all I knew was that I was going to drive north. In a few days, I was going to meet @anarcist69. A nice spot to park the RV for the night was my goal. One with a good view and electricity. I needed to spend the evening doing some research about the route I was going to take. I didn't want to randomly drive to a campsite and having my fingers crossed that they had room for me. Spring break was about to start and I just didn't know how busy that would become. But according to some online reports that I read, it was going to be impossible without reservations!

I had my Lonely Planet ready near the bed. The aim was to get to Port Macquarie. There is a JB Hi-Fi there and I was sort of desperate for some cables to attach my GoPro to my laptop in such a way that it could live stream while I was driving around. The idea was great...

While from the past few days I learned that it becomes dark pretty early around where I was, and dark is like pitch black. And since it is not recommended to drive around after dark, my driving hours were limited. I would just start driving and I would google campsites during my break later. I installed google maps on the dashboard and told it to drive to Byron Bay and to avoid highways and toll roads. It told me to turn left and drive through the hills of [Hunter Valley](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter_Region), THE New South Wales wine region. 

After 2 hours of driving, I took my first break. It was lunchtime anyway. So far, the road was pretty much a lot of the same: Trees, grass and motorway. It was so uninteresting that it absolutely makes sense to already stop after 2 hours. The alternative is falling asleep behind the wheel. And believe me... it is a thing in Australia!

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![Screenshot_20190418014716.png](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/W7vIVjOm-Screenshot_20190418-014716.png)
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No way was I going to get to Port Macquarie before dark. As soon as I had reception, I checked the app for campsites that were close to the route and seemed beautiful and interesting. Forster seemed okay... there was a mention of seals there and the campsite was located on the lakeside. I was still high on the experience at Potato Point and I needed more of that. Maybe this spot would give me that!

It was still pretty far away and it probably would be dark by the time I got there. That day I drove some 400kms to arrive at the lakeside campsite after dark. The owner told me there were still spots available at the lake, so I should get one of those. But minutes after I finally installed my RV and I was finally ready to chill a little, someone knocked on my window to tell me to leave. They had reserved this spot and I shouldn't be in it. I waited for the owner to show and explain. The result was that I had to unplug all the cables again and move to the other side. And doing that while being super annoyed with the owner for not keeping track of his reservations. 

I decided that I didn't want to stay an extra night if I wasn't standing at the lakeside. Also... it was completely dark, so there was nothing to see anyway. 

The next morning I quickly checked the lake out. The fact that I didn't even take a picture says it all. I wasn't impressed (and probably still grumpy). So nothing else to do but take a shower, put away my stuff inside the RV, unplug the power and water and drive off! 

---

### RV day 7: I'm getting outta here! Let's go shopping!

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![Screenshot_20190418015017.png](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/blq0hIXS-Screenshot_20190418-015017.png)
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Of course, I didn't see any seals. I was too focused on getting this cable thing over with. My goal for the day was to get to Coffs Harbour's JB Hi-Fi. Today that would take some 300kms to drive, which is still a lot. I had to be there before the shops would close and if possible, get me at the campsite way before dark this time. 

After driving only just over an hour, the dullness of the road (forest, forest and forest) started to kick in. I had trouble staying awake and found a place to park my RV and have some food and take a quick power nap. During this stop, I learned that I wasn't really tired when I had trouble keeping my eyes open on the road. Because as soon as I got in the bed, there was no way I was going to fall asleep. It must have been that my eyes were so bored that they wanted to close. 

This resting area was in the middle of nowhere and it was just me, and an older couple with a caravan. They were having car trouble and didn't have any reception on their phones. I was somehow the strange foreigner that did have 1 bar if they stood in the right spot, but with an almost dead battery. So here the game started of getting the road assistance on the phone and explaining where we were before we got disconnected or my battery gave in. It took a few tries but eventually, it all worked out. They gave me a few suggestions for things to see and a folder with campsites that I picked of few of my next spots from. As soon as the assistance arrived, it was time for me to leave. I still had some shopping to do!  

Two hours later, I found myself driving a parking lot, desperate for a spot where I would be able to fit my 7 meter long RV. This JB Hi-Fi didn't have what I needed and they suggested another shop in the neighbourhood. Unfortunately, that area wasn't made for bigger vehicles so I had to park in a bit of a dodgy place near the oval where you weren't allowed to park. But when I returned, after finally finding that this special shop didn't exist anymore, I was lucky enough to not have received a ticket (and nobody had broken into my vehicle!!). The parking stress was something that I would never learn to deal with while driving this thing.... 

I filled up my tank, did some grocery shopping and got to the caravan park at Moonee Beach and it was time to finally relax. I was only a few hundred kilometres away from Byron Bay and my planned meeting with @anarcist69 was still days away. 

Moonee Beach was going to be amazing! While I tried figuring out what to do in this area for the next day, I discovered that a spot near Forster was the best place to swim with wild dolphins. I wasn't planning on turning around now. But I promised myself to use my time in Moonee Beach to finally figure out a plan to prevent driving past a spot I wanted to see.

---

### RV day 8: Chillaxing day at Moonee Beach

At [Moonee Beach](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moonee_Beach), I was on a campsite close to the water and when I started wandering around I stumbled upon this mysterious bridge. No clue what I was going to find on the other side. There I followed a beautiful path with some gorgeous trees. It was quiet... just the sound of the wind through the leaves. And me walking there. I almost had a heart attack when a dog came running towards me out of the blue. Thankfully it was a friendly dog with an owner that followed shortly after. 

At some point, I saw a weird plant that really stood out. It was growing high up the tree. Before my trip to Australia, I wasn't familiar with the staghorn fern, a plant in tropical areas. Normally they are a bit better hidden in the green of all the surrounding leaves, but somehow this one decided to go sunbathing! While taking this photo, I could hear the waves. I was really close! 

Minutes later, there it was, the South Pacific Ocean! It was windy and about to rain, but there was an amazing tree sticking out that looked like it would keep me perfectly dry anyway. The beach was completely empty and I found a nice spot in the sand to enjoy the view and meditate a little bit. I couldn't believe that I was alone... ⁣

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![_DSC1606.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/vE2PmgzR-_DSC1606.jpg)
<sup>The Beach!</sup>
![_DSC1604.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/smDw4m9u-_DSC1604.jpg)


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![_DSC1590.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/2ZXGq20Y-_DSC1590.jpg)
<sup>Staghorn Fern</sup>
![_DSC1585.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/HrHYyFkP-_DSC1585.jpg)
<sup>Mystery bridge</sup>
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![_DSC1592.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/JT7k1K6D-_DSC1592.jpg)
<sup>The mystery path</sup>

There I was, sitting underneath a massive tree, for the first time not feeling any stress. This tree with thick leaves was a great hiding spot and made me nostalgic. It felt like a hut that my brothers and I would play in when growing up. On the outside, from where I came walking, it didn't feel spacious at all, but it was! I waited for the rain to stop and continued my walk around Sapphire Beach. From my spot, I could see a hill next to the beach, with something white sticking out of it. My curiosity forced me to follow the path. It was clear, I wasn't the first person to have walked here. But I was still happy that I did. I turned around and saw the empty beach that I had been sitting on during the rain moments earlier. Now I was walking on a green hill with small flowers everywhere. 

I am just such a sucker for flowers! Especially wildflowers (oh, and [lavender](https://steempeak.com/photography/@r00sj3/photos-lavender-overdose))! I was nervous to walk on the grass outside of the paths... the soil was almost elastic and I sort of bounced with every step I took. And the footprints were very visible. I made sure I wouldn't step on any flowers around (and avoid all creepy Australian deadly animals). It was such a weird experience: From a tiny rainforest via a sandy beach to the grassy field of Green Bluff within minutes. ⁣

And there it was, in the centre of [Green Bluff](https://www.coffscoast.com.au/play/green-bluff-headland-moonee/), a white "thing". I have no clue what it was though and Google didn't help me either.
From the top of the Green Bluff, I could also see the north side. This is where Moonee Creek meets the ocean. When the tide is low you can have amazing walks on the sand bars here. So many people were walking here with their dogs or families. I decided to join and see if I could reach the private beach a bit further... 

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![_DSC1640.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/8vLCopvX-_DSC1640.jpg)
![_DSC1647.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/14GozhnP-_DSC1647.jpg)

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![_DSC1624.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/G0OfdoP9-_DSC1624.jpg)
![_DSC1633.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/FlMKBBhH-_DSC1633.jpg)
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![_DSC1634.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/The9Vg2N-_DSC1634.jpg)

I took off my shoes and rolled up my trousers... I saw a woman walk through the low tide stream to the other side and that was what I was planning on doing. But after a stroll around the wet sand, I decided it was time to get to my RV and figure the rest of my trip out.

---

### RV day 9: A detour to Byron Bay via Grafton and @anarcist69


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![JPEG_20180917_115210.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/5UScwqYr-JPEG_20180917_115210.jpg)
![Screenshot_20190418015144.png](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/VrE9zVXi-Screenshot_20190418-015144.png)
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I learned that there were amazing [Jacaranda trees](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacaranda) in Grafton. There are a few very photogenic streets that, when the time is right, are just purple blossom heaven. It was spring in Australia, so I decided to check out how lucky I was. It was a bit of a detour to stop in Grafton on my way to [Byron Bay](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byron_Bay,_New_South_Wales), but it could be well worth it. But I drove around Grafton and found nothing... Hugely disappointing! 

The route would, coincidentally, pass @anarcist69's hometown. And since he wasn't feeling too well, and our planned meeting at Byron Bay was on thin ice, I thought I would make everything easier for him. I would arrive in his town around lunch so I pinged him and asked him if he wanted to have a quick lunch with me.

It all seemed to be the perfect plan. But then a lollipop man showed up in the middle of nowhere, telling me to stop. It took longer than I liked... The available lunchtime was ticking away. But 30 minutes later I arrived and met @anarcist69 for the first time! How fun is that! You travel the world and find Steemians in every corner! 

Before we knew it, we had to say goodbye. It was weird to arrive in a busy town again after driving through mainly small towns and just nowhere. But I needed it. My caravan park was right in the middle of town and I took this opportunity to see if there was a nice view I could photograph at the beach and then get myself some proper takeout. 

That evening I learned that Byron Bay is a bit of an odd town. I expected hippies, but all I found were wannabes. Everywhere you looked you saw people walk in way too stylised hippie wardrobe, pretending to be cool. In the evening everyone seemed to gather at the beach with their friends, probably smoking weed and being cool. It was so crowded that I wanted to get away from it asap. The town just wasn't my cup of tea, I guess. But the food was amazing!  

That night I booked an activity for the next day. I had to keep myself entertained while staying in this town! Because there was no way that I had the opportunity to chill in this busy campsite! 

Keep an eye out for my next blog where I'll share what I did the next day. I really need to start writing more often, so maybe if I make the blogs a little smaller it will help me post more regularly! 

![_DSC1655.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/SETwHEUm-_DSC1655.jpg)

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![linerose.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVxLqQZwT9rRGYEkTiD1oQZe6dosv24dKNqAoor2D6xhy/linerose.png)

### Also in this series:

* [Walkabout Straya #0: What did I get myself into?](https://steempeak.com/travel/@r00sj3/walkabout-straya-0-what-did-i-get-myself-into)
* [Walkabout Straya #1: A stormy first week at the west coast!](https://steempeak.com/travel/@r00sj3/walkabout-straya-1-a-stormy-first-week-at-the-west-coast)
* [Walkabout Straya #2: After the storm...](https://steempeak.com/travel/@r00sj3/walkabout-straya-2-after-the-storm)
* [Walkabout Straya #3: Things I didn't do in Perth](https://steempeak.com/travel/@r00sj3/walkabout-straya-3-things-i-didn-t-do-in-perth)
* [Walkabout Straya #4: The Indian Pacific (Perth-Sydney)](https://steempeak.com/travel/@r00sj3/walkabout-straya-4-the-indian-pacific-perth-sydney)
* [Walkabout Straya #5: Sydney](https://steempeak.com/travel/@r00sj3/walkabout-straya-5-sydney)
* [Walkabout Straya #6: Turn around...](https://steempeak.com/travel/@r00sj3/walkabout-straya-6-turn-around)


![steemitbanner.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmemPBr65ZtixAHousZDGHTz8JV36ak87NC8yF6XTispgg/steemitbanner.png)

[//]:# (!steemitworldmap -28.640963 lat 153.611556 long  d3scr)

Walkabout Straya #7: On my way to Byron Bay

![torch1437373.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/KufptGNb-torch-1437373.jpg)
[Source](https://www.freeimages.com/photo/torch-1437373)

Just to have the opportunity to tease her a little that AJAX won the championship and not PSV, I decided to send the @steemtorch to @karinxxl. Look at the matching photo!!

Anyway... back to my writersblock, and my migration efforts!






Steemtorch: From me to @karinxxl

I want to link my Steem account with my account on Snax blockchain using https://snax.one
Please, create Snax account for me!
My authentication hash: c3ae015d69819d8de73c93916cd5c39ea24751b187f564e2b36aa147d4b1ad91

Snax verification post

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![vlcsnap2019031605h11m15s130.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/HvlVzSWR-vlcsnap-2019-03-16-05h11m15s130.jpg)
<sup>My drone following me at Potato Point</sup>

I wake up pretty nervous. This is the day that I'll be picking up my motorhome and I'll be driving that thing around the east coast of Australia for almost a month! I have never been in a motorhome, let alone driven one! I have had many small panic moments the past few days over this. Did I tell you that I'm not used to driving on the left?

The motorhome is parked outside the pickup office. 30 cms to the left of it and 30 cms to the right of it are free for me to move around it. No way for me to put my bag inside... or check out the features of this mobile home. The grill of the bbq was missing... and I thought that I ordered an awning with that? I could totally imagine myself sitting in front of the van in the shade of the awning, with some tasty meat on the barbie and a cold drink, watching the waves until the sunset...  The lady brings me a piece of dirty tent cloth with holes in it and explains that every other day I need to empty and refill/recharge the water/toilet/gas/electricity. I scratched the romantic idea of a month of camping in the wild then and there.

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![_DSC1291.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/vwIZ2FMx-_DSC1291.jpg)
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My motorhome for the month is 7 meters long. There is room for 3 people to sleep but I am not planning on having company (except for @rustle). The seated area in the back can easily be turned into a super size bed for one. I decide to keep it a bed and use the seat in front or outside. I don't feel like making the bed every night. It has a kitchen, fridge, microwave, shower, toilet and tv. Little did I know that I wouldn't use them as much as I expected. 

With the size of this van just for myself, you would expect there to be way too much space for all my stuff. But a suitcase won't fit anywhere. Since my suitcase sort of died on the flight to Perth anyway, I bought the cheapest possible duffle bag for the trip. It fit perfectly under the bed. 

Now that I was all settled in, it was time for me to go. 

First stop: Blue Mountains! I had to pick up @rustle and wanted to check if I could see the Three Sisters this time. 

But while driving around the Blue Mountains, it was already clear that there was no way I would see the Three Sisters this time. It was still foggy. This was very good news for the with drought suffering mountains, but not so much for me. That evening I picked up @rustle and tried figuring out my next move...

![_DSC1303.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/8lUJ79CX-_DSC1303.jpg)
<sup>@rustle is ready for the ride of his life!</sup>

Since it was all a very last minute trip, I didn't do much planning. And I really had no clue where to go and where to stop... All I knew is that almost a month later, I had to be in Cairns to drop off the motorhome again.

I moved to Facebook for help (sorry). I am part of a travel group and asked suggestions on what to see on the coast. I shared that I wanted to quickly drive to Melbourne (via the coastal road) to see the 12 Apostles and then drive back North via Canberra, stop in Byron Bay to meet with @anarcist69 and then drive all the way to Cape Tribulation... why finish in Cairns when you can drive a little further north and have an amazing time? The responses? I was crazy for even wanting to drive to Melbourne and back... it was too much! I was stubborn enough to try it anyway. I'd rather drive a little more and see Melbourne while I'm in Australia than miss it and never see it. It's not that I'll visit Australia next year again anyway!

So I headed south and kept an eye on the suggestions that kept coming in on Facebook. I installed the [WikiCamps AU app](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=au.com.angryrobot.wikicamps&hl=en) so I could easily find nice spots where I could camp for not too expensive 😉. This was going to be easy, right?

![linerose.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVxLqQZwT9rRGYEkTiD1oQZe6dosv24dKNqAoor2D6xhy/linerose.png)

### RV day 1: Getting used to the size of the thing while heading for Jervis Bay 

![Screen Shot 20190331 at 23.44.04.png](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/oreH8MP3-Screen20Shot202019-03-3120at2023.44.04.png)
<sup>Would you do it? (screenshot from Google streetview)</sup>

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![_DSC1300.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/lXnrNqm7-_DSC1300.jpg)
<sup>Timing is everything near the blowhole</sup>


![Screenshot_20190331232626.png](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/a2Qi6H4u-Screenshot_20190331-232626.png)

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My first stop for the night was going to be near Jervis Bay. It was a 250 km drive so that made sense to me to get used to it all a little. I read that it was an amazing spot with wild seals swimming around, and since I missed the dolphins in Monkey Mia, this was a bit of an alternative. I told Google maps to ignore all the highways and bring me to my campsite for the night: Bushy Tail Caravan Park. I added one important stop halfway.

Everything seemed to go well enough. It sure was a big van, but I was getting used to driving on the other side of the road. The roads were long and boring and luckily I didn't encounter many kangaroos that tried crossing the road. I ran into the first issue when Google told me to cross a bridge on Douglas Park Drive that seemed strong enough for me, but the sign said otherwise. At that point, I didn't yet know what the gross weight of my van was or where to find it in the van. But I knew it must have been near 3,5t. This was the first time I had to do a u-turn with a massive 7 meter van on a pretty narrow road. And I bet I hadn't been the first. I told myself to figure out the weight, height and all other relevant stuff of this van for the coming days. 

I did the smart thing and stopped for a bit to test my bed in the back before I headed to my first serious stop: The [Kiama Blowhole](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiama_Blowhole). Isn't that an amazing name? Kiama means "where the sea makes a noise" and that for sure is true...

It was a major tourist attraction and was super busy. I could easily park my RV between plenty of other oversized cars and motorhomes. Families and backpackers were filling the space and it was pretty clear how to get to the blowhole. Just follow the stream of people....

I honestly didn't do much research about this place so I walked to where people were standing when I suddenly heard a weird rumbling sound and a following "Wow" by the crowd. I had obviously missed the thing but the second time it happened I looked in the right direction. The waves were just slowly building pressure in an underground cave and when the next wave would just enter the cave at the right time, a massive water fountain would shoot in the air through the hole in front of our eyes. 

When I finally managed to snap a picture at the right time, I went back to my RV to head to Jervis Bay. Time to see some seals!!

By the time I arrived at Bushy Tail, it was already dark. It looked like the caravan park was already closed, but some people helped me out where to find the reception. I was offered a spot with electricity, checked it out and drove off again to finally do some shopping. I had a fridge and a small freezer, and I was planning on using it!

This was the point where I first realised an RV was pretty inconvenient. You always have to bring your complete "house" to a shop. On one hand, it's easy that you can just put your groceries straight into the fridge when you get to your car, but you can't just spontaneously get some ice cream when you are on a caravan park, all settled in. 

The caravan park was a bit boring and had a lot of regulars. It didn't have an amazing view but all the amenities that I needed. I plugged in my power for the night and had a good night's sleep. Tomorrow I'd go for the seals, for sure! 

![linerose.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVxLqQZwT9rRGYEkTiD1oQZe6dosv24dKNqAoor2D6xhy/linerose.png)

### RV day 2 & 3: Something with potatoes...And kangaroos

![_DSC1308.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/s1kyN7xJ-_DSC1308.jpg)
<sup>Jervis Bay Marine Park</sup>

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![Screenshot_20190331232715.png](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/7GeNA4W5-Screenshot_20190331-232715.png)
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Most of the times, you have to leave a caravan park around 10 AM. Since I am not much of a morning person, this doesn't make me super happy. But if I wanted to be in my next location before dark, maybe it was for the best.

I found this promising caravan park on my app with very good reviews: Beachcomber Holiday Park. It was going to be an almost 200km drive so nothing too intense. I made my way to Jervis Bay first to realise that I was too impatient to actually go look for some seals. It was a beautiful bay, but I wanted to go drive a little...

This drive was the first one where I noticed how hard it can be to stay awake on Australian road. I had to stop twice for a quick power-nap or to at least get my eyes off the road for a bit. Unfortunately, there aren't that many resting places and when you notice your eyes wanting to close and you see a sign telling you the next "official" resting place is about 50km further, you kinda freak out. At some point, the road turned into dirt and I wondered if it was okay to drive my RV further... But the caravan park was RV ready, so it must be, right? I continued until I saw an amazing valley where the caravan park was. OMG! This looked so good!!! I didn't have a reservation so I kept my fingers crossed there was still room for me!

When I entered the reception, the owner was distracted. She looked out the window and didn't see me coming. She apologized and explained to me that she was looking at the jumping whales in the distance. They were so active that I could see them jump within seconds after she told me where to look. That was impressive!

In her excitement, she gave me a powered spot all the way at the front. I was very lucky that other guests hadn't shown up yet. I decided there and then that I was going to stay 2 nights. This was going to be awesome!

I parked my RV on the most beautiful spot of the park and put @rustle on the dashboard so that he could enjoy the view. I was going to Instagram this so much!!  I opened the door and wanted to put my awning on the RV, which was a bit of a disaster. My neighbour asked me if it was okay if he started a fire in the fireplace near my van that evening and although everything in me wanted to say no... I decided not to be a bitch and agreed. Not knowing it would become a very nice evening!

![_DSC1481.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/t9duffAx-_DSC1481.jpg)

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That evening we learned that the kangaroos of Potato Point were far from shy. They came to check us out when we were sitting around the fire. 

The next day was work and photo day! I grabbed my drone to try and capture the beauty of this place. Photos would not be able to reflect it well, I thought. But it was a little windy, so the drone didn't like it that much either. To give you a small impression of it, check out this video...

https://youtu.be/P4bQ29B_Q5I

During my long lunch, I did some work for @steempeak while getting distracted by the view... After I was finished, I walked around on the beach, photographing my footsteps, the sea, waves, sand and some amazing rocks. 

There was hardly anyone around so it just felt like my private beach. In the distance, I would see a whale jump out of the water once or twice. I could totally see myself living here for the rest of my life. Maybe not in this RV, but they also had these amazing cute bungalows up the hill. 

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---

The morning that I left, it became clear that it wasn't just the kangaroos that had balls here... Even the emus came close to the caravans, hoping to get some easy food. 

![_DSC1489.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/8at6TJkw-_DSC1489.jpg)

![linerose.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVxLqQZwT9rRGYEkTiD1oQZe6dosv24dKNqAoor2D6xhy/linerose.png)

### RV day 4: Nope! Canberra and the big oops!

There was one tiny problem though... I noticed that it was getting pretty cold at night in my RV. And I am not easily cold, but this wasn't very comfortable and I thought if I was going to drive further south, it was only going to get colder.

So I gave up on driving to Melbourne. Also, if I wanted to see more amazing spots like I was at now and stay there a few nights, it was better to use my precious days on my way north. And so I had to agree with the Facebook suggestions... Don't tell them though...

It was going to be a long drive. Just over 400km! I wanted to go a bit further south to have the feeling that I saw a bit more coast and then go inland and turn north to check out Canberra. I made stops at Wallaga Lake and Mogareeka, two amazing places where rivers meet the coast. Just so you know: it isn't called Sapphire Coast for nothing...

I tried introducing @rustle to some of his bird friends, but that didn't go too well. And since I was already slightly running out of time, I had to jump back on board to get my ass to Canberra!

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Canberra was disappointing. I love symmetry but that was all there was. I wanted to reach my next campground (Gurney) before dark so I decided to leave Canberra for what it was. It took me still some time to get away, with all the one-way streets that they have there. But eventually, I managed to get out of the city. 

This was going to be my first night camping "in the wild". I wanted to save some money and I found this spot that was free. One night without power, I could manage. But by the time I reached the Gurney campsite, it was entirely empty and dark. It felt far from save with nobody around. I was in the middle of nowhere and who knows who would come later that night? This was not going to be my place for the night and I went for plan B. Near the Bushranger hotel, it said that if you had a meal in the restaurant, you often could stay at their parking for the night. It was dark and I felt like eating something proper for a change. 

When I finally found the restaurant, disaster struck. I blame being tired, still not being used to the massive RV and it being very dark. But I kinda tried parking my house on top of a trailer. "Luckily", the owner was just having a beer on a terrace watching the whole thing happen. While I was considering walking away from the whole RV and taking the first flight home, he was calm and checked the damage with a flashlight. It didn't look too bad and he told me not to worry about it. I couldn't really see much damage on the RV either... so with the adrenaline having a party in my body, I tried having a meal in the restaurant. My hands were shaking while I tried to cut the chicken. I didn't know how I was going to get this RV all the way in Cairns without completely crashing it. "Maybe I can drop it off halfway", I thought. 

When I finally calmed down a little, the restaurant owner told me where I could park the RV for the night. Near the oval, there were toilets and plenty of space. It wasn't too dark. Much better than this creepy campsite earlier. That night I did some stargazing while worrying if this accident would bankrupt me. I had insurance... but would it cover this? You can imagine that this was going to be a bit of a restless night...

![sterren.png](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/sn7Y71P5-sterren.png)


![linerose.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVxLqQZwT9rRGYEkTiD1oQZe6dosv24dKNqAoor2D6xhy/linerose.png)

### RV day 5: Third time's a charm

The next morning, I realised the RV was more damaged than I thought the night before. There was a clear scratch all the way along the side of it. But the door would still close so no need to call for a replacement. I would decide later what to do... First I needed to get back to the Blue Mountains!!

It was a 300 km drive to get back to the point that I was at a few days earlier. Somehow Google maps decided to give me plenty of dirt roads on my way. I kept my fingers crossed I wouldn't run into other cars because the roads were often too narrow for 2. I drove past a lot of farms and learned that people would hang dingos on their fences. I wondered what that was all about and later learned that it was to communicate with your neighbours that they killed a few dingos. And if they recognised them, they would know that the dingo killing their sheep got what he deserved... But honestly? I think they are just showing off 😉.

That afternoon, I parked my RV at the Three Sisters viewing point again. This time I put some money in the meter because it was looking promising. I was here for the third time and finally, the clouds were gone. There they were: The Three Sisters. Waiting for me to get photographed (and by many others too). I am happy that I came back a third time. It was definitely worth coming back for!

![_DSC1575.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/vHlfms89-_DSC1575.jpg)

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![linerose.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVxLqQZwT9rRGYEkTiD1oQZe6dosv24dKNqAoor2D6xhy/linerose.png)

### Also in this series:

* [Walkabout Straya #0: What did I get myself into?](https://steempeak.com/travel/@r00sj3/walkabout-straya-0-what-did-i-get-myself-into)
* [Walkabout Straya #1: A stormy first week at the west coast!](https://steempeak.com/travel/@r00sj3/walkabout-straya-1-a-stormy-first-week-at-the-west-coast)
* [Walkabout Straya #2: After the storm...](https://steempeak.com/travel/@r00sj3/walkabout-straya-2-after-the-storm)
* [Walkabout Straya #3: Things I didn't do in Perth](https://steempeak.com/travel/@r00sj3/walkabout-straya-3-things-i-didn-t-do-in-perth)
* [Walkabout Straya #4: The Indian Pacific (Perth-Sydney)](https://steempeak.com/travel/@r00sj3/walkabout-straya-4-the-indian-pacific-perth-sydney)
* [Walkabout Straya #5: Sydney](https://steempeak.com/travel/@r00sj3/walkabout-straya-5-sydney)

![steemitbanner.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmemPBr65ZtixAHousZDGHTz8JV36ak87NC8yF6XTispgg/steemitbanner.png)

[//]:# (!steemitworldmap -36.090537 lat 150.133364 long  d3scr)



Walkabout Straya #6: Turn around...

![Screen Shot 20190318 at 01.00.55.png](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/sJPE2Zbh-Screen20Shot202019-03-1820at2001.00.55.png)

Check it out! I am on the Magic Dice Daily Leaderboard!!!  
Just think about it. If the site goes down now, I am a happy woman earning 100k MAGIC tokens !

&lt;shameless referral link drop>
https://magic-dice.com/?ref=r00sj3
&lt;/shameless referral link drop>


I'm on the daily Leaderboard of Magic Dice!! Will I win big?!

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![20180907_170211.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/xfQY3tMl-20180907_170211.jpg)
<sup>I was so lucky having hardly any people around</sup>
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Exhausted with a capital E. That was me. The train dropped me and my suitcase off at Sydney Central Station and Uber wasn't on my side this time. Apparently, there are 2 levels of the road and the driver just couldn't find me. At the same time, on the Uber app, I saw a car drive around really nearby where I was standing but did not see anything moving within my sight... You can imagine that there was some swearing involved after I got the bill for not showing up with my luggage on the unfindable spot...

Eventually... One Uber driver knew his city well enough to manage to pick me up and drive me to my AirBnB. 

So there I was, in an Uber, driving around Sydney, over the bridge to my dream of an apartment. It didn't really sink in that I was in Sydney. I did see the Opera House from the bridge and it was beautiful, but it wasn't real enough. I had been obsessed with this building for a long time... Maybe I was just tired. 

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![upsidedown.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/q9VzCGSn-upsidedown.jpg)
<sup>My mom didn't get my "down under" joke</sup>
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The apartment didn't disappoint. After dragging my way too heavy suitcase down a couple of stairs, I arrived at a place that was even better than I expected. It was just like the photos and it was a relief to see that nothing had been photoshopped. The host left me a sweet welcome package with coffee (unfortunately, I don't drink coffee), but the first thing I did was drop the suitcase and check out the promised view. 

From the bedroom, I would have the perfect view over the Sydney skyline and Opera House. I was never going to leave this room! What a dream!! I quickly took a photo that I posted on Facebook as proof that I was finally in Sydney (and to brag about my view). Everything was just amazing...

![_DSC0334.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/pBLsifdw-_DSC0334.jpg)
<sup>Look at the view from the bed!!</sup>

Except for that one thing... Why didn't the wifi work? It took me a large part of the evening to try to fix and later set up an alternative with the help of a host trying to explain over email what to do. But after that, the workaround worked and it was time to go make some plans for the next days in Sydney. 

First things first: I would definitely book the hop-on-hop-off bus for 2 days and I would see from there. Time for some photos from the balcony and then to bed! Sydney was waiting!!

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Gosh, I could stay on that balcony forever!! That night I slept with the curtains open... I didn't want to miss a second of that amazing skyline! Man, was I happy that I was so lucky to find this AirBnB! Maybe a bit more expensive than I would normally pay for hotels, but this was all worth it! (The apartment isn't on AirBnB anymore, but that's for another story). 

### Good old hopping on and hopping off

The next day, after sleeping in, I found the ferry that would bring me to the other side so that I could get on the bus that would drive me around Sydney. I'd hop on and definitely not hop off the first round. But after 1,5 hours on that bus, it was time for some food and a change of scenery. 

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It must have been the weather, combined with the not so interesting buildings in Sydney. The bus driver also didn't want to slow down so we could take photos while on the bus. But I can blame everything as much as I like... I was just a terrible spoiled tourist...

![_DSC0663.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/DjArNKBI-_DSC0663.jpg)

Bondi Beach didn't really live up to its expectations. For such a famous beach it looked pretty ordinary. Again, I'll just blame the weather and the bus experience. Unfortunately, I didn't have a lot of time and wanted to see as much as possible. So maybe I would have liked it more if I actually would have taken some time to walk around here...

After 3 hours on the bus, I finally arrived at the harbour again. I thought that was the perfect time to get on a boat to do a tour on the water, but the lady at the check-in told me that wasn't going to happen. No more tour-boats for my ticket that day, only a return to Watson's Bay! I was rather unamused since their schedule was a huge puzzle and the lady wasn't willing to explain to me how that schedule worked but decided to check out this quick trip anyway. The restaurant lady later had to deal with a very grumpy me... 

The only upside from this slightly disappointing day was that when I took the quick ferry to Watson's Bay, I knew that the next day I had to do a lot more sightseeing from the water. That was going to be beautiful!

*Sidenote: The cute houses though... with those fences! Adorable!!*

![_DSC0698.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/zC0xznAf-_DSC0698.jpg)

### The lighthouse visit

During my quick boat tour, I noticed some lighthouses that could be fun to see up close. So that night, I Googled until I fell asleep... There was going to be some walking involved the next day: Ferry day!!

I had at least 2 lighthouses on my list. A small and cute white one near Taronga Zoo and a larger red and white one close to Watsons Bay. I decided to go to Watsons first, via Manly. Watsons was going to be a great stop for lunch (fish food!!) and a quick walk to take some photos. After that, the ferry would drop me at Taronga Zoo...

The ferry passed the Opera House a ton of times and I kept taking photos of it from all angles. Later that afternoon, I was planning on actually checking it our up close. Save the best for last, so to say...

[![_DSC08332.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/yv9BR2SC-_DSC0833-2.jpg)](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/yv9BR2SC-_DSC0833-2.jpg)

After a bit of a detour, I arrived at Watsons Bay around 1pm. The walk to the lighthouse would take about 15-20 minutes so that was going to be a quicky I thought. But there was so much to see on the way there (and I didn't take the most efficient route I guess) that it took me much longer. On my way there I saw a lot of great views. Watsons Bay has a very narrow strip of land that separates the Sydney Harbour bay from the South Pacific Ocean. All you need to do is cross the gorgeous uphill park and then you arrive at the cliffs overlooking the ocean. The walk to the lighthouse was a lot of fun with multiple photo stops. Every time I looked back, I got another amazing view with Sydney's skyline in the distance... But I had to reach that lighthouse!

*Sidenote: Click the following photos to open a larger version*

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[![_DSC0854.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/9iJ18zUa-_DSC0854.jpg)](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/9iJ18zUa-_DSC0854.jpg)
<sup>That one!</sup>

[![_DSC0883.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/mVf90xfg-_DSC0883.jpg)](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/mVf90xfg-_DSC0883.jpg)
<sup>Watsons Bay</sup>

[![_DSC0898.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/bgxf5aGe-_DSC0898.jpg)](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/bgxf5aGe-_DSC0898.jpg)
<sup>Surprise! There are cliffs on the other side</sup>

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[![_DSC0867.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/L7BjmysT-_DSC0867.jpg)](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/L7BjmysT-_DSC0867.jpg)
<sup>What do you think an apartment there will cost?</sup>

[![_DSC0884.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/0gPsULs1-_DSC0884.jpg)](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/0gPsULs1-_DSC0884.jpg)
<sup>The park next to Watsons Bay with Sydney in the distance</sup>

[![_DSC0933.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/Mp8LElEi-_DSC0933.jpg)](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/Mp8LElEi-_DSC0933.jpg)
<sup>Fun fact, there is a nude beach hidden nearby</sup>

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![_DSC09242.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/sLrm3f0e-_DSC0924-2.jpg)
<sup>Camp Cove tiny house on the water</sup>

I passed a few military buildings on my way, but eventually made it. And it was the perfect spot to just sit for a bit and enjoy the view. There were a few people sitting too close to the edge to my taste, but I was pretty daring myself this time too. I stayed here to overlook everything. In the distance the cliffs near North Head and a lot of boats passing by. Looking down at the rocks below and the waves slamming into them, it made sense that this South point of the entry of the harbour needed a lighthouse. Many people have died trying to get past this point... Now it was all good and safe. Unfortunately, I didn't have all day and I felt some drops of rain, so it was time to leave. 

![_DSC09614.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/ZHatQxvu-_DSC0961-4.jpg)
<sup>[Hornby Lighthouse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hornby_Lighthouse)</sup>

### Storm is coming!

The weather changed so rapidly! I had a quick late lunch and it was around 3:30pm that I got on the next boat. The clouds were becoming darker and it was clear that I needed to find myself an umbrella quick! I didn't want to go back to my apartment, even if all hell was about to break loose. I still had the Opera House on my list and nothing was going to stop me from seeing that. Missing the other lighthouse I could deal with...

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[![_DSC0982.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/oHJ624HF-_DSC0982.jpg)](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/oHJ624HF-_DSC0982.jpg)
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[![_DSC09902.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/vQRijOxK-_DSC0990-2.jpg)](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/vQRijOxK-_DSC0990-2.jpg)
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I think it was exactly when I arrived at the Opera House that the rain started lashing. Everyone ran away looking for a place to hide from the rain. And there, in front of me, was a complete empty Opera House, ready to be photographed. At some point, the rain was so bad that I knew I was going to get soaked standing in it for only a second. And I didn't want to do that to myself or my camera. But I am pretty pleased with the results of my private time with the Opera House. You can check out [my Opera House photo collage here](https://steempeak.com/photography/@r00sj3/sydney-opera-house-photo-collage) (old post). 

I walked around one last time for some longer exposure photos when it was obvious that I had to leave. Thunder and lightning were coming in and I still had some shopping to do for the next month. Hypnotised by the beauty of the weather and the Opera House I stepped into an Uber that would drop me off at the luggage store.  

![_DSC1205.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/0PaJAjRU-_DSC1205.jpg)

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[![_DSC1242.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/vtCbF6FQ-_DSC1242.jpg)](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/vtCbF6FQ-_DSC1242.jpg)
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[![_DSC1260.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/tyaHZK4t-_DSC1260.jpg)](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/tyaHZK4t-_DSC1260.jpg)
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An hour later, I was soaking wet when I walked on the streets of Sydney with a brand new bag. The next day, I was going to pick up my campervan for the coming month and my suitcase would take too much space in there. Since it was already heavily damaged from the flight, this was the right time to replace it. 

While hanging my clothes to dry for the night I looked at Sydney's glorious skyline for the last time (hopefully I will be back one day though). This was when they saluted me with a small fireworks. Sydney, your waters are amazing... I need to come back to learn to love your city too...

![_DSC12832.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/2C1oaxvy-_DSC1283-2.jpg)

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![linerose.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVxLqQZwT9rRGYEkTiD1oQZe6dosv24dKNqAoor2D6xhy/linerose.png)

### Also in this series:

* [Walkabout Straya #0: What did I get myself into?](https://steempeak.com/travel/@r00sj3/walkabout-straya-0-what-did-i-get-myself-into)
* [Walkabout Straya #1: A stormy first week at the west coast!](https://steempeak.com/travel/@r00sj3/walkabout-straya-1-a-stormy-first-week-at-the-west-coast)
* [Walkabout Straya #2: After the storm...](https://steempeak.com/travel/@r00sj3/walkabout-straya-2-after-the-storm)
* [Walkabout Straya #3: Things I didn't do in Perth](https://steempeak.com/travel/@r00sj3/walkabout-straya-3-things-i-didn-t-do-in-perth)
* [Walkabout Straya #4: The Indian Pacific (Perth-Sydney)](https://steempeak.com/travel/@r00sj3/walkabout-straya-4-the-indian-pacific-perth-sydney)


![steemitbanner.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmemPBr65ZtixAHousZDGHTz8JV36ak87NC8yF6XTispgg/steemitbanner.png)

[//]:# (!steemitworldmap -33.858369 lat 151.213456 long  d3scr)



Walkabout Straya #5: Sydney

![Screen Shot 20190308 at 18.13.47.png](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/7YyHpqWh-Screen20Shot202019-03-0820at2018.13.47.png)

Guys, I have to be honest with you. But lately, I have been a bit embarrassed to not own the Peakrider card, inspired/linked to the @steempeak account. It was just a little too expensive for me to buy with all my Steem earnings going into the common cards to at least try to win some battles. 

Somehow I totally forgot about the Beta Packs that you can buy. And I decided to put some FIAT on the table for Beta cards... lo and behold, I received my most wanted card! 

What card do you still have on your wanted list? Beyond the obvious super expensive cards?

Finally... I had to have that Peakrider!

![person1.png](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/Kt53HLgl-person1.png)
[Source](https://thispersondoesnotexist.com/)

This isn't the result of a very low-quality photoshop effort for a scary image. This person you see here doesn't exist. It is basically an effort of AI generating a human that didn't turn out that well... (in this case)

It is an example of Generative Adversarial Networks ([GANs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generative_adversarial_network)), where a computer learns from examples to create something new. 

The process is sort of as follows: There are 2 main algorithms. One that will generate new images and another that will compare them to the real examples (that you inputted) and say if they look alike. All the results are then put back into the systems to create better fakes and to also improve the "detective" at identifying fakes. Put this in a long loop and eventually, the images created will pass as real ones. 

GANs are pretty fun to experiment with. But given the fact that the technology is built to become good at fooling "the detective", there is a major risk around it. We recently have seen [an example](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/feb/14/elon-musk-backed-ai-writes-convincing-news-fiction) where the creators of OpenAI's text generator model have said that they consider not releasing their technology because it became too good and could potentially be used to generate very convincing fake news. 

Looking at the picture at the top, this may be hard to believe. That wouldn't fool anyone. But it took me a while to find an example that bad when playing around with [Nvidia's StyleGAN](https://github.com/NVlabs/stylegan). Most of the images were pretty convincing. The 3 images below are also generated and are "people that don't exist". They even managed to create a pretty cute guy that I'd love to date 😉. (So happy that fake people will never feel harassed #metoo)

||||
|-|-|-|
|![personright.png](https://steemitimages.com/400x0/https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/cGp8f0ka-personright.png)|![personright2.png](https://steemitimages.com/400x0/https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/SVyRGrt9-personright2.png)|![personright3.png](https://steemitimages.com/400x0/https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/8zqIawGu-personright3.png)|
<center><sup>These people don't exist</sup></center>

I love the possibilities this gives us because it is hugely powerful. They also use similar (more advanced) tech to come up with new medication. It is becoming more and more possible to generate images of very specific things. GAN models exist where you only describe a certain flower: "White flower with pink striped petals" and it generates that image. 

With this power comes great responsibility, as they say. It's easy to see that this could put a lot of people out of work, like models, photographers and eventually actors and the big movie stars. With technology becoming cheaper, it will become cheaper to hire a developer once to build a system that generates photos to sell your products, instead of always hiring a model and photographer to do that work for you. I know it would make creating stock photos much easier for me without getting all those model releases. I just don't know if the stock photo website believes me when I say the person doesn't exist...

Anyway... I'm super curious to see where this will go. You too? Give the image generation a spin yourself without building anything: https://thispersondoesnotexist.com/ (oh, and DO post the most interesting faces that you got!!)


AI human generation gone wrong...

![meditation.gif](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/grquYwi0-meditation.gif)
[Source](https://giphy.com/gifs/meditation-2qKJhJJagyRMs)

When I'm sick, I will normally go to the doctor first. Then, when the doctor gives me the same test for the 3rd time and says there is nothing else they can do, I get annoyed (Don't worry, I'm not dying 😉). That test will show the same result: nothing wrong... "Maybe just lose some weight".

When I get told to "learn to live with it", my believes kick in that life doesn't have to be that way. Yeah sure, after discovering that there may only be a 0.0001% chance that I will ever (far futuristic future) get the opportunity to smell only when they manage to regrow part of my faulty brain, I can deal with it. But that was only after I discovered the true cause of that symptom. 

I hardly ever want to learn to live with something or immediately go for something drastic like surgery. Alternative medicine is my goto place to try other solutions. As a rational beta, I approach this as an experiment when I have my intake. But as soon as I like and trust the "doctor", I don't mind waiting for some measurable results. I keep returning until I get bored, lose trust or go broke... 

Through alternative medicine, I managed to postpone my gallbladder surgery roughly 10 years. Some impressive homeopathy brought my 1 gallstone attack per week down to a maximum of 1 attack per year. In this case, this "fake medicine" was all worth it. Unfortunately, it didn't last but no damage was done. Eventually, I got the surgery anyway when a very stubborn gallstone just decided to get stuck... 

To give a bit of an overview. In the past, I experimented with:

- acupuncture: nope.... not gonna walk around with needles stuck in my ear!
- reiki: a loving touch is always nice, but let me just get a massage instead...
- foot reflexology: basically, just a foot massage.
- homeopathy: seemed to work, but takes a long trial and error run to find the right "formula" and it's expensive.
- aromatherapy: just wanted to make sure this wouldn't work if you have no sense of smell.
- hypnosis: "I'm not under, I'm not under, am I under, this isn't working".
- bioresonance: a lot of techy stuff to make it look good, but did it really work? Dunno...
- shiatsu / qigong: a keeper, basically because it is super relaxing while I get to keep my clothes on.
- haptotherapy: I just didn't understand what was going on... and I'd like to understand it... 
- magnetising: Great placebo effect with intense dreams after. But never really a lasting effect.
- herbs (including cannabis): Let me show you my cupboard filled with almost full bottles with pills and herbs. 

It is fun to experience and try these things. It is intriguing to me how the body and mind are connected and the power the body has to heal itself. The (super)natural is like a giant puzzle to me that I'd love to crack the code to, but I can't. 

And so, this month, still not feeling super duper and running in circles a bit, someone recommended a woman that helped her a lot. And I thought "Oh, interesting! Why not?". Before I knew it, I was visiting a "healer". Because I had no clue what to expect from "energy work" I let her do her thing and honestly, it was impressive how much she told me that was completely on point. I like the woman a lot and it was a fun experience, so I plan on going a few more times to see where that goes.

I do realise, I may be the worst person for alternative medicine "doctors". I don't feel anything they do and I always will keep some scepticism, no matter what. But I'll keep trying stuff because "who knows" and it's just so bloody interesting. There is so much between heaven and earth that we still don't understand and I'd prefer an all-natural-healing over medication or surgery anytime. I believe alternative medicine tries to get to the core of a problem and fix that instead of treating symptoms in regular medicine. However, the proof that should be in the pudding was regularly not present. 

So to close this weird braindump... Do you have experience with alternative medicine/therapy and what works for you?

I went on a healing spree!

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Magic Dice v1.5 - Dividends payouts have started

![792270963966d45424f4405e49100f34.gif](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/puQ2Yk6C-792270963966d45424f4405e49100f34.gif)
*"Eliot Waugh", or actually "Jennifer" or "The Monster" in this scene* ([Source](https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/403001866650001365/?lp=true))

Are you familiar with the tv show "[The Magicians](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magicians_(U.S._TV_series))" on Syfy? I was bored a couple of days ago and started with the first episode confused by the high rating of the show and my low expectation since it was a show about magic. And I can say, that show is NOT what I expected... I binge-watched my way through it and I am currently waiting impatiently for the next episode: Season 4, Episode 3... 

For a bit of background:  The tv show is based on the Magicians books by [Lev Grossman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lev_Grossman). It seems just a standard more mature version of Harry Potter where young good-looking people go to magic university and try to save the world in the meantime. 

Now, where does it become interesting? It's the darkness of everything combined with the sexual awareness of the show. Sure, sometimes the choices weren't that mature (do you really need to have a forest of dicks?), but overall I adore their progressiveness by covering polyamory, bisexuality, etc.

But maybe, if the characters weren't so interesting, I would have stopped watching by now. And one character, in particular, caught my attention early on: Eliot Waugh (Played by [Hale Appleman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hale_Appleman)). He is charismatic, sophisticated, handsome, flirty and a true bitch at times. The weirdest thing is though, he is very obviously gay in the show and I still managed to develop a serious crush on him... I will see my therapist about this later... It's probably just his hair.

![linerose.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVxLqQZwT9rRGYEkTiD1oQZe6dosv24dKNqAoor2D6xhy/linerose.png)

Anyway... It made me think about having crushed on tv characters. It doesn't happen to me often and I certainly don't really have the age for it anymore. The crushes that I remember most are Joey Russo in Blossom ([Joey Lawrence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joey_Lawrence)) and Dylan McKay in Beverly Hills 90210 ([Luke Perry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Perry)).

<div class="pull-left">

![244feb23e2fcb0637a5eb6c0ee27c4e8.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/0x380/https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/NFBmBYj4-244feb23e2fcb0637a5eb6c0ee27c4e8.jpg)
*Joey* ([Source](https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/603412050043955471/))
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<div class="pull-right">

![0d04952eb80263451da03961cb84df71.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/0x380/https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/sLXg1XXu-0d04952eb80263451da03961cb84df71.jpg)
*Dylan* ([Source](https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/653092383440843623/))
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![linerose.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVxLqQZwT9rRGYEkTiD1oQZe6dosv24dKNqAoor2D6xhy/linerose.png)

So my crushes were pretty standard and similar to my friends', but there wasn't much else on tv back then 😉.
But now I was wondering? Who were (or are) your tv character crushes? 


Ask Steemit: Who is/was your tv character crush?...

<div class="text-justify">

![_DSC7183.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/J2smH6Us-_DSC7183.jpg)
<sup>Action>Reaction 2.0</sup>

Yesterday was the closing of already the 7th edition of the [The Amsterdam Light Festival](https://amsterdamlightfestival.com/en). Personally, this festival is a bit of a highlight of winters in Amsterdam as the light-art pieces are placed throughout the Amsterdam city centre from the end of November until close to the end of January. Often, when I have time and friends that want to join, I try to book an evening canal cruise to watch the art from the water. And that is what I did last week. But since it was cold, they closed the boat and there was not a good way to take photographs of all the awesomeness. And therefore I decided to also go on a bit of a hike through the city. 

The organisation is pretty clever about this. They placed the 30 light artworks on 3 walking routes that connect flawlessly. If you have plenty of time (and can deal with the cold), you can walk the whole thing, which is 8.5 kilometres long. This is totally free and very enjoyable. But like I mentioned earlier, there are plenty of canal cruise companies offering special (heated) Light Festival cruises in these months, for a little extra you can enjoy a warm glühwein while watching the art. 

## *The Medium is the Message*

The theme of this year was "[The Medium is the Message](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_medium_is_the_message)" after the famous phrase by  Marshall McLuhan. 

> McLuhan understood "medium" in a broad sense. He identified the light bulb as a clear demonstration of the concept of "the medium is the message". A light bulb does not have content in the way that a newspaper has articles or a television has programs, yet it is a medium that has a social effect; that is, a light bulb enables people to create spaces during nighttime that would otherwise be enveloped by darkness. He describes the light bulb as a medium without any content. McLuhan states that "a light bulb creates an environment by its mere presence. <sup>[source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_medium_is_the_message)</sup>

So for this edition of the Light Festival, I started wondering... What is the true medium here? And what is the message? Is my beautiful city Amsterdam the medium? Or is that the message? Is the art the medium? Or are the light bulbs used for that art the medium and is the art itself the message? I was confused. But I think the answer is different for every art piece that I encountered.

![Screen Shot 20190122 at 00.02.10.png](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/anvOG2XB-Screen20Shot202019-01-2220at2000.02.10.png)
<sup>The map of the art pieces in Amsterdam ([Source](https://amsterdamlightfestival.com/en/map))</sup>


The easiest way to start was to walk to near Dam Square, right in the middle of the city centre. Here you could find the "***Virtual Fairground***" piece by Femke Schaap. It is basically a simulation of a fairground by the projection on basic geometric shapes. The artist meant to pay attention to the changing times of a digital and virtual world, but also paid attention to the upcoming hunger for experiences. The combination of the virtual projected world that can still be experienced by walking around and touching the objects made this pretty powerful... if you know that Amsterdam has been struggling with the huge amount of tourists the last few years. 

![_DSC71242.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/uNNpBnLZ-_DSC7124-2.jpg)
<sup>Virtual Fairground</sup>

From here we would walk to Central Station and go counter-clockwise. On my previous canal cruise, our boat took a bit of a short cut so I missed a few pieces and I wanted to make sure that I was going to see them this time! I was happy to see a red glow in the distance when we walked towards the water. We are approaching some massive red lips!

They are called "***Desire***" and the artists squeezed as much symbolism into them as possible. Lips (or your mouth) plays an important role in communications. If you don't use them for words, you could speak by kissing... The 1500 lights represent the 10.000 nerve endings that you have in your lips that send signals to your brain when touched. By the looks of these lips, you can imagine how much information is sent to your brain by just a tiny touch of your lips!

What I didn't see when I walked around it was that from the side, the image of the lips changes into a heartbeat. And that makes sense... because desire, lust and sensuality will make your heart beat faster! Apparently, the colour red used isn't just to symbolize the sexiness of the lips, but it is also a warning signal that giving in to your desires could potentially be dangerous... 

Interestingly, I didn't hear anyone about the placement of this art piece (I do wonder if anyone thought of that). But this area behind the Central Station used to be a very famous pickup zone for junkie prostitutes in the past century. So yeah, you could say that red lips could mean danger... especially around here...

![_DSC71382.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/KDMwFDSZ-_DSC7138-2.jpg)
<sup>Desire</sup>

Next up? "***Transmission***", a nice looking wavey light artwork with a pretty straightforward meaning. They represent the transmission of our massive amount of digital communications. If you stand underneath it, a wave of light is moving through the pieces and this is intended to be some sort of slower model of the fast light that travels through fibre optic cables to get the message across. Pieces like this don't need an explanation to be beautiful and I can totally see this stay in the city. Unfortunately, it is all gone again.

![_DSC71512.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/0uCo3dMR-_DSC7151-2.jpg)
<sup>Transmission</sup>

A bit further, we walked into "***O.T. 976***", a piece that I expect the neighbours not minding that it was removed after 2 months. This piece without clear title (OT = Ohne Titel = Without Title) is inspired by [string theory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_theory). Unfortunately, I am not very knowledgable about string theory (particles, and therefore objects, are composed of vibrating strings and membranes of energy), but my interpretation would be that the frames and the cables represent the (mem)branes and strings that sort of form a universe. So we would be looking at three semi-parallel universes that are somehow connected. The projector gives an interesting edge to it that I hope is some sort of reference to the [holographic principle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holographic_principle): a description of a space can be encoded as a lower dimensional space. And the neighbouring boats and houses clearly have a visual representation of the 3 parallel universes on their walls... Or that is just a side effect without any meaning. I didn't ask the artist.

![_DSC7162.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/HBCY6gdT-_DSC7162.jpg)
<sup>O.T. 976</sup>

While walking to an art piece that I knew would be at the corner of the next canal, we ran into a container with a big audience. I didn't memorise the map, so I was pretty surprised to see what was going on. Here the "***Action>Reaction 2.0***" was hidden. Kids were going mental for the lights here... No clue about the meaning, they would run back and forth to touch the lights to see the colours change. Very entertaining, but hard to capture if your exposure is slightly longer 😉.

These kids are a perfect display of what this piece is about. It's all about buttons that you push to get a reward. If these kids would do it more organised they would be able to actually create a fun pattern or even a drawing on the wall with 1000 lights/buttons. But that just highlights the difference between grown-ups and kids... the little ones are easier to satisfy.

![_DSC7176.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/5cjtnqFt-_DSC7176.jpg)
<sup>Action>Reaction 2.0</sup>

We now entered the Herengracht. The canal where most of the art can be found. It is a perfect location to build structures like the next one. "***Light a Wish***" is a great example of a light artwork that is built over the canal, which is awesome when you do the canal cruise. I have seen amazing structures in the past where it almost felt that you were inside the art when you were on the boat. 

Light a Wish is a bunch of (20) giant dandelion seeds that carry the wish it was given when the fluff was blown off the flower. They are still flying in the air carried by the wind (cabled in this case). My friend said they looked like giant tampons and now I can't unsee... 

![_DSC7211.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/8HQAsUHi-_DSC7211.jpg)
<sup>Light a Wish</sup>

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![_DSC7221.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/3PjkPMvX-_DSC7221.jpg)
<sup>Strangers in the Light</sup>
</div>

We could see the next piece already in the distance. This is one where I find the name intriguing. "***Strangers in the Light***" is a double piece of giant pedestrian traffic light figures (one red and one green). 

Have you ever thought about it this way? Within the black box of the traffic light, these 2 creatures have never seen each other and are therefore complete strangers. Whenever one appears, the other disappears and that is kinda sad, because they could be a great couple. Now that they are removed from their light, they can finally see and meet each other. Kinda romantic if they just wouldn't have put a giant container between the two... 

*[Frank Sinatra](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5h_EW4odWw) would have loved this piece.*

Our boat tour guide told the tourists on board that everybody in Amsterdam ignores these lights anyway (like it was no big deal). That may be the truth among the youth, but it kind of angered me that she was so relaxed about that.
  
![_DSC7230.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/jujSplJc-_DSC7230.jpg)

Now we get to my field of expertise. "***A.N.N.***", which stands for ‘artificial neural network’. This bright red over canal piece uses blue moving lights to visualise a process that is similar to brain activity. Brain scans often show highlighted spots to show the areas of the brain that have been activated. But that is just artificial for the purpose of visualisation.

That is my bridge to artificial neural networks, which is a way of machine learning. Like in a brain, ANN algorithms handle receiving, processing and transmitting of information. So this representation of the brain would also be a perfect picture for the data transmission going on within ANN. I just love how AI looks so gorgeous this way!

![_DSC7112.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/iNVGnIIR-_DSC7112.jpg)
<sup>A.N.N.</sup>

Do you recognise the items hanging over the canal in the below photo? I didn't! But "***Midnight Summer Dream***" is a big collection of washing machine drums lit up in 4 different colours.  I didn't really understand how it fits into the theme of this Light Festival. But the artist behind it just wanted to show that you can create amazing things with ordinary recycled objects...  Gorgeous... but I would love a better explanation of the name and the link with the theme...

![_DSC7104.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/PcUPb7su-_DSC7104.jpg)
<sup>Midnight Summer Dream</sup>

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![_DSC7259.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/e7NJcMyU-_DSC7259.jpg)
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Another one of my favourites came up next. Sponsored by the Van Gogh Museum is the "***Starry Night***" piece, inspired by the famous painting by van Gogh with the same name. I love how they used tiny light tubes in the same way as van Gogh used brush strokes to paint that sky. But as you notice, it only shows the sky of that painting and not the village on the hill. And this is the interesting bit about this piece. Where once, van Gogh was able to see the stars from a town, and captured it perfectly for everyone else to see... we now need his painting to see stars in a city like Amsterdam. 

Through this light artwork, the people in Amsterdam are able to see the sky like we are supposed to see it. If only there wasn't this much light pollution!

![_DSC7253.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/XZbbKnmI-_DSC7253.jpg)
<sup>Starry Night</sup>

We were almost at our destination, some 5 kilometres into the walk. Our fingers were freezing and it was time to meet our friends waiting in a bar nearby. But not before we saw the giant spider on the bridge! "***SPIDER on the bridge***" is a massive spider that is build of 80 smaller led based spiders. No need to be afraid of these spiders though. They aren't real! 

One small spider is about 2 meters in diameter, which makes this a huge structure. It's amazing to see when you walk underneath it on the bridge. And scary surprise... with some light effects (they programmed the light) it almost looks like the smaller spiders are crawling around!! But is the medium the message here? I don't know...

![_DSC7281.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/PFbQI9VS-_DSC7281.jpg)
<sup>SPIDER on the Bridge</sup>

<div class="pull-right">

![_DSC7122.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/ajCnXtM2-_DSC7122.jpg)
<sup>Absorbed by Light</sup>
</div>

Last but not least, near the Hermitage you will find "***Absorbed by Light***" which most of you will be able to identify with. Three human figures are sitting on a bench while holding their phones and staring at their screens. I love how the only light used in this piece is coming from the screens, making it painfully obvious what the message is about.

You can take a seat in between them, and they will not notice. Ironically, busloads of people did sit between them to quickly snap a selfie to post on one of the many social media platforms they are addicted to. We need to think in what way we depend on our lives being light up by things that happen in the digital world. When is the turning point where we get more excited about a like (or an upvote) than an actual nice face-to-face conversation with a friend in a pub over a beer? 

I know I am past that turning point... I don't like beer so all I got are your comments and upvotes 😘.

![_DSC7118.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/HM7uidgb-_DSC7118.jpg)

</div>

[//]:# (!steemitworldmap 52.371277 lat 4.899653 long  d3scr)

Amsterdam Light Festival #7: The Medium is the Message

![_DSC11913.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/9mecEsDi-_DSC1191-3.jpg)

![_DSC1040.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/j69I949V-_DSC1040.jpg)

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![_DSC1099.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/ksDqZ95P-_DSC1099.jpg)
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![_DSC10633.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/LnOUO2Ce-_DSC1063-3.jpg)

![_DSC11812.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/ld6d9xwF-_DSC1181-2.jpg)

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<td>https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/2NLT65PU-_DSC1121-2.jpg</td>
<td>https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/uFD39A5r-_DSC1179.jpg</td>
<td>https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/NaMobGx4-_DSC1113.jpg</td>
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![_DSC1217.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/zWSCUgSa-_DSC1217.jpg)


Sydney Opera House - Photo collage

![_DSC10932.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/LuNr2cR5-_DSC1093-2.jpg)

*Why this photo? Because I nearly lost it. And I'm happy that I got it again*

If you have been following me, you may know that [my HD crashed](https://steempeak.com/tech/@r00sj3/my-worst-nightmare-are-my-photos-all-gone), which made me concerned that I lost all my photos. 

I gave up my warranty to be able to at least try to save my data. It's the weirdest thing that data recovery and warranty can't go together. Yes, you could go to a certified company to do the recovery for you, but the cost of that would top the price of an HD (by far). But my main priority was the data... so the choice was easy.

The power of my Seagate HD just didn't work somehow. I assumed there were 2 potential causes. Either it was a firmware issue or a disconnect somewhere on the adapter inside the case. I crossed my fingers and hoped for the second thing. On opening the case, I broke 2 nails. It wasn't as hard as I expected though. Luckily there were many videos on youtube what to expect when doing this. But I learned that my drive wasn't a double 2TB one and not a Samsung. That would make things much easier!

As a bit of a hoarder, I had some old SATA to USB adapters lying around. The oldest one powered the drive, but no data connection. The second did both for 1 minute. I was positive there was hope. I just needed to order a newer adapter. 

The next 2,5 days were sort of stressful. I just am not patient enough. And these things always happen on weekends when there is no 1-day delivery available.  

After I got the parts (adapter and new HD) everything seemed to work fine. After waiting 5 hours to copy everything, I can tell you that I am able to continue my blogs on my travels. I got all my photos back! 

*Such a relief*


When it rains it pours? - Sydney, Australia 

<center>
![image.png](https://steemitimages.com/350x0/https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/6tYSIq7p-image.png)
<sup>[Source](https://pixabay.com/en/false-error-missing-absent-x-red-2061131/)</sup>
</center>

I plugged my external HD into my laptop today to load my Sydney photos into Lightroom for my next travel blog. And nothing happened. I did it again... and still nothing. Not even the power! My brand new external 4TB HD that I had been taking with me on all my trips said "Nope!".

Just because it was this large (4TB) and brand new, I had been copying all my stuff on that drive to turn it into my main backup drive. Only fragments of all the files I would send to the cloud each time thinking I would do that later when I had more time.

And now it just doesn't do anything anymore. The "helpful" guys make it sound so easy to fix but at times like this, I feel very much like a girl. Opening the case myself? And just put a SATA connector to it? It's like drilling holes in my wall, fear of failure is massive! 

So fingers crossed I get over my fear and am lucky enough to fix the HD and reach my photos. Or else my next travel updates will become pretty lame ones without any new photos. 

I ask you, photographers, what do you use for storage/backup to not get in my situation? What is your backup strategy and setup? I don't want to go through this ever again!

My worst nightmare.... Are my photos all gone?

<div class="text-justify">

<div class="pull-right">

![20180902_092318.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/BByOcViT-20180902_092318.jpg)
<sup>Ready to go</sup>
</div>

*Grabs pen and paper... "How does this work again?". I'll just start typing and then the words will follow....right? #breakingthewritersblock. Here we go!*

I was excited about this one. And as you may know,  I am a hard-to-excite human being! It was fucking expensive, but I just had to book this train trip cutting straight through Australia. If I wasn't going to drive through the outback all by myself (and I assumed that was a wise thing) this train would be a perfect alternative. No need to drive, just sit back and relax and look out the window... 

The [Indian Pacific](https://www.greatsouthernrail.com.au/trains/the-indian-pacific/holiday-packages/perth-to-sydney) train was waiting for me at the train station in Perth. I put all the things I needed for the trip in my hand luggage and gave the suitcase to be checked in. I was headed for Sydney and on a bit of a high. I couldn't wait to get to my AirBnB in Sydney! On the other end, spending 4 days on a train was the best thing ever too! So I didn't want it to end, but I couldn't wait to get to Sydney! And there we have a bit of confusion...

The Indian Pacific is a bit of an experience that already starts at the train station. We were welcomed with some live music and welcome drinks. I was impatient and couldn't care less. But the rest of the people seemed to really enjoy it. And then I saw it... the average age must have been at least 60!  

To explain why, imagine that this train is sort of a cruise on land. You have your own cabin and all-inclusive food and drinks. You can look out the window for some entertainment or have a chat with fellow passengers while the train brings you to your next stop. There you can join an excursion that will show you this town in record speed, and then you go back to the train that has been waiting for you all the time. To continue to the next stop...

It is an experience that many Australians look forward to their whole life. It is something they have on their bucket list for after they retire. They make sure to save some money for it, since it is far from cheap and then you may understand why they dress up and enjoy the band and snacks and every tiny bit of the experience!

I just wanted to find my cabin as soon as possible to drop my way too heavy bag with all the gadgets in it. I needed to stick that GoPro to the window before the train would leave! Because as you can see in the below map... I had a long way through the outback to record on that camera!

![australianrailmap.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/AB764ljB-australian-rail-map.jpg)
<sup>[Source](http://visitwa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/australian-rail-map.jpg)</sup>

You can take the Indian Pacific in 2 directions: Perth to Sydney or vice versa. And if you wish, you could also leave halfway, in Adelaide. But none of that for me! I'd go for the full experience!

> #### Train Facts 
> - The name reflects the train's journey from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean
> - A one-way journey (Perth - Adelaide - Sydney) is 4352 km and takes 65 hours
> - Average train speed is 85 km/h
> - Average train length is 731 metres
> - First (unbroken) journey: 1970

![_DSC0043.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/WaGlQBKX-_DSC0043.jpg)

### Day 1: Perth to Kalgoorlie

We left just after 10 am. I was settled in my room. When I arrived in my room, I found a lot of reading material, a bottle of water and a lanyard attached to the excursion card. There were toiletries and towels that looked pretty posh. And there were 2 seats in my cabin, one comfortable one and a less comfortable one. If I wanted to travel forward, I had to sit on the less comfortable chair. This made me a little annoyed at first. Why would you do that to someone on a 4-day trip? Luckily I could get an extra pillow from the night setup to make things more comfortable. And it hit me within a few hours. The train would turn around in Adelaide so the second half of the journey I would have the comfortable chair to use... 

![_DSC0136.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/2FOvM0uV-_DSC0136.jpg)

Before I knew it, it was time for lunch. You would walk to the bar area of the train (and since the singles are all the way in the back of the section, it was a 4 car walk. That would make me very happy at nights when people would walk around the train drunk from their all-inclusive wine :). There, you wait to be seated at a random table with random strangers from the train. The menu wasn't of 4-star restaurant quality, but what do you expect on a train? The food was still delicious and I had some great company. You bet that you were full after lunch. I'd grab a drink at the bar and walk back to my cabin, needing some me time after socialising over lunch. Instead of using that me time for something useful, I would often just fall asleep. 

It turned into a bit of a eat sleep repeat thing at some point where I would always find the same people in the bar. The below photo is therefor a bit of a miracle. An empty bar and just me, my drink and some snacks. I was way too early for dinner and the rest (of the earlier group) all just went in. Time to entertain (or annoy) the bar crew :D 

![_DSC0217.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/8vAJKKpY-_DSC0217.jpg)

<div class="pull-right">

![_DSC0060.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/OndcT39w-_DSC0060.jpg)
</div>

It was around 9 PM when it was time for our first proper stop with an excursion. We arrived at [Kalgoorlie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalgoorlie), my first ever gold miners town! It was pitch black outside and I grabbed my tripod hoping I would be able to quickly make a Milky Way shot. 

We were welcomed with drinks and watched a play telling the tale of one of the biggest gold rushes in Australian history. In 1893 [Paddy Hannan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddy_Hannan) found gold and him and his friends gathered as much as possible before reporting their find. A few days later, they reported it and within a week, 1400 people showed up to try and become rich. This turned into the town of Kalgoorlie where nowadays, around 30.000 people are living. And mining is still the main activity. The area surrounding the original find holds many large gold mines and is often referred to as the Golden Mile, and was sometimes referred to as "The world's richest square mile of earth". 

The play was interesting but I couldn't wait to go outside for a photo. While the rest was walking around admiring the huge dump trucks, I found a somewhat dark spot for a photo. Not what I had hoped for, but good enough. Now let's hope the bus didn't leave without me!

The bus would drive us to the Super Pit, a gold mine that is approximately 3.6 kilometres long, 1.6 kilometres wide and 512 metres deep. It is a horrendous thing you can almost see from space. But clearly, all the massive high-cost digging still is worth it looking at the amount of gold that they find. Even after old mines in that area got abandoned. 

![_DSC0072.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/pRbVe5iD-_DSC0072.jpg)
<sup>The Super Pit</sup>

After seeing this hole in the ground (I am just angry I didn't find any gold there), we went back to the train. We finished the first stretch of the train tracks. Kalgoorlie got connected by rails with Perth in 1896. It took 20 years to connect this town by rail through the desert to Port Augusta, 2000 km eastern. However... they used conflicting rail gauges (Perth to Kalgoorlie was more narrow) so it was not possible for 1 train to ride the whole stretch. Lucky for us, they solved this issue in 1969 so that the first unbroken journey could take place in 1970. Before that time, passengers travelling from Sydney to Perth had to switch between at least 5 different trains to complete their journey.

I was happy to be able to just have one room for the full 4 days. The crew used the time that we were gone to make our beds for the night! They even put a chocolate treat on our beds! Time for a restless sleep on a moving train...

![_DSC0232.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/merIkJuq-_DSC0232.jpg)

### Day 2: Cook and The Nullarbor

Yup, I skipped breakfast. Day 2 was going to be a slow day anyway. Short after lunch, we'd stop in Cook, but most of the day we would spend on board. I thought it was the perfect time to wake up slowly and use my morning for me-time. 

The train was now driving through the [Nullarbor Plain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nullarbor_Plain), a very boring flat area without trees or anything interesting to look at. There was no cell reception out here, so I did what I do best, taking naps until lunch. 

After lunch, the train stopped in [Cook](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook,_South_Australia). This was the time that I learned that Australia has a weird way of dealing with time. According to the schedule, I assumed we would have 1,5 hours in Cook to explore. In reality, all the 1,5 hours were just to make a jump in time because we moved to a different time zone. 1,5 Hour difference Australia? Really?... Only to find out it [gets much crazier](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_in_Australia) in summer, when it's possible to travel west, change the clock half an hour forward in time...to later change it 2,5 hours back in time. I'm not even talking about anomalies yet!   

Fortunately, despite the time change, we still had a bit of time to explore Cook, while the train would refuel. We were in the middle of a ghost town with only 4 residents that are basically living there to take care of the train. Before the railway privatised in 1997, it was a town with about 200 residents and their own school, hospital and even golf course. Now it was all closed.  So I grabbed my drone to see if I could make some nice shots from the air. But I couldn't really get it to connect properly and everything failed (Drones suck sometimes). When it finally worked it was time to get back on the train... 

Back in my room, I kept dozing off until a voice on the intercom pointed out that we were approaching a very important point on the railway. When they connected the rails between Kalgoorlie and Port Augusta in 1917 near Ooldea, it marked the end of a long period of hard work in even harder conditions. But it wasn't celebrated much despite the importance of the construction. This was the spot that connected the East of Australia with the West and made transport of goods much easier. But it was during WWI that they finished it so they probably had other things to worry about. If you want to read more about this amazing project and the lives of the workers, read [this article](https://thewest.com.au/news/regional/east-west-rail-link-true-nation-building-success-ng-b88625039z).

![_DSC0081.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/wdTjTrp6-_DSC0081.jpg)
<sup>The monument to the linking of the rails</sup>

As you can see in that photo's background... I didn't lie when I said that the area was a bit dull. So I used my time to take some photos of the interior instead. So I could share that on Steem later.

<div class="pull-left">

![_DSC0135.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/rrK9pJve-_DSC0135.jpg)
<sup>View into a room</sup>
</div>

<div class="pull-right">

![_DSC0150.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/z4k96wkW-_DSC0150.jpg)
<sup>Curving hallway of the single's cabins car</sup>
</div>

![_DSC0142.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/raMFFJQq-_DSC0142.jpg)
<sup>The bathroom was kinda amazing for something on a train</sup>

Before I knew it, it was dinner time again. The time when I get to know a bit more about Australia and get offered amazing travel suggestions for the rest of my Australia trip. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my phone to make notes (because no reception anyway) and forgot all the names. Please don't tell the other passengers that I didn't visit that amazing old abandoned castle in the middle of the jungle! Google couldn't help me find it... 

By the time I got to my room again, the bed was made and it was dark outside. The next morning I had to get out of bed way too early, so of course, sleeping was going to be hard that night.... 

### Day 3: Adelaide and Broken Hill

I wasn't ready for Adelaide that next morning. I don't want to do excursions at 7:30 AM... So I dragged my grumpy ass onto the tour bus that drove around the city a little to only drop us off at the Adelaide Oval to have breakfast. I missed almost everything and probably fell asleep, since I can't remember seeing anything after the first 10 minutes and I don't really have any photos. 
To my knowledge, all I did in Adelaide (this time) was snap a quick photo for @mattclarke to proof to him that I was nearby... And eat breakfast inside a stadium with pitch view. 

Leaving Adelaide, the train went in the opposite direction so that I could finally take a seat on the comfy chair in my room. The second half of my trip was going to be fun. I was getting closer to Sydney and I was going to meet @bearone on the train station near the Blue Mountains so she could hand over @rustle to me. The timing of this all was stressing me out. And what if she couldn't get to the train? And what if we couldn't find each other in the short amount of time I was going to be there! "Fuck this... I'll just drive to her in my motorhome so we have plenty of time...". And so, without knowing it, this was going to be the best decision ever!

At the end of the afternoon, we arrived in [Broken Hill](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_Hill) for another excursion. Some people went to the art gallery and others would visit a drag show. I decided to go check out the big picture: "The world’s largest acrylic painting by a single artist". I was curious how they would house a 12 x 100 meter painting inside a building. 

We arrived at the Silver City Mint & Art Centre and were led through their silver shop before we would reach the painting. In the middle of a sort of cave, there would be a bar for snacks and drinks while being surrounded by the painting. The perfect spot to try to create a full 360 and so I spend all my time trying to achieve that. It didn't really work...

![_DSC0209.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/XnsFjk3J-_DSC0209.jpg)

I was getting a bit annoyed by now by the way these excursions were set up. It almost felt like all they wanted us to do was go on a shopping spree and support the local businesses. I was wishing we would spend more time learning about the towns itself than spending it inside shops watching overhyped art. 

On the bus, they shared a bit of information about the city of Broken Hill: a silver mining city that got its name from the pointer that the discoverer put in his diary to remember where to find it. Funny (or sad) thing is that the original hill with the crack in it doesn't exist anymore since it was completely mined away... 

Time for dinner and bed...I was almost there!

### Day 4: Blue Mountains and Sydney

The next morning was exciting! I was (sadly) going to leave the train so I packed my bag. But at the same time, I was going to see the amazing [Blue Mountains](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Mountains_(New_South_Wales)) and arrive in Sydney. When I opened the blinds the excitement dropped a little. It was raining.... hard!

<div class="pull-right">

![_DSC0242.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/bfvLuAb9-_DSC0242.jpg)
</div>

"Normally the Blue Mountains have a bit of a blue haze to them because of the sky... now we could call them grey mountains", the guide explained. He was thrilled about the weather and didn't hide it. It was the first day of rain after a way too long dry time and this was exactly what the Blue Mountains needed. It wasn't really what I needed though...

The rainforest clearly liked the rain. We did a small hike to a lower part of the forest to see a waterfall with a face (don't tell me you can't see the face in there). It was FOGGY, but the waterfall was happy with it. 

After the hike, we tried to see the Three Sisters but we were unsuccessful. No way was that fog going to let us see anything. It was good that I had that motorhome planned with my visit to @bearone. I would try again later.... 

![_DSC03043.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/aKPwFe1Y-_DSC0304-3.jpg)

![_DSC0315.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/uP9RzfUl-_DSC0315.jpg)

After the Blue Mountains, we were dropped off at another train station for the last bit with a different train. But the Indian Pacific had their own section for us, passengers. We were almost there and I couldn't wait. I was finally going to see the Opera House!

</div>

![linerose.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVxLqQZwT9rRGYEkTiD1oQZe6dosv24dKNqAoor2D6xhy/linerose.png)

### Also in this series:

* [Walkabout Straya #0: What did I get myself into?](https://steempeak.com/travel/@r00sj3/walkabout-straya-0-what-did-i-get-myself-into)
* [Walkabout Straya #1: A stormy first week at the west coast!](https://steempeak.com/travel/@r00sj3/walkabout-straya-1-a-stormy-first-week-at-the-west-coast)
* [Walkabout Straya #2: After the storm...](https://steempeak.com/travel/@r00sj3/walkabout-straya-2-after-the-storm)
* [Walkabout Straya #3: Things I didn't do in Perth](https://steempeak.com/travel/@r00sj3/walkabout-straya-3-things-i-didn-t-do-in-perth)

![steemitbanner.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmemPBr65ZtixAHousZDGHTz8JV36ak87NC8yF6XTispgg/steemitbanner.png)

[//]:# (!steemitworldmap -31.944437 lat 115.877008 long  d3scr)


Walkabout Straya #4: The Indian Pacific (Perth-Sydney)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcEnBhDL0Xc
[Source](https://www.nomadcruise.com/)

In case you wondered what this [Nomad Cruise](https://www.nomadcruise.com/) is all about. It's hard to explain. To me, after a few cruises, it has mostly become about the people. Seeing my friends again, getting inspired by new stories and travelling to (for me) unfamiliar places with a huge group is what makes it something that I can look forward to. 

It just starts as a Digital Nomad Conference at sea. You spend your days on a cruise ship listening to talks, meeting people, participating in workshops and getting inspired by people living (or wanting to live) the location independent worker lifestyle. Everyone has a different style of doing so and all with different levels of success. But that doesn't matter during a pool party where the drinks are free!

After the cruise, it isn't over! And that is something to be aware of if you ever want to join one of these cruises. Being back on land, without the talks, there is time to catch up on some work but still enjoy the company of your fellow nomads. People tend to hang around and that is also massively encouraged. Quite funny to see so many familiar faces all the time when walking around the streets in Brazil. It's like the nomads took over the town!

As an introvert, the cruise is challenging to me in so many ways. But who doesn't like a little challenge sometimes, right? After the last cruise (Nomad Cruise 7) I spend my me-time recovery period in Brazil, Argentina and Chile: places I would not have considered if the cruise wouldn't have dropped me in Brazil. It was away from the rest of the nomads, but I kinda needed that after such an intense time on the cruise.

At this moment, when I type this, many of the cruisers are preparing to celebrate New Year's Eve in Rio de Janeiro. And yes, [FOMO](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_of_missing_out) is real... something you learn during these cruises! But there is always the next cruise!

Nomad Cruise Movie - Digital Nomads at Sea

![_DSC6464.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/eBUmn3HJ-_DSC6464.jpg)

I am still sort of in recovery from all the travelling that I did. So why not give you guys a little teaser of what is about to come (when I finally feel alive again)?

This is a photo that I took in the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. Gosh, do I love those rough mountain peaks!! Too bad the clouds took away our view most of the time. But at least it wasn't raining! 

It is on many bucket lists to hike around this park once. And I can see why! Unfortunately, I am not much of a hiker. But who knows, maybe one day! For now, driving around was good enough!



Torres del Paine National Park, Chile

The past 4 months, I have been travelling like crazy (hence the lack of updates). First 2 months in Australia, then a quick trip to Krakow in Poland for #steemfest and yesterday I returned from my 6-week-trip of the [Nomad Cruise](http://www.nomadcruise.com) combined with Patagonia (Argentina and Chile).

It was a much needed "experiment" for a few reasons: I needed a serious break from work and the struggles I've had in that area lately. Also, since many specialists claimed that "becoming active again" was the solution to all my problems, I guessed travelling could be some sort of therapy. And finally, I wanted to figure out if digital nomadism could be my thing or if I just needed a break.

I don't know yet what the result of these 4 months will be. Right now I am mostly exhausted and glad to sit my own couch without any specific future travel plans. I am now officially jobless for the first time ever. Exciting and scary at the same time. The plan was to start my own business in 2019. But nothing is certain. Let's see what 2019 will bring!! 

![Screen Shot 20181227 at 16.14.57.png](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/BaPC2ZOc-Screen20Shot202018-12-2720at2016.14.57.png)

Now that 2018 is about to end... 

![_DSC6210.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/YzrfKtQc-_DSC6210.jpg)

It's been a while since my last update! And just so you know, it's not because of the Steem price drop that I stopped blogging. I am just so &%@^&% busy right now!! I hardly have time to go through my photos. But yesterday I found some time and started Lightroom. 

I'm currently hanging out in Patagonia, crossing the border between South Argentina and South Chili more often than I feel like. Yesterday I visited the Perito Moreno Glacier. And just so you know, that isn't a miniature boat you are seeing. 





I'm still alive! -In Patagonia-

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![facebook_1542457480316 2.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/WS9gt9GY-facebook_1542457480316202.jpg)
<sup>[Source](http://www.nomadcruise.com/nomad-cruise-7/)</sup>

Did I want to see some proper whales? No, that wasn't the case. It was time for the [7th Nomad cruise](http://www.nomadcruise.com/nomad-cruise-7/) to go on its transatlantic trip and I needed to be on that!

The Nomadcruise is just a brilliant thing! It is a multiple day conference on a cruise ship. This time there are almost 500 digital nomads (or wannabees like myself) on board to share skills and learn from others. But also to party with friends and sunbath near the pool.

It feels a little like the SteemFest atmosphere for me, because of the return of a lot of alumni every time. Right now, every half year there is some sort of cruise happening. Sometimes exploring the Mediterranean and this time crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Spain to Brazil.   

![NC7_Route_Map.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/BOfjFhPe-NC7_Route_Map.jpg)
<sup>[Source](http://www.nomadcruise.com/nomad-cruise-7/)</sup>

After joining NC5 and NC6 (The way the "insiders" refer to past cruise editions), I decided to keep joining all the upcoming cruises (as long as I could afford it). I made some friends and since a lot of them are travelling most of the year, it is a lovely reunion where we can catch up, learn and have a bit of a vacation too. 

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A few days ago, the boat would leave in Barcelona. On Facebook, the buzz started building weeks before. "When will you arrive in Barcelona?", "I so want to catch up!!", "Who wants to share an Airbnb?", "Are you excited about the cruise?", etc etc. People organised meetups days before the cruise would even start and the returning goodbye party the night before boarding is famous for being the epic start of the trip.

The first days on the boat are overwhelming. But, I am happy that after 2 cruises, not everyone is new to me. A lot of hugging is involved and sometimes you don't know how to catch up with everyone you run into. The plans for acro-yoga are made and jam sessions start happening. And with all the meetups going on, this is the time that FOMO (fear of missing out) hits you. It just is impossible to do everything without killing yourself.

So far, it has mostly been about learning, catching up and avoiding seasickness. The weather hasn't been on our side so much with the boat rocking a bit too much sometimes. But they say that after Tenerife it will be better. Just so you know, I am currently writing this from my cabin while the boat is in the Tenerife harbour. And it does look like the weather might improve. 

![20181123_112155.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/VdE4ZgGI-20181123_112155.jpg)
<sup>The view from my balcony</sup>

*"Why are you not exploring Tenerife?"*

A transatlantic cruise comes with a terrible wifi connection. These whales just don't need any internet, so they haven't figures that out yet. You pay lots of money per day to have a minimal connection. So most nomadcruisers would use this time to disconnect from the internet and reconnect with people. I never feel like disconnecting so right now, I enjoy the 4g that I have and the quiet time with many of the nomadcruisers being on excursions. I will explore Tenerife another time. 

I placed my GoPro on my balcony so I can stay inside. This time is the first time that I spoiled myself with a junior suite (with balcony). My me-time is precious to me and is easier to do when you have an amazing view from your room with fresh air just outside a sliding door. I could stand on my balcony naked, taking a photo of the sunrise, and go back to bed if I wanted. The luxury!!  

![20181119_150705.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/F9OC07Sx-20181119_150705.jpg)

Right now, it is lunchtime. I should walk to the buffet and get myself a bit of a healthy meal. This compensates for the delicious desserts they have on board. During the evening, the nomadcruisers will all sit together in the restaurant. Every time with different people at your table. But also with a bit of a tradition. The Ceasar Salad! It looks terrible, but it is one of my highlights of these cruises! And I am not the only one who likes them! ☺️. 

![20181119_200905.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/FIqpBR4F-20181119_200905.jpg)

While I am in the harbour, I enjoy the internet while I can. It will be 2 full days at sea before we reach Cape Verde. And then another 4 days filled with talks, meetups, brainstorms and other activities before we will reach Brazil. Don't think the cruise will end there then. After a few cruises, I learned that it kinda only starts after we receive our destination. The weeks after, people still meet up and have the tendency to travel in groups. Slowly, people will follow their own plans and disappear. My plan is to fly to Patagonia and leave the bunch behind. It will be hard to say goodbye, but there will always be [Nomad Cruise 8](https://www.nomadcruise.com/nc8-europe/)

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![_DSC4985.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/8GhAPaKe-_DSC4985.jpg)

![USER_SCOPED_TEMP_DATA_MSGR_PHOTO_FOR_UPLOAD_1542644463536.jpg_15426444691312.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/mvuDzOx0-USER_SCOPED_TEMP_DATA_MSGR_PHOTO_FOR_UPLOAD_1542644463536.jpg_1542644469131-2.jpg)

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![_DSC4954.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/MLmkAZiw-_DSC4954.jpg)

![_DSC4967.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/gzDRTjAf-_DSC4967.jpg)

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[//]:# (!steemitworldmap 28.456924 lat -16.255555 long  d3scr)

I'm on a boat! #nomadcruise

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![40594033_10161104287055160_2857971848367308800_o3.png](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/RDviAKJQ-40594033_10161104287055160_2857971848367308800_o-3.png)
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So Perth. Lovely lovely Perth...I booked plenty of days here. But in the end, I didn't see much of it. I'd love to blame the weather, my jetlag or just a few random people. That is a bit unfair. It was basically a result of me not taking the time to do some proper research and being too lazy to leave the hotel room for quick strolls.

Since I didn't know what to do in Perth, I filled my time with other trips. I flew to the north to see the amazing Kalbarri National Park. I decided to check out the Pinnacles and do some sand boarding. And those things were loads of fun... And then it was the day before I would leave Perth again. 

At that point, I had only 1 nice photo of Perth. I took that the day after arrival. I managed to make myself leave the hotel to explore Perth a little way after dark. I walked for 10 minutes to the Elizabeth Quay, took my camera out and made a photo of the skyline at night. I loved the green lit up bridge and the huge white "Spanda" sculpture. I read about the amazing Bell Tower but that was terribly underwhelming with all the construction going on around it. I experimented with my camera a little and then I walked into a guy with a drone flying around the Quay... "My drone is in my room... I should get it", I thought after learning some tricks from this guy. I went to my room and crashed on the bed instead. No more Perth for me that night.  

### Perth that night

![_DSC91202.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/jqUOSOb0-_DSC9120-2.jpg)

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![_DSC9137.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/TSJM0kWz-_DSC9137.jpg)
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![_DSC91402.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/wsrniKP3-_DSC9140-2.jpg)
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![_DSC9152.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/fJS4Yap7-_DSC9152.jpg)

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![_DSC9172.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/y7fHbqOR-_DSC9172.jpg)

During my time away from Perth, hiding in my resort because of the storm, I learned there were a couple of amazing places close to Perth that I should pay a visit to. On top of my list was [Rottnest Island](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rottnest_Island). 

Rottnest Island is famous for its photogenic [quokkas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quokka). They basically look like a mixture of a tiny kangaroo and a rat. They also have tiny pouches for their joeys (babies). They are so used to the tourists at Rottnest Island that they are very willing to pose for photos. But don't feed them, despite how tempting it may be! You may end up paying a heavy fine if you do so!

Rottnest is from the Dutch word for rat nest. You could easily get there by boat from Perth. But I decided not to do that. Instead, I went shopping and did my laundry. 

![linerose.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVxLqQZwT9rRGYEkTiD1oQZe6dosv24dKNqAoor2D6xhy/linerose.png)

There were still so many things I had to do before I was ready to get on that train the next day! I needed a new suitcase since mine got damaged on the plane to Perth. And I also was desperate for some good water/reef shoes. With all these creepy animals living in Australia, no way was I going to go into the water without some proper shoes... (More on that later). 

I didn't find what I needed. A better way to relax would have been to visit [Swan River](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swan_River_(Western_Australia)). This peaceful and lovely river makes you forget you are in a city. Here, you can stroll til you drop. Then have a picnic while you watch the birds on the river. And if the weather is nice, you may see people paddle boarding. 

I didn't check out the river though. The wine cruise is extremely popular, but I don't drink wine... And walking there? I decided that [Kings Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kings_Park,_Western_Australia) would be fine too.

![linerose.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVxLqQZwT9rRGYEkTiD1oQZe6dosv24dKNqAoor2D6xhy/linerose.png)

On my walk to Kings Park, I saw this sculpture of a kangaroo that made me smile. The brilliant idea of just placing a tiny fountain in the water where he was drinking made the whole statue come alive somehow.

![_DSC9905.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/6au8AWaW-_DSC9905.jpg)

I had one major stop on my list before getting to Kings Park. The [Blue Boat house](https://steempeak.com/photography/@r00sj3/blue-boat-house-in-perth-australia)! I expected to take a few photos and leave. But this place was crazy popular! There were tourists queuing up to take selfies in front of the house. And here is my number one photography frustration: It is really hard to get a photo of something special without people in it. 

*Why do you need half an hour for a selfie!?!?*

I got fed up, the sunset wasn't doing anything special and I moved to a bench next to the pier to get a photo from a different angle. That was even more frustrating...haha. I started playing around with long exposures to turn selfie-taking people into ghosts. And before I knew it, it was too dark to visit Kings Park. 

![_DSC9926.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/1rtygKSV-_DSC9926.jpg)


I got an Uber back to the hotel but decided to walk back to Elizabeth Quay again. There was this one building in Perth that got my attention earlier: The [Council House](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_House,_Perth). The architecture wasn't that impressive. It was the use of lights! It was basically a light show on a building. In 2010 they installed 22000 LED lights on this ugly building to turn it into something special. And it kinda was! All sorts of patterns showed up on the building. I loved the rainbow colours most and kept missing them looking for a nice foreground for a photo. Eventually, I found a kangaroo that was willing to sit still for a very long time while I took some photos. He was probably friends with the drinking one earlier.  

![_DSC0041.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/r00sj3/c7VH3Hd1-_DSC0041.jpg)

So basically... I messed up my visit to Perth. I have the feeling I didn't see any of it. People that know Perth well call it a hidden gem and I kinda get that, though never got to explore it properly. But honestly, I think it's better to call the whole West Coast of Australia a hidden gem. It isn't as well known as it deserves to be. It is just gorgeous and people just should pay it a visit instead of doing the standard East Coast thing! Now that there is a direct flight from London to Perth, I expect things to change. Europe will discover Perth and the West Coast, I am sure about that!

Time to go to the other coast! My train was waiting!!
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![linerose.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVxLqQZwT9rRGYEkTiD1oQZe6dosv24dKNqAoor2D6xhy/linerose.png)

### Also in this series:

* [Walkabout Straya #0: What did I get myself into?](https://steempeak.com/travel/@r00sj3/walkabout-straya-0-what-did-i-get-myself-into)
* [Walkabout Straya #1: A stormy first week at the west coast!](https://steempeak.com/travel/@r00sj3/walkabout-straya-1-a-stormy-first-week-at-the-west-coast)
* [Walkabout Straya #2: After the storm...](https://steempeak.com/travel/@r00sj3/walkabout-straya-2-after-the-storm)


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[//]:# (!steemitworldmap -31.951328 lat 115.853046 long  d3scr)