Looking through Austrian eyes

Traveling in your own country (especially when you have already seen a lot of it) never seems as exciting as a foreign one. But looking through new eyes does make you see it differently. Elmar had arrived in Australia.

We had 3 weeks together and for me to show him around. Not much time at all really. I had to pick just a few highlights.

Seeing our streets and houses that seem so ‘normal’ look open and spacious to other eyes. The lack of fences emphasises the amount of space we have, he says. The things he takes photos of make me smile. Roadworks. Trucks. The streets of small towns. Road signs. Things that are so normal. How must it look to him?

The kangaroos that live in the paddock down the road become much cuter when you see the excitement on someone else’s face. And you can see how our beaches rival the best in the world when you can see the look of admiration when someone else is staring at them…

After a whirlwind arrival (for both of us!) we finally had time to breathe. We had spent a couple of jet lagged days in Noosa, exploring the coast and surrounds. I re-learned the beauty of Noosa and it’s National Park. I had forgotten how beautiful the beaches were and how friendly Australians can be.

After Noosa it was Hervey Bay and a snapshot day tour of Fraser Island, one of my favourite places in the world. While I would have loved to show it to him my way – in a 4wd crammed with gear, food and people – we instead took the day trip in a 4wd bus with 40 other tourists. Luckily for me, he still loved it.

(Trying fish and chips with dad)

(A very early morning ultralight flight over Fraser)

(Selfie at Lake Mckenzie)

(Lake Mckenzie really is stunning)

(What’s left of the Maheno)

Then it was back to Brisbane for some culture – football! I was disappointed to not be able to show him my football, AFL, however, we were lucky enough to get tickets to a union game, Reds v Warratahs. The Reds played terribly and lost badly, but at least he got the idea.