Mirjam's Dream Island

My Fraser Experience

2010-10-13T02:49:00.000+02:00

K'gari - Paradise is what the Butchulla People call Fraser Island, the biggest sand island in the world and one of the World Heritage listed places in Queensland.
It has been a while since I wrote my last blog and well, it's been a while since I visited Australia. Now I am back and the first place I went to on my day off was Fraser Island! Recently I was asked by a German newspaper which is my favourite place in Queensland and I had a really hard time deciding, but of all the places I experienced, I choose Fraser as one of my Top 2 (Lawn Hill National Park is the other).

So I was back but with more time on my hands. I took the two day trip with Fraser Experience Tours, the company recognises the Butchulla People as the traditional owners of Kgari (Fraser Island) and that by itself shows you with how much respect they treat the island and its habitat. There was no rushing, even though we got to see and experience so much,but that's what it's all about to experience Fraser and not just having been there. They don't do bus loads of people either, it's always a nice little group. AND best of all, they organise everything for you in those two days: water, breakfast, tea, lunch and dinner plus the accomodation (no tents!) and not to forget the transfer with the ferry.

After everyone was picked up from their hotel and hostels in Hervey Bay, we headed off to Rainbow Beach to catch the Manta Ray Car Ferry. It was a short and impressive ride over the ocean. The waves were hitting Fraser Island pretty hard, but our experienced driver and tour guide Neill stayed cool and manuvered the bus safely onto the sandy beach. First stop was Dilli Village our camp, we were housed in cabins, which can be so much better then tents especially when it gets windy. After some invigorating tea and biscuits we headed off to drive along the 75 Mile Beach. It's a highway, let me tell you: there are road signs, traffic rules and speed control. It makes you feel quite adventurous! Eli Creek was our swim for the day. When we stopped there, we found a seaturtle washed onto the banks of the sweet water creek. Neill took charge and showed us how to save a turtle. She was very exhausted but as soon as we brought her closer to the ocean she started paddling and gasping for the salty water. That totally made my day, yet there was more to come! We rode down Eli Creek, the current just takes you back to the beach.

Afterwards we hiked up the large rocky headland of Indian Head. The name was given by Captain Cook, when he saw "Indians", which in those times they called all natives, assembling on the rock. It is an historical and spiritual site of significance to the Aborigines. It is also a great vantage point for taking tons of pictures of 75 Mile Beach and the great sand dunes extending north, viewing sharks, turtles, dolphins and rays. If you are lucky you might even see a whale, but for sure you will see something! I really loved the fact that we could take our time.

Next we visited the coloured sands and marveled at the different shades of red, yellow and gold the sand showed glistening in the sunlight. Last stop was the Maheno Shipwreck. It used to be a luxury liner before and after that she served her time in the military. Now she sits at the beach deteriorating and changing her appearance constantly. I don't have to tell you that the shipwreck is very popular for photographers. At the end of the day we had an Aussie BBQ, played some games and just chatted away. The Dilli Village also had a 'natural swimming hole' for everybody who wanted to go for another swim.

I woke up the next morning refreshed. It had rained and everything smelled beautifully, the sun came out and a Dingo puppy had made it underneath the fence to check out our campsite. Of course, they are just adorable, but "No, you can not pet the puppy" it is a wild animal! We packed up and drove through the bush. Lake McKenzie was our first destination. Fraser Island has over 40 lakes, including half the world’s perched lakes, each unique with clear waters due to a filtering effect of the sand resulting in white beaches. Perched lakes develop when a saucer-shaped "hard pan" of organic debris, sand and peat forms in a depression between dunes. Water collects, slowly filtering to the watertable below. One of the most stunning perched lakes is Lake McKenzie. For two hours we could frolic on Main Beach, find a little spot of one's own or walk along the shore till you find secluded Second Beach. To boost our energy Neill had set up a beautiful lunch with wraps and a variety of ingredients. In the picnic area there was also a goana. We tried to take pictures of him without stressing or cornering him too much. But he was very happy baking in the sun.

Our last adventure of the trip would take us to Central Station, once the logging station on Fraser Island and through Pile Valley rainforest. Towering satinay and brush box trees, ancient ferns, palms and vines are supported by sand dunes and form this very dense rainforest. We took a walk along the crystal clear Wanggoolba Creek through this ancient rainforest that due to its 300 million old species of fern was the backdrop to BBC's "When Dinosaurs Walked the Earth". Before we headed back to Rainbow Beach taking the inland road we had a last tea & biscuits. It was a great group of people and the experience we all had of Fraser Island was a true one!

Noosa – Go for a ride!

2009-07-07T08:32:00.005+02:00

Noosa is a beautiful picturesque town on the Sunshine Coast. It is not only on the way to Fraser Island but worth a visit in itself. Before I arrived on Hamilton Island for the final round of „The Best Job in the World“ I already had visited Noosa and was hoping to return one day. Famous for its surf and rich weekend houses, I found some of the best food on the coast there. Here I have to confess, I am a little bit of a food tourist – so I might not be completely objective, when I say Noosa is beautiful, as the food definitely put me in a very happy mood. I can only recommend Gusto Restaurant by the river and Sails at the corner of Hastings St & Park Rd. Sails is directly by the beach and offers as good a view as delicious seafood.

Even though we did not go surfing, we went for a ride anyways: Horseback Riding on the beach with EQUATHON. Alex Watson, triple Olympian is a world class rider and made Equathon a world class horse riding experience. Those are no tired, old and slaving horses! They are healthy and beautiful Australian Stock Horses. Watson says: „Our aim is to bring people and horses together in rewarding relationships.“ ...Kermit and me hit it off from the start. In the beginning he was a little stubborn, but like most men, once you establish the hierarchy, adapting fast. - Just kidding! There are numerous tracks on Noosa North Shore, we passed through gum tree forests, saw kangaroos and finally had great fun cantering along the beach. After that we were definitely in love!
Together, Magali, George and me shared a holiday apartment at the Breakfree French Quarter Resort. Not far from Main Beach and the boardwalk, as well as close to the river canals and bus station, the resort is very close to everything that Noosa has to offer. Noosa's National Park with its five heads along the North Shore was just around the corner as well and I was happy to return to the place where I had seen my first wildlife koala. See my blog about Noosa on 01/05.

Tangled up in Tangalooma

2009-06-25T11:11:00.016+02:00

When I was so lucky to be chosen one of the 16 candidates to come to Queensland, people always asked me what was I looking forward to the most. My answer was always the same: the underwater world and swimming with a dolphin. During my stay on Moreton Island at the Tangalooma Island Resort I actually got to feed a wildlife dolphin! How great is that! They come up to the shores every evening by themselves and are so trusting it blew my mind! But the resort also has other adventures in store and the two days we spent there was not enough time to experience them all, so upfront I have to confess „I will be back“.

Day 1
Tangalooma Island Resort is just an 1.5 hours ride away from Brisbane City Centre and getting there is where your holidays starts. Magali and me left with the ferry at 10am from Holt Street, Pinkenba and our captain actually gave a little guided tour as the boat made its way through the harbour. As soon as we arrived we were greeted by pelicans, or maybe they were just hoping on some scraps and by a welcoming staff member, Maurie. He told us everything we needed to know about the resort and the activities, so we could plan ahead or make no plans – we did some of both.

First things first, we took in the vibe: palm trees, beautiful cafes and restaurants along the beach, colourful birds, sand, sun and water – this really felt like an island! We were up for some adventures so we booked in the Quad Bike Tour for this afternoon. That would give us enough time to get sorted out in our rooms, meaning throwing everything in there before heading to the beach. ;-)

Before we went into the dunes with our Quad Bikes we had a little introduction. It is all really basic and quite easy to learn for everybody, they even had mini quads for kids. Still Magali and me were happy to get promoted to the boys' team, so we could go a little wilder and push the limits. It was so great fun! By myself I probably would not have gone so far, but you have the guide infront of you and you just do what she does getting a kick out of it! Happy and thrilled we got off our quad bikes at the end of the tour and I could have easily gone for another, but I also wanted to see the kookaburra feeding. They are so funny birds! The kookaburras at the resort are also wildlife birds that come every afternoon, sometimes more sometimes less of them, to the feeding. It is great to see these birds in a close-up with their beautiful colouring and their laughter.

The day ended filled with more highlights. There was the dolphin feeding in the evening. At the Marine Education and Conservation Centre you learn more about dolphins, dugongs and the ocean's eco-system. At Tangalooma they are really concerned about educating, treating animals with care and respecting wildlife. It was fascinating to see how close the dolphins came to the shore, played with each other and their different characters and traits. The calf, for example, is really cheeky and its mother Shadow very gentle. After we fed fish to the dolphins, we were ready for some fish ourselves. And we got lucky: freshly caught and simmered to perfection!

Day 2
I started the day with some pampering at the Tangalooma Beauty Therapy and hanging out by the beach. Around noon, in time for the tide we went snorkeling by the wrecks. We were fully equipped and the service was great at the 'Tangalooma Dive In Sports'. In the 1960s the government sunk 12 ships along the shores of Moreton Island. Their wrecks now protect from the strong currents and offer a haven to corals and thus hundreds of fish as well. This is were we went snorkeling. My favourite is the parrot fish who is just nibbling away on the corals and keeps on spitting half of it back out, he makes a big mess and the sound just nibbles at your ears just the same.

In the early afternoon we went off with the Desert Safari Tour into the dunes. Moreton Island is one of the world's largest sand islands, the highest point of the island is Mount Tempest with its 280 metres it is the the highest coastal sandhill in the world. There are hills and hills of almost white sand and us surfing them. Well, not really! - The dunes were more surfing us. Going up there was just exhausting, but going down so worth it. But there is really nothing much you can do, you just have to lie on your belly and go where it takes you and especially how fast it will take you. Speed! That is the kick.

The rest of the day we spent by the beach, played badminton, one of the many land activities at the resort, watched the sunset – most beautiful sunset that is – and having another evening of great food, drinks and shooting pool at the bar.

All in all, even though it was great, we had a lot of adventures and also relaxing experiences, there is one problem: I really do have to come back. There is so much to see and do, we just did not have enough time for all of it, like: the Whale Watching Cruise, the Dugong Eco Cruise, Kayaking by the Wrecks, especially Dusk Kayaking with beer and prawns, the helicopter ride and parasailing. As I am staying in Brisbane for a little longer, it will be easy to just pop in for a day or two! :-)

Magic in the Woods

2009-06-16T01:01:00.008+02:00

No, I am not talking about wizards and witches, whereas it was so idyllic and surreal that I would not have been surprised if Galadriel and the seven dwarfs from snowwhite would have appeared.
I am talking about O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat situated in the heart of Lamington National Park. They have the best walking track map I have seen so far, the numerous walks are broken down concerning difficulty, accessibility, distance and time.

There are several walks and activities offered by O'Reilly's itself if you want to take a guided tour through the forest. My favourite are the Glowworm Walk and the Spotlight Walk, both are in the evening at dark. I really looked forward to seeing the glowworms and I did not get disappointed. It looked like hundreds of tiny christmas lights all over the forest, just miraculous. On the spotlight walk you have to be lucky, a guide will lead the group through the forest and around the resort to spot nightlife in the wild. You never know what you will see and you are part of the experience looking and listening to what is around you. I always wanted to walk the woods at night, but obviously I am too much of a wuz to do so by myself.

The Morning Bird Walk is a great way to start your day at O'Reilly's. Most animals come out in the morning, the birds are singing their greetings to the day and I even got to see kangaroos. The famous Tree Top Walk gave me a bird's eye view as I walked through the forest's canopy and to also fly like a bird I went on the Flying Fox which takes you soaring 25 metres above the ground!

After a long day of walking through and flying over the forest O'Reilly's Lost World Spa is the best place to relax and get spoiled while watching the sun set into lush and wild scenery. Their swimming pool seems to drop into the rainforest! What a view, pause and take it in! That's what O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat is about! My stay was short though, I definitely want to come back and do more walking tracks and a rough bush track as well, but not without getting pampered afterwards! I am bad, you guys, this is the second time I have been to a spa and I'm already spoiled ;-) .

If you want to hire a car in Brisbane or the Sunshine Coast, go to www.alphacarhire.com.au , they have a great prices, pick-up and drop-off service and reliable cars. Thank you Alpha car hire for giving me the opportunity to enjoy this trip without having to worry!

Riding water and earth on Stradbroke Island

2009-06-04T07:00:00.003+02:00

Hailey, the Australian candidate invited Magali (candidate from the Netherlands), George (candidate from Ireland) and me along with some of her friends to her parents caravan on Stradbroke Island. It is just a 30 minute ride with the ferry from Brisbane. Straddie, as the Aussies call it, has beautiful beaches, a great surf and a beautiful creek walk. A vast array of different bird species call it their home, you can see dolphins at sunset and whales passing the island on their journey. The native name for Straddie is Minjerribah, even though Captain Henry John Rous was officially the first European to have set foot on the island in 1827, there is a legend that a couple of survivors of a Spanish or Portuguese shipwreck have been the first ones. There were records about a contact in the Aboriginal oral tradition and the shipwreck, known as the Stradbroke Island Galleon, is supposed to be hidden in the 18 Mile Swamp. What a great story! I guess, I should come with some of my historian collegues and do some digging!

After a day of chilling at the beach and watching other people enjoying the surf Magali and me were up for some action as well. We rented ourselves some boards at Straddie Adventures and signed up for the sand boarding later that afternoon. When I had my surfing lesson in Noosa I got pretty spoiled with catching every wave and being able to stand up on the board from the start. This time it turned out to be much more difficult with a shorter board and no teacher to tell you when to start paddling. I still had a great time though!

In the afternoon we went to the sand dunes with Mark from Straddie Adventures. We had a lot of fun! Of course you end up covered with sand like a schnitzel after speeding down the dunes, but what an experience! The weirdest thing though is to just let go and let the board take you down, because as soon as you move you land in the sand, but no worries, it is a soft landing.

Reunion and Goodbyes in Sydney

2009-06-03T12:27:00.007+02:00

As one of the secret capitals ;-) of Australia Sydney is definitely worth a visit, especially if some great friends are waiting there for you! I met with James, my Outback-mate, Magali, Anjaan and his wife Amu in Sydney. We had some great times there, going out for some drinks, partying at a Backpacker place, as I was not wearing proper shoes for a fancy place (having been a tourist all day walking in sneakers), and watching fireworks at Darling Habour. Of course, after we experienced so much together, like seeing right into Spock's humongous eye at the IMAX Sydney, the world's largest screening system (scary!!!), it was even harder to part. But hopefully we will all meet again! At Ben's house warming party?

But one thing is for sure: in Sydney I really noticed that it is winter in Australia at the moment, I totally forgot about that in the Sunshine State of Queensland!

Some Impressions of Sydney:

Beautiful at Night: The Opera House and Harbour Bridge

Another Cool Bloke

Take the ferry to Manly to:

...get the best view of Sydney

...meet Bill and get a language lesson for free by the beach

...get The Heads shown to you by a local

...hear some Arameic when you are lucky enough to meet Paul

Story Bridge Hotel in Brisbane

2009-05-21T17:26:00.007+02:00

Yesterday I went out for dinner with some friends of mine. Several people told me The Story Bridge Hotel would be a great venue to spend a night out, whether you want to go for a drink at its Shelter Bar or for something to eat at the Deery's Restaurant. It really has something to offer for everyone, you can also sit by a cole heated oven and enjoy a laid-back dinner with some beers at The Outback Bar & Grill of the hotel.

The Hotel is situated under The Story Bridge and is actually much older than the bridge. It opened its doors in 1886 and received today's name in 1940 at the actual opening of The Story Bridge.

We had some beautiful steaks and oysters. They have a huge variety of domestic and imported wine and the waiters really know how to chose the right wine for you according to your meal and taste.

After dinner we went over to the Shelter Bar for a couple of drinks and it is quite fascinating to be sitting right next to these huge pillars inside the bar which are holding up the bridge. All of us had a great time out. It is always fun when you are with the right people, but it does add when you are in really special place.

Mackay - the border between tropical coastline and outback

2009-05-19T15:36:00.009+02:00

Did you know that the platypus is about the weirdest animal there is? Wikipedia describes it as „egg-laying, venomous, duck-billed, beaver-tailed, otter-footed mammal“. In the Eungella National Park close to Mackay, where I was staying with my friend, you can see a platypus in the wild. A drive from Mackay to Eugnella takes approximately 1 hour. You would be surprised how much you can experience in and around Mackay. There are so many national parks, beautiful beaches and little towns just around the corner. It is 1.5 hours from Airlie Beach and about the same from the Outback. Mackay is the border city between the tropical Whitsunday Coast and the Outback so to say. A great place to start your journey, relax at the beaches, explore the forests or have a nice day in the Botanical Garden, a stroll along the river and a night out at the Marina.

Let's get back to the platypus though, I decided to see this animal is reason enough to leave early in he morning to get to Eugnella on time to witness a platypus having breaky. They come out in the morning between 5:00-8:00 am and in the afternoon past 4:00pm. I had to catch the early one, as I did not want to drive back in the dark. You guys, this was my first day driving on the left side! Crazy Australians! I did not want to push it by driving in the dark. To see a platypus you have to be patient and quiet, I felt really lucky when I finally got to see one and it came right underneath where I was standing! What a funny animal: It shoots right up to the surface like a cork and when going down again does a duckdive and keeps wiggling his head to move downwards.

But there was much more to see at the Eugnella National Park. I went for a couple of walks in this largest continuous strech of rainforest in Australia. People always say this country is so young. Its society maybe is, but the country, the land is one of the most ancient I have ever seen.
When having a hot chocolate at the Hideout Cafe in Eugnella I was told not to miss out on the Finch Hatton Gorge. The lady was right! First you pass sugar cane fields to get there, then you drive through a couple of rivers – seriously, the road is simply crossing a river, not going over it on a bridge, but crossing it! - walk through the rainforest and then you arrive at the gorge. I ended up taking a swim, a freezing cold one it was, somewhere more secluded.

All freshened up I drove back to Mackay - On the left side! - and we did take a walk on the beach and had some delicious steak and prawns at the Marina before I took my flight back to Brisbane. I wish I could have stayed longer, there is so much more to see in Mackay, the border of the tropical coast and the Outback.

Whitehaven Beach & Diving a Reef

2009-05-18T15:06:00.011+02:00

When Tourism Queensland had to cancel our trip to Whitehaven Beach, all the candidates including me had a great time on Daydream Island Resort & Spa instead. Still I always felt that I missed out on something. I guess, this is one of the main reasons why I wanted to return to the Whitsunday Islands.

There are so many trips to chose from, so many charters offer to bring you to Whitehaven Beach, let you walk on the squeaky sand and in the end it is just a beach, a really white one, but just a beach. That is what my friend Nick told me, he said it really matters where they let you ashore so you really experience, not just the world's purest silica sand, but also one of the world's most beautiful beaches ever. You have to get a bird's eye view on the swirling sands, walk along the creek and the sand banks. We found a tour that offered all in one day, plus snorkelling and/ or diving with maximum 36 persons on the boat! On top of that we got a really good deal!

Mantaray Charters was our choice and it was a good one. Probably my most memorable trip of my holidays in Queensland! We had a really nice boat, where you could either sit at tables in the shaded area, at the sun-deck or lie down at the front of the boat. We arrived at Tongue Bay to walk up to the Hill Inlet Lookout, which simply laid Whitehaven Beach and its stunning salt-water creek to our feet. Then we had two hours to spend on this 99,7% silica sand beach and yes it is true: the sand squeaks underneath your feet! We had plenty of time to walk the white and blue swirls, go for a swim and simply just lie on the beach.

Upon return to the boat a lunch buffet was waiting for us. Then we drove over to Hook Island to go snorkelling and/ or diving at Luncheon Bay. The water was very calm there, hardly any current I guess that is why we could see all the colors of the corals and different fish so clearly. Finally I was able to dive and go to the bottom of the sea. It was beautiful! First I was a little uneasy, because I haven't been diving for a while, but as soon as you see the corals and the fish, this completely different world, it is just so fascinating. I got all calm and forgot about everything else. Our diving instructor did a great job and gave us a reef tour of the best places to see :-)

Thank you to the hosts and crew of the Mantaray! It was just literally out of this world!
For more information on our trip visit: www.mantaraycharters.com

Returning to the Whitsunday Islands

2009-05-17T14:40:00.016+02:00

Having stayed with my good old friend Nick (we grew up on the same street in Germany, but he is now working in Queensland) in Mackay for one night, we visited Cape Hillsborough on our way to Shute Harbor early in the morning. In this case early means really early, in numbers 4:50am! As you might know Wallabies are nocturnal animals, they are getting their daily breakfast sponsored by the national park rangers at 6:00am there. So you can hang out with them and some kangaroos, they are very friendly and this is probably your best chance to get close to a wild wallabie or kangaroo.

On the luxurious 'Sungoddess' Nick and I enjoyed our morning tea, some champagne and a great service while transferring to Hayman Island. In Germany we say: 'Life is not a wishconcert', which means you cannot get a whole orchestra to play what you want in life. But on Hayman Island you can! No wonder award-winning Hayman is one of the top resort destinations and a member of the Leading Hotels of the World. In 2008 Luxury Travel appointed Hayman to the Top 3 'A Hotel or Resort You Dream of Visiting'! We got spoiled recklessly: Personal pick-up from the marina and a spacious room with pool access. The pool stretches along the pool wing of the hotel and gives every room a beautiful view onto the pool and the beach! There is so much to see either for a one-day trip like we did or for a longer stay. I wish we could have stayed longer to see all the beaches and coves surrounded by the warm waters of the Coral Sea. To explore the island there are various walks and from different lookouts you can enjoy the most magnificent vistas over the Whitsundays. We went for a hike, took a swim in the pool, which holds as much water as seven Olympic-sized ones and had some delicious seafood. Hayman has some of the best chefs in the world! What a treat! Thank you Hayman Islands!
For more information check out:
www.hayman.com.au

As we had a boat trip booked leaving from Airlie Beach in the morning, we stayed at the Coral Sea Resort. The hotel is located beside the harbor and has a breath-taking view over the sea. For an unforgettable experience have a dinner at the hotel's restaurant by sunset! Or enjoy a sunrise while lying in your hammock on the balcony!
For more information check out:
www.coralsearesort.com

We had great night out at KC's with live music! Probably should have gone to bed earlier :-)

Best Pics by James

2009-05-14T17:43:00.006+02:00

For the best pictures of the Outback trip check out James' website:
http://jamesonhamo.com/

P.S.: Another fun thing we did before boarding the plane back to Brisbane was the 'Hard Times Mine Tour' in Mount Isa. We tried out a drill etc. Unfortunately we could not take any photos, but we got one before we went down under(ground) :-)

Outback Queensland III: Boodjamulla

2009-05-14T13:58:00.011+02:00

Boodjamulla is the Aboriginal name for the Lawn Hill National Park located just a couple of kilometres from Adel's Grove. Having seen the sandstone rocks the day before, we were eager to experience what was hidden behind them. The canoe seemed the best way to travel! For me it was the first time that I was sitting and paddling in a canoe, consequently James stored his camera gear in a waterproof canister. The scenery was beautiful, you really do have the best view from the canoe: calm waters, blue sky and 60 metres red sandstone walls rising up in front of you. I had to pause to take in the scenery, which made it a little tougher on James. Sorry mate!

Rod, our host and tour guide, made us aware of some Aboriginal rock art. We also saw all kinds of birds, lizards and fish, but the animal that excited me the most was a wallaroo with her little one, who was observing us curiously and let us come pretty close to the edge with our canoes. Matt and Rod were a little ahead of us and claimed to have seen the tail of a crocodile disappear into the water. Too bad we didn't, but maybe that is what kept us at ease when we took a swim in the river later on.

Then we arrived at Lawn Hill's Indarri Falls, crystal clear waterfalls dividing the Upper Gorge from the lower. An oasis surrounded by palm trees! We got out of our canoes to carry them over to the Upper Gorge, but not without taking a break. Which is, as I mentioned earlier, a typical custom in the Outback. We took a hike up the red sandrocks to get a bird's eye view. A painting in lush green, blue and red colors was unfolding in front of our eyes! The best part was when we took a dive into the fresh waters and every one of us got a personal back massage by the Indarri Falls!

In the evening Rod surprised us with a scenic flight over the national park and the highlights of the day. The perfect way to end our stay at Adel's Grove! The next day it was time to say 'Goodbye'. And it really wasn't easy! The place and especially the people had grown on me. I will never forget my time there and am so thankful to the people that made it so special!
Thank you Adel's Grove, Michelle and Rod!

Outback Queensland II: Adel's Grove

2009-05-13T17:18:00.006+02:00

At Adel's Grove I really loved waking up in the morning, opening my tent and right away having this beautiful view out on Lawn Hill Creek. Did I already mention that we had real beds in our tents and every tent had a veranda? It feels like a little house in the middle of nature. Of course they also have the real camping ground, where everybody can set up their own tent etc.

After having a nice freshly prepared breakfast Rod, our host and an accredited Savannah Guide, took us for a ride through the red desert. There was hardly any desert though, it had been raining and the desert was flourishing: Grass sprouting, birds (due to the bloom more and more birds are arriving daily) and the permanent residents the termites. Their mounds picked up the vivid red color of the soil and the rocks.

Rod took us to Riversleigh Fossil Fields, one of five World Hertitage listed spots in Queensland! It was enscribed in 1994 for representing a major stage of Earth's evolutionary history and especially its outstanding the evolution of Australian mammals. The fossils are are up to 25 million years old and they found two species of weird pouched mammals there whose relationship to other mammals is a mystery as well as what they ate or how they lived. It is hard to believe that this site was once a rainforest filled with lakes, rivers and creeks. But with Rod explaining the development, the limestones and other evidence, it is not hard to see. The traces are everywhere!

Even though we were in the middle of the desert, we did not have to drive far to get to an oasis of palm trees. At the Gregory River in Riversleigh we had our tea and cookies while watching a bus driving along the street that ran directly through the river. This how you spend your time in the Outback! There is a lot to see and experience but there is always the time for a rest, a break to take in everything that is around you. It is a great trick to make people fall in love with this remote place! It definitely worked on me! Later that day we hiked to a cave and got a peek at the Lawn Hill National Park. We got to see its great red rock formations and just the next day we would also experience what lies behind them.

The day had a perfect ending! With the Adel's Grove bus we went on the Sunset tour. We were really lucky, as once a month on full moon you can see the sun setting and the moon rising at the same time. What a spectacle! Up on Harry's Hill we had wine and appetizer while sharing this experience not only with a group of nice people but also the termite mounds that looked like
the apostles witnessing a miracle.

The Outback of Queensland I

2009-05-11T19:56:00.010+02:00

Tourism Queensland was so nice to spoil every unsuccessful candidate with an extended itinerary. James and me were lucky to get the trip to the Outback of Queensland. The desert and red rocks are just as much a trademark of Queensland as are its sunny beaches.

We took a plane from Brisbane to Mount Isa and Matt from the „Outback“ department of Tourism Queensland picked us up. Mount Isa is a down-to-earth mining town in North Western Queensland. It was quite a difference from the Whitsunday Islands. Instead of ordering prawns at a resort, we were now stuck in a snack bar ordering a sandwich. We had our meal at the nearby lake called Moondarra. As we looked out at the water, the red rocks, the diversely shaped termite mounds and the kites floating through the sky, we just smiled at each other. We listened and both heard the very same thing: Silence. That was just what we needed.

Westwings Charterflights took us from Mount Isa to Adel's Grove. As soon as we were 8000 feet high I realized the never ending vastness, this borderless outback that offers its horizon to you no matter which direction you look. I really started falling for this place. Thank God our pilot Sally didn't and we arrived safe and sound at Adel's Grove.

Lawn Hill Creek runs along Adel's Grove and right away we went there to cool off a little. As you can see we had some good times there. Nothing better on a hot day than diving into fresh water and having a cold beer.

The evening ended with some excitement. Our host and guide Rod found a little baby python and I hit it off with her right away. We cuddled for quite some time. James was a little uncomfortable about that. But considering that he is scared of snakes he was doing pretty well, I'd say!

Thanks for supporting me on this journey

2009-05-07T02:16:00.005+02:00

While I am still on Hamilton Island and I have not had time for a lot of reflection, I just wanted to express my gratitude to everyone who was part of making this experience so unique and wonderful, from Tourism Queensland, the other candidates and random Aussies I have met on the way to my family, friends and supporters back home, who have given me tremendous support.

Now, I can be sure that Hamilton Island and the Great Barrier Reef will be in good hands with Ben and think he has been an outstanding candidate, he is a unique and fun character and has tons of experience as sportsman, traveller, tour guide, blogger and photographer. Congratulations, Ben! Who knows, perhaps I will have a chance to drop by at some point in those 6 months?

Besides the beauty of the islands, I will also miss the company of the other candidates, as the shared experience really brought us closer together.

More details on my experience are still to follow once I actually will have free time and internet access, but since I am going on another Tourism Queensland-organized and sponsored tour of Queensland's Outback next with fellow candidate James, it may be a few days before I get to this...

I hope you enjoyed reading my blog so far, thank you and bye bye!

My May 5 Blog Entry: A Rainy Day in Paradise

2009-05-05T15:45:00.004+02:00

This morning it started to rain and we had to make a change of plan. Originally we wanted to sail around Daydream Island, which is surrounded by coral reefs. Of course, there was some disappointment, but the day turned out to be just as memorable. We ended up spending our whole day at the Daydream Island Resort and Spa. As soon as we arrived there, we were all supplied with huge umbrellas and Pina Coladas served in coconuts. Although it was a rainy autumn day, we still had 25C degrees and the warm welcoming right away promised a great day ahead.

The sun came out again and again, so we enjoyed a stroll around the resort over to one of their living reefs. I knew in advance that we will get the chance to feed some fish, but I was thinking of little colorful ones. You can imagine my surprise as we were faced with stingrays and sharks! I was introduced to a huge brown stingray called Pancake, a white-spotted stinger called Discus and a small banana tail ray called Eric. Bravely I moved to the edge of the water and held out my hand to feed them. It was a very funny feeling; they turned out to be really endearing and sensitive animals. Eric became my favorite! He had a hard time though with all his big fellows snatching all the food away from him. As soon as I gave him a prawn separately from the others, Discus went on top of him and tried to force him to give up his meal. Of course, I couldn’t let that happen! So I gave Discus a prod and told him “Bad boy!” That is usually how I teach dogs good manners, but I would have never guessed that the very same thing works with stingrays! Discus actually listened to me and let little Eric go! I kid you not, I honestly had the feeling Discus was upset with me after the incident. Later on I wanted to make friends with him again and he just shyly took the food and went off right away. He was really upset at me! But don’t go out in the open waters now to train wild stingrays, you guys! They might react a little different when they get upset in comparison to the ones at Daydream Island Resort and Spa.

After the fish got fed, we also got our share of seafood. Some of the best prawns I ever tasted! As you can see I really did fill up that plate, but I also emptied it.

The rest of the day, I got a botanical rejuvenation treatment at the spa. I really enjoyed being pampered and spoiled for once with an aromatherapy, steam bath and massage. You have to try for yourself! There is nothing better you can do on a rainy day in paradise!

My May 4 Blog Entry: Another World

2009-05-05T15:34:00.006+02:00

Since the first day that mankind got its footsteps on the moon, people wonder and dream about flying to the moon, to a different planet, exploring another world. Today I did explore another world, a precious and wondrous world! Neither did I have to be an astronaut nor travel through space. I just took a boat off Hamilton Island and got into the water at the Great Barrier Reef. What a colorful and exciting world is waiting there to be experienced! I saw blue-green chromsis that change their color from blue to green and green to blue – the name gave that away, didn’t it. But not only did I see fish in all imaginable colors, I also admired corals in the most funny and beautiful shapes.

Let’s throw in some numbers here: 1.500 species of fish, 400 species of corals, 4.000 species of invertebrate and six of the worldwide seven kind of sea turtles have their home at the Great Barrier Reef. It is the world’s largest living eco-system and – as we were talking about out of space earlier – you can actually see it from out of space. Time went by so fast and seriously, I cannot believe that it is autumn here at the Whitsunday islands, the water was so warm. What impressed me the most at Fantasea Reefworld, which is the company that took us out there and is operating the platform by the reef, was that it really is a trip for the whole family.

If somebody is inexperienced in snorkeling or gets distracted from all the magnificent under water world like me, there are ropes placed in the water that help you find your way. At the same time you can have a great time on the platform and feed the fish. The semi-submersible is not only great for grandmothers and little kids to look at the reef without getting wet, we were all so excited when we saw giant trevallies and floated along the wall of the reef.

After a great morning of snorkeling and getting our footsteps – or should I say flippers – in another world, we took a sea plane to take a bird’s eye view of what we saw earlier. Our plane took us over the Great Barrier Reef, now we could see the different coral colonies and how huge it really is. The pictures give a good idea of what I saw from out of the plane, but I also want to call out some numbers again. I know that is sometimes boring, but not if they are as impressive as these: the Great Barrier Reef stretches 2300km along the north-east coast of Australia and it is 348,700 km² big.

But our trip did not end there. The water plane took us right to Hayman Island, a private island destination situated in the magnificent Great Barrier Reef. We had a stroll on the beach and tried the en

tire world’s food at the resort, which has everything to offer up to a pool that fits as much water as seven Olympic-sized swimming-pools.

All of us had such an awe-inspiring day that the trip on the boat back to our hotel on Hamilton Island was filled with showing each other the pictures we took, being excited about all the different fish we saw or just enjoying the breeze and the memories we all were so lucky to put in our personal jewelry boxes.

Peace and Harmony

2009-05-02T14:26:00.006+02:00

After two busy days I really needed to catch up on my sleep and get my jetlag sorted out, so I slept in on Thursday, had a late lunch and went back to sleep after that. I could not help staying in at Noosa Blue since my bed and the hotel room were so nice, there just was no way I would leave them earlier. The day was not completely wasted though, as I went to explore beautiful Hastings Street, went to the beach and took a gondola ride to Ricky's to have some great dinner. Just all very relaxing and peaceful, especially the gondola ride! I saw some fishermen ashore, boats and a man canoeing on a longboard with a dog. The man is quite famous in Noosa I was told and he teaches the longboard as a new sport or means of transportation.

On Friday morning I went for a hike in the lush Noosa National Park. In the first gum tree on the left I saw my first wild Koala! Well, they are not really WILD animals, but you know what I mean. As Koalas sit in trees, I have to mention that I really think that in Queensland you can see the most interesting trees, they all look like they've got a story to tell: Paperbark tree, pandanus, mangrove, banksia and scribbly gum. On my wondrous walk through this for me new and fascinating vegetation, I also saw the best waves and some surfers going for it. Surfers from all ages and countries seem to flock to the point of Granite Bay. After having had my first successful and fun surfing experience on Noosa's beach two days prior I got a real itch to go for another one! I was expected for a local interview in Mooloolaba though and ended up having lunch there as well. Sea food. That is what I have here on the coast of Queensland, sometimes twice a day, it is so delicious!

Finally, I arrived in Brisbane and met the other 15 candidates for „The Best Job in the World“. I was very excited to see all of them, having seen their videos and read their profiles, I expected an interesting group of people. And I really didn't get disappointed! Peace and harmony kept on being the theme as we took a city cab on the Brisbane River to Southbank and enjoyed how everything along the walk was decorated for Buddha's birthday. In Southbank there are so many different restaurants and cafes to choose from, we chose a Turkish restaurant and nobody stayed hungry. I am very happy to say that all of the candidates seem to have the same attitude as me: We all are going to give our best for „The Best Job in the World“, but there is no need to start any rivalry. We are all quite different, everybody has their qualities and certain charm! Now it all depends what kind of person Tourism Queensland wants to represent them.

29/ 04/ 09: Over the Big Blue

2009-05-01T16:11:00.007+02:00

My day started early, as we had to catch our flight to Fraser Island. Once on board of the small plane, I was told that we would land on the 75 mile Beach Highway, which - being a beach - truly is a unique airstrip. I figured I was in for a bumpy ride, but surprisingly it all went very smoothy! Beach Highway on Fraser Island is actually a real road with stop signs, speed limit and police patrols.

But Fraser Island has more to offer than that. The Aborigines call it K'gari, which means nothing other than paradise – and it really is! It is the world's largest sand island and is listed as World Heritage. Peter Meyer, an award-winning photographer and ranger on Fraser Island, and Jodie Clark from Kingfisher Bay Resort showed us around the island. They took us on a scenic drive through the local rainforests and beautiful lakes. My favourite was the MacKenzie Lake: The sand is like champagne powder and the water is delicious to drink. Fraser is the place to see the purest wild living Dingos, but unfortunately I did not see one and was just able to take a picture of a picture of a Dingo. How sad is that?!

After this amazing day, we left the island on a boat: That's Awesome! Yes, that's right, that is the name of the company and let me tell you, they are not so far off! Later that day I arrived in Noosa. I was completely exhausted and was ready to go to bed, but I had a surfing lesson scheduled for me. It was totally worth it! As soon as I got into the ocean, all my senses were instantly revived. It was so much fun, the water was warm, the waves were perfect and my teacher was cute! I even managed to ride my first wave all the way to the beach! To be fair, I should mention I already had a week of surfing lessons in France, but that was a long time ago, so one could say I did well.
Again this day, the same as the day before, I thought it could not get any better, but Queensland keeps on proving me wrong.

28/ 04/ 09: Queensland's Sunshine Coast starts in the Mountains

2009-04-30T07:38:00.008+02:00

Early in the morning I arrived at Brisbane Airport, and after my suitcase got x-rayed and examined - contact lenses look really suspicious! - we headed for the Glasshouse Mountains. The mountains are listed as World Heritage. Standing up to 300m high and ethereally shaped, the Aborigines traditionally believe these peaks to be a family of mountain spirits, they are surrounded by national parks and little rivers. The Aboriginal legend about this family and how the rivers were born is quite sad.

But let's talk about more happy things as my experiences in Queensland have only been happy ones so far. The Tourism Queensland booked a cottage for me with an amazing view of the Glasshouse Mountains. I have never seen anything like it in my life! I seriously had tears in my eyes, it was so beautiful! I am not kidding you. The cottages were just perfect, very simple, very Bauhaus, but very modern and luxurious while and at the same time sustainable. Is there possibly more you could ask for?! The floor-to-ceiling glass walls and large open decks overlooked kangaroos grazing in front of the cottages, behind them the lush woods of the Hinterland and in the distance the two grandest Glasshouse Mountains: Mount Beerwah and Mount Coonowrin! Check it out on: www.glassonglasshouse.com.au

More excitement was in store though! We visited the Australian Zoo. What a great legacy Steve Irwin left! I had the best time ever in a zoo and let me tell you, I usually really don't like zoos. I haven't been to one in ten years, because they are so upsetting. But in the Australian Zoo the enclosures are really big and well kept, the birds truly have space to fly and the zoo gets really involved with protecting the animals in the wild. If you want to help as well, support them by checking out www.savestevesplace.com and sign their online petition. In the picture I am holding an one year old alligator! Surprisingly cute and fragile! Here Wayne Poole, an expert guide of the Australian Zoo, is explaining to me how alligators are more romantic lovers than koalas. They blow bubbles underneath the female's belly for weeks before mating. That is why they are my favourites and deserved a picture in my blog! Even though I also petted koalas, kangaroos, a wombat and echidnas (not really petted them! But they licked an insect cocktail off my hands!). What a great first day in Australia that was! I really thought it couldn't get any better.

One step closer to making my trip sustainable

2009-04-30T07:11:00.004+02:00

Two days ago I arrived in Queensland and you won't believe all the exciting adventures I experienced since: Glasshouse Mountains, Australian Zoo, Fraser Island, Noosa, Surfing Lessons. Blogs about it will follow soon! Thanks to Emirates and them upgrading me to Business class, my holiday started on the plane and I arrived rested. Here a picture of crew members Mike and Bryana. Some more fun pictures will follow as soon as I get my hands on a scanner.

While I am very excited to be here in Queensland, from the outset my wish was that the natural wonders of Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef would be there for future generations. Before setting off on my trip, I realized there is no better place to start making my journey sustainable than myself, so I went online to myclimate.org to calculate the emissions that would be created by my trip in order to buy quality offsets (Gold Standard CERs), i.e. carbon credits. The website offers a handy calculator for figuring out the emissions you generate in your everyday life and by travelling. It is surprisingly accurate and simple to use at the same time.

Luckily, my brother Andrej currently works in London in the field of carbon credits and knows a thing or two about emission reduction projects, so I got a decent idea of how offsetting can make a difference for our climate and nature, especially if many people do it. Most high standard emission reduction projects either fund renewable energy to replace fossile energy in places where this would not be economically viable without the sale of carbon credits or by funding the destruction of greenhouse gases, e.g. methane where they are created by waste, mining or industry. The resulting carbon credits, so called Certified Emission Reductions or CERs are issued by an agency of the UN after a lengthy process of registration, monitoring and verification. They represent emissions, which have already been reduced in a certified project, so this is not an investment into some vague promise about the future, but very much based on real data and emission reductions.
Sustainability is everyone's business.

Meat Australian Wildlife

2009-04-26T00:33:00.003+02:00

Actually I ended up trying the kangaroo and it didn't taste bad at all. Still I am much more looking forward to seeing them alive. Soon! Today I am leaving for Queensland! :-)

Roopashree: Tutor in an Indian Restaurant

2009-04-25T20:02:00.007+02:00

My other best friend who is also planning to stay with me for 6 weeks as housemate on Hamilton Island if I get the "Best Job in the World" is Roopashree and I would like to tell you a bit about her and our friendship here:

Roopashree and I used to work together in an Indian Restaurant in Beverly Hills. She was of great help as she is originally from India and gave me essential advice in how to deal with Indian costumers. Firstly, you have to be decisive in taking the orders and suggest who will make the first order otherwise you will lose a LOT of time until they decide who goes first. Secondly, and most importantly as this can get really dangerous if done wrong:

Once you bring the bill, take a step back, because immediately every single person at the table will desperately try to be the first to give you their money or credit card. At the same time they will each try to snatch away their friends' instrument to invite everybody. Don't forget not to step in before the fight is over, because if you did that you would be blamed for taking somebody's card over everyone else's.

Roopashree worked as an art director for national commercials in India. In 1998 she moved to the United States to study film and television at Templeton University in Pennsylvania. After finishing her degree she moved to Los Angeles and that is where we met. She is one of my best friends, along with Katalin, of course ;-). Katalin and I are always surprised by Roopashree's ability to cause men to give her flowers for any occasion and without them expecting anything in return apart from her smile. I guess, she is an Indian princess at heart.

This is what she has to say about me: ""Having good friends from many cultures has enabled Mirjam to understand different kinds of people and be open to new journeys that life will bring along her path."

Katalin: A person to contact in case of an emergency

2009-04-21T22:32:00.006+02:00

As one of my best friends who would stay with me as a housemate in Hamilton Island for at least six weeks if I get the "Best Job in the World", I would like to tell you a little bit more about Katalin.

Katalin was my „emergency contact“ in Los Angeles. Obviously apartment managers and insurances don’t want to call your family abroad for an emergency, so you need to fill in a person residing in the United States. My person was Katalin, which made her sort of my family there. She took the responsibility with joy. She is the kind of person that really calls you later that day, when she had to hang up and told you “I will call you later.” This was another thing we had in common as foreigners in another country: we really thought “later” meant “later today” rather than “later in my life” or never.

Together we learned the differences between our old continent and the brave new world. Katalin was born in Moscow, her mother is Russian and her father is Hungarian. Her family is till today filled with journalists and as her father was one, they moved a lot and she grew up in Washington D.C. as well as Budapest. She studied ballet in Moscow at the Bolshoi Ballet. She danced on various stages in Russia and at the Hungarian State Opera House. In 2000 she relocated to Los Angeles and has stayed there ever since. I met her in Los Angeles during my studies at the Lee Strasberg. She works as a freelance dancer and ballet teacher, last she was seen dancing in the Nutcracker. She also worked as a multilingual translator and editor at a famous toy company. No advertisement here, though she really looks like Barbie whenever she puts on her pink dress.

This is what she has to say about why I should get “The Best Job in the World”:
“I once heard about the definition of professional in a tv ad "Professional is someone who does things till they dont get it wrong" and thats Mirjam , she is a perfectionist and thats why she is the one for this job.”

In case I get the "Best Job in the World" I will be packing...

2009-04-20T02:20:00.006+02:00

The winning candidate in the "Best Job in the World" competition does not have to live in his or her gorgeous Hamilton Island pad (HIP) on their own, but gets to choose who to bring along for all or parts of the journey. So, among other questions I was asked by Tourism Queensland was the one about whom I would bring with me.

I do not have a partner or children, so I am quite free in my choice of housemate for my HIP if I should win. Of course I have my parents, but they will have to stay behind in Germany to take care of my cat Cessa. My brothers and their wives have jobs and commitments, as do many of my friends - I am talking jobs here, not wives :-). So most of my family and my friends would visit me for 2 weeks at a time or so.

However, my two best friends, whom I met during the course of my studies in Los Angeles, would be staying with me for at least six weeks at a time. Katalin and Roopashree, these two young women are very precious to me and I am grateful that our paths crossed. In the course of a week I will introduce them both to you. For starters, a few short facts about them:

Katalin is Russian-Hungarian and originally hails from Budapest, while Roopashree is from Bangalore, India. The two of them still live in Los Angeles and would be thrilled to leave the city of angels to walk on heavenly white beaches. Whitehaven Beach sounds predestined for this purpose. The content of quartz crystal is 99,7% on Whitehaven Beach, which makes it the whitest beach in the world. For eight kilometres one can walk this heavenly white beach, even if you are not an angel or come from an angel's city!

Easter Bilbies and Diving Easter Bunnies. That is Queensland!

2009-04-16T13:42:00.006+02:00

Even though Easter is already over, I want to share with you what I came across when checking out Easter traditions in Queensland, Australia.
As you all might know, there are numerous animals in Australia that are found nowhere else on this planet. One of them is the Bilby. Bilbies are desert-dwelling marsupial omnivores. What?! - It means they live in the desert, have a pouch like kangaroos in which they carry their babies and eat about everything they can find.

As rabbits have been a problem in Australia since the early 20th century and the Bilby is an endagered species, the Easter Bilby is slowly displacing the Easter Bunny in Australia. Why not? It definitely looks cute, is an Australian native and needs more protection in order to thrive than the rabbits do.
Some Easter Bunnies are still left though. This one went underwater to make sure the divers get their egg hunt as well.

Mission Impossible: Snorkeling in a Franconian carp pond

2009-04-15T21:30:00.007+02:00

Behind the Scenes: Murphy's Law Strikes

2009-04-13T23:08:00.006+02:00

Here's a story about what really happened on the night of 2-3 April:

Having been invited to Munich by Tourism Queensland to await the anouncement of the finalists together with their European team, I knew I was in for a suspenseful evening.

The plan was to spend the evening over some nice Aussie food and getting to know each other while waiting for the all-important phone call from Down Under. I was getting more excited by the minute and anxiously hoping I would make it to the final and get to see Hamilton Island and the Great Barrier Reef!

However, I got more excitement than I bargained for when - just around the time when I was supposed to get the call - my cellphone started malfunctioning and actually died on me.

Several minutes (which seemed like an eternity) of CPR later, people around me started recommending a transplant of the sim card into another phone as the only viable solution. The Tourism Queensland team spontaneously offered me a substitute and we quickly inserted the sim card. Only 20 seconds later the phone rang and Anthony Hayes was on the other end telling me I had made it into the final 16.

Well, I guess if you are reading this you know how the story has continued so far. Anyways, remember that when it really counts and it is crunch time it is better to be safe than sorry, so be sure to have backup! You never know when Murphy's Law strikes again.

P.S. By the way, after partying all night upon hearing the good news from Mr. Hayes, I actually found out that his first call had gone straight to my voice mail, so thanks, mate, for not giving up on me!

On a media learning curve

2009-04-11T11:28:00.004+02:00

The past 5 weeks have been busy with interviews for radio stations, newspapers, magazines and even some TV appearances. This kind of media attention is a new experience for me.

Initially I got a little caught up in it and stressed out by it, but it all became easier and more fun when I started taking one interview, one question at a time and focusing on the moment. By staying in the moment and organized at all times, I didn't have to be thinking of everything simultaneously and could stay more relaxed, easy-going and spontaneous instead.

Also, I realized it is important to ask journalists for the whole article for authorization, not just your quotes, in order to prevent being cited out of context in an unintended way.

This is what I learned so far.

I am very grateful for the support and interest I am receiving and I am learning every day on this journey. Let's see what tomorrow will bring on my path to the Best Job in the World on Hamilton Island by the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia!

My first dive into the blogosphere

2009-04-06T23:06:00.004+02:00

This blog essentially is about my wondrous journey to Hamilton Island and this is how it started:

While it was snowing outside my window I saw this article online about the "Best Job in the World". The beautiful picture of the Great Barrier Reef drew me in right away and I went to check out the website: islandreefjob.com.

I saw even more breath-taking pictures there. Reading about this job offer, its tasks and crazy salary I figured it would be pointless to apply, because EVERYONE will. Although I had some ideas for the video from the start, the whole idea lingered for a week - so I finally gave in: I made the video to regain my peace of mind.

Then one morning in March I got a call. A radio station wanted to interview me:

"Why me?", I asked.

"Because you are one of the 50 candidates for the Best Job in the World!", was the reply.

I seriously could not believe it. And what a crazy day followed! Interviews with newspapers and radio stations and a TV channel. Everybody wanted to talk to me at once while I had to throw all my stuff in my closet to be able to welcome a TV crew in my home!

Since that day in March there have been a lot more interviews, live shows at radio stations, and emails to everybody I know whip them into voting for me and to make sure everybody they know was doing the same. I was invited to a popular German Late Night Show, where the host often shreds his guests to pieces but I survived!

Now, that I have made it to the final round, I am one of only 16 candidates still in the race for the Best Job in the World and last but not least I know without a doubt that I will really travel to this beautiful place, the pictures of which brightened a cold winter day for me: The Great Barrier Reef and its island world in Queensland!

This is my first blog, you guys! I never thought it would be of any interest for anybody to read a blog of mine. But maybe now is the time - anyways, bear with me - I do have to practice!