Eine Story: Boatpeople

Boatpeople

A Dream, two Germans, a Russian Sidecar and… a Paddle.  

                                        

Text and Pictures:      Stephan Schwäble

Born during one of these long, dark, cold and icy evenings within the everlasting winters in the Northern hemisphere, we decided to escape on the search for the adventure on long windy roads through a wide and unlimited landscape in a beautiful warm and sunny climate under clear blue skies, green rainforests and never ending beaches.

We only had our dream, all our courage, the most necessary equipment and a paddle. We went out into an unknown adventure and… landed in AUSTRALIA.

I

n the middle of December 2013 we stepped into our Big Aussie Adventure and started along breathtaking and scenic landscapes throughout the South Eastern part of Australia.

We were very happy to be here.

                                                                                                               

We came upon samples of the well-known Aussie humour during Christmas time.

We met locals and other funny and very friendly “paddlers”.

We saw bright and colourful flowers.  

We came to witness impressive examples of the country’s history,

   We passed small towns and big cities.

And at last we found for what we were looking for in our dreams!

Long and windy roads throughout a wide and breathtaking landscape in a beautiful warm and sunny climate.

We experienced The Grampians,

and visited the Murray River Lands while passing the river at Murray Bridge.

After that we were riding the Barossa Valley,

before finding the clear blue skies, as we had in the Snowy Mountains.

              

We drifted along the Great Ocean Road.

And also visited the breathtaking white and never ending beaches in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.

During all that time our Ural Yamal always was a faithful and absolutly reliable companion to us. She shipped us safely along the long distances, as well on tarred as on dirt roads all through the states of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and back.

She accompanied us during the most extreme heatwave in many years with temperatures up to 48° Celsius without making any problem or breakdown. The paddle - at least we never had to use it!

At the end there are 10.000 km’s true adventure with unique meetings between human and nature in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. And therefore the question of a really good friend was of important value to us. “What do you like in Australia?” he asked. And we just said: “Its bloody beautiful!”

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The adventure continues! Show us the way!