From the Rainbow beach we had to go back south. Heading south, we made a stop at the secluded dam known as Maddock Dam. Sally knew this place already – a breathtaking lake surrounded by subtropical jungle. Mother Nature had Something else in store for us., The weather took an unexpected turn. We were tired anyways so we decided to spice things up by popping up our rooftop tent, settling in to watch a movie amidst the wilderness. Friendly locals passed by, offering goodnight greetings, while we drifted off to sleep.

What better way to start the day than with a refreshing morning run in this idyllic environment? A few mountain bikers and runners had the same idea. Big part of Australian culture are the public barbecues. It didn’t took long for a group to gather at the lake for a breakfast barbecue, or how the Aussies call it: Brekkie.

We couldn’t resist to capture a snapshot of the iconic “Beware of the Kangaroo” sign, while traveling south. Excitement and worries began to mix, when the navigation lost our way on a remote dirt road, cruising deep through the heart of a seemingly endless man made forest. As the minutes turned into an hour and the landscape stayed the same we became bored. when suddenly a colossal yet lifeless, kangaroo was laying on our path.

The next day we headed back to Caloundra. Another daring surf session awaited me. This time I started to catch waves and I could finally feel the potential of my surf board. Luckily the board was small enough to duck dive. This became an absolute life saver as a bomb set was hitting the the surf set. Each wave bigger and bigger starting to crash exactly where I was. With a bigger board I would have taken at least five waves on the head!

From Caloundra we went down to Surfers Paradise. The name can be deceiving, as it’s a bustling city dominated by skyscrapers! For me this is the opposite of a surfers paradise. We swiftly moved down south after doing our laundry. We were rewarded by the hidden gem of Burleigh Heads. Luxury apartments spiced up the landscape with a beautiful surf spot and a nature reserve nearby. This is more how we like it.

One day we parked in one spot for too long and we got a hefty ticket, which we had to pay.. The fee was quickly forgotten or at least deemed not too important with the view of the ocean and the surroundings. In the parks close to the beach, they did not only have toilets, showers and free barbecue. They also provided hot water for free. Absolutely handy if you are traveling in a van! In addition to the luxury apartments there is a street called millionaires row. It is almost an island on it’s own filled with villas out of this world. Of course we checked it out!

In Burleigh Heads I went surfing again. It was receding tide and the sand banks were shallow. The Australian surfers are absolutely insane riding these waves like true masters. I was charging a few waves as well. However II would bail from the wave early as I was so afraid of hitting the banks. One time I hit the sand bank anyways. I took of on one wave riding it down the steep edge. I lost control at the bottom and jumped into the water with my butt first. My butt crashed onto the sand bank. Luckily nothing happened to my back, but that was my call to go out and do something else, as this could have ended much worse.

In Burleigh Heads, I finally returned to the waves for another surf session. The tide was receding, and the sandbanks almost revealed themselves, their shallowness adding an extra layer of complexity. The two meter waves were breaking directly on the sandbanks. The Australian surfers didn’t seem to care, riding these waves like true masters.

I summoned my courage and charged into a few waves myself, although I couldn’t shake off the fear of hitting the sandbanks and I always bailed early if I could. This made me more confident until I caught a wave and rode it down the steep face. I struggled to maintain control at the bottom as the wave suddenly got choppy. Without a choice I was launched into the shallow water. I felt the force, when my rear end hit the sandbank. The worst scenario just had happened for me. Fortunately, I emerged with just a bit of pain and no broken back! This served as a stark reminder of safety in the water. You need to assess the dangers before every session. Especially when surfing an unknown spot. The day before I went at higher tide and had no problem at all! We went hiking for the rest of the day…

Venturing inland in search of a quiet sleeping spot, we hoped for a similar result like the Maddock dam. After navigating narrow mountain roads for an hour, we reached our destination, only to discover that the lake was closing soon. The whole are was guarded by a fence and a gate thus not suitable for a sleeping spot. Numerous ‘Trespassers will be prosecuted’ and ‘Overnight stay prohibited’ signs in the area made it even more challenging to find a sleeping spot. Persisting we eventually found a sneaky sleeping spot.

The following morning we woke up and drove to a park nearby. The view of the surroundings was truly stunning. The bushland hugging the mountains, with the lake below. After a nutritious breakfast our excitement to explore the area was ignited.

However, our enthusiasm soon gave way to disappointment, when we realized that a refreshing swim in the lake was out of the question. The coastal winds were non existent in the mountains and the sun heated the land with unforgiving intensity. I just couldn’t imagine the summer here… A contrasting experience to the more cooler coast lines, especially in spring. The disappointment couldn’t diminish the thrill of our journey, as we eagerly looked forward to the next chapter of our Australian adventure.

Thanks for reading and until next time. Cheers!