Flessenpost 6: Yes, adventure, please!

At a deserted train station, somewhere in the middle of nowhere and with the sound of thunder rolling in the distance, a group of lost travellers stumbles out of the train. In despair they look at the local rain and thunderstorm forecast, look at the clouds, take the plunge and start walking towards the staircase leading to the other side of the train station ending in a steep climb up a hill that at first sight leads nowhere. Once over that hill though, adventure awaits and the breathtaking views from the cliffs over the azure blue ocean welcome them to one of the many gateways into the spectacular Royal National Park. Located only 1hr away from Sydney, it is one of the many opportunities to escape city life and go on a little adventure.

Together with Sylvia, Liën, a couple of friends of Liën and a random German guy we picked up in the train, this is how we started our hike into this unknown territory towards the Figure 8 pools. And although it was a heavy clouded day, the views couldn’t have been less spectacular; low hanging cloud formations on top of dark green palm tree forests blending into the emerald green ocean. The hike taking us from cliff tops with break taking views to a thick rainforest full of palm trees, lianas and mysterious sounds of birds and insects, continuing in weird open grassy landscapes to finally rocky beaches full of rock pools and hidden secrets, where we enjoyed a well-deserved picnic with fresh bagels Sylvia had brought from her job at the farmers market, before we made our way back to busy Sydney.

Yes living in Sydney and in Australia, means more than just city life, because when the clock strikes weekend, the magical portal opens and it’s time for adventure and exploration! Weekend and leaving the city is like going on a trip to a different realm. Different worlds, unbelievable landscapes, different rules and very different times.

My first out of city adventure and trip to another realm started when my housemate Pere asked me if I wanted to join him and a friend for a short roadtrip. His original plans of going for a long extended weekend had fallen through and he knew that now the plans were reduced to just a 2 day trip I could make it as well. With only a couple hours heads up, I threw some overnight stuff in my backpack, jumped into the car and off we went. After a quick kangaroo cuddling session at Morisset Park that ended in us slowly backing away when one kangaroo turned into a bit too many, we continued the drive to Munmorah State Conservation Area, where we watched the sunset and the guys tried to catch dinner by fishing from the rocks next to the picturesque abandoned Frazer beach.

After a BBQ and very short night, we got up at 5am to see the sun slowly rising from the ocean. Followed by a morning (spear) fishing session, some rock climbing/exploration, a (long) nap on the beach, a long jump and throw competition and before we knew it, it was time again to leave this peaceful place and make our way back into the city.

It always feels weird though once you return from such a magical trip, exploring fairytale like, indescribable, magical landscapes, to be suddenly thrown back into city life. Once that clock strikes midnight, the weekend is suddenly over and Monday is there. But the fact that adventure is so close, is something that has always fascinated me about Australia and was part of the reason I moved here. And the good thing is, there is so much I don’t think I will soon run out of exploring options. Adventure is pretty much around the corner!

To give you an idea; other out of city adventures so far include hiking the Blue Mountains with my parents, of course the surf camp and a lovely day in Woy Woy where a friend of Sylvia showed us around to get the more countryside New South Wales feeling.

Well, 5 more minutes and that magical time of weekend is here again, where will the portal lead me this time?