Ingrid and Marcel World Journey

We are out of the cyclone hitting point by about 900 km west in the outback. Especially for mom/Francoise we are fine…

We expect a bit of wind at max.

Some specimen were then conserved in spirits and sent back to the old world, where in 1799 the English scientist George Shaw gave it the name platypus anatinus (platypus being derived from Greek and meaning flat foot, anatinus meaning duck-like) . It was then discovered that the word platypus already belonged to a type of beetle and could not be used. Independently the animal had been described as an ornithorhyncus (Greek for bird-snout) paradoxus in 1800 by Johann Blumenbach. In order to respect the rules of priority the animal was recognised as an ornithorhyncus anatinus.

Why am I telling you all this? Because after weeks of hoping, after being unable to observe them in the Eungella National Park at Christmas (the access road was flooded) and hours of patient searching: yesterday I saw a platypus. He dove up about 3 meters in front of us and showed us his cute face with ist incredible bill and his twin looking tail and slowly swam away.

Ornithorhyncus paradoxus. Isn’t it the best animal name you’ve ever heard?

We come to Australia once in our lives, and what happens?? They get flooded!

However we do live a good life: we escaped the closed roads and flooded cities by a week. It’s funny to watch the news and see the town we were in just a short while back completely swimmimg in water…. thinking that the campsite we stayed at was directly by the river, picture our super campervan floating around with us in it…. Lucky we are.

Actually we haven’t had this much sunshine since we arrived in Australia. The first month and a half we had cold and rain, with a peak at Christmas (we basically spent the time under a tarp in front of our van) when it rained non-stop for 3 days, but since then the days are hot and sunny, with the odd refreshing shower in the night. And this is the tropics, we’re supposed to be in the rain season!

The only effect of the floodings we can feel is the lack of fresh items at the grocery store: no more vegetables except the old potato, just old cuts of meat, half empty shelves everywhere. It’s OK, noodles are also good 🙂

My friend Valerie wrote me in an e-mail she thought for sure we were having a different Christmas. We definitely are! It’s summer here: no snow or cold, only green and warmth, so despite the decorations, the Christmas carols playing in the supermarket and people running around the shops, I can’t say we really are in the Christmas spirit.

We are currently in a national park on the east coast somewhere between Brisbane and Cairns, and it’s been raining on and off since about 3 weeks. Actually the Australians haven’t seen this much rain since about 20 years. In the last 2 days it was pouring enough to drench the hinterland, causing rivers and creeks to overflow and roads to be blocked over kilometers. And we thought we were coming to Australia for an extended summer treat…. Well summer it is, but slowly we are getting sticky and stinky. Our van is pretty much rain proof (except for one spot in the back but no problem it’s on  Marcel’s side of the bed), but nothing ever really dries. I washed one of my t-shirts 4 days ago and it’s still humid. Remember I have only 2 t-shirts and one shirt, so I’m sort of short on fresh clothes. Then again, our standards have lowered since we’re on the road, the great advantage being that we don’t wonder what to wear today, we just grab yesterday’s clothes and put them back on. Oh yes, it’s so wet that we are having ants inside our campervan, the poor things (!) having flooded nests outside. We still haven’t figured out how they made it there, but still had to install some traps. Good thing it’s only the small black ants, not the red ones with a green bum (I can’t say if they’re biting or anything, they just give me the creeps because of their colour) (I never thought I could be accused of racism, but I must admit, I am bug racist).

So back to Christmas…. We arrived here on the 24th and got into our bathing suits to install our awning under the pouring rain. Afterwards we went down to the beach and met a nice couple who invited us for Christmas lunch with their family the next day. Luckily we each had a clean shirt left so after a shower and a shave for Marcel we looked presentable enough to go introduce ourselves to the whole family (12 of them). We had a really good time, they were all very nice and welcoming, and even organised extra presents so we could participate in their gift exchange. We went back home with a stomach full of ham, potato salad, trifle and Christmas pudding and some scented candles and chocolates. Marcel made a Christmas tree for our camper with tropical plants branches in a PET bottle, which I decorated with candy wrappers, and we opened a bottle of sparkling wine before dinner. Later on we set out to watch a movie (an old John Wayne found for 2$ at the store) on our new laptop. We sat outside with our earphones on and turned off the light to avoid having bugs flying around and better see the screen. After about an hour of watching we hear a noise around the camper, something like a “thump” somewhere. We take off the earphones and listen, nothing, so we go on with the movie. Ten minutes later again a “bang” noise. We turn on the light….to find a possum munching away inside the van!! The little bugger climbed in and found the bowl with apricots on the counter and dropped it on the floor when he grabbed them (the “thump” noise….). Now how do we get him out of there?? Clapping hands? No effect. Marcel going in and wooshing him away? No effect. The poor guy looks really cute and actually quite
lost in there…. Marcel finally got him out by climbing into the front of the car and showing him the way out from there leaning over the seats. Too bad I didn’t have the camera in my pocket. So yes, we did have a different Christmas 🙂

VIDEO  (click here)