Perfspots

Europe Roadtrip
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roadtrip europe breakdown

This is Pascalcito standing in front of the broken car whilst our Europe Roadtrip.

The Breakdown

My buddy Pascalcito and me had a great Idea. Our plan was to go on a Europe Roadtrip from Zürich to Barcelona. Visit a handful of cities on the way and then along the coast through Cannes, Nice, and Monaco.

Excited for this adventure we hit the road early in the morning. After driving a couple of hundred meters the engine started to make strange noises. Suddenly Pascalcito couldn’t speed up the car anymore, so we took the next exit. On the first traffic light we stopped white smoke appeared in front of us, puffing right out of the bonnet! Was this the end of our Europe Roadtrip?

We couldn't wish for a better start. We called the breakdown service. After a short investigation we had the bad news: the engine is bust.

Called a taxi and headed to the airport in Geneva. As you might know taxi prices in Switzerland are tremendous. We payed 230 US dollars to get from our break down location to the airport, which already is probably more expensive than flying directly to Barcelona.

Anyways, the only car left was a spacious family-van. We loaded the van with our luggage and went back on the road with no plans at all.

The Europe Roadtrip video

I filmed along the way and made a short film of our adventure, on the roads to Barcelona. Don't forget to subscribe to my Youtube Channel

Annecy

After an hour drive we stopped in a city called Annecy. This lovely little town is situated close to Geneva right by the lake “Lac d’Annecy” named after the city. after a turbulent start we slowed down and strolled through the beautiful old town. Cobblestone streets leading along old facades with wooden balconies stocked with flowers.

lake annecy

annecy old town

europe roadtrip perfspots

annecy things to see

annecy castle

Nîmes

After four hours of driving we stopped in Nîmes, a city in the south of France. We were on the hunt for a restaurant to have dinner. After a good pizza prosciutto we explored the roman old town with its monuments and the impressive Arena.

nîmes things to see

nîmes old town

nimes france

Montpellier

The first city we really took our time to explore it for a few days because we were surprised by it’s pleasant atmosphere in the streets, delicious restaurants and fantastic architecture.

montpellier things to see

brunch montpellier breakfast

university montpellier

montpellier old town

Arc de Triomphe montpellier

Girona

We made it over the spanish borders and dove right into a catalonian city called Girona. There is a river flowing through the city, crossed by several bridges and accompanied by colorful houses stacked on each other right besides the river. We tried to get up the city murals where you have a breathtaking view on the roofs of Girona.

 

girona things to see

girona old town

girona city wall

Calella de Palafrugell

Last but not least we had a stop in this lovely little town. Sunbathing in the bay of Calella, having a typical spanish paella and simply enjoying the goodlife.

 

 

 

callela de palafrugell

paella spain

calella de palafrugell beach

calella de palafrugell boat

WE MADE IT

A week of driving, exploring and having amazing meals, we made it to Barcelona. We were super excited to explore the city, parked the rental car and checked in to the hotel. more to come…

I hope you enjoyed this adventure with us on the road to Barcelona. The moral of the story is that even if we plan things properly, it can go wrong, nevertheless it's important to keep your cool. There is always a way and sometimes spontaneity can surprise you with great things in life.

Here is the video of our time spend in Barcelona:

Sailing the Whitsunday Islands
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sailing the whitsunday islands

We left Sydney and landed in Prosperpine Airport, from there we drove to the port of Airlie Beach. Dropped most of the luggage at the port in a local tourist office (costs only a few bucks) and went to the meeting point we've been given via mail. By the meeting point a lot of other sailors where waiting to enter the sea and sailing the Whitsunday Islands.

A short instruction and we were on the catamaran. Left our carry-on baggage in our cabin. And enjoyed a beautifully prepared fruit plate.

The Video on Youtube. Don't forget to subscribe to my Youtube Channel

The catamaran and the crew

On board where besides us: three couples, the captain and a cook. We had a double bed cabin with an own small bathroom, a combination of toilet, sink and shower in one small room. After showering everything was wet. In the room we had a small sideboard to place the luggage on, a bullseye window right above the sea level and a window in the floor which enabled to see what's in the water, that was awesome.

whitsunday islands sailing tour

sailing the whitsunday islands

What its like sailing the Whitsunday Islands

But most of the time we spent on top deck of the catamaran to feel the wind blowing, water splashing up and enjoy the view while sailing the whitsunday islands. Sometime the sea gets rough and the catamaran starts to wingle up and down. Sometimes you see a fly fish jumping out of the water and flying! over the surface. Sometimes you see a turtle gasping for oxygen.

And this is the most beautiful view i've ever experienced. The view on Whithaven Beach. Different depths of the water created this mix of shades of blue.

catamaran tour whitsundays

sunset catamaran

snorkeling turtle great barrier reef

australia

Bondi Beach and the Icebergs Pool
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bondi beach icebergs

There are many options to go on day trips from Sydney. One of them is the day trip to Bondi Beach. This is the place where the famous Australian series called Bondi Beach Rescue was filmed. And as the name of the Series reveal it: Bondi has a famous Beach but the sea can get ruff there. It is easy to reach Bondi Beach with the bus. from the bus station we walked couple of minutes and arrived at the Bondi Beach Icebergs Pool.

The Bondi Beach Icebergs Pool

This Pool is an iconic construction which is a part of Bondi. It is a pool built right by the sea and when the tide is high, as it was when we where there, the waves clash against the pool corner and wash the swimmers with salty water. Its was so fascinating to observe how the waves splashed up against the Bondi Beach Icebergs poolcorner!

From the Bondi Beach Icebergs Pool starts the “Bondi to Coogee Walk”. It's a coastal walk known a tourist attraction and its really a beautiful path to explore, you’ll love

The Video on Youtube. Don't forget to subscribe to my Youtube Channel

Surf Bondi Beach

 

Bondi Beach is a well known surf spot. With the high tide and the decent size of the waves i rent a surfboard and tried to catch some wave. it was pretty hard to ride the waves because the current was strong and the lineup crowded. Neverthless it was fun to practice!

bondi beach to coogee

bondi beach surf

Icebergs Pool Bondi Beach

 

What i realized

"This world has more to offer than we can explore in a lifetime.", so what are you waiting for? go out there and explore this beautiful planet.

australia

The Sydney Opera House
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sydney opera house

While landing in Sydney i experienced the most impressive plane window view i’ve ever had. I could directly see the famous Sydney Opera House right beneath the Harbour bridge. It made me even more excited to explore this city.

After landing you reach the Sydney city center easily with the train. We stayed in an amazing Hotel which we can recommend because of its fancy interior and it is good situated.

The first thing we had to do was visiting the famous Sydney Opera House! it is really an architectural masterpiece, no matter from which angle you look at it, it always shows up in a different shape. I also highly recommend to participate with an interior tour, the Sydney Opera House is inside as impressive as from the outside.

landing plane sydney

Sydney Harbour Bridge

I spend a week in Sydney to find out where the perfect spot to take a picture of sydney. I also cover which places to see, things to do in Sydney and this can also be used as a tourist guide.

On the hunt for the perfect picture in Sydney

Perfect Spots explored:

  1. Hotel 57
  2. Sydney Opera house
  3. Sydney Opera house Inside tour
  4. Barangaroo Towers
  5. Darling Harbour
  6. Brown Paper Bag Building
  7. Paddy's Market
  8. The Spice Room - Indian Restaurant
  9. Queen Victoria Building
  10. Westfield Shopping
  11. Time for Thai Restaurant
  12. St Mary's Cathedral
  13. MLC Center Food Court
  14. Mrs Macquaries Point

The Video on Youtube. Don't forget to subscribe to my Youtube Channel

Barangaroo international towers sydney

The Barangaroo international towers sydney

australia

Things to do in Melbourne
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Melbourne things to do

We landed in the Melbourne Airport and bought a SkyBus ticket, which is the easiest way to get to the city center. The SkyBus terminal right in the center of Melbourne and was pretty close to our apartment we rent. A short walk, check it at the reception like in a regular hotel lobby, dropped the travel luggage in the apartment, and left for a first city exploration and of course to discover the Melbourne things to do.

The Video on Youtube. Don't forget to subscribe to my Youtube Channel

Melbourne things to do

Melbourne, Australia, was named the world's most livable city by the Economist Group, publishers of "The Economist" magazine. After spending a week in Melbourne and working on our list of the 14 Melbourne things to do, we really have to say it’s an amazing city. The People are very helpful, the government invest in good public infrastructure, Melbourne has a great culture and the Queen VIctoria Market (Point 13.) is really a place to have a great time no matter it's night or daytime.If you consider to travel Australia i’d say: a citytrip to Melbourne is an absolute must.

 

Melbourne Eureka Skydeck 88

A list of Sights, Restaurants and cafes. Some of them are unconventional spots but you’ll have a great time visit them. Watch the Youtube video below to see the details of all the spots.

 

  1. 1. Fitzroy Gardens & Cooks Cottage

  2. 2. Melbourne Central Shopping Center

  3. 3. Crown Entertainment Complex

  4. 4. 39 Pizzeria

  5. 5. Doughnut Time

  6. 6. Flip Flop Vending machine

  7. 7. City Circle Tram

  8. 8. Sushi Hub

  9. 9. Shrine of Remembrance

  10. 10. Smith & Daughters Restaurant

  11. 11. West Beach

  12. 12. Luna Park Melbourne

  13. 13. Queen Victoria Market

  14. 14. Eureka Skydeck 88

 

Let me know if i forgot an important spot on my “Melbourne thing to do”-list.

Melbourne Chinatown

Melbourne Federation Square

australia

Shell Beach in Australia
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shell beach australia

Removed the electricity cable, the battery was full. Packed the camping chairs and left the caravan park in Geraldton. We were on the road for 3 hours and 45 minutes until we arrived Shell Beach Australia. On our way to the Shell Beach and the Shark bay area we drove a long time into the Outback. That means you better depart with a full gas tank. hours of driving without passing any town or roadhouse.

Shell Beach Australia and its beauty

If you expect to see a beach like the copacabana in Rio you’re wrong. The Shell Beach is a beach in the middle of nowhere. As we arrived there was just another couple with a campervan leaving the place. Then we had the whole beach for ourselves. There are no food stands or beach chair vendors. It’s a beach out of dead shells as far as the eye can see. Shining bright in its pure beauty.

Walk on water

It might depend on the tide but at the time we visited the Shell Beach Australia the water was just knee deep in the first hundred meters in to the sea. This made it possible to run in the water which felt like running on the water! a great experience trust me. Keep in mind the water is extremely salty because the Shark Bay keps most of the water in the bay and the sun dries it out, what stays is the salt.

Shell Beach Shark Bay

From Perth to Exmouth

We rent a campervan from Apollo in Perth and went on a Western Australia Road Trip. After a short instruction we dropped our luggage in the back of the campervan, the tank was filled and we were ready to go. I was used to drive on the right side of the road so i had to get used to the left side driving in Australia. First we bought provisions and then we started this epic Western Australia Road Trip!

The Video on Youtube. Don't forget to subscribe to my Youtube Channel

The Route

 

1. Pinnacles Desert - Video 

2. Shell Beach - Video 

3. Monkey Mia Paradise - Video

 4. Monkey Mia wild dolphin - Video

 5. Eagle Bluff scenic lookout - Video

 6. Coral Bay hidden Cliff - Video

 7. Exmouth and the Cape Range National Park - Video

 8. Quobba Blowhole - Video

9. Kalbarri Nationalpark - Video

10. Sandy Cape sand dunes  - Video

11. Jurien Bay - Video

12. Hillarys Boat Harbour - Video

The Pinnacles in Australia
Published by Ivan on | Permalink

After leaving Perth we were on the road for 2 hours and 40 minutes until we arrived in the Nambung-Nationalpark. This is the National Park where you will find the Pinnacles in Australia. You pay a small fee to park right in front of the area where the pinnacles reach out of the ground. before leaving the van i checked if the batteries of my camera are still loaded, took a water out of the fridge and left to see this spectacle.

Kangaroos and Flies

We just walked a few steps and already been attacked by hundreds of flies. They do no harm but can be pretty annoying. A huge surprise was, before we could leave the parking there were already two Kangaroos hopping around. For Australians this might not be a big deal but for me it was the first time i saw those animals in real life. that was a magical moment.

The Pinnacles in Australia

There are different theories how the Pinnacles in Australia arised. The most plausible theorie for me was that burned trees were covered in sand and turned into stone after hundreds of years.

It was a great experience to walk through this desert with its Pinnacles, all in different shape and size.

Pinnacles in Australia visitor center

Pinnacles in Australia Nambung Nationalpark

From Perth to Exmouth

We rent a campervan from Apollo in Perth and went on a Western Australia Road Trip. After a short instruction we dropped our luggage in the back of the campervan, the tank was filled and we were ready to go. I was used to drive on the right side of the road so i had to get used to the left side driving in Australia. First we bought provisions and then we started this epic Western Australia Road Trip!

The Video on Youtube. Don't forget to subscribe to my Youtube Channel

The Route

 

1. Pinnacles Desert - Video 

2. Shell Beach - Video 

3. Monkey Mia Paradise - Video

 4. Monkey Mia wild dolphin - Video

 5. Eagle Bluff scenic lookout - Video

 6. Coral Bay hidden Cliff - Video

 7. Exmouth and the Cape Range National Park - Video

 8. Quobba Blowhole - Video

9. Kalbarri Nationalpark - Video

10. Sandy Cape sand dunes  - Video

11. Jurien Bay - Video

12. Hillarys Boat Harbour - Video

Western Australia Road Trip
Published by Ivan on | Permalink

From Perth to Exmouth

We rent a campervan from Apollo in Perth and went on a Western Australia Road Trip. After a short instruction we dropped our luggage in the back of the campervan, the tank was filled and we were ready to go. I was used to drive on the right side of the road so i had to get used to the left side driving in Australia. First we bought provisions and then we started this epic Western Australia Road Trip!

Western Australia Road Trip campervan

wa roadtrip apollo campervan

Three things you need to know before starting a Western Australia Road Trip

 

You won’t need a GPS. The most difficult part is to get out of Perth or when you get back to Perth to return the campervan. The rentals are mostly not in the city center so it is also achievable to find your way in bigger cities without getting lost. As soon as you’re out of town there is mostly just one road which leads north or west in the outback. The only job will be to not miss the street signs for the gateway. You will find free roadmaps in the tourist information of perth and if not, buy one in a gas station.

 

Fill up your fuel tank. And never ride on the limit! Australia is not Europe. You will drive for hours without seeing any gas station or even a human being. So check on the map when you’ll leave to the outback and then fill up your fuel tank before you leave the last town. Trust me running out of fuel in the middle of nowhere can ruin your trip.

 

Buy the provisions in bigger towns or cities. The prices for groceries are a bit higher when your shop in smaller towns. Feel free to fill your fridge with raw food. In most of the caravan parks they provide gas bbq stations where you can cook like jamie does it. Make sure you hit the road with a full fresh water tank and one or two bottles of water cooled in the fridge.

The Video on Youtube about the Western Australia Road Trip. Don't forget to subscribe to my Youtube Channel

The Route

 

1. Pinnacles Desert - Video 

2. Shell Beach - Video 

3. Monkey Mia Paradise - Video

 4. Monkey Mia wild dolphin - Video

 5. Eagle Bluff scenic lookout - Video

 6. Coral Bay hidden Cliff - Video

 7. Exmouth and the Cape Range National Park - Video

 8. Quobba Blowhole - Video

9. Kalbarri Nationalpark - Video

10. Sandy Cape sand dunes  - Video

11. Jurien Bay - Video

12. Hillarys Boat Harbour - Video

sandy cape sand dunes