Fluffy’s Travels

Fluffy on Normanby Island

Fluffy in Australia: Highlights

The wildlife of Australia is what first drew me to the land Down Under. The country’s Outback offers so many backpacking adventures, I could return to it over and over again. Just me and my camel, tracking the Red Waste in search of excitement. In this blog, I’ll tell you about some of the “bite-sized” adventures I’ve had while traveling in Australia.

Victoria


Upon touchdown in Melbourne, I reunited with my Aussie travel mates Jamie and Jarrah! Australians are a strange type of humans: they have a tendency to end words with “ie” for no apparent reason. In the morning they eat “breakie”, they prepare food on the “barbie”, people who sailboats are “boaties”, the “postie” brings the mail and parents are “oldies”. And who hasn’t heard of the “selfie”?!

Fluffy, Jamie & Jarrah in Melbourne


Going urban in downtown Melbourne!

Fluffy in Melbourne with Street Art

Driving the Great Ocean Road along Australia’s south coast is one of the best things to do in Australia. Along the Great Ocean Road, you can find the Twelve Apostles. The Twelve Apostles are eight impressive rock formations rising up from the sea, indicating that once upon a time, there was land where there now is sea… And yes, I said “eight”. In 2005, a storm took down a 50 meter high “apostle”, leaving only eight out of the then nine pillars. As far as anyone knows, however, there have never been more than nine apostles. So either the humans who came up with the name couldn’t count, or they just wanted to sound fancy! Do you think “The Twelve Apostles” sounds better than “The Eight Apostles”?

Fluffy on The Great Ocean Road

Together with my friends Jamie and Jarrah, as well as my humans, I went on a “roadie” on the Great Ocean Road, visiting the Twelve Apostles. I met Jamie and Jarrah in Vietnam and it’s been great exploring both Hanoi as well as Southern Australia with them.

Fluffy on The Great Ocean Road with Jamie, Jarrah & Rebeka

Time to get in touch with my inner wildcat! I was so excited when my humans told me we were going into the Outback! Not sure what’s that big pancake in the middle of the desert, but it makes for an interesting sight… Now, where are the zebras?!

Fluffy at Uluru

OK, so apparently there are no zebras in Australia and the pancake thingy is named Uluru, a rock sacred to the Aboriginal, and one of Aussie’s most important symbols. Don’t expect a simple plushie backpacker to know everything! Thankfully, I ran into a giant bouncing mouse who could tell me all about this region.

From afar, Uluru looks flat and round, but when walking around its base you can see the rock is far from straight. Uluru’s spectacular caves, crevices and colors look remarkable today. The green vegetation, the red sand, the sharp blue sky… The Australian outback is truly beautiful!

Fluffy on the Basewalk at Uluru

Walking around Uluru, my whiskers started tingling. My journeys across the world – touching upon both modern and ancient cultures – sometimes remind me a bit of the Australian Aboriginal concept of “walkabout”. Walkabout is a rite of passage during which boys live in the wilderness for several months, to make the spiritual transition into manhood. I can think of no better place for such a ritual than the Australian Outback, which covers 75% of the continent.

Kata Tjuta, also known as “The Olgas”, lies a 45-minute ride away from the sacred Uluru. Geologically, Kata Tjuta was formed in much the same way as Uluru millions of years ago. Countless years of rain and wind have carved Kata Tjuta into its current shape: something which is most likely to happen to Uluru as well over the next million years. Not sure if I’ll be around by then, though… Both rocks own their reddish color to the oxidation of the iron-bearing minerals within the rock. I really love the color palette of the Outback!

Fluffy walks the Valley of the Winds at Kata Tjuta

New South Wales

The Australian Outback is such an immense contrast to the urban buzz of Sydney! Here, the ancient cultures and traditions of the continent have vanished and have been replaced by modern Aussie society. I was surprised by the look of Aussie’s famous Opera House: on film, the distinctive structure always looks as if it’s one big, white building. Up close, however, it looks much more like a honeycomb, made with glazed ceramic tiles – and you can see the complex is composed of several buildings!

Fluffy at the Sydney Opera House

Surf’s up at Bondi Beach! Bondi is one of Australia’s most famous surfing beaches. If you’re lucky, you can even spot a dolphin or two here. I’m thinking about taking surfing lessons!

Fluffy on Bondi Beach in Sydney

800 kilometers straight into the Outback from Brisbane, you’ll find the quirky town of Lightning Ridge. Following the Green Door Route on our first evening in the desert, I visited the First Shaft Lookout, where I met Tinnie the Tinman. Tinnie protects the Shaft, which is said to be the site of the first opal mine in the region. The Australian Outback is rich with minerals, such as opal and gold.

Fluffy in Lightning Ridge at the First Shaft Lookout

At Lightning Ridge’s First Shaft Lookout, a tiny house was built out of tin cans and bottles. To celebrate my arrival in the Outback, I bought a bottle of wine to share with my humans and our sweet friend Kelly, who lives out here in the wilderness.

Fluffy in Lightning Ridge at the First Shaft Lookout with Wine

Deeper and deeper into the Red Waste we go! Another 80 kilometers deeper into the Outback, we hit Grawin, where Kelly introduced us to a handful of crazy humans, who go by even crazier nicknames. Today we visited the camp of “Roo Sue” and “Pohmmie John” in the Red Heart of Australia, where we met some of the kangaroos living in the bush. Whereas most farmers shoot the ‘roos who eat their crop, Roo Sue feeds them and welcomes them as her friends… It’s amazing being able to get so close to these sweet, wild creatures!

Fluffy at Roo Sue's in Grawin

Exploring more of the Outback, my love for the “Red Waste” continues to grow! From Kelly’s camp in the remote village of Lightning Ridge, we moved to her camp in the even more remote Grawin. Currently, the camp consists of a trailer, a small water tower containing rainwater, and a Long Drop bush toilet. There’s no heating, no running water and no road to speak of! Yet there are kangaroos, wacky bush-burned neighbors and at night all the stars in the universe reveal itself…

Fluffy camps out in Grawin
Fluffy camps out in the Outback in Grawin

In the Outback, everyone has a nickname. There’s Roo Sue, Pohmmie Jon, Kiwi Al, and our friend, Camel Kelly, who earned her nickname by traveling from Steep Point (the easternmost point of Australia) to Cape Byron (the westernmost point) by camel, over the course of 18 months. Over the years, many of Kelly’s friends gifted her little camels. I wonder what my Outback name would be!

Fluffy meets a couple of Camels in Grawin

Inspired by my friend Camel Kelly’s 18-month long camel trek from Steep Point to Cape Byron, I have decided to go on my own track across the Red Centre. Wish me safe travels!

Fluffy traverses the Australian Outback in Grawin

Celebrating my many years functioning as a Discordian Pope – inaugurated by Michal and Pim in Bratislava, 2010 – I visited the camp of Shirley Pope in the heart of Australia on Parramatta Road – a dusty sand road filled with potholes, humorously named after Australia’s busiest road. I never knew the Pope had a camp in the Outback! Maybe she’ll forgive me for my sins of chasing after bouncing mice. Although, is that really a sin? It’s so much fun!

Fluffy visits the Vatican in Grawin

The opal miners’ town Lightning Ridge is full of humans who’s brains have been deep-fried by the sun. Underneath the town, a man named Ron Canlin is carving an extensive network of tunnels out of an old opal mine, nicknamed “The Chamber of the Black Hand”. While carving the tunnels, Canlin decorates the walls with artworks sculpted out of solid rock. I’m very honored that he included a sculpture of me!

Fluffy meets a relative in the Chamber of the Black Hand in Lightning Ridge

Down the rabbit hole we go! Lightning Ridge is one of the most creative places I’ve been to in my life. The locals, who proclaim they all have “a few kangaroos loose in the top paddock”, erected a slur of creative artworks. This is one of my favorites: the Green Door Route! By following the Green Doors, you can find your way through the wilderness…

Fluffy on the Green Door Route in Lightning Ridge

Queensland

Travelling is fantastic, but too much time on the open road has had a nasty side effect: my leopard spots have almost completely faded away! Sometimes, people call me a lion… others call me a bear… I’m going into crisis mode here! My humans tried to help me by putting me in a support group for emotionally disturbed animals. Am I truly a leopard? Or am I just a lion? Or am I a bouncy mouse? A koala, maybe..? Please, help..!

Fluffy at a Species Dysphoria meeting in Brisbane

Cairns’ Esplanade runs along the shore of the Coral Sea and features a beach filled with pelicans. It looks like the perfect place for a swim, but somehow, nobody is in the water… The signs along the beach will tell you why, though: the shores of Cairns are haunted by monstrous saltwater crocodiles! So much for my beach day…

Fluffy at the Esplanade in Cairns

To accommodate the humans living in Cairns, as well as the travelers stopping by for a visit, a swimming pool was constructed on the elevated esplanade along the beach. Though it seemed odd and pointless at first to have a pool next to the beach, knowing the beach is crocodile territory the pool suddenly sounds incredibly attractive!

Fluffy at the Esplanade Lagoon in Cairns

The sunny shores of Cairns lead straight into the world’s most diverse coral reef: the Great Barrier Reef! The Reef is the most complex natural systems on Earth. Today, I’m visiting Normanby Island, which is part of the uninhabited Frankland Islands. As soon as our little boat docked, I started foraging to secure our survival. Just look at this piece of fruit I found! I hope it’s edible!

Fluffy explores Normanby Island

Just across the water from Normanby lies High Island. If its shape seems somewhat familiar to you, then you might have grown up in the ’90s! High Island was the filming location for many of the scenes from the Aussie TV series Ocean Girl (1994-1997), which ran for four years and starred the lovely Marzena Godecki as Neri. In the series, the odd-yet-enchanting Neri lived as much on the island as in the water.

Fluffy overlooks High Island in the Frankland Islands

Meet my two favorite pets in the world: my humans, Pim and Beki! Humans are an odd, but wonderful species… and I’m glad I found a few of them to keep me company!

Fluffy on Normanby Island with Pim & Beki

Sweet. Adventurous. Silly… Though my humans are a bit naughty sometimes, it has been very nice to have them accompany me on my many trips. Whether we travel for a few days or for months in a row, it’s nice to know you always have someone to count on to get you food, carry your bags, and take your pictures!

Fluffy, Pim and Beki visit Normanby Island in the Frankland Islands

Dear humans, I have decided to stay on the Frankland Islands. The beach, the reef, the humpback whales… I’m in love! Please take your boat and leave the cookies behind. I’ll be alright. I’ve seen a lot of episodes of Survivor, and I’ve seen Finding Nemo (2003) a dozen times, so don’t worry. I’ll be fine. G’day mates!

Fluffy stays behind on Normanby Island in the Frankland Islands

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Fluffy on Mount Victoria in Wellington (F)

Fluffy in New Zealand: Highlights

New Zealand is one of my favorite countries in the world! The splendor of the country’s national parks is astonishing, and the New Zealand wildlife is absolutely amazing! In this blog, I’ll tell you about some of the “bite-sized” adventures I’ve had on both North Island and South Island.

South Island

From the cold of the Netherlands into breezy New Zealand! Snow-capped mountains, autumn leaves… Queenstown is a sight to behold! It’s also a great location for winter sports!

Fluffy in Queenstown

From Queenstown onwards, I hitchhiked both South Island and North Island until I reached Auckland! Today I hitched a ride with Brit Paul and his local steel engineering colleague, Dan, to the stunning region of Milford Sound in the Fiordland National Park.

Fluffy in Milford Sound with Dan & Paul

In Te Anau, I fell in love with a native Kiwi bird! Unfortunately, kiwi birds are vulnerable to non-native predators like weasels, ferrets, rats, cats and dogs; animals that came ashore in New Zealand with human immigrants. New Zealand used to be a safe haven for flightless birds, but this is no longer true. Still, the government aims to capture all predators, sending out “trappers” to catch them all! In the mountains of Te Anau, I hitched a ride with two rugged gentlemen who had just spent six months camping in the wilderness to catch non-native predators! I hope their work will continue to be successful, otherwise, my new friend might end up as a weasel’s dinner…

Fluffy meets Kiwis Te Anau

At the Te Anau Bird Sanctuary I met another native New Zealand flightless bird: the takah? bird! Much like the kiwi, the takah? often becomes the victim of non-native predators. Only 300 are left, most of them living on offshore islands and in Takah? Valley. The Takah? Recovery Programme tries to maintain the species… and this cute plushie will make sure the world knows!

Fluffy meets Takahe in Te Anau

From Queenstown, I hitchhiked along the South Island West Coast’s Haast Highway with wine farmer Lukas from Germany. On the way to the Franz Josef glacier, we pulled over to take in the views at Knight’s Point.

Fluffy in Knight's Point with Lukas

At the gorgeous Franz Josef Glacier , there’s always the chance of an avalanche! Can you believe that while I was being crushed by icy rocks at the glacier, my humans were taking pictures?!

Fluffy in Franz Josef at the Franz Josef Glacier

In Christchurch I caught up with avid traveler Jochem, one of my human’s high school mates, who’s been living and working in New Zealand for quite some time after his travels through Southeast Asia.

Fluffy in Christchurch with Jochem

Reading Tame Smilere’s The Whale Rider (1987) with my new best friend in the quiet and peaceful city of Christchurch.

Fluffy in Christchurch

Kaikōura is by far one of the most beautiful places to visit in New Zealand! In Kaikōura, I spent the day babysitting the Ohau Stream seal pups. At the Ohau Stream, seal parents leave their children in a safe environment while they go out to catch fish. The kids stay behind and play tirelessly in Ohau’s natural nursery! It was easy to fall in love with these pups… but I can’t recommend visiting them. The Ohau Stream has become too popular with backpackers for the seals to feel comfortable, so it is now recommended to just enjoy the thousands of other seals living along Kaikōura’s shoreline.

Fluffy at a waterfall in Kaikoura

Yay! I managed to hitchhike all the way up to Picton to catch the Bluebridge ferry to Wellington on North Island!

Fluffy in Picton

North Island

Welcome to the North Island! Though there are fewer animals and national parks than on South Island, the north has a big plus in regards to cultural travel: meet Pouwhenua, the Māori land post situated on top of Mount Victoria, overlooking the city!

Fluffy on Mount Victoria in Wellington

In Wellington, I visited Weta Digital, the creators of “The Lord of the Rings”, “The Hobbit”, “Tin Tin”, “District 9”, “Ghost in the Shell” and more! Doesn’t this guy look like fun? Mr. Bilbo Baggins told me Stone Trolls are not very playful, but I don’t mind a bit of chasing around! Check out our entry for New Zealand in our guide for the world’s best movies!

Fluffy in Wellington at the Weta Cave

Here in Taupo, with Lake Taupo and Mount Ngauruhoe on the horizon, I played a game of high stakes golf with my human at Taupo’s “Hole in One challenge”. The goal: hit the ball into the hole on the floating platform!

Fluffy in Taupo with Beki

Hopping the geothermal mud pools of the Rotorua (a.k.a. the “Sulphur City”) at the boiling Sulphur Flats. The Sulphur Flats is a zone of thermal activity where you can see the ground boil underneath your feet, as steam rises from the ground!

Fluffy in Rotorua

The green grass, the blue sky, the red roof, the palm trees… The Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa – excuse my Māori – looks absolutely gorgeous! I could spend as much time looking at this museum as I could walking around in it!

Fluffy at the Rotorua Museum

Visiting the neighbors of Bag End, the former home of Bilbo Baggins and now the residence of Frodo Baggins. This little smial (also known as a “Hobbit-hole”) is situated at the end of Bagshot Row in Hobbiton. It’s so cool to be able to visit this little village!

Fluffy in the vilage of Hobbiton

“In a hole in the ground there lived a plushie. Frodo frowned upon the arrival of his new neighbor.” It was awesome to visit the Hobbiton Movieset. Peter Jackson and his crew did a fantastic job recreating the small village from J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantastic books on the Alexander farm in Matamata.

Fluffy visits Hobbiton

Inspecting Samwise Gamgee’s plum trees! Do you like plums as much as Hobbits do, or do you prefer a different type of fruit?

Fluffy in a Garden in Hobbiton

Meet Tiki, the first man who created in Māori mythology. His totem protects the geothermal M?ori village Te Whakarewarewatanga O Te Ope Taua A Wahiao – ‘Wakarewarewa’ for short. Translated to English, the village is named “The gathering place for the war parties of Wahiao”. That’s an impressively long name for a village!

Fluffy in the village of Whakarewarewa

This was so nice! In the geothermal Māori village Whakarewarewa, I was greeted in traditional Māori-style! The “hongi”-greeting is performed by two people pressing their noses together.

Fluffy using the Maori hongi in Whakarewarewa

In Auckland, I was reunited with Thai student Mai and his new colleague Fay. I met Mai in Thailand, when my humans were teaching him English during our stay in the Land of Smiles. Mai is such a funny guy! Like many other international students, he’ll be studying in New Zealand for the next few months. We explored Auckland together, including its beautiful harbor. I hope we get to meet again soon!

Fluffy in Auckland with Fay & Mai

During my stay in Auckland, I was CouchSurfing with Jon, a Kiwi CouchSurfer whose life was about to change: Jon decided to quit his job, cancel his apartment, and hit the open road! I know exactly how that feels… Would you dare to leave everything behind?

Fluffy in Auckland with Jon

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