G’Day and welcome back to the Down Under Diary! We were ready for laid-back coastal vibes, but before we reached Emerald Beach, we had one of the most chaotic travel days of the entire trip. From window malfunctions to flat tires and soaked cushions, the journey was far from smooth. Luckily, the evening brought one of the most magical sunsets including kangaroos (and some other unexpected toilet visitors) that made it all worth it.
Short Recap
Following the buzz of Sydney and a not-so-warm welcome from a giant huntsman spider, we were keen to meet some of Australia’s cuter animals. And after seeing the results from last week’s poll (snakes were the least liked, followed closely by bugs and spiders), don’t worry – this blog is a spider-free zone. Promise!
April 13, 07:00 | Hasty Escape from Port Macquarie 🌧️
The campsite might’ve looked peaceful, but it definitely wasn’t. We were woken up by the shrieking of what felt like every bird in New South Wales. The day didn’t start off great and continued even worse: The shutter on our back window was stuck and refused to budge. Since we needed that window for visibility while driving, we rolled it up and taped it to the ceiling. Engineering skills? Nope, we’re just girls … And the next mistake appeared: It had rained overnight, and we had left the side window open. The cushion by the table was completely soaked. And surprise: So were the camping chairs stored underneath. With everything damp and morale low, we skipped brekkie and hit the road, hoping for a more scenic and peaceful moment at Nambucca Heads (spoiler: which won’t quite happen).
💡Insider Tip: Bring or buy tape to solve any kind of engineering issue.
April 13, 08:45 · Tyre Trouble 🛞
If a broken shutter and soaked cushions weren’t enough, shortly after leaving Port Macquarie, we hit a curb (yes, we underestimated the space on the left side of the campervan thanks to right-side driving). The result: a crack in one of the tyres. Our first move? Calling our dads and boyfriends back in Switzerland… at 3 AM their time. Not super helpful. So we turned to the rental company’s emergency hotline. After sending some photos and our coordinates, we waited for instructions. While waiting, we made the best of it and had brekkie in the forest (not quite the ocean view we’d imagined for). Eventually, we were told to drive carefully to the nearest service center, about 40 minutes away, to get the tyre replaced. That drive felt like forever, just hoping the tyre wouldn’t explode. But thankfully, everything worked out.
💡Insider Tip: If you’re new to left-side driving in Australia, full insurance will be worth it for any incident.
April 13, 12:30 · Lunch at Nambucca Heads 🥗
Finally we reached Nambucca Heads to have our lunch there. Fortunately there was a picknick table, so we could enjoy our tomato salad and the view over the ocean while our cushion and camping chairs were basking in the sun on a parking lot.
✨ Hidden Gem: Nambucca Heads Captain Cook Lookout
💡Insider Tip: Double-check windows before bed.
April 13, 16:00 · Arrival at Emerald Beach 🩴
After a bumpy travel day, Emerald Beach welcomed us with open arms. Then, eager to stretch our legs, we headed to the beach. There was a small stream cutting across the sand. Vanessa wisely removed her shoes and walked through. The rest of us attempted the big jump … and we failed. We squished along in wet socks and soaked sneakers, with sand clinging to them (and let me tell you, once there’s sand in the camper, it’s there forever). And as if that wasn’t enough, we later ended up stepping in roo poo too. But the views made up for it and we were smart enough to take a different path back.
💡Insider Tip: Bring or buy a small brush (if not already included in the the campervan equipment).
April 13, 17:15 · Kangaroos at Sunset 🦘🌅
We hiked up to the Emerald Beach Headland and found ourselves in the middle of a kangaroo documentary. A joey peeked out from its mum’s pouch, and a couple of males were having a boxing match in the distance. And the sunset was unreal: golden light, ocean breeze, and a peaceful mob of kangaroos grazing. From the first glimpse of the beach to the last kangaroo sighting, it was one of those places that took us completely by surprise with moments which we don’t forget!
✨ Hidden Gem: Emerald Beach Reserve, Emerald Beach Headland, Look At Me Now Headland Walk at Sunset
April 13, 19:00 · Fajitas Dinner 🌮
Simona and Sabrina whipped up delicious fajitas — so good, in fact, that the camper smelled like a Mexican food truck for days (and our towels even days after).
💡Insider Tip: Cooking smells stick around, choose wisely, what comes on your menu plan if you are cooking inside of the campervan.
April 13, 20:30 · Dunny Drama 🦝
Just when Vanessa thought she had a quiet moment on the dunny, a noise surprised her during the toilet visit. Big round, curious eyes were starring at her: A possum suddenly appeared out of the ceiling. We’re still unsure if it was cute or creepy. And the dunny dramas didn’t end there: Later on the travel Simona accidentally locked herself inside in a toilet at a service area, causing a panic moment until an employee came to the rescue.
April 14, 05:15 · Kind of Sunrise 🦜
The Alarms rang at 5:15 AM. Sunrises are early in Australia, and you quickly learn to become a morning person (more or less). We wanted to catch the sunrise and the kangaroos in morning light. But… we’d looked up the wrong time to day before. So despite our best intentions, we nearly missed it. Luckily, the sky was cloudy, so we didn’t miss much. At least the kangaroos were already up and the reserve came slowly alive with birdsong. Especially from the parrots, whose unbelievably dreadful screeching noise was quite the complete opposite of their beautiful appearance.
💡Insider Tip: Be aware sunrises (and sunsets) are early in East Australia.
April 14, 07:45 · Morning Cupboard Crisis 🛠️
Just before we wanted to hitting the road, a cupboard refused to close and was about to rattle the whole drive. In typical Swiss manner we brought a Swiss Knife with a screwdriver (which is also equipped with a knife, tweezers, tenoning, file, and much more) and we could take it apart on the spot.
💡Insider Tip: Pack a handy Swiss multitool (in your checked luggage if you’re flying) – it can be a real lifesaver on the road. Look for one with essentials like a corkscrew, pliers, screwdriver, scissors, knife, and can opener.
Travel Trouble Poll 🤦🏼♀️
Before we’re arriving at our next destination Noosa it’s time for a poll. What have been your biggest travel fails so far? Take the fun poll and see how your travel troubles compare to others!
Missed a Blog Post?
No worries! Catch up on all the Down Under Diary adventures here:
- 🌴 #1 G’Day: The Ultimate Australia’s East Coast Road Trip
- 🏄🏼♂️ #2 Sydney: Giant Spiders, Jetlag, & the Great Easter Brekkie Fail
- 🦘 #3 Emerald Beach: Campervan Issues, Kangaroos, & the Surprise Visit on the Dunny (this blog article)
- 🌊 #4 Noosa: Rain Disaster, Desperate Cash Hunt, & the Coastal Walk with(out) View
- 🐕 #5 Fraser Island: Guided Adventure Tour, Dingos, & the Champagne Pools (with Video!)
- 🌅 #6 Cape Hillsborough: Digital Detox, Failed Job Interviews, & the Sunrise Kangaroo Dream
- 🩵 #7 Airlie Beach: Great Barrier Reef, Whitehaven Beach Paradise, & the Scenic Flight (with Videos!)
- 🐨 #8 Magnetic Island: Barbie Car, Wild Koala Hunts, & the Campervan Breakdown Finale
Thanks for following along, cheers from Emerald Beach and ’til next time in Noosa!
Yours, Géraldine 👋🏻👩🏼🦱🦘
I’d love to hear from you! You can answer in English or German
🇦🇺 What was your worst travel experience or travel day where everything went wrong?
Have you ever had a flat tyre? How? 💭
🇨🇭 Was war dein schlimmstes Reiseerlebnis oder ein Reisetag, an dem alles schief ging?
Hattest du schon einmal eine Reifenpanne? Wie? 💭
One of my worst travel moments happened during a holiday. I bought some new clothes and was really excited to wear them, but I made the mistake of washing them in the hotel apartment. I didn’t realize how hot the water was, and they ended up shrinking! It was so disappointing because they were brand new, and now they were way too small to wear.🥲
Luckily, I’ve never had a flat tire.🙏🏼
G’Day Hildegart, that’s a shame to hear! 🥹👚 By the way, what sometimes helps with shrunken clothes: soak them in lukewarm water with a bit of hair conditioner for about 30 minutes. Then gently stretch them back into shape while they’re damp. Sometimes it works miracles! 🙌
Luckily we didn’t have any problems with ou campervan when I was in Australia! I would have been so lost 😩 But I second the tipp with bringing a Swiss knife, it always comes in handy!
G’Day, so lucky you escaped all the camper chaos! We were honestly totally lost when things went wrong. But in the end, we can laugh about it 🤭 Where exactly did you travel to in Australia? 🇦🇺
Die grössten Fails, sind doch auch immer die besten Geschichten zum Erzählen 🤭 Und da habe ich tatsächlich auch einige auf Lager. Auf unserer Reise durch Vietnam z.B. haben wir es tatsächlich geschafft, an den falschen Flughafen zu fahren! Immerhin konnten wir auch von dort aus an unser Zielort fliegen – aber natürlich mussten wir die nächste Verbindung erst abwarten und haben den Tag auf unbequemen Wartesitzen verbracht. Auf der gleichen Reise haben wir übrigens auch einen anderen Flug fast verpasst, weil ein Freund sein Handy im Taxi liegen gelassen hat.. Tja, in dieser Gruppe reisen wir nun nur noch mit dem Zug! 😉
G’Day, ohh, das hört sich nach einem einzigen grossen Chaos an! Genau, solche Geschichten sind später die besten zu Erzählen. Ob der Zug wahnsinnig viel besser ist, naja, auch den kann man verpassen 😉 Danke fürs Teilen und ich hoffe, in eurer Gruppe gibt’s trotzdem noch viele weitere Abenteuer! ✈️
One of my worst travel experiences was, when I was in my favorite city, London, and got sick.🤒 Instead of exploring the amazing city, I had to stay in bed – worst nightmare ever!!😞 I’m looking forward to your next blog post. 😍
G’Day Vanessa, oh no, that really is a travel nightmare! 😢🏙️💂♀️ Thanks so much for following along – I’m super happy you’re enjoying the blog, and the next post is already in the works!
Mein schlimmstes Reiseerlebnis war Alaska, wo es keden Tag regnete, und wir am Zelten waren
G’Day Sandra, oh je, Dauerregen und Zeltferien klingt wirklich nach einer Herausforderung! 🌧️⛺ Ich hoffe, ihr habt trotzdem ein paar schöne Erinnerungen mitgenommen!
Ich habe den Eundruck, man vergisst die Fails mit den Jahren wieder.
An zwei kann ich mich nur noch erinnern, beide Male in Italien: Einmal sind wir zu einer Hochzeit in der Nähe nach Venedig geflogen. Kurz vor der Landung gab es Probleme mit der Maschine, leider gäbe es niemanden in Venedig, der sie reparieren könnte. Also mussten wir direkt über Venedig umkehren und nach Zürich zurückkehren, wo uns ein Bus wieder ans Gate chauffierte. Nach zwei Stunden Wartezeit traten wir ein zweites Mal den Flug nach Venedig an und kamen mit über 4 Stunden Verspätung an. Das Restaurant, in dem wir reserviert hatten, räumte bereits alle Tische ab, die Vermieterin hatte den Schlüssel irgendwo versteckt, alles war stockduster um Mitternacht und wir suchten mit den Handy-Taschenlampen ewig nach dem Schlüssel. Immerhin zur Hochzeit schafften wir es rechtzeitig. Das zweite Mal waren wir mitten im November von Mailand nach Cinque Terre aufgebrochen. Während über Mailand die Sonne strahlte, schüttete es in Cinque Terre aus Kübeln. Alle Fensterläden blieben an dem Tag zugeklappt, kein Restaurant öffnete und nach einer Stunde brachen wir wieder nach Mailand auf. Seither halte ich mich von Cinque Terre fern.
G’Day Jasmin, danke für deine Geschichten! Das hört sich nach sehr ereignisreichen und turbulenten Ferien an. Ja, eventuell sollt ihr euch von Italien fernhalten 😉 Ich hoffe sehr für dich, dass die nächsten Ferien problemlos verlaufen! 🇮🇹
Howdy. Luckily i‘ve never had a flat tyre on holiday. But one time in Sardegna we ran out of gas for the stove. It was on a sunday night so the chances to buy the right gas container was nearly zero. But after one hour and some some phone calls in italian we managed to get the right gas container and we could continuing with cooking. Since then we always carry a spare gas contaioner when we are on camping holidays.
G’Day Andrin, oh no, running out of gas in the middle of cooking sounds like a true camping classic! 😅 Props to you for managing to find a replacement on a Sunday night in Sardinia in Italian! 💪
oh I would love to go to Australia – especially for all these cute animals! 🙂
but for real: is spiders a big deal there? these are the animals I wouldn’t want to meet
G’Day Nina, the cute animals are definitely a highlight 🐨🦘🦜 And about the spiders… honestly, they exist (yes, some are big), but it’s not like they’re waiting at every corner. Most of the time, you don’t even see them. So don’t let that stop you – the adventure is totally worth it!
G’Day Géraldine!
Wow, what an adventure! 🚐✨ From tyre trouble to surprise possum encounters, this blog had me laughing and feeling the chaos with you. Definitely taking notes on the Swiss Knife tip—sounds like the ultimate lifesaver!
My worst travel fail? Missing a flight because I was waiting at the wrong gate… in the wrong terminal. 😅 Ended up sprinting through the airport like a scene from a bad action movie—spoiler: I didn’t make it.
Looking forward to your next travel mishaps—I mean, adventures! 😉
Cheers,
Cornel
G’Day Cornel, oh nooo, the wrong gate and the wrong terminal! That sounds like a true travel horror story 🥹 Thanks for sharing your travel fail, it made me feel better about our own misadventures. More adventures (and chaos) coming soon!
Dear Géraldine,
I’m absolutely loving your travel updates! 🚌✨
I actually had a travel fail when my boyfriend and I were trying to get back home from Finland. It was during Covid, and the rules kept changing constantly. On the day of our return to Switzerland, we found out that leaving Finland was only allowed with two vaccine doses. But since my boyfriend had previously had Covid, he had only received one.
Let’s just say… it took a lot of patience 😅 and we almost ended up paying several hundred euros for a last-minute test at the airport. 💸 In the end, my persuasive skills saved the day, and we just made it back to Switzerland in time ✈️🙌 – which was a huge relief, because I was starting my new job the very next day! 😌
G’Day Saara, thank you for your kind words! Wow, what a story! That sounds so stressful 🥹 I can totally imagine the panic at the airport, yeah, those Covid times were quite challenging. Even in 2023 for our Australia trip we had to bring our covid certificates for the transit over Singapore. Thanks so much for sharing, I’m glad for you that everything worked out in the end! I’m sending lots of good vibes for smoother travels in the future! 💛