G’Day and welcome back to the Down Under Diary! This blog is all about kangaroos at sunrise. Yes, that postcard-perfect scene from Queensland where kangaroos hop along the beach while the sun rises over the ocean. We were beyond excited! Until we arrived and realized we had no reception, no WiFi and two upcoming job interviews. What could possibly go wrong?
Short Recap
After our unforgettable Fraser Island tour, where many of you mentioned you’d love to take a bath in the Champagne Pools or float down Eli Creek, we headed towards the iconic Cape Hillsborough Nature Tourist Park. One of the few places in Australia where you can watch kangaroos and wallabies on the beach at sunrise. We were ready for magic!
April 30, 11:00 · Digital Detox 📵
We arrived at Cape Hillsborough Nature Tourist Park, excited for kangaroos, but quickly hit with a reality check: no internet. Not a single bar. Turns out, this place is an intentional offline zone, a full-on digital detox. But Simona and I had important online application interviews scheduled that evening (hers at 20:00, mine at 21:30 because of the different time zones that late). We asked the staff if there was any way to connect. Maybe hidden WiFi? A hotspot? But nope, nothing. Driving back to the nearest town wasn’t an option either: not in the dark, and not in Australia. So, plan B: cancel the interviews. We wandered around the campground, email drafts loaded and fingers crossed for just a few seconds of connection. After some tense pacing, Simona managed to send hers off. Mine was still stuck in the outbox. Defeated but hopeful, we tossed our laundry in and I prayed for a miracle internet breeze to come through.
💡 Insider Tip: Don’t rely on reception at Cape Hillsborough, it’s a true digital detox.
💡 Insider Tip: Always google the internet availability of the place / campground if you have important calls coming up.
April 30, 13:00 · Kangaroo Meet & Greet 🧺
Our mood instantly lifted when we spotted three kangaroos casually lounging in the middle of the campground. Suddenly, hanging up laundry became a front-row seat to the ultimate Aussie wildlife show. We couldn’t resist – we crouched down, gave them a gentle scratch, and they genuinely seemed to enjoy the attention (note to future selves: as adorable as they are, you’re actually not supposed to touch them.) A kookaburra watched the whole scene disapproving. It was such a surreal Aussie moment. If it hadn’t been for the stressful internet-and-application-interview situation, we might’ve fully melted into the magic of it all.
💡 Insider Tip: Keep a respectful distance from wildlife.
April 30, 16:00 · Hiking With Spiders 🕷️
With my email still stubbornly stuck in the outbox, we decided to make the most of it and set off on a hike along the Andrews Point track, which came with warnings about tides (and spiders). The further we walked, the bigger they got, but we got pros in dodging below spider webs. At the top of the hill, sweet victory: a flicker of reception appeared, and I finally managed to send out the email to postpone my interview. What a relief! And the views from the first lookout, Twin Beach Lookout, rewarded us with golden light draped over dramatic cliffs, hidden coves, and the vast ocean below. At Turtle Lookout (no turtles, sadly), dusk started creeping in. With no internet for navigation, we relied on the old-school paper map from reception, which said the full loop takes 2–2.5 hours. Since it gets dark fast in Australia, we picked up the pace and skipped the next viewpoint. We made it down to the beach just in time for sunset. You can cross over to Wedge Island at low tide, but we weren’t about to risk anything. We were back at the campground before dark and somehow, we finished the entire loop in just one hour – thanks to our Swiss hiking genes.
✨ Hidden Gem: Andrews Point Lookout – stunning views with minimal crowds.
💡 Insider Tip: Grab the printed version of the map at reception and start early!
April 30, 18:45 · Dinner & Guys Watching 🍝
Back at the laundry area, the kangaroos had moved on, but three fit young man had taken their place, doing an evening workout. As we collected our dry clothes, we couldn’t help but sneak glances from behind hanging shirts. The idea of offering them some of our extra pasta floated around, but none of us dared to make the first move. Missed opportunity? Probably. Full bellies? Absolutely.
💡 Insider Tip: Pasta is always a winner and who knows, maybe next time it’ll come with a side of conversation.
April 30, 20:00 · Rubbish Mistake 🗑️
When you’re living out of a campervan and using campground facilities, showers become a whole operation. Since most camping sites don’t offer any shelves or surfaces (mostly just a single hook) we each have a two-bag system: one shower bag with our fresh clothes, and another with all the essentials like shampoos, brush, and towel. It’s a routine we’ve perfected over weeks on the road… or so we thought. That night, Sabrina was suddenly missing one of her bags. We tore the van apart, checked every corner. Then it clicked: just before heading to the shower (where by the way dozen geckos were clinging to the ceiling), she’d taken out the rubbish. One dash to the campground bins, there it was: her shower bag, chilling beside last night’s leftovers.
💡 Insider Tip: Bring two waterproof bags for the showers, one for clothes, one for toiletries.
💡 Insider Tip: Double-check what’s in your hands while throw out the trash.
May 1, 04:45 · Magic Morning 🌅🦘
Our alarms went off at 4:45 am, way too early, but for a good cause. Equipped with our torches (yes, we finally remembered to use them!), we made our way through the dark to the beach. Turns out, we weren’t the only ones – a whole crowd of sleepy-eyed tourists had already gathered behind a row of bright marker cones. A ranger paced along the imaginary line, reminding everyone: ‘No touching the kangaroos!’ (Oops… too late as we already petted them the day before), ‘Turn off your torches!’ and ‘No camera flash, please!’.
Around 5:30 am, as the first golden light broke over the ocean, kangaroos and wallabies slowly hopped down from the forest (or rather, the campground) toward the beach. Quick side note: wallabies are closely related to kangaroos, just a bit smaller and easy to recognize by the white stripes on their hips and across their faces. According to the ranger, the animals usually come out at low tide to search for food the waves bring in. But suspiciously, it didn’t really look like low tide… As everything came into view with the rising sun, we spotted leftover piles of food scattered across the beach. It seemed the kangaroos weren’t there for the sunrise after all, but for snacks. So yeah, it was kind of a staged wildlife moment, but still incredibly beautiful. Wild(ish) kangaroos, the sound of the ocean, and the sky turning gold over the waves, it felt absolutely magical.
✨ Hidden Gem: Sunrise with kangaroos at Cape Hillsborough Nature Tourist Park, even if it’s staged, it’s stunning.
💡 Insider Tip: Get there early, bring a torch and a hoodie, it’s colder than you’d think pre-dawn.
May 1, 07:00 · Back to Civilization 📶
After what was probably our earliest breakfast of the entire trip, we packed up and hit the road once more. Our next destination is Airlie Beach! But before any sightseeing, there was one top priority on our minds, find reliable internet to check if we’d received any replies from our job applications. And if you’re curious about how Simona’s and my postponed interviews turned out, stay tuned for the blog post about Magnetic Island!
Digital Detox Poll 📵
Cape Hillsborough brought us something we definitely hadn’t looked forward to: an unplanned digital detox. No internet, no reception, no Wi-Fi – just kangaroos, wallabies, and the ocean. At first, it felt like a crisis (especially with pending job interviews), but in the end it was kinda peaceful. Now we’re curious: could you survive a few days off the grid? Vote below!
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
- 🌊 #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 (this blog article)
- 🩵 #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
Your Turn!
I’d love to hear from you! Share your stories in the comments at the very bottom of the page (after the “You might also like”) in English or German.
What has been your biggest internet struggle (while traveling)? 💭
What’s been your most unforgettable (or regrettable) job application story? 💭
Thanks for following along, cheers from Cape Hillsborough and ’til next time in Airlie Beach!
Yours, Géraldine 👋🏻👩🏼🦱🌅
I’d love to hear from you! You can answer in English or German
🇦🇺 What has been your biggest internet struggle (while traveling)? 💭
What’s been your most unforgettable (or regrettable) job application story? 💭
🇨🇭 Was war dein grösstes Problem mit dem Internet (auf Reisen)? 💭
Was war deine unvergesslichste (oder bedauerlichste) Bewerbungsgeschichte? 💭
Dear Géraldine 👋🏼 Wow – your photos look exactly like how I imagine Australia 😍 (well, maybe with a working internet connection 🛜🤭). At our «Mökki» in Finland, we didn’t have proper internet for years – just a USB stick you had to plug into the laptop. And even then, the connection was terrible! 😅 I still remember the first time I was in love and could only check my messages a couple of times a week for almost five weeks – it felt like a mini end of the world. 💔 I’m really looking forward to reading how your job application story continues! 👩🏼💻 My most unforgettable one was probably when I was desperately looking for an internship. My exchange semester got cancelled due to Covid, so I sent off yet another application without much hope… got an interview the same day, and a few hours later, I had the job. 😂 I’ll never forget that moment – and the internship turned out to be one of my best experiences! ✨
G’Day Saara, thanks for sharing your story! I can totally imagine the heartbreak of waiting days to check messages when your heart’s all in 😢 Wow, that’s a fast application process and lucky timing! ✨ I can promise you, our job interview situation only got more chaotic from there. Without giving too much away… let’s just say we had another campervan issue, and in the end, I barely had time to prepare. It turned into a full-on emotional rollercoaster 👩🏼💻🎢 Stay tuned, it’s coming soon!
Als ich im 2013 5 Wochen durch Myanmar reiste, hatte ich absolut kein Internet. Es tat richtig gut, einen so langen digital detox zu machen aber es gab natürlich auch seine Hürden: eine gute Reisevorbereitung ist das A und O weil man nicht einfach kurz die schönsten oder most instagrammable 😂 spots googlen kann 🙈
G’Day Jasmin, das hört sich nach einer unvergesslichen Reise an! Und 5 Wochen komplett offline – definitiv eine intensive digitale Auszeit! 🧘🏼♀️ Aber ja, ohne schnell zu googlen wird jedes Aussichtspunkt, jedes Restaurant und jede Route zur Schatzsuche 🗺️ Aber irgendwie auch schön, wenn man spontan Orte entdeckt und nicht nur, weil sie auf Insta gut aussehen 🤭
Aaah, what a pleasure it was to read this blog. Thanks for bringing your impressions so naturally. While reading I was imagining myself in front of the ocean, watching kangaroos and sunset. <3 <3
G’Day Mariami, thank you for your nice words! It was definitely an amazing experience! 🌅🦘
I don’t really care if I don’t have internet for a few days. I did once on a trip to the Philippines. But I always prepare by downloading an e-SIM in advance.☺️🤓🛜
G’Day Franz, the Philippines sounds beautiful too! 🌊🌴 That’s very smart! Where do you find this e-SIMs exactly? Do you use a certain app/website to download it?
Hey Géraldine
Your travel journey sounds amazing – I’ve been following for some while now 🙂
Lookig forward to what you have to tell about Airlie Beach!
G’Day Nina, thank you so much! Our journey has been such a mix of beautiful places and unexpected fails, and I love sharing it all. Airlie Beach was definitely one of the highlights with its turquoise water, island vibes, and some unforgettable scenic flight 🛩️ Stay tuned, the blog post is coming very soon!
Such an inspiring post! I loved reading about your sunrise kangaroo experience and your images are fantastic!! Keep up the great writing and I’m looking forward to reading more! 😊
G’Day Stella, thank you, that means a lot to me! The sunrise with the kangaroos was definitely one of those unforgettable moments (even if it came with a 4:45 am alarm and way too many other tourists). It was totally worth it! More stories (and fails) are coming soon! 🐨
Ohje, was für ein Abenteuer!
Ja ohne Internet ist es im Ausland nicht ganz einfach…. Als ich mit meinem Freund von der Schweiz nach Amsterdam radelte, haben wir kein Handy-Abo gelöst. Wir waren also auf das öffentliche Wlan angewiesen. Wir haben unsere Unterkunft jeweils am gleichen Tag über Airbnb gebucht. Wenn man nicht sofort eine Bestätigung erhält und unterwegs kein öffentliches Wlan zu finden ist, kommt man so richtig ins Schwitzen. Zum guten Glück kam noch ein Supermarkt, welcher uns nicht nur mit kühlen Getränken versorgte, sondern auch mit der Buchungsbestätigung und dem genauen Wegbeschrieb 🙂
G’Day Nicole, das klingt auch nach einem echten Abenteuer! Wie lange wart ihr da mit dem Fahrrad unterwegs? 🚴♀️ Und ja, spontan zu reisen und ohne Internet unterwegs zu sein ist wirklich eine Challenge. Ich kann mir es bildlich vorstellen, wie nervenaufreibend es gewesen sein muss, zu hoffen, dass die Buchung klappt 🤯 Danke fürs Teilen!
I had practically no Internet for 2 weeks while traveling in Italy. It wasn’t bad in general, but you always had the feeling that you were missing out on something.😁
My worst job application story was a job interview on Zoom. Exactly half an hour before it started, they were drilling in the house and replacing the windows of the neighbors. It was so loud that we couldn’t hear each other during the interview. Surprise, I didn’t get the job!😂
G’Day Simona, oh no, that job interview story sounds very tragic (but somehow hilarious at the same time)! Such a bad timing 🥹 I hope the next interview was going smoother 🤞 Being offline can feel kind of relaxing, but at some point FOMO definitely slowly creeps in. I’m wondering, did you actually missed out on something?
Die meisten meiner Reisen waren noch zu Zeiten ohne Internet. Man gab zu Hause die Ankunftszeit vom Retourflug an, und das wars dann… Etwa 2 Wochen später hat man dann die Fotos gezeigt.
Heute bin ich im Ausland nur im Internet, wenn es im Hotel wlan hat.
G‘Day Sandra, das glaube ich, es hat sich einiges getan in der letzten Jahren in Sachen Technik/Internet. Ich kann es mir kaum vorstellen, eine Reise vollkommen ohne Internet zu buchen. Zwar, dafür gab es ja die Reisebüros ✈️
What an interesting article. Would 💗 to visit one day😊🤩
G‘Day Isabel, thank you! Yes, Australia is definitely worth a visit 🦘 Which city/place would you like to visit most?
Liebe Géraldine,
was für ein herrlich ehrlicher und unterhaltsamer Reisebericht! Ich musste mehrfach schmunzeln – besonders bei der Szene mit den verschwundenen Duschsachen und den „Ersatz-Kängurus“ beim Workout. 😄 Ich finde, gerade solche kleinen Missgeschicke machen eine Reise am Ende unvergesslich. Der digitale Detox klingt zwar herausfordernd (vor allem mit Vorstellungsgesprächen!), aber gleichzeitig auch irgendwie wohltuend. Bin schon gespannt, wie eure Job-Interviews letztlich verlaufen sind – und ob es vielleicht doch noch zu einem Pasta-Flirt kam. 😉
G’Day Cornel, vielen Dank für deinen Kommentar, das freut mich riesig! Es sind wirklich genau diese kleinen Missgeschicke, die am Ende die besten Geschichten schreiben. Und nein, leider kam es zu keinem Pasta-Flirt, da hat sich niemand von uns getraut die Jungs anzusprechen 😉🏋
Zum Glück konnten wir Simona und ich die Vorstellungsgespräche verschieben! Hier kannst du erfahren, wie unsere Bewerbungsgespräche auskamen:
👩🏼💻 Simona’s: https://blog.hslu.ch/majorobm/2025/04/24/downunderdiary-post-7/#:~:text=May%208%2C%2014:00%20·%20Job%20Interview%20Nr.%202
👩🏼💻 Meines: https://blog.hslu.ch/majorobm/2025/05/01/downunderdiary-post-8/#:~:text=May%2010%2C%2021:30%20·%20Mess%20#4
Warst du auch schon mal komplett offline, gewollt oder ungeplant? 📵