Upon getting up at 6 AM in the morning it turns out that there are indeed about one dozen kangaroos only a few steps from our campsite. But they are easily outnumbered by ten times as many tourists with tripods and cameras. I don’t want to share my roo with anybody else; so I take photos of the stunning sunrise and of tourists taking photos of kangaroos.
The German translation of American travel author Bill Bryson’s highly recommended documentary ‘Down Under’ is named ‘Frühstück mit Kängurus’, ‘Breakfast with kangaroos’ — and that’s exactly what we have afterwards.
Don’t get me wrong: Cape Hillsborough National Park is well worth a visit. There are a few excellent hikes through rainforests up to the headland ridge, which is covered in eucalyptus. The slopes teem with Ulysses Butterflies. Most impressive, however, is the aptly named ‘Turtle Lookout’ from where we see Green Sea Turtles frolicking in the green sea. The Great Barrier Reef provides natural protection for the mainland beaches, hence the water is shallow and extremely calm — perfect for this endangered species.
[Cape Hillsborough National Park, 26.-28. July]
