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Frozen Orchard: The ice protects the blossoms from the cold air

New Visa. Our previous visa allowed us to stay in Australia until 26. March 2004. These two years went by so quickly that it is only short to Peter's departure to Germany that we realize that we need to renew our visa. This entails the usual procedure: A deed from the employer that we are being sponsored and sufficient health insurance is guaranteed. Furthermore a chest X-ray to prove that we don't suffer from tuberculosis (remark: We are in the country for two years now. If we had TB, we would habe got it in Australia – but that doesn't concern the Australian authorities.) Everything else is done by our immigration consultant. Two days prior to Peter's departure, we obtain our passports with the new visas. We are now allowed to stay until 6. March 2006.

Peter at the Hohe Loog

17.000 kilometres. In March 2004, this is the distance between Claudia and Peter. The day of his departure from Sydney is an extraordinarily hot late summer day: 35 degrees in the shade, in addition impeccably blue sky without any clouds. On his arrival in Germany Peter is being "welcomed" by 0 degrees and some remainders of snow. In his e-mails he writes of a black and white world: greyish sky, trees without leaves, dark hares on the snow covered fields. He lives a business-man's life: Working long hours and returning to his hotel late in the evening. After one week it is getting spring-like, and he has more plans for the evening hours. Protected by coat and scarf, one can sit outside on the Schwetzingen marketplace and look forward to the arriving spring. The wheat beer tastes great...

Possum foraging for food in a kayak

Meanwhile in Sydney. For four weeks, Claudia is on her own in Sydney. During the working week she crams the evenings with sporting activities: swimming, running, and yoga. Still there remain the weekends. On 20/21 March she gives paddling another go. The sea kayak club offers a training weekend in Bonnie Vale in the Royal National Park. Claudia is not booked in since she (a) still is injured and (b) should already know everything that is taught. Nonetheless, lots of friends are there, and so she puts her kayak onto the roof rack, takes the tent and drives down to the campsite. Unsure whether she will be able to lift her arm, she launches her boat on Saturday morning. The first paddling strokes cost quite some effort and discipline. But after ten minutes it's becoming better, and after 20 minutes she has the impression of getting used to it. She joins the training group – being the slowest, but nonetheless!

After two years of publishing photos of koalas, snakes, kookaburras and other animals, this month it's time for a possum. A possum looking for food in a kayak. These animals are really cute, but you rather store your food in your car. In this night one camper lost all his pizza left-overs, which he had stored between the layers of his tent to the little rodents.