Koala Mail Nr. 23

for Members and Friends

IVV member Nr. 08/2000

Santé		Cheers
2012		Skol
Prost		Salute

 

New association clothes

After 12 years now the board of directors of Koala Wanderers has thought about improvements with the association clothes.

Thus the grizzly T-shirt was abolished. Instead of it there is a new Polo shirt with the label "Koala Wanderers Globetrotter" available for our travel-active members and friends. At the back the flags of the during the last 12 years from us visited countries are shown, on the front there is our globetrotter symbol. This Polo shirt is free for all the members, who are a member at least for 3 years or if one has visited, e.g., 15 countries with the koala wanderers or he was on tour at least on 2 continents with the koalas.

For non-members one has to go to 20 different countries or on 3 continents with the Koala Wanderers.

This regulation is valid from the 7/1/2011. Visited countries and continents also count from there.

The yellow Polo shirt remains only the print has changed a little bit.

The blue Sweat shirt was substituted with a blue jacket with rice fastener which is same in colour and quality like the Sweat shirt. The print is same like with the Polo shirt.

We have not found a new better rain jacket yet. However, we will look once more after it, as soon as the new collection of the manufacturing firms comes on the market in January, and as soon as we have something found we will inform You.

There is an other innovation for our young travelling friends. A T-shirt with the label "Koala Wanderers - Junior Team" is available. This T-shirt can be covered for our youngest up to the 16th year.

We will introduce our new clothes soon on our website www.koala-wanderers.de under association clothes and of course with pictures in the next koala post, too.

Koala Wanderers - International raffled travel vouchers on the Christmas round table

As in past years, so in this year the loyalty points of Koala Wanderers were raffled at the end of the year and attractive travel vouchers with the Koala Wanderers were issued to the winners. Points will be collected by all activities which are done with Koala Wanderers. So the membership brings four points yearly, a visit at the round table one point and for the participation in a journey with Koala Wanderers one point per day. After 10 points you will receive a lottery ticket, after 20 points two tickets, etc. Points over full ten points get noticed for the next year.

Here are the lucky winners from 2011, who will be informed by a letter.
Congratulations to:

Guided wedding walk with IVV stamp on 7/28/2012 at Emmendingen

We would be glad if many travelling friends from near and far accompanied Rolf and Moni the last 100 metres to the registry office after the walk.

This walk is organised in cooperation with the walking friends of Reichenbach and Koala Wanderers - International.

There are more infos available from March with a flyer and on our website www.koala-wanderers.de and under Tel.No.: ++ 49 (0) 7666 6856 .

IVV Europe Cup Tour through the Baltic States and Scandinavia

With a large ship we cruised over the Baltic Sea along the Aland Islands to Stockholm. Here welcomed us the Swedish IVV President and member of Koala Wanderers Viggo and Anita and accompanied us during an IVV walk through Stockholm. Even here one can only say a heartfelt thank you for your hospitality.

About Copenhagen and a ferry to Puttgarden we came back to Germany.

Also thanks to all the guests for the great cooperation!

Pictures from the journey Baltic States / Scandinavia

Walking trips to Wölfershausen, Köln-Hürth and to IVV World Championship at Igls/Austria

With the participation in the hiking IVV week with the walking friends at Heringen / Wölfershausen we have explored the area near the Hessian - Thuringian border. Very well organised by Hermann and Walter and their exceedingly friendly team, we experienced a diverse and interesting hiking week in the country of the "white mountains". What the two mountains are and what they mean we get to know with a slide show and the daily guided walks. With climbing on such a mountain and the visit and inspection of a salt mine we got to know much informative about the everyday centre of the people there. This travelling week distinguishes already for many years because the walks were very well organised, for the bodily welfare was also done everything and was given in addition still a lot of interesting facts and good entertainment.

My comment about this walking week: Travellers know what traveller makes happy.

 

 

Another journey in the 9-seater Koala Mobil led after Köln-Hürth for 3 days to the long distance IVV walking day. It is not everyday that besides the marathon route of 42 km other distances are offered. But Frank would not be Frank if him something new not always irritated again. This time 50, 61 and 70 km of walking distances were signposted except the marathon trail. A great challenge, but, as usual, Frank controlled everything and the walking days came to an end with satisfaction of all travellers (also of the short distances). Also for the koalas this trip has brought a lot of fun, particularly as we else had walked on the IVV Permanent Trail "Typically Kölsch" in the Cologne city centre on the Friday evening.

 

 

Like every year Koala Wanders took part the in the IVV walking world championship at Igls/Austria. Pleasantly that more than 30 koalas had appeared in the wonderful mountain world in the area of Innsbruck without big organise and with a lot of joy and good mood exploring the partly difficult but wonderful footpaths all together. It was again a meeting of walking friends from many countries and one saw again quite a lot of good friends whom one does not meet every day in the native country.

The fact that we were enough to reach at the end the 7th place in the ranking list of the associations, our friend Alois Schmitter gained the vice world champion's title and other participants reached very good ranks, the participation rounded very pleasantly for the koala of wanderers.

Also in 2012 we will be announced again at Grossarltal/Austria in the IVV world championship.

 

 

90 members and friends took part in the IVV Olympic Games in Antalya / Turkey

Together with the walking friends of the popular sport association from Schömberg in the north Black Forest Koala Wanderers took part in the - IVV Olympic Games in the little south turquoise city of Antalya.

From the departure places Karlsruhe, Schömberg, Freiburg and Munich our route led over Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria to Istanbul. In every country we made IVV walks, because a big number of our guests wanted to collect the IVV for the IVV European cup. Of course every walk was also to be got to know with the country and people. Thus we got to know by the walking friend Dejan in Serbia and Alexander and Svetla in Bulgaria.

A town walk in Istanbul and the second leg of the journey to Antalya, situated in the south of Turkey, brought us the first impressions of the host country of the IVV Olympic Games. The IVV Olympic Games at Antalya were an experience for everybody. The climate, the culture and the marvellous scenery with the coast of the Mediterranean Sea was already worth a trip. On the return journey we drove through the southwest corner of Turkey via Effesus and Pamukkale. The ship tours over Greece to Italy were also a small adventure for us. We finished our Olympia trip with a visit at walking friends at Altavilla / Italy as well as a final walk at Tramin / South Tyrol and Innsbruck / Austria after 17 days.

After walks in 9 different countries, the participation in the IVV Olympic Games and many varied experiences we can speak again of a great IVV walking trip of Koala Wanderers - International.

You find a detailed travel report with pictures on our website www.koala-wanderers.de .

4-day years end journey to the Striezelmarkt at Dresden 
and IVV walks at Liberec/Czechia and Luban/Poland

To the conclusion of the travelling season of Koala Wanderers our meanwhile traditional journey took place to an unusual and over the town borders known Advent market and Christmas fair. With 43 members and friends we started by coach from Freiburg. Our route led over Karlsruhe, Stuttgart and Nuremberg to Kreischa near Dresden where we covered our "home" for the next 3 nights.

The next day our whole attention was valid Dresden and the Striezelmarkt. First we made a guided city tour by coach to explore also the places of interest of the town beyond the centre, too. Then our winning guides led us in two groups through the Old Town. From the Church of Our Lady to the Zwinger up to the Semperoper nothing was absent on our 2-hour walk. We found out many details and could make a picture to ourselves from the splendid buildings in the Old Town. Then from the midday everybody was able to explore the important places of interest on own initiative. When we came back in the evening to the hotel quite a lot of "Christmas light" still shone in the eyes of the guests.

The third day of our final journey led us to the Elbsandsteingebirge to Liberec in Czechia. In the North-Czech town expected us already a guide which accompanied us in a town walk and gave an understanding to us of the town by specific information. This was evaluated by the Czech Walking Association as a guided walk and so we could receive the stamp IVV in our record books as a souvenir. Further on we went across the border to Poland the small town Luban. In the southwest corner of Poland there is an IVV Permanent Trail, which we walked in the afternoon. Of course we also asked here for the Polish IVV stamp in our IVV record books and in many IVV European cup books.

 

The return journey to Kreischa for spending the night and the journey back to Freiburg next day developed at times stormily, because a cyclone about the east of Germany moved very fast. However, this could wear nothing more to us.

 

A nice, harmonious and interesting years end journey came to an end too fast. The guests were everybody contented and said goodbye with the slogan "for a new nice walking and travel year 2012".

 

For 2012 we again have unusual trips with IVV walks in different new countries in our travel programme

In 2/25/2012 + 2/26/2012 Koala Wanderers drive by coach from Freiburg via Offenburg and Karlsruhe to the IVV walking event at Rothenburg o.d. T. There we take part on Saturday in the popular Old Town walking. On Sunday we have the opportunity to take part in the IVV walking event at Rothenburg again before we go back in the afternoon to Freiburg.

From the 4/22/2012 to 4/29/2012 we offer to all USA fans a trip to New York and to the Niagara Fall. We will visit at New York the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building and many other places of interest. From Buffalo it goes afterwards to the wonderful spectacle of nature, the Niagara Fall. In both countries we make IVV walks.

From the 4/25/2012 to 4/30/2012 we drive with the 9-seater coach to the IML / IVV walking days to Boras in Sweden. Our trip goes from Freiburg to Frankfurt and over Denmark to Sweden. During our trip we will walk a Permenent Trail in Denmark and at Lübeck on the return journey.

With our big China trip of 5/14/2012 to 5/29/2012 we want to get to know the empire of the middle east a little closer and experience many special climaxes. We begin with the capital of Peking and the big wall with Badeling. The next aim is the city of Dalian where we take part in the IML/IVV walking days. For us walking friends a special experience. After the walking days we drive to Xi'un to visit the "Terracotta Army". About Wuhau we reach Yichang from where we begin our Yangtze cruise for 3 days. From Chongqing we go by train to Chengdu and from there we begin to a day trip in the Bifengxia national park where we go on panda search in the wild. From Chengdu we fly back to Peking and further on to Frankfurt. This trip brings us insights which we will never forget.

Travel price in double room including all the excursions 3.295€, single addition 628€

For this China trip we have planned a pretrip to the IML / IVV walking festival at Yatsushiro / Japan from the 5/9/2012 up to the connection with the China trip on 5/15/2012 at Peking. Prospective customers for this pretrip please announce as soon as possible.

Travel price in double room 1,450€, single addition 385€