Australian Diary in English

Beneath the Southern Cross

The first page is missing, so I’ve translated one from Lehmann German version of this diary.

I want to keep a real diary about my trip to Australia - I've made it my goal. I'm curious to see whether I'll be able to record my impressions properly... But when I later publish the second part of my memoirs, I don't want to have to rely so much on my memory again, forgetting very important events, certainly very imprecise in terms of time. So I will try not let my imagination rush like a wild horse over rough paths - but I will capture it in this book, which lies before me with white, expectant pages, ready to guide me faithfully on my journey to the new land.

Australia! Even if I were more blasé about new travel impressions than I am (thank God I'm not at all!) the thought of this trip around the world must excite me! We have a real round-trip ticket, starting from New York via Los Angeles, Hawaii, Samoa, Fiji, New Zealand, Sydney, back via Ceylon, Suez, Genova, Salzburg - New York... Between these worlds lie concerts in which I can sing in a wonderfully peaceful way – singing! – wants to conquer the unknown distance... I am very curious what kind of programs they will ask of me. I sent a wide selection and I hope they will choose the programs I love. I can't really get an idea of ??the Australians' understanding of music. It's a young country, not as fortunate as we are to be swamped with heralds of old and new music. Australia! It's so endless! Even I feel this, for whom a voyage across the ocean means little more than an excursion...

It's wonderful: I'm sitting here between suitcases and writing... Tomorrow we're going via Los Angeles. Our good Marie is already on her way to Europe with the dogs. It was quite painful not being able to take her with me - and I will greatly miss her help and also the fun companionship of my dogs.