South of the Daintree River Australia has never stopped existing. Patience-testing traffic lights, wide but widely unused sidewalks and large cleared areas refunctioned into perfect but perfectly unnatural little parks attract a very different type of tourist into the tropical warm vacation hotspots of Port Douglas and Cairns, than into the semi-wilderness of the rainforest. Camping places and rustic cabins are replaced by luxurious sea-view apartments, mileage-boasting caravans and off-road experienced forward-drives are exchanged for shiny white sedans, and kilometres of roads lined with dense jungle thicket are swapped for brightly illuminated city centres, bursting with high-end fashion stores and pay-much-get-little restaurants. The locals are virtually invisible, presumably driven out to the ever-extending suburbs and their culture drowned by the mocking authenticity claim of modern tourist consumerism. Run by Spanish-speaking backpackers. The Latin language with is various accents and dialects is heard between the waiters and waitresses in the restaurants, the salesmen and -women of the gift shops, the cleaners and housekeepers, the receptionists, the tourist guides, the construction workers and everywhere in the streets, in the parks and especially in the pubs at night. Since accommodations are predominantly intended for the wealthy and thus not quite affordable, they instead occupy the hostels, sleeping in dorms with four, six, ten or even twelve other compatriots, making due with limited space and privacy; but who needs that anyway when most of the time is spent outside, either at work or enjoying the benefits of the Australian coast, the sun, the sea and the security only a first world country can offer. They don’t stay long, a week, a month, maybe a few, before the craving of adventure takes them away to another place where the newfound, mostly language-based, friendships are immediately entrusted with the recommendation that Far North Queensland is a wonderful place to be. The word of mouth, having far more weight than any classic travellers guide, makes sure that the stream of new arrivals never dries out. This ‘Spanish invasion’ has its own cultural characteristics. In the face of ongoing globalization, it is not surprising to find people of various ethnical and cultural backgrounds all over the world. As a German, I sense the presence of my fellow countrymen and -women with almost supernatural instincts. The main cultural difference between the German and the Latin traveller is their behaviours towards their compatriots. Apparently, Spanish is attractive, while German is repulsive (in the scientific sense, of course). Both nationals have reached the far corners of the Earth. But you won’t notice the Germans. While the Latin Americans tend to group together like magnets, the Germans tend to hide, try to integrate and blend in. In that way, one of the two invasions happens in secret, while the other is noisy and straight-forward. Which one is more effective, remains to be seen.