Carnage in Cairns!!

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Next stop on the coast was Townsville to get the ferry over to 'Maggie', Magnetic Island for three nights.......a really chilled out island and very small, reminded me a bit of Thailand in a way as a just lay on the beach all day and chilled at night with a few beers!! Met up with lots of folk I met whilst coming up the coast.....so was good to catch up with each other and share a few cold beers!!


Then after three nights staying on Maggie next stop was Cairns where the journey up the coast would finally come to an end........but first we had to stop of at a crocodile farm where we were able to hold a small croc and have an olive Python round your neck and also witness the crocs being fed chickens, it seemed quite a cowboy outfit they were running, like the fences and security seemed to be a bit dodgy.....so I found myself constantly looking back over my shoulder to make sure there was nothing ready to take a chunk out of my leg........good laugh and a great experience and a highlight of the coast!!


Myself and a couple of Irish lads went on a day trip to Cape Tribulation....a think it is the oldest rainforest in the world.......but to be honest it was the worst trip I have ever been on, a complete waste of time, money and most of all effort in getting up early and having a quiet night before hand.........however there were a few decent bits to take from the trip, a swim in a fresh water gorge in Mossman, we went on a river tour up the Daintree River and seen a large wild croc and a tree snake.......and the best bit was of course stopping in Port Douglas on a wet Sunday afternoon.....not much to do so myself and Eamonn the Irish lad went for some pints with some Irish girls.......but it came back to haunt us as we headed back to cairns we both were bursting for the toilet but none of us would ask the 'Un-enthusiastic woman driver' to stop for us so we played the game of holding it in the longest.....fortunately for us and the fellow passengers we held strong until we stopped at the first hostel........then we left 15mins later.....relief!!


The next day myself and the other Irish lad, Al headed out to the Great Barrier Reef to do some scuba diving.....two dives in total and we seen nothing but fish....there were no big fish, stingrays, turtles, nemo or even sharks.....and even the coral was poor in colour....quite dark and brown!! the journey back to cairns was depressing for me as I had done my scuba diving course six months ago in Thailand just so I could dive the reef........I was devastated, came all this way and was left majorly disappointed!!!!


So after about a week of partying every night and chilling by the pool or lagoon by day boredom kicked in so I decided it was time for another trip.....this time it was of to some fresh water falls and a bit of rainforest walking.........a great day out.......I reckon what makes a trip good is that you have to have an enthusiastic driver/guide and a group who are up for enjoying themselves and get on well and of course the weather has to be good too a suppose!!
We stopped at some rock pools where we done some swimming and rock sliding into the rapids......water was vey refreshing.
Then we had lunch.....homemade lasagna, lovely.......now am sure you all remember the tropical woman advertising Timotei Shampoo many years ago?? and the legend that is Peter Andre, who sang the fantastic tune 'Mysterious Girl'......well we stopped of at Milla Milla falls where they both were filmed.......another cold and refreshing swim and some pictures......really nice spot and to think that P A had once been here....legend!!


As I was so gutted about my trip to the reef the week before I decided to splash the banks cash and head out for another tour........well worth the money, I managed three dives and seen nemo, blue spotted stingray, potato cod (massive fat fish), lion fish which looked quite scary (I was told that they are more rare than sharks out on the reef) and lots more big fish.....and the coral was a lot more colourful thankfully!!......well pleased with the trip and met some good people there too.....finally I was pleased in my effort and glad I had done the course six months ago!!!!!

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