Singapore to Cairns

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Hey everyone,

Since last blog we've been to Singapore and Cairns- Great Barrier Reef- and tomorrow we are heading to Airlie Beach where we can make trips to the Whitsundays.

You'll all be glad to hear that it's absolutely puring it down here- like nothing I've seen in England. Despite temperatures in the late 20's when it rains it pours up here. Whitsundays should be a bit better as the weather is less tropical.

Singapore was great. A lot of people have told us they didnt like it because it was too western and sterile but these were the reasons we loved it! hehe. Lots and lots and lots of posh department stores. But more than that, we went to both the Night Safari and the Zoo. The Night Safari was amazing. They took us round on silent trains and the nocturnal animals came so close to carts completely oblvious to us. There's no photos of the animals as the flashes on cameras give them night blindness! but we could see them v well under dim spotlights. We saw leopards and rhino... but our favourites were the otters and the bearcats that live with them! Later the otters took part in a show where they separated diff bottles and cans and put them in recycle bins... so sweet.

The Zoo was just as good. We saw a show with a sealion in who waved and splashed us and gave kisses to the audience. We also saw Orangutan- my favourite- but the most amazing were the white tigers.

Then onto Australia... we still cant believe we're here. Cairns is a very pretty small town with no beach but lots to do. Today we went to the Aboriginal Cultural Centre and lots of art galleries. Yesterday was the highlight of the trip so far though... we went diving. Not just snorkelling... Alex thought i'd got the 2 mixed up at first!! Everyone- especially Kim- was violently sick on the way over due to the waves on the sailing boat. But the Strong Eccles stomach prevailed... just. Tnen we went snorkelling but visibility is so poor because the cyclone stirred up a lot of mud that we decided to go diving. It was very scary at first going so deep and relying on the oxygen mask but the instructors were so nice. You get one instructor per 2 people and they hold your hand the whole time. We went with Ocean Free-- theyre a small company so thought would plug them hehe. I touched a giant green turtle on his shell while it was eating... it didnt even blink when we all swam past. We also saw loadsa of 'Dorie' fish and other bright green and blue and yellow ones. It was brilliant and I definitely want to do it again.

Oops running out of internet time. No photos of day out at the reef and on Green Island as we used underwater camera. Hope you're all well. Keep sending emails.
Love Lou xxxxxxxxx

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