Letter #7

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I can't beleive that our time is almost over here in the big Ä"- I am almost 2 weeks behind in my emails as we have been so busy here - I am getting black and I have been using #30 sunscreen every day so I might get lost in the dark back home!!
where was I when we last talked - Oh yeah - getting over the weekend in Cairns! Well.........
Monday Apr 16 - off at 8 am - everyone still in good mood and we are going to Mission Beach for a 10 am parachute date - no I am not doing this!! whether I fall from 10,000 ft or 14,000 ft - I will be just as dead when the chute fails - when we arrive - it is pouring and we put our tents up in double quick time because Jane found a dry place for a bacon and egg breakie and we are off -
the sun came out at 2 pm but too late for skydiving so I decide to do the beach walk - it is about
10 miles long and I walk about 6 miles of it when I realize that I have to now walk back - I turned at Willobong beach after walking into a stranger's house to have a wee - hollaring and there was no one there so I used the facilities - done frequently here - I met a real beach bum on the beach who was living in a tent on the edge of the beach and washing his dishes in the ocean when I talked to him - very interesting fellow- the waters are still full of posionous jelly fish so I am not swimming here either altho there is a huge net that is in the ocean and supposed to protect you - I think not!! Many many dogs on the beach - not allowed in good ole NB - O sea shells on the beach either - weird!!come back for supper and watch TV - big screen in the encloseure on the beach!! would you believe it -sleep early as still recovering from Cairns!!
Tues -APr 17 - my birthday and Jane gvies best wishes - I am happy that she remembered - today we are going white water rafting on the famous Tully River - grade 4 rapids - am I crazy or just old!! Jane was not going to go but changed her mind at the last minute - big mistake!!
When we arrived I had to rent shoes as flips not allowed - I paid $4 for stinky sandals !!
then we put helmets and life jackets on - I am starting to get worried! Our guide is a KiWi named Jeffry who is crazy - you will see by the pictures!!and he is a rough crude guy who is giving us lessons on how to paddle, lean etc when jane sees a blue butterfly and comments - wrong thing to do - he explodes and then smoke starts to come out Janes ears - already I don't want to be here and we are not in the water yet!! Jane, Coral, me, Adam and another australian called Rowan are in the rubber raft - Coral is very scared and wants to quit also -anyway I took the action and told Jane he was a typical NZ and 99%bull but did know his stuff and we all laughed and got into the raft for our all day more than 60 rapid fun!! On our first set of rapids we upset- Jane and Coral are panicking but we all get back in and have another lesson- about keeping the feet up etc - we are off - what a birthday!!We continue down the river and start really acit like a team -after 30+ waterfalls and rapids we stop for dinner and Jane decides to continue as she is now having fun - so off we go - Coral stays onshore and we really enjoy the challenge of trying to stay in the boat - by 3 pm Jane and Jeffry are friends- nothing like near death to bond people!! need I say I didn't need to wee all day - I was so tense and ready for action!! really... I had a great time after the spill because I then knew what to expect and I was already wet- we get told later that this is one of the worst rivers in the world and we were on the ëxtreme trip"-good to know!! the only other problem was that another boat that upset in one of the waterfalls had an irishman get a nasty long cut over his eye - we just taped it up and continured on - I would think after doing the river that dislocated shoulders would be a problem and Jeffry agreed with me!! At suppper Adam cooked barbeque and we heard about the killings in Virginia - one of the guys is from Vriginia so we watched with him while supper was cooking and everyone had a moment !!- the group surprised me with a choc cake and card - from the local bakery - it was very nice of them - we then used the candle the rest of the night for card playing !!Jane got me some wine and chips ( which I shared) for my birthday - She is very sweet to me!! To bed at 9:30 as am very tired and my butt is sore!!
Apr 18 - Up at 8 am amd off to see the parachuters as it is sunny and bright - it takes till noon for everyone to do their thing while Jane and I relax - now off on 600 km ride to Airlie Beach and the Whitsunday Islands!! I have a lovely bruise on my chin from yesterday and I sleep most of the way - as we travel the banana plantations and sugar cane continue all the way from Cairns to the
Airlie Beach except for a few miles around Townsville!! no wonder they have snakes here as they love the sugar cane fields and the rats that live there!! we don't reach our beach until 8:30 pm and are we hungry - tents up and out for dinner - we eat at Nando's a south african restaruant and enjoy more beets on our chicken burgers!! honestly they have beets on all burgers instead of mustard etc!! am getting used to it - good thing I like them!! off to bed early as really tired - maybe my age - maybe not!!
APr 19 - Jane had to buy new flippers as hers died last night -then we are off on an ocean raft to the whitsunday islands - 72 islands that remind me of the coast of Nova Scotia at times but have wonderful white sandy beaches that feel like talcam powder!!I had to sit on the side of the raft that held about 30 people as the seats were full and had a bumpy ride to the beaches!!
again we have to wear sunsuits to swim or snorkel as the jellyfish are here too- we saw the big artifical lagoon in Airlie but haven't had time to try it out - loads and loads of sail boats on the water as we make our way arond the islands!! We go on a bush walkto the top ofone of the islands and then off the Whitehaven beach for dinner and a practise snorkel for those who haven't done it - dinner was buffet and good as we were hungry!! we then snorkelled the inner reef which I truly enjoyed - bought another camera as more fish and new ones to see including a giant one with a big mouth that scared the sh... out of me - I didn't know what it was- didn't take a picture and swam fast to the other side of the bay - come to find out it a one that stays in the bay and is only dangerous to smaller fish - not old nurses!! It weighed about 60 lbs!!
another perfect day on the reef!! can it get any better? I am so tired when we get home that we decide to eat out instead of cooking and I fall asleep in the bathroom sitting on the flush - when I came out - my dinner was on the table!! the others are going clubbing but I walk home and fall into bed!! I didn't hear Jane come home at all!!
Apr 20 - off to a cattle ranch today for 2 days - had real bacon, egg and cheese today and feeling better!! We always find interesting places to stop for a wee as there are less public toilets here and today was the best- we had to stop for Jane at a Crematorium !! On our drive - by the time we reached Rockhampton, the scenery had changed to grasslands and trees and many many cows - mostly brahma.- late afternoon we are leaving the road and going up into the hills- the van gets hot so we have alittle rest!! At 5:30 we reach our grazing ranch called "Myella"and are just in time to see 42 new brhama bulls unloaded off a double decker truck at $500 per head- they are 2 yr olds and will be sold in 18 months!!After this we enjoy some homemade beer and a lovely dinner of corned beef - tastes like ham- and potatoes and fresh veggies - we made a pig of ourselves!! all of the dinner was cooked over open flames and we end with billy tea!!
the boys decide to sleep in the hammocks but Jane and I are going to use our airconditioned rooms with ensuite bathrooms!! and we don't feel guilty!!
My time is again over so ta ta for now as these machines mean business when they say done!!
love aussie anne- (or cowboy mama as I am now called)

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