19th February 2008

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19th February 2008
When we woke up in Mackay this morning it had stopped raining!!!
By the time we got back from breakfast at a nice cafe we had found the night before, the sun was almost out and the temperature was rising. We also had at last found a motel with a good wireless internet connection and was able to catch up with Tom and the grandchildren in Canada and Gran and Neal at home in England.
We got to the airport and caught our plane to Cairns without a hitch this time although the forecast for Cairns was not good, thunderstorms and showers. We were able to see the Great Barrier reef from the air as the plane flew up the coast and it is spectacular. Great patches of brilliant blue water where the reef is near the surface. As we neared Cairns there were very ominous black clouds hanging over the hills behind the town. When we arrived it was not raining but although it was only 28 degrees it felt much hotter because of the high humidity.
We picked up our rental car (a smaller one this time) and drove along the Captain Cook Highway to Port Douglas. The road follows the coast most of the way so that we could see the beautiful beaches along the way. We stopped on the Captain Cook highway at Rex Lookout for a picture.
By the time we got to Port Douglas it was raining again, but very respectable rain, not the bucketfuls on your head we experienced in the Whitsundays!
We checked into our motel which Em recommended and it is very nice. We have a two bedroom apartment with a lagoon pool outside the window. We really should find some people to share it as we have so much room and 2 seperate bedrooms upstairs!
We are here for two days and have booked a trip to the Great Barrier Reef tomorrow. We drove into the town to get some provisions as it seemed a shame not to use the excellent kitchen/cooking facilities here. We even have our own washer and dryer and a dishwasher. I must do some washing as everything is a bit damp still!
We have just been for a walk along four mile beach which is lovely and just across the road. We have an early start tomorrow and will not get chance to post this blog until the evening when we return from our trip.

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