Before leaving Melbourne I met up with a few Neighbours. We hired a camper van which, unlike all the cool ones with paintings of the Beatles or the Rolling Stones on the side, had bright pictures of jelly beans. Now that we looked like idiots we headed off, first stop Byron Bay, the beachside hippie town (that's if by "hippie" you mean "person with dreadlocks"). Next we came to Surfers Paradise, a glitzy beachside (surprisingly enough) town punctuated with skyscrapers, and with the atmosphere of an American resort. The Whitsunday Islands at Airlie Beach were a highlight. Snorkelling was great fun, and the beaches pristine- the sand was so fine it squeaked under our feet. Other places we visited included Gosford, Noosa, Innisfail, Port Douglas, Cape Tribulation and Cairns. Australia is a fascinating country due
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