More photos

---

Another hot day in Sydney trying to avoid too many Christmas shoppers! Today has been a getting things sorted out kind of day, and a trying to get rid of headache from surf lesson two days ago... So tomorrow we will have lunch up the Sydney tower at the revolving restaurant, then Kate leaves for Bangkok before Vietnam and home to Ireland. Tomorrow I am going to a performance of The Messiah in the evening at the opera house, and probably the aquarium beforehand. Then it is off to the Blue Mountains for a couple of days - hooray.

These pictures cover Queensland & the start of Sydney - Port Douglas, Daintree, Cape Tribulation etc, Fraser Island and time in Brisbane with Anne, Conor, Cormac and Ronan (and I did see Malcolm briefly - unfortunately it was a during the week so he was pretty busy). It was really lovely to live in a family home for a few days. Anne made me feel so welcome. We saw the Harry Potter film, spent quite a lot of time in the pool, went to Koala Sanctuary, and battened down the hatches when a huge storm came in (with a power cut - dinner by candlelight). Good company, good food and PROPER TOWELS. Maybe I washed it at the wrong temperature, but my towel just moves water around now.

So far no joy with getting the snorkelling trip picturesfrom Great Barrier Reef or Ningaloo Reef on here. suffice to say it was great...
bye for now and for those I don't speak to or email directly before Dec 25th - Happy Christmas!

---

Photos

Me
Beautiful beach and not many people either. Went on a trip into the Daintree with a guide and 2 other people. Saw crocodile and a dragon type lizard but no cassowary unfortunately.

Frog on the toilet
A white lipped frog of some sort.

Fraser Island
Dunes and sea and lake

Shipwreck
this boat got wrecked as it was towed away for scrap. Once it was a passenger liner.

The 4WD bus
Plus our driver Graham.
Spent day 2 in the front cab. Managed to fall as I tried to climb out - wonderful bruise. Decided not to capture this one on 'film' for posterity though.

Ocean at Indian Head
From here we could see turtles, shark and dolphin in the water.

Champagne Pools
The only place you can safely be in the sea on Fraser Island - sheltered pools, safe from rips and sharks.

Dingo
Spotted one in our final hour on the island.

Cormac, Anne, Conor and Ronan
on our day out to Daisy Hill Koala Sanctuary. Handball, French cricket, a tree walk, picnic and the koala centre. A busy old day!

In the pool
complete with zinc cream stripes and noodles...

Kate and I
After our surf lesson on Manly Beach. still aching two days later!