The Great Barrier Reef!

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Wow! What a day . . .

Started off on old sailing boat called Lalla at 8:30 and sailed out about 21 miles to the reef from Cairns centre. Crew were a good laugh and there was a good crowd from all over the world on board - all excited about seeing the reef . . especially the French and Japanese - once we got out to the reef the Japanese couldn't stop taking photos and jumping round and all the French girl could do was say 'ohh la la' every 5 seconds - seriously! It is amazing though - once we moored the depth is about 3 to 5 metres and the different colours of aqua you see going across the sea with the coral shining through is cool.

First dive was with all the equipment and although you can see everything from the surface clearly it's good to be able to stay down there. . there are over two thousand species of fish around the reef and when you see the schools of zebra fish and swim into them and they all come back around you it puts a smile on ya face! Giant clams, the brightest and biggest blue star fish, massive fish with big lips and pointy noses and basically every colour you can imagine on all sorts of fish. Did a couple more sails around other parts of the reef and just did diving with the snorkel on them - as always in northern Queensland your a bit paranoid something could kill you and even with the stinger suits I flapped about at the merest site of a jelly fish - I did ask the captain what to do if a box jelly fish was coming towards me - 'swim for ya life mate' . . didn't ask about the other two deadly ones! The boat was run by Captain Doug who has been on the boat for 15 years and on the way back we stopped off in the middle of the sea and he gave us all a quick history of the boat and shared a bottle of wine singing songs and saying ooh arrghh every time we saw another boat . . was a great day.

Have had some good Aussie tucker now

The Aussie Bushmans Platter - Emu, Kangaroo, Crocodile and the famous Baramundi.
Skippy Kangaroo with cous cous - that’s what it said on the menu!
Tempura beer battered fish and chips . . delicious
Burger with the lot - bacon, egg, tomato, beetroot, cheese, pineapple, lots of onion and a big slab of coleslaw . .

Spent the last Saturday night out with my Canadian mate J - got a bit drunk down Gilligans and watched/laughed at the mix of crowd in there. Half Japanese, quarter backpackers and the rest crazy locals . . people fighting to get on the podiums and do there thing. Knew it was time to get off when J started trying it on with one of the local women - she changed her top about five times during the night and kept running in circles round the dance floor!

Wish I could stay in Cairns for another few weeks and take in everything here as there's so much to do but have to keep on the move - off to Brisbane and surfers paradise to get some proper surfing in!

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