Sorry for the delay folks, I was going to do a blog update a few days ago but then I decided I'd be moving on in a few days so thought I may as well update my blog in one go. Sory Mother if you were worying about me.

So my adventure to Cairns didn't get off to a perfect start. I forgot to print the email saaying where to go for my transfer to the hostel. I guess this was the sort of sensible stuff I use to rely on Earl for. After a few minutes panic and aimlessly walking around the airport I managed to find the bus and took the trip to my hostel.

The hostel was nice, we were able to get a free meal at night at a local pub/club the Woolshed, and the hostel also had a swimming pool. Something I had been craving in the hot weather for months. The people were nice, but it was hard to integrate with everyone at first as everyone had their own little groups and cliques. Plus me being the shy and quiet type and without the back up of Earl, didn't put myself out there a great deal.

This all changed though after a few days and I settled in. I made friends with a half German half Italian Nino, a Japanese kid called Kenji, a Scottish chap called Sean, and his Oz friend Andy, a Scouser named Richie, a tall German known as Alex, a Dane called Neils and an American fella called Mark plus a bunch of other guys and girls. I often found it quite interesting that I'd be out and be the only English guy there.

The main activities I participated in Cairns consisted of drinking, sleeping, eating and chilling by the pool or big Lagoon down by the esplanade with a few hours of job searching chucked in now and again. The nights out weree eventful and mental. On my first night Richie lived up to his roots and tried stealing the pool table from the hostel next door, another night saw the tv and sound system broken. A mass brawl also occured one night between a group of lads from Yorkshire and some french guys and on my last night an old Aussie alcoholic called Dave staying at our hostel brough back a old homeless drunk women to the hostel where she horrified us all by showing us far to much than she should and trying to bite Alex's leg before getting herself kicked out. Most other nights were a mixture of drunken shenanigans, dancing on tables and bad chat up lines that did surprisingly work now and again. t was also fun taking thr Japanese kid Kenji out who didn't drink much and was therefor drunk after a small beer.

I did however do something productive with my time in Cairns, sandwhiched betwen all the drinking, eating, sleeping and occasional job hunting was the reef trip. This was brilliant. I snorkled and dived with massive turtles and fish that looked like Nemo. Some lucky people also got to see a shark. Once I get a job and earn enough money I think I will do a course in Scuba Diving to become PADI certified and I also want to go in to water in a cage and swim with Great White Sharks but again this is quite pricey.

Cairns also gave me my first sample of Goon, I had already herd much about on my travels. Because alcohol is pretty expensive over here, especially after the low prices of Asia pratically all backpackers buy a 4 litre box of wine called goon to pre-drink. This is also popular with the Abo's acroos town - these are like a cross between chav's and old homeless people who rome the streets getting drunk and shouting abuse. They are pretty harmless if you just ignore them.

So that is pretty much Cairns in a nutshell. It was a nice townbut very little to do apart from go down to the lagoon. That's why I have decided to move south to Innisfail where I will hopefully be able to get work in a few days on a Banana picking farm to get my second year visa. So i will update you on my progress in a few days. If anyone needs me urgently or hasn't got my Oz number yet it is +61452340050 and if anyone would like to send me any post my fixed address is Adrian Murphy #10956, 2/220 William Street, Woolloomooloo, NSW, 2011. Once anything arrives at this address they will email email me and get me to pick it up or forward it to wherever I maybe at that time. Also unfortunately my camera has broke so there is no photos from Cairns :( but I will try and find some which other people have took.

Stay safe and take care

Adi

xx