So we have finally made it up to Cairns, Wow, that is such a long way when you look on the map. Something like over 1000km in just under 7 weeks and thats not including the detours and day trips off course. think we are both totally shattered now. the last 2 days in mission beach were very very wet. for saying this is supposed to be their dry season, i'd hate to be here in the rainy months! Torrential tropical rainstorms. lovely and warm, shorts and t'shirt weather, but rather soggy. great if you are a duck, but we aren't ducks! Did try convince Aine she wanted to go for a walk in the rain but she wasn't having any of it! I think shorts, sandles and a rainmack plodding up the beach could have been fun, she didn't share my enthusiasm and i wasn't convinced it would be as much fun on my own!

So we pottered off to Cairns and here we are! We went via the lovely Josephine falls, very prety, i resisted a swim in the pool this time!

So what else have we done? You know what, not sure i can remember so will talk about what we are going to do insead! we are getting a bit excited about Thailand now. Things have all come round a bit quick and think the rain has kind of sealed the deal a bit. the plan for the next few days is to send loads of junk home that we don't need for thailand. warm things that will mean the day they go in the post means it gets cold! Sod's law i think they call it! It's guarrenteed! i took the trousers off my jeans the other day, hadn't worn them for weeks, then, as predicted, the sun goes in and it gets cold again! The rain mack in def staying in my bag, not chancing that one! other than send things home so we can lift the bags without the help of a crane, we want to go up to Port Douglas and possibly Cape trib. A quick photo at Yorkeys Knob, yes Mr York, you have not been forgotten yet!

The Lovely car that has become the portable spare storage area has to be returned early on the 1st June so the day before will be a marathon cleaning session to take out all the rubbish out from the back seat, my grubby footprints off the dash and all the sand and mud out of the footwells, not to mention the state of the outside and the cemented dead bugs off the windscreen. there's some on there from Melbourne, think it is time we said goodbye! there is a friend to catch up with in Cairns at some point before we leave, then we fly to Sydney on the 2nd, a quick hello with Aine's cousin in Sydney, then from Sydney to Thailand on the 4th. think the real culture shock will finaly hit us then! Wow, so much to do over the next few days. Better look busy and start sorting my bag out soon! Will really miss the car, have to suddenly rely on public transport, if such a thing is possible to 'rely on' in Thailand! Well better look busy and do something usefull, of maybe admire the rain from the comfort of a bar, haven't decided which yet!

Lots of love from both of us. will prob talk to you all again before we leave Oz so take care till then. xxx