Dear All, We have successfully completed our circumnavigation of the country known as Australia. Over the last three weeks we have come from Cairns down the east coast back to the welcoming bosom of Sydney. Highlights of Cairns were the Mossman Gorge and Cape Tribulation where we hired a car for the day and drove a few hours north, where the mangroves and swamps are the realm of the big saltwater croc and the even bigger blood sucking mosquito. We also took a sailing / diving trip out to the Great Barrier Reef for the day where Rachel did her first dive near Green Island. There were sharks around but they avoided us when we were in the sea and came up when we were having lunch. We then moved down the coast to Magnetic Island where we tootled around in a Mini Moke for a couple of days. The island is only about 12k north to south with only 1 road but somehow I managed to clock up 60k quite easliy. We arrived at Airlie Beach, ready for our Whitsunday Island cruise. Where we shared an apartment type hostel with a lovely 'tim-nice-but-dim' couple from England. They had not even heard of Ayers Rock and were busy spending their last $50 aus on a load of weed the hostel manager was getting for them, needless to say they were very chilled most of the time. Our boat was a 36" catamaran with an often drunk captain and cook. God willing we would make it around the whitsundays and back in our 3 day cruise. A thoroughly good time was had by all, including a Toga party on a boat that was full of drunk Irish and Germans. Some more diving and plently of snorkelling. We also visited the famous Whitehaven beach (which is regularly voted in the top 3 best beaches in the world). Onward to Noosa. A surf and money oriented coastal town and gateway to Fraser Island. We took a 2 day tour to the Island. Where thay have only a couple of sealed roads and the main form of transport is 4WD along the miles of straight beaches and massive sand dunes. We swam in lakes MacKenzie and Wabby and trekked in the rainforest and drunk in the only bar on the island. Back in Noosa we enjoyed a punishing morning kayaking and walking in the national park. A brief stop in Brisbane then on the next day to Byron Bay. possibly the highlight of the east coast. A friendly place, with a hippy vibe, surrounded by surfers, yoga and nudist beaches. We took another diving trip and despite being south of the Great Barrier Reef saw the most marine life yet. Sharks, rays, turtles, and loads of new fish. Rachel snorkelled but saw pretty much the same big stuff. So, we are now back in Sydney looking forward to our flight to NZ tomorrow. We are staying at friends and meeting some people in town that we have met along the road so far. Only a quick tipple I'm sure! Will write soon from NZ. Byee Andy and Rachel