So Cairns, the final city on the Oz itinerary, what did Sharan and i see? What did we get?

We make our final Greyhound bus journey, no movie on board - boo! But a pleasant and uneventful 2.5 hour hop from Mission Beach. Top marks for this service, this is the way to travel - so convenient - we hopped on and off booking stops on the internet - piece of cake. Stayed at Cairns Beach house hostel - not exactly on the beach, just a bit away from the centre but a (highly irregular) free bus service carted us there when we needed it....and it ran til 330 in the morning - Bonus.

So to absorb more Oz culture....we go to the cinema....saw Watchmen - a dream come true for the fanboy in me. Can't imagine a better adaptation - may not be to everyone's taste but you will notice how well made this film is - not immediately accessible, but the visuals alone are top. This was a late one, got in at 130 in the morning...and we were off to the reef in the morning.

Ah, the Great Barrier reef - spectacular! Sharan and i booked ourselves on to a boat called Passions Of Paradise that took us and 30 other bods out to the reef - we were all aboard and chugged out of the harbour by 830 - so tired. We stopped off for the two best snorkel outings i have ever had, despite those figure-flattering stinger suits - mind-blowing amounts to see. Missed out on turtles but saw a stingray, something like a puffer, batfish, trevellians, so many big and little fish....and no sharks or jellies....yay! The coral, clams, everything was beautiful and alien - the colours and shapes assaulted my senses - whoa! i will never forget what i got to see and how it made me feel :O) And the boat and the crew were great - Sharan did a free scuba lesson off the back of the boat while i had a well earnt relax - we sailed back for a bit, i read a little, snoozed and dribbled a little and got back safe and sound by 5. Yahoo!

Got free transfer back to the hostel, ate red rooster, went back to town after a shower for a few drinks and a pub quiz - Team Milo Duo performed poorly. It was pouring down outside and all the perokeets were huddled in the tree just outside the balcony. Late night, but not that late - i was shattered!

One more full day left in Oz...tbc