Fraser Island was really quite incredible. it is huge! one hunge pile of sand. there are rainforests growing on it, which we had to hear alooooot about. we were only there for the day and our 4x4 bus tour guide knew everything there was to know about every single tree we drove past and was kind enough (!!) to tell us. we stopped every now and again to look at bark even, luckily we didnt have much time so couldnt stop at all (which i think he may have). the 4x4 bus took us through the sand tracks in the rain forests which were ridiculously bumpy and to the otherside of the island where we sped along the famous 75Km long beach and saw some coloured sand thing (rubbish) and an old ship wreck, but just the driving along the beach was def the best part. wished we had had longer and taken the 2 day self drive option because that beach would have been so fun to drive on, or even better a 75Km gallop on horse back (not actually an option but i can dream). after fraser island we have all realised we have no money left at all, so now mostly we are sitting and walking and then sitting some more, eating when we can afford it and sleeping. it is all very exciting! our first stop for all the sitting and walking was Noosa. george had been here before and raved about it and it is the loveliest place with really nice shops and cafes and restaurants, none of which we could afford but we stayed 4 days none the less, dreaming! we stayed in a gorgeous old hostel too with a really lovely airy feel and pretty stained galss windows and big balconys with sofas on. George did do her sky dive in Noosa tho, and landed on the beach. she loved the whole thing, and julie and i went to australia zoo while she was doing it. thats steve irwin's zoo, and it had lots of flowers and messages outside and inside for him and his family. v sad. but the zoo is very nice. one of the nicest zoos ive been too, really large and clean. we both cuddled a koala and had our pictures taken which was very exciting , but my favourite was the kangaroo enclosure which was kind of like a big fenced in park that u entered and could walk around with the kangaroos and feed them and touch them and cuddle them! and they were much much softer than the koalas so i liked them the best. they were the softest animal ever and have really cute faces, so if anyone is stuck for a birthday present for me this year, its a red kangaroo that i'd like please! the crocodiles are meant to be the main attraction, but i didnt like them at all, not soft or cuddly! but the tigers were good, just like tipsy, maybe a little bigger, but not much! also saw some dolphins while we were in Noosa, george and i went for a walk in the national park or whatever it was around the costal track and saw dolphins in the sea from there!

we are now in brisbane and stayed last night with julies friend who is here at university. her student house is huge and lots have swimming pools! why did mine in durham not have a pool?! the univeristy is really nice too, but the nice weather makes all the difference. it is absolutely boiling here because were not on the coast anymore so that combined with the no money thing took us straight to man made beach thing by the river, where once again we did a little more sitting. this sitting thing is making julie and george unrecognisable shades of brown, i however have to do most of my sitting (and walking) in the shade so i am, still (!), the exact same colour! what we have seen of the city is quite nice, very clean and modern with really nice flowery walk ways, but dont think there is much of interest for visitors to see. tonight we pushed the boat out tho and went to the cinema and saw a film called the wind that shakes the barley (i think) which was really really good, i def recommend it. george cried all the way through, i comforted her and julie got really angry with the drunk old man sitting behind who kept talking to himself really loudly and then was calling people on his mobile to tell them he was in the theater. she stormed out to get him thrown out after about 5 min then took her anger out on the woman infront who was comlaining that we were chewing too loudly! but i think we all enjoyed it after the disturbances stopped! oh yes, i need to mention that the guest DJ from the UK that played at the full moon party we were at at our hostel on magnetic island, Tim delux i think he was called, is actually very famous Natalie has informed me! woops, i didnt know who he was at all, sorry Natalie, i will be more appreciative of the next celebrity we get to see, promise! tomorrow we are off to surfers paradise, which we have been told is very touristy and not nice, but i will let u know what we think...