Hello again, Arrived in Cairns safely on Sunday evening. We had arranged with Lisa and Si that they would come and meet us at our hotel on Monday morning. We arrived at the hotel about 9.30pm and we were just checking in and I had a feeling that Lisa was near. I turned around and saw them both walking up the stairs. I dropped everything and we both ran across the lobby for a very emotional reunion. We went to the bar to catch up and had a very late night. Simon went off to the Outback for 12 days on Tuesday. Lisa didn't want to go because it is too hot for her and she would not enjoy it, so she is staying with us in our hotel room. It is a bit cosy but we have managed to upgrade to an apartment for our 2nd week. It is great having Lisa here as she has arranged all of our sight seeing tours. She has already been here for 3 weeks with Simon so knows where to go and what to do. Our itinerary has been changed slightly due to Cyclone Ingrid making its way to the North Queensland coast. It is a very bad one, a category 5 (very destructive), but we have just heard that it will miss us and is now heading further North (thank goodness). We now have to wait for it to clear before we venture up North to the rainforest and to go out to the Great Barrier Reef. More to come when we have been out and about a bit. Bye for now Chris, Paul and Lisa xxxxxxxxx hi again the weather has been like home from home only hotter, we have had tropical monsoon rains, the aftermath from cyclone Ingrid. It hasn't stopped us from doing any sightseeing, we have been in the rainforest and had encounters with snakes, lizards,spiders and fruit bats, wev'e fed kangeroos, cuddled koala's and had bandycoots join us for a drink at the bar. We had a good night out at an aboriganal show it was brilliant to hear the digeridoo being played by a real aborigini it was a very spiritual experience. Lisa has been in every shop that sells digeridoos and getting the shop assistants to teach her how to play them, she is doing very well. Iv'e had a go but it sounds like a bad case of wind. 16th march At last the rains have gone and we are back to baking in the sun. We went out to the barrier reef today it took 2 1/2 hrs to get there, an hour on the bus and 90 min on the boat and by the time we got there I was feeling very yukky! I was not going to snorkel as I am not happy about things swimming around my feet, but I plucked up the courage and went for it, It was brilliant Lisa held my hand and we snorkled together. Paul had two scuba dives so we didn't see much of him all day. We had to wear stinger suits (blue lycra) because of the jelly fish (Rosemary Conley eat your heart out). It was hilarious seeing Paul in his lycra suit, of course Lisa and I looked fantastic as long as I kept my holiday tummy covered up. It was a day not to be missed and we were knackered when we got back and just collapsed on the settee and watched tv for the rest of the evening rerady for the next fun packed day. Fri 18th Simon arrived back safe from the outback ,tired but happy with his trip to Ayres Rock, Alice Springs and Darwin. We spent the next couple of days relaxing in the 32 deg heat and getting prepared for our next stop in Perth. We were leaving on Sun night at 10.30 pm so we decided to visit a bungie jump place to pass a bit of time during the day. None of us wanted to do a jump but there was a jungle swing that hoisted you up in to the canopy of the trees and you went hurtling through the trees at 75mph. I negotiated a deal and we got a 3 for 2 price, so Lisa ,Simon and myself decided to have a go. We were strapped together and it was the most terrifying ride of my life but it was also the most exciting, we couldn't stop screaming and laughing at the same time. of course Paul couldn't do it because he said someone had to take the pictures. That was his excuse and he was sticking to it. Paul said if he was meant to swing through the trees like a monkey he would be covered in hair just like one (ha! ha! wimp!) More from Perth next week Chris and Paul xxx