HELLO THERE!!!

Jack here, for the final blog in Australia. Eeeeerrrrrm where do I start…….

Ok, so we left Townsville/Magnetic Island, as two certified scuba divers in search of a different kind of dive. So we headed further North up the ‘Bruce Highway’ to Mission Beach. (which by the way is my favorite beach so far). It was there we booked up the activity we had been searching for……

In Diary Format (I actually wrote this down on a piece of paper on the night of the 18th)

18th Feb 2009-

Today at around 8.15am I jumped out of a perfectly good aeroplane which was flying at 14’000ft, I guess there isn’t going to be many times I will be able to say that so I thought I’d write it down. The actual free-fall is a hard feeling to describe, a feeling that last 60 seconds filled with 100% pure adrenalin and excitement, having been a ‘touch’ nervous prior. Imagine dangling your legs out of a plane….. mmmm strange feeling….then being told to jump out…… AMAZING! There is a photo which is on the latest album, I think this is the one which best describes the feeling. ‘for convenience’ I have labeled this one, ‘the feeling’. I think you’ll understand when you read it. But all in all, without doubt one of the best thing I have ever done.

End of dodgy diary writing.

For the actual skydive Me and C paid extra to have another sky diver jump out and film us and take photos, well worth it you’ll see when you view the pics. Also when were back we’ll show you the dvd’s they’re awesome. One quick moment about the plane journey to 14’000ft which by the way is about 4267m up in the blue stuff. As we were ascending to the unloading altitude over the rainforest and coastline of Australia I turned to ‘Strop’ the tandem master geezer, I asked him “How high are we?” expecting an answer along the lines of “bout 12’000, 13’000ft, cause excuse my French we were bloody high. He replied ‘Just coming up to 4’000ft’. Ha maybe you had to be there, shame there wasn’t a photo to show the look on my face at that moment. Anyhoooooo here’s what C made of it.

Well….its genuinely much the same….its probably the biggest adrenaline rush I’ve ever had, I mean it lasted the whole day and we jumped at 8 in the morning! So enough said there, but seriously I never thought I would be sitting 14,000ft in the air in a plane, then gradually move closer towards an open door, wait my turn, dangle me legs out and then on 3 jump! It was just surreal, and its one of those things you don’t really think about what your doing as you fall because its just so good, so its just as well we got the DVD’s so we can relive it again and again, we even got to steer the parachute for a bit on the way down, I would recommend it to anyone, this little paragraph probably hasn’t done it justice..but it is kind of hard to explain, do it and find out!!!

Back to Me now…..

So having both had the best wake up call ever, we headed further up zeeee ‘Bruce Highway’ to Port Douglas. I have never had so much adrenalin going through me, still. May of even been unsafe to drive. Had to stop for sausage sandwiches to calm us down. Wooohooo.

We made it to Port Douglas safe and sound you’ll be pleased to hear. Parked ‘Tallulah’ the campervan, right next to ‘4 mile beach’, and replayed what had been one of the best days in the trip so far.

The next day we spent sighting up the next diving adventure, being so close to the ‘Great Barrier Reef’ and being divers our self, we’d be mad not to go. So we picked a boat trip out of the many available and booked up for the following day.

HABA 5 had the pleasure of our attendance that day, as we belted it along the ocean to the Great Barrier Reef straight out to the Agincourt reef, and more specifically Opal reef. We got all the gear on and went down for dive no.7, 8 and 9. Visibility was around 15-20m which is brill.

The reef itself is as good if not better as it looks on tv. Literally millions of fish all shapes, colours and sizes, darting round in all directions, sting rays, clown fish (nemo’s as they’re commonly known) barracuda’s, Maori Wrasse (which are like the size of Dave Stephens!), Moorish Idols (my 2nd favorite fish).

Whats your first I hear you ask?!! Well on the 3rd dive of the day, we went down and I still hadn’t seen a shark…I was pretty gutted to be honest….devastated. bout 20mins into the dive we came round the side of one of the huge coral walls on Opal Reef, and there he was…… ‘White tip reef shark’ by far the best animal in the underwater world. Glides though the water and literally runs the show. The Steven Gerrard of the fish world if ya like. Yea the Stevie G of the sea, nobody is as good as the reef shark, nobody messes with it, its hard as nails. All in all it’s the dogs gonad’s! I was made up to actually see one, and my plan is defo to go to swimming with the great whites in New Zealand now. Booooom

The best thing Australia has to offer…… The Great Barrier Reef….hands down.

That night by the way, we did something we hadn’t done for a while……exercise, we ran all the way down ‘4mile beach’ AND BACK! Which is about……ummmmmm….. 8miles….. officially cream-crackered at the end, but felt good for it. C used stronger words to describe his exhaustion. Ha. Guess we'll need the training for when we go to PERU!!!

We payed a visit to the Daintree River the next day, which has recently been on the news for a crocodile attack, having been to the ‘Crocoseum’ at Australia zoo, C tried to catch one but they were obviously intimidated by his ability. Anyways then we cruised down to Mossman Gorge, for a bit more rock jumping and crazy stuff like that. Was a cool afternoon. Stayed that night in Karunda and visited Barron falls, before heading to Cairns. Which is where I’m writing this from.

We had an emotional goodbye with ‘Tallulah’ (the campervan) who had served her time, and delivered the goods to Cairns despite the doubters who said we’d never make it. In total we drove 3689km’s which is around 2292miles, so loads basically, gives you an idea of the size of this place. Was a great way to get around too.

So just been chill-axing some more in the hostel here, although last night, our penultimate night in Australia, we decided to go out with these 2 Danish folk, on one of these Club and Bar Crawl tours thing, you know, pay $25 get in free to all 6 clubs with a few free drinks here n there….. you’ll have to ask C how it was because guess who drank way to much and was in bed by 7.30! yep 7.30, half 7, 19:30 (pm). Poor Darts, C held up the bar he re-assures me and drank my share of the drink and ate my free pizza. He took one for the team. But I have decided to quit drinking.............HA. 1-1 on the throwing up due to waaaaaay to much cheap wine. (not a competition I’m keen on winning). So I have written this blog with ‘The Mother’ of all hangovers, so please feel free to leave sympathy messages on the message board I know you’re feeling for me…… ha.

So tomorrow we get back on a plane however our intention isn’t to jump out of this one. We’re off to New Zealand, Christchurch to be precise, job hunting, thrill seeking and rugby watching…..CANEE WAIT MAN!!!! Sooooo excited. Think NZ will be quality. Australia has been a great 3months, loved it all. Big thanks to everyone who helped us out too, especially Vinnie n Belinda.

Hope your all well back home or where ever you are reading this….. one quick note… I see Rafa’s mighty European reds, had no problems at the bernabeu against Real Madrid, shame that couldn’t be said for the riverside. ‘Doh!’

Anyways take care all, Peace out. I’m going to go and lie by the pool and try shake off this throbbing feeling in my head.

Love you all…..

Peace….

J-Barnes & C-Jelf!

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