HI ALL,SORRY IT HAS BEEN A WHILE SINCE LAST UPDATE-WE HAVE BEEN BUSY HAVING FUN IN OZ! THIS PLUS IT HAS BEEN HARD TO GET GOOD INTERNET.

WE LEFT ALICE SPRINGS AFTER DOING A THREE HOUR CAMEL RIDE IN NEAR 40 DEGREE HEAT BY THE MACDONNELL RANGES-(ONLY THE ENGLISH!)ARRIVED BACK AT CAIRNS AND MET UP WITH TWO PEOPLE FROM A PREVIOUS TRIP. HIT THE WOOLSHED FOR A NIGHT OUT- STEAK MEAL PLUS DRINK PLUS DESSERT FOR A BARGAIN 10 DOLLARS.ENJOYED OUR STAY AT THE EVER SO FRIENDLY TRAVELLERS OASIS THEN ONTO OUR THREE DAY TWO NIGHT LIVEBOARD DIVING TRIP ON THE GREAT BARRIER REEF.THOROUGHLY RECOMMEND PRO-DIVE-HAD A FANTASTIC TIME,GREAT BOAT,GREAT STAFF,GREAT FOOD AND GREAT DIVING! MIMI WAS PLEASED AS SHE HAD A COUPLE OF SNORKELING BUDDIES TO GO WITH.SHE STILL MANAGED TO HAVE TO BE RESCUED BY THE INFLATABLE ONCE-SHE IS LIKE A SCUD MISSILE-NO SENSE OF DIRECTION AT ALL.MIMI WAS GETTING FRUSTRATED AT NOT SEEING A TURTLE WHEN EVERYONE ELSE HAD SEEN AT LEAST TWO.FINALLY A TURTLE POPPED UP TO THE SURFACE RIGHT BY HER SO SHE COULDNT MISS IT-SHE WAS VERY HAPPY TO SEE IT AND MADE SURE EVERYONE KNEW SHE HAD SEEN ONE! AS FOR THE DIVING-WITHIN TEN MINUTES I HAD SEEN MY FIRST SHARK,SEVERAL TURTLES AND LOTS OF AMAZING FISH.GOT A GREAT PICTURE OF A GIANT MORRAY EEL AND ME AND MY DIVE BUDDY WERE THE ONLY ONES TO SEE ONE! I EVEN GOT TALKED INTO DOING ANOTHER NIGHT DIVE-BIG MISTAKE AND DEFINATELY MY LAST EVER NIGHT DIVE.THE BOAT LIT UP THE WATER ALL AROUND THE BOAT WICH ATTRACTED LOADS OF SMALL FISH WHICH ATTRACTED BIGGER FISH WHICH ATTRACTED-SHARKS!! ONE GUY GOT "BUMPED" BY A SHARK,KNOCKING HIS MASK OFF-VERY SCARY! ONE HELL OF AN EXPERIENCE.AFTER A FINAL GOODBYE MEAL BACK IN CAIRNS WE CHILLED OUT FOR A FEW DAYS-GETTING USED TO DRY LAND AGAIN AS IT WAS A BIT ROUGH OUT TO SEA AND WERE STILL SWAYING ABOUT ON LAND! NEXT WAS A STUNNING DRIVE UP ALONG THE COAST TO CAPE TRIBULATION-THE RAINFOREST CREEPS RIGHT TO THE EDGE OF THE BEACHES.HAD A QUAINT RIVER CROSSING BY BARGE AND WINCH,THEN A VERY STEEP AND WINDY ROAD UP TO CAPE TRIB.THE CAMPSITE WAS RIGHT BY THE BEACH-BASICALLY IN THE JUNGLE-THE COCKROACHES WERE AS BIG AS MY HAND! MIMI WENT HORSERIDING AND LOVED IT.SO FAR WE BOTH LOVE AUSTRALIA BUT ITS SUCH A SHAME THERE ARE SO MANY BEAUTIFULL BEACHES HERE BUT BECAUSE OF CROCODILES,SHARKS AND KILLER JELLYFISH YOU CANT SWIM AT THEM!! WE FOUND A LOVELY BEACH-ELLIS BEACH-WHERE WE COULD SWIM AS THERE WERE "STINGER NETS" BUT EVEN THESE ARE NOT TOTALLY SAFE. NEXT WAS A LONG DRIVE SOUTH PAST TOWNSVILLE TO A TINY TOWN CALLED AYR.NOT A LOT HERE REALLY-OTHER THAN THE BEST WRECK DIVE IN AUSTRALIA-THE YONGALA.IT WAS HERE THAT A YOUNG AMERICAN WOMAN WAS MURDERED ON HER HONEYMOON BY HER HUSBAND WHILST DIVING! HE TURNED HER AIR SUPPLY OFF-NICE EH?! I THOUGHT THERE WAS A LOT OF "SIGN YOUR LIFE AWAY PAPERS TO FILL IN AND SIGN! ANYWAY THE DIVE WAS THE BEST DIVE I HAVE EVER DONE.OTHER THAN THE WRECK ITSELF I SAW SHARKS,GREEN,LEATHERBACK AND MASSIVE (ENDANGERED) LOGGERHEAD TURTLES,GROUPER,GIANT TREVALLY AND DEADLY SEA SNAKES.EVERYONE HAD TO WEAR LONG WETSUITS AND HOODS DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF DEADLY JELLYFISH BEING PRESENT! THE SPEEDBOAT JOURNEY WAS ALSO GREAT FUN-VERY FAST AND BUMPY.I SAW MORE IN TWO DIVES HERE THAN TEN ON THE GB REEF.NEXT WE DROVE DOWN TO THE AWESOME WHITSUNDAYS FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS.WHITEHAVEN BEACH IS THE BEST BEACH WE HAVE EVER BEEN ON(SO FAR!). WE WENT SNORKELING AND SAW SOME VERY BIG AND TAME NAPOLEON WRASSE FISH.AFTER WHITSUNDAYS WE DROVE DOWN TO GLADSTONE AND THEN ONTO BUNDABERG-THE HOME OF AUSTRALIAS FAVOURITE RUM DISTILLERY.WE OF COURSE HAD TO DO A TOUR AND TASTE THE END PRODUCT! AFTER HAVING A BIT OF TROUBLE WITH OUR CAMPERVAN,WE MOVED DOWN TO HERVEY BAY.WE MISSED SEEING THE WHALES BY ABOUT THREE WEEKS WHICH WAS A BIT OF A SHAME.WE BROUGHT THE ENGLISH WEATHER WITH US-IT RAINED FOR TWO DAYS-THE FIRST RAIN HERE IN NEARLY SIX MIONTHS! VISITED FRASER ISLAND FOR A DAY TRIP-ITS JUST LOTS OF BEACH! WE ARE NOW IN BRISBANE FOR A WHILE AND PLAN TO HEAD DOWN THE GOLD COAST,AIMING TO STOP AT BYRON BAY,COFFS HARBOUR,FORSTER TUNCURRY BEFORE PICKING UP A FRIEND IN SYDNEY FOR A SHORT ROAD TRIP TO MELBOURNE.HAVING REAL TROUBLE FINDING GOOD INTERNET FOR UPLOADING PICS TO STA(MOST PICS ARE UP ON FACEBOOK) BUT ARE GOING INTO THE CITY TOMORROW TO TRY TO FIND SOMEWHERE. THATS ALL FOR NOW..........BYE! OH AND HAPPY XMAS!