Word to your mother from Brisbane, I'm pretty much at the end of the Australia bit of my trip, the part I have been least interested in on my whole itinerary and actually had a jolly good time. In the last week I went on a n over elaborate psychology experiment. They stick 11 strangers in a cramped 4 by 4 jeep for 3 days and send you out to raz around Fraser island which is made entirely of sand. My group included 7 Israelis, 2 English chavs and a Canadian. ...

Cairns - I only came here because I love those namesake piles of stones that tell me I am on the right track in the lake district. Images conjured up in the old minds eye of a flask of milky tea and a tuna butty looking over the fells. Imagine Messner's horror then that the place is actually full of 18 year olds on heat marauding round like electric warriors. After an interesting first night in my hostel which involved me introducing a Korean guy to snakebit...