It sure can rain in Tropical Far North Queensland! Linda and I managed to dodge a lot of it walking around Cairns on our arrival from Townsville, but it was still pretty dramatic watching the menacing black clouds roll in from the mountains to the south. We thought that as it was our last night together that we had better check out the sights... which included the Woolshed (it was "Meal or No Meal" quiz night) and the backpacker resort of Giligans. As it was ladies night in Giligans for the bargain price of $4 all ladies received 5 glasses of sparkling wine served to you by guys with their shirts off. Classy. I bumped into the Swedish sisters Caroline and Madeline that I had worked with at the Wharf Bar in Giligans which was quite a suprise. They hadn't left Sydney too long ago, but had flown straight up to Cairns and were making their way south. As Linda had to get up early for her trip on the Passions of Paradise the next morning we didn't end up staying too late, but it was a really fun night.

Friday morning dawned sunny and hot in Cairns, a perfect day for Linda's trip out to the reef and I hoped a good omen for the next 5 days for my diving liveaboard. I was slightly concerned as I had heard rumours of a cyclone due to develop north of Cairns - i.e. exactly where my dive trip was headed, but after rechecking the forecast there was no sign of a tropical storm warning. Thankfully!