After hearing mixed reviews, but mostly positive experiences, I bit the bullet and checked in to the party hostel Gilligan's in Cairns. It has a hotel style lobby and is absolutely huge with its own nightclub right outside. A rather sully looking receptionist took the money from me and handed me my room key. When I walked in to the room I met a few of the girls that were already staying there. They were a group of four travelling together and although they seemed really nice there were three main problems: firstly, they already had their friends and so didn't need a little add-on (me); secondly, they informed me that the others in the room were a group of 5 people travelling together; and thirdly they proceeded to b**** about this second group. I am not sure why hostels insist on putting a single traveller in a room with two groups?! Anyway, the girls headed off for dinner and shortly afterwards the second group returned to the room and proceeded to b**** to me about the first group of girls. Luckily, I had already been in contact with Paul who was staying at the hostel and had arranged to join him and his gaggle of Oz Experience girls for a night out, and I was only staying in this room for one night anyway!!! That evening I joined the others in Gilligan's bar for a couple, then headed to their room for drinking games with rose goon, and then made our way down to Gilligan's bar again for a few more before heading on to the Woolshed, where I begrudgingly paid $7 to enter and then had another unnecessary beverage.

I woke up at 8am with a dry mouth and a lightly pounding head, known to the initiated as a hangover. I gathered my belongings and took the elevator downstairs to check out. I put my bag in storage and wandered around Cairns' shopping mall somewhat aimlessly waiting for Jess to arrive in the city so that we could check in to Gilligan's together and so that I could get a much needed afternoon sleep. But when we met up we had so much to talk about that I didn't have a nap after all, and besides my hangover was wearing off just fine. So I did no more than drink through it again that night. We played a hilarious game of ring of fire with our new roommates, who incidentally were much friendlier than the lot that I met the night before, and then all headed down to Gilligan's for another night of carnage.

The next morning Jess and I decided we were going to be very productive, and we were successful in this. Firstly we went in search of food, then we booked our tours to the Great Barrier Reef (Jess wanted to go diving, and I snorkelling) and whilst we were there we persuaded and convinced each other to book a white water rafting trip for the very next day. Later that afternoon after a lay by the pool we went for a run near the lagoon and along the esplanade, before heading back for a swim and to get ready for our adrenalin filled next day.

We had an early start for the rafting trip and a broken sleep thanks to our drunken roommates returning at all hours and having normal volume conversations in the early hours of the morning whilst we foolishly attempted to sleep, and so the journey to the rafting river was somewhat quiet. As we got closer Jess and I (particularly Jess as I had been more instrumental in the convincing and persuading stages) began to wonder what the hell we were doing and once kitted up the adrenalin began to pump faster. And to top things off we were assigned the fittest instructor to our group - although two factors here put a spanner in the works; obviously we were dressed like idiots, and then Jess and I slagged off Crocs shoes for ages and when we got back to dry land he was wearing a pair! Although we bought him a beer so hopefully we made up some Brownie points there. We had the best day and our fears at the beginning were totally unnecessary. The instructor was very capable (and did I mention really hot?) and we had a good group in the raft as well. We got tipped out a couple of times but laughed a lot and had so much fun! And I conquered my fear and jumped off a big rock in to the river.

Jess and I cooked pasta for dinner and then had another early night ready for snorkelling and diving the following day. Although once again we were woken in the small hours of the night due to drunken roommates. We said goodbye to one another in the morning and headed our separate ways. The water was very choppy on our way to the reef and so I sat out on the deck looking out to the horizon to try and prevent sea sickness. At times I felt queasy but wasn't actually sick. We were snorkelling three sites on the reef and whilst the water felt quite cold I had a great time exploring the coral and the fish and even saw a turtle. Then I sunbathed on the deck after lunch and returned to the hostel late afternoon complete with a designer white patch on my neck where my chin had created a shadow. I snuck in to bed really early again after a long day out in the fresh air and then was up early again ready for my tour to Cape Tribulation. When I got back from Cape Trib I met up with Leanne and joined her and her roommates for another night out in Gilligan's.

I spent two days in Cape Trib, and in all honesty was somewhat disappointed. I am pleased I went to see it but I certainly didn't need the second day. I shared a room with Ali, a girl from Sunderland who admitted that she moaned a lot but who really did give a whole new meaning to the term whinging pom. Shared a room with her and she berated everything she did and every expense incurred.

The following morning I checked out, packed my bags in the hostel lobby and caught the airport shuttle ready for my flight on to Darwin.