After Dan's unfortunate departure back to the UK, I continued by flying up to North Queensland and starting in Cairns. The wet season had unfortunately started early in Cairns so the first couple of days were a bit damp. However, I stayed at a hostel quite near the centre of the city so it was easy to get to the main attractions. The first couple of days I took in the esplanade and famous lagoon by the sea. It was a great place to chill out and it went on for miles. The best part of walking all the way down was trying to spot the crocodiles in the swampy area closest to the shore. There were signs up everywhere warning the public not to go on the beach as they were so active in the summer months. It was quite strange to see the beach empty but I managed to spot a couple of crocs lurking in the shallow water so you could understand the Queensland councils concerns! The lagoon itself is probably the famous landmark of Cairns and attracts lots of people either swimming or lazing on the surrounding grass and using the barbeque stands. I really enjoyed that part of the city and met a fair few other lone travellers to spend the days there with.

Another day I ventured to the botanical gardens which are in the north of the city. They were really unique and showed off lots of the tropical plants that grow in the wild this far north of the country. It also had an entrance to the rainforests but I ended up not having a chance to visit them as it just rained too much on the days I planned to go there. It was a shame not to experience them but I can't complain too much as I managed to dodge so much of the rain in Asia that it was bound to catch up with me at some stage!Instead I went to an area where lots of newish lakes have been put in. I think they were to coincide with a centenary anniversary and they were really nice to visit.

I also travelled to a place called Port Douglas which is about an hour and a half north of Cairns. My uncle had sent me an email saying he loved the place when he visited so I went solely on his advice as I had not considered it at first. It was a great bit of advice thoughas it was like a small tropical haven away from the city. It had beautiful little shops down it's main street and at each end had coast offering very different views. At one end there was a pier and a big white church called 'St Marys by the Sea' which had a big window at the side where couples got married with a view out to the ocean. It was a lovely place and it was no surprise that the waiting list to get married there was years long! The other end of the main street had the start of 'Four Mile Beach' which I walked all the way down to the end and back. I think I passed only one person on the way and the beautiful beach was really tranquil and quiet. There was also a lookout point by a lighthouse at the start of the beach which offered very grand views of the beach, Port Douglas and other places in the distance. It was hugely impressive and I felt a bit sad leaving to go back to Cairns. However, I now travel down to a stop off point called Airlie Beach where I will spend a couple of days before going on a sailing trip of the Whitsunday islands. That should stop me thinking about the great scenery I left behind in the very north of Queensland.