Flew to Cairns from Melbourne - stayed there for one night (v. odd place). Picked up the car bright and early the followig morn and set off for Daintree National Park and Cape Tribulation (about 3 hours north of cairns). Put up the tent for the first time....it is ruddy enormous - v good comfy ni-nis. First cape sight was in the rainforest just beside the Myall beach just below cape trib. Epic white sandy beaches covered in coconuts and palm trees. Next morn we drove up to the northof the national park and went in search of swimming holes in Emmagen Creek - v.v.v.v chilly water but cyrstal clear and full of fish. No crocs to be seen even though the sign said to be careful! Drove back down to yet another epic beach for the afternoon and then drove on to Mossman. V. good campsite with the most enormous pool and an epic kitchen - v. important stuff! Went to Mossman gorge the next day...swam in the swimming holes there - even colder than the last but seriously groovy. Had to grin and bare it and wade in! Another white sandy beach for the afternoon!

Next day planned to drive to Port Douglas and see if we could get to the reef from there but it turned out to be v expensive so we set of for cairns (again)! Found a good campsite and managed to book a trip out to the reef for the next day at a bargin price.

Bloody early start to the reef trip as we are to cheap to pay the extra $10 to be picked up! About 50 other people on the boat with us which wasn't too bad in comparison to some of the others. Headed out to see for about 2 1/2 hours before stopping at our first bit of saxon reef - wacked on the wetsuits and masks and snorkelled for 2 hours. Clambered back aboard for luncheon - between the five of us we managed to demolish most of the boats food (the captain even remarked on our ability to eat so we had to explain we were travelling on a budget so had to make ever dollar of the trip count!). Next session in the water was low tide so the reef was only a metre below us. This time steve, ball and i donned stinger suits - all in one lyrca items, frightfully fetching. Saw some v colourful fish and reef. Also i was casual lying on the surface drifting over a crack in the reef when the most enormous fish i have ever seen appeared just below me. When i say enormous, i mean ruddy huge (as in 4ft hight and about a 1ft wide). I poped my head up to tell the others and there two metres in front of me was a ruddy reef shark - good one!

Left cairns the next day and drove to Townsville. Stopped off on the way at Mission Beach for a relaxing luncheon. Arrived quite late in townsville and eventually found a campsite. Went to Magnetic Island for the day yesterday - absolutely bloody boiling hot. We were going to hire bikes but the women at tourist information look at us v strangely - turned out it is the hilliest place in the world - only discovered that 30 mins into our day long hike! Stopped off at lots of v nice beahces for a swim and had an accidental 2 hour nap! Returned on the night ferry to mke the most of our 24 hour parking for $5!

Off to somewhere else today. Haven't decided. we're going to drive until we find somewhere with a big beach, swimming net and bbq and pitch up there for a 3 days or so. In need of some relaxation!

lots of love xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx