Happy New Years! I can't believe that it's already 5 days into it. Time flies here in the humidity and heat. We spent 9 hours on the road yesterday driving from Cairns to Airlie Beach, a trip that many have said should take 6 - 7 hours. Thinking that it was going to be a half day drive, we took it easy and stopped at many sightseeing spots, several McDs and the well re-known, Frosty Mango. They grew its own exotic fruit in the back, using it in their ice...

As soon as my head went under the water, I panicked. The muffled underwater sounds were claustrophobic. I felt my heart beating wildly and heard all my irregular breathing, gasping for big gulps of oxygen! After several tries, I bailed on my scuba dive session. I didn't even make it off the entry platform. I was so dejected that I had chickened out. Of all places, the Great Barrier Reef was a diver's dream but I couldn't do it! ARGHGH! John was still ...

Wow! We are tired. Kill Bill Vol 1 is playing in the background while I try to get out some thoughts on paper. John's snoring is intermixed with Tarantino's overuse of pan flute. We are in Cairns (pronounced "Cans") now. It's been only 5 days since we landed and every day seems to be jam packed with go go go activity from 8am to 10pm. How is it that we are busier as tourists than back in the working grind?!? Why do all the tours start so bloody early?!? ...