No photos for this post as we didn't want to take the phones and risk them being stolen while we snorkelled. The day started a little earlier than we planned when workmen appeared in the next street and started digging up the footpath at 7am, but still managed to get to the ferry terminal a few minutes late :-) We took the Sunlover cruise to a fixed platform in More Reef - part of the Outer Barrier Reef. It took about an hour and a half to get there with a sto...

Phew! Cyclone Anthony swung south and didn't quite reach its predicted strength, so we had no problems flying to Cairns. Unfortunately, there's an even bigger one, Yassi, expected to hit Cairns later on the week. With that in mind we've booked our trip to the Great Barrier Reef for tomorrow before the trip becomes impassable. We checked in at our 2nd hostel if the trip - Caravella - which, unfortunately, is more of a typical backpackers place. We were definitel...

We had a relaxing day in Noosa, today. We got the free shuttle bus from our excellent Flashpackers hostel up to Hastings St and Noosa's main beach. The helpful lady in the tourist information office told us that Cyclone Anthony was due to hit somewhere between there and Cairns tomorrow. That wouldn't normally be a problem, except we're flying to Cairns tomorrow! Fingers crossed... Undeterred, we got a hop-on hop-off ferry ticket and visited Noosaville and Tewan...

Crikey! Another day, another zoo :-) This time it was the turn of the late Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo. Another excellent zoo, with plenty of hands-on opportunities with koalas and kangaroos, but a lot more shows than yesterday. Sadly, none of the surviving Irwins were on show. Afterwards, we got the free bus up to the seaside resort of Noosa on the Sunshine Coast. Julie's apprehension at staying in her first hostel was soon allayed by the swimming pool and nice...

Spent most of yesterday on a plane from Singapore to Brisbane. We arrived to see the tail end of Australia Day - bars full of Aussies, barely able to stand after an all-day "celebration". The strong Aussie dollar means it's £10 for a Smirnoff Ice and a small coke, or £3.60 for a loaf of bread! Today, we had a walk round Brisbane's CBD and shopping area, before jumping on a bus to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. We got to stroke a Koala, feed and stroke a kangar...