Be prepared people… it's been quite some time since I last wrote and once again there is a lot to report. I should take this opportunity to point out that I am actually writing this blog largely for myself and not just for your entertainment, so if you're sick and tired of reading it, that's fine, you can stop. Just tell me that you read it so that I won't be offended.

So… all the way back to the beginning of my 8-night stint in Cairns. Where oh where should I begin to write about Cairns? It was a great week. For a start, I stayed in the Northern Greenhouse (sister to the Greenhouse where I stayed in Melbourne), which was the best hostel I've stayed in and probably will stay in. Apparently it used to be a hotel so the rooms were great - ensuite bathroom, fridge, air con, balcony, loads of sockets, wardrobe with full length mirror, EVEN a kitchen sink. The communal area was great and there was even a fit Kiwi working behind the bar - what more could you want from a hostel when you're paying about $20 per night?!

So after I booked my 4 trips in Peter Pans (still delighted at the fact that it came to 393 quid) I went back to the hostel and met Janina. We didn't do much other than walk to Woolworths (Aussie version of Tesco) to buy some stuff to make carbonara for tea. The next day I was up early to go on my day trip to Cape Tribulation and the Daintree Rainforest. It was pretty good. We went on a "crocodile cruise" on the Daintree River and saw a tiny baby croc and also a snake just chilling in the bushes. Then we went for a bush walk in the rainforest and had some lunch. After that we went to Mossman Gorge, which was gorgeous (get it? Ok, I can't take credit for that, I stole it from the tour guide). Some people went swimming but it was a wee bit too cold for my liking. On the way back to Cairns we stopped to have a look around Port Douglas, which was pretty nice. Apparently Matthew Macaughnahay (NO idea how to spell his name, famous American actor) owns property there. I befriended two American lieutenants, Jon and Brian, who were on holiday from Iraq, and we agreed to meet up for drinks that evening. Janina, our dorm mate Cassie, and I started in the bar at our hostel, 6 Links, where there was a "Trailer Trash" party going on - wasn't really dressed for it, oops. Jon and Brian came to meet us and when the bar closed at midnight we all went round to the infamous Woolshed backpacker bar/club. Classy!

The following day began with a trip to McDonalds (Janina is a bad influence; remember she dragged me there against my will in Melbourne too?...) then we went and lay down at the lagoon for a few hours which was really nice. The lieutenants (as they are now known) came down for a bit and then we all arranged to meet for dinner. It was pretty good - I had a mahoosive (that's for you, Dad) fillet steak covered in loads of seafood (thanks again, lieutenant Jon, haha). We all went for a wee wander but then called it a night quite early because the next day the guys were flying to Brisbane and Janina and I had to get up at 6am for our trip to the Great Barrier Reef!

When we woke up, we could hear something that sounded a bit like rain. Well MY GOD was it raining? (Rhetorical - I'm telling you, it was). I actually called the company to check if the trip was still going ahead but a very confused-sounding Aussie woman on the other end of the phone assured me that early morning "showers" like this were normal. So down to the terminal we waded and got on board the Passions of Paradise boat. It took quite a while to get out to our first snorkeling spot and the sky was completely grim the whole time. The boat was pretty rocky too, which didn't help my mood! Luckily though, as soon as we got to Michaelmas Cay (the first spot), the sky started to clear and the sun made an appearance :) Snorkeling on the reef was an amazing experience. I still can't believe that something natural can be so colourful. The fish and the reef itself were stunning. Janina had an underwater camera but it's not digital, so it will be interesting to see how the photos turn out when she develops them in Germany!

After about 1 hour at Michaelmas Cay, we got back on the boat and were served a really nice buffet lunch. By this point, the weather had transformed and everybody was slapping on the suncream… turns out that this was almost completely pointless, as my entire back and my butt cheeks were red as hell that night (and for several days after)! Only in the past couple of days has it stopped being painful but now it's at the stage where I can actually strip layers of skin off my back - it's so sexy. You can imagine, I'm sure. It was worth it though. The 2nd spot was a bit more challenging because it was a bit more remote and you had to swim more or you would just drift with the current. I didn't see any Nemo fish (clown fish) unfortunately, but it was still great.

We finally got back to the hostel that evening, pretty exhausted. I came into the dorm to find a note on my bed that Cassie had left, telling me that Jon had come round in the morning with an early birthday present for me. It was an unexpected gift but sweet to come back to after a long and stressful day on the Great Barrier Reef (…not)!

So that takes me to last Friday. Another reason that the Northern Greenhouse is so great is that they offer free excursions, so we went with Kiwi Karl, the barman, to Ellis Beach. We swam in the water for a bit (Karl reckoned we shouldn't be put off by the crocodile warning signs and the fact that you couldn't see a thing in the water) and had a BBQ lunch. I got freakin' eaten alive by horse flies, they are nasty b*stards! That evening, Chiara, who I knew in Byron Bay, came to meet me at the hostel and we all went down to 6 Links for a few drinks :) it was cool to see her again and catch up on everything that has happened since Byron. The night became a wee bit interesting when everybody but me, Janina and Karl had left the bar. At midnight, the 3 of us went to the Woolshed, and then round to this other place that Karl works for some free drinks, and then back to the Woolshed. When I got to my bed it was getting light outside, so from that you can gather that it was a good night! Funny.

Needless to say, Saturday was a complete non-event.

On Sunday we hit the shops, which, for Cairns, were surprisingly good. I bought a couple of new tops and some underwear - how exciting to have new clothes! We went with Tara, a Dutch girl from our dorm, to Gilligans for a free dinner, which wasn't bad. Then Chiara came and met us again, as it was our last evening in Cairns. The 4 of us and a Londoner called Kate went down to 6 Links for one, to say goodbye to Karl, haha. Then we all went for a look at the night markets, which were alright. I got a couple of charms for my bracelet - they're not real Truth ones but I think they'll fit. Nice souvenir :)

I was up early on Monday morning to check out and get back on the Oz bus, heading for Mission Beach, where I am now. Our driver, Disco, was great fun. We went for a wee bush walk at Babinda and then after breakfast on to the Johnstone River Crocodile Farm, which was ace. I held a baby croc, a snake, saw the guys feeding massive crocodiles by hand, petted a dingo, saw a cassowary and handfed wallabies and kangaroos! All in all, it was bloody good.

The hostel here in Mission Beach is nice, but the place itself is a bit boring. I think most people really only stop here to do a skydive, which I am definitely not gonna do (Mum, I can almost hear your sigh of relief coming all the way from Edinburgh). It's nice to just chill out and not do much after the random and hilarious week in Cairns though. Today has been a bit of a funny day because it rained all through the night and is still raining, so I feel a bit restless as there is nothing to do, which in itself is bad because I have, since speaking to my best friend this morning, also got stuff on my mind. All will be revealed in due course, but he knows what I'm talking about, innit Sheila? :) Love you. (So much so that I phoned you at 7am in the pouring tropical rain and then walked back to my room with soaking wet, and therefore see-through, PJ bottoms on! Hope you appreciate!)

Janina and I will leave here on Saturday to spend 1 night in Townsville before heading over to Magnetic Island for 3 nights. I really hope it's gonna be good, and sunny! Never sunbathed on my birthday before.

That's probably about enough for now, I'm really hungry. Vegemite sandwich time, perhaps.

Won't be too much longer before I'll be home and you can stop feeling obliged to read my travel novels. Until next time… No worries mate!