The following morning we awoke to pouring rain. Out to the west a cyclone was nursing its wrath. (Post script - Cyclone Dylan ripped through the Whitsundays a few days later and wrecked havoc on poor little Daydream Island.) This was seriously bad news because this was our only opportunity to get out onto the Great Barrier Reef to do some snorkelling and see the life under the waves. Down at the wharf it was still bucketing when we boarded our catamaran. We ...

Spear Fishing at Port Douglas Port Douglas more than made up for the trouble taken in getting there. We met up with an Aboriginal guide who took us spear fishing through a mangrove swamp and out along the shore as the tide went out. We started off with some spear throwing practice which demonstrated that anything smaller than a barn door was perfectly safe. As we walked into the mangroves we spotted a "Beware of the crocodiles" sign. Our native guide ju...

Onward to Cairns No we didn't sleep in and miss the train. We managed to get up at 4:25am shower, dress, finish packing and join our colleagues for 5am. The bus to the station didn't turn up so taxis to take us to the railway station in Proserpine were hastily arranged and we still managed to get to the station half an hour before the train was due to arrive. We were met on the platform by the station manager who was clearly surprised to see us. "You haven't...

Whitsunday Islands We arrived from Byron Bay by air and then made our way by ferry to Daydream Island in the Whitsundays. It is the smallest resort Island in the group of 74 islands and is stunningly beautiful. You can walk from one end of the island to the other in about 15 minutes and experience another wonderful view at each turn. There are lots of Kangaroos roaming around the lawns where they seem to be employed in keeping the grass short. It is a family ori...

Byron Bay It's not as glamorous as the pictures may have suggested. We both ache all over. In particular, Susan's arms, shoulders and back are aching and she has a big bruises on her arm and thigh and I have bruised ribs which are sore when I breath. At the time we didn't feel the injuries in our enthusiasm to become Byron Bay surfing dudes. After some yoga exercises to warm up muscles that may not have been used in a while we had a demonstration and some...