Guess whos Back, back again, Dicky's back, tell a friend... No I don't mean back home!!! After like a month or at least 3 weeks of not updating this blog I have finally stopped in one place for more than one night to actually have a go at this!

Croc Farm

Croc farm is another stop that Oz experience probably get commision from by making us stop there and pay to get in. To be fair though they are always very good so i'm complaining. When we entered this farm we were greeted, or not so much greeted as taken the p**s out of for being English Pommies by this Australian Croc farmer. He was the biggest wind up merchant I had met so far with a great sense of humour. As we looked into the first croc pen I felt something hard and scaley attack my leg... it was the Croc Hunter with a plastic rake! Like I said wind up merchant, but it was really funny. He then demonstrated just how crazy he was by sitting on a Croc's back after smacking it with a rake in the face. I guess he knew what he doing but when Crocs start to attack him its hard to believe hes gonna be ok. Of course he was fine he just smacked it again as he swiftly walked away. He then asked for a volunteer to put their hand in the Crocs open mouth to retreive a tennis ball, no way was I gonna take that risk, im brave but im not stupid!! I didnt beleive it really was safe even though he assured us it was. Some other sucker went for it and as they put their hand towards the huge sharp teeth of the animal with the strongest jaw pressure in the world, the Croc jumped forward and snapped... just after the croc hunter grabbed this persons arm and swung them to safety. He said "What did you do that for it was gonna have your arm off mate!" What a joker, he knew all along that the croc was gonna snap and was more than ready to save whoever was stupid enough to go for it! The "Brave" volunteer got a free coke or something anyway for taking part.

The next part was weird, well, even weirder! The Croc hunter asked me politely if I would be his volunteer. I said ok. The next thing I know he had me standing on top of a bench so everyone could see, and he stuffed the head and half the body of a snake that could potentially bite, down my trousers!!! Not down my pants thank god but still down my trousers. Everyone took pictures and then luckily for me, he chose a good looking girl to help retreive the snake from my trousers. I also won a drink or two for being a good sport. I also tried barbecued crocodile on a stick. I didnt believe him at first when I ate it because it tasted just like chicken or pork. Honestly it was very nice, not weird at all, It was right in the middle of Pork and chicken, mmm.

Heading to my final destination in Australia we got back on the road to Cairns. Like I said before about shooting up to Cairns quickly due to time, I literally had only one full day there. The night we got there around 7.00, the next full day and then I had be up by 3.30 A.M. that night/morning to make my flight at 6.00 A.M. See, cutting it quite close eh. Sarah (the girl I met at Magnetic Island) and I had a complementary meal from Oz experience at the best bar in town and then carried the night on at the bar with other Oz experiencers. I once again won a free jug of beer for my dancing on the table in a competition I didn't actually know was going on, so it was a nice surprise. I don't know if I have mentioned yet how many barmen and other randoms have just come up to me after dancing and rewarded me with beer, about 3 or four different times now in various countries, its great!

The next day I just decided to chill and go internet etc, because there was no activity or anything else I could organise and do in just one day! Whilst on the internet I spoke to Bedford Boy Chris from S.E. Asia tour and discovered he was flying in that day to Cairns. We agreed to meet that night for a few drinks and to watch the final Between Chelsea and whoever else it was!? Eventually Chris turned up and it was great to see him as it has been so far whenever I have seen a friendly familiar face. We had a good night partying and catching up then I went to bed fairly early to make sure I could get up for stupid o'clock in morning so I didn't miss flight.

I had arranged earlier with a strange old reception lady to jump in and share a taxi with two people who had already ordered one through her/hostel to make the ride cheaper for us all. All I had to do was turn up by 4.15 and jump in with them. I got there by 4 jus to be on safe side. By 4.10 I was a bit worried as to why the other two werent there yet. I was very stuck otherwise. Reception was well and truely shut, my phone was dead, there was no phone directory or phone box in sight and no one to ask for the number of a taxi. Just as I began to panic, a German guy pulled up in his hatchback rent car and struggled to get in the hostel gate because there is a code on the padlock u must enter which he had lost. Being the nice guy that I always am, I pulled the slip of paper out of my pocket with the code on, and handed it to him. As he opened the gate and said thank you to me, as a last resort I asked him doubtfully whether there was a chance he would drop me at the airport if I paid him some money. At 4.15 in the morning, this stranger to me, tired Backpacking German, told me to jump in! I couldnt believe it. Backpackers from all over world seem to have a mutual respect and will 99% of the time look after you and help u when u need it, this is what I have discovered so far. It was only a half hour drive but still he could have just gone to bed, he also refused any money as I got out too. And I hate to mention this Karma thing yet again but what another prime example, If i had'nt given him that code I dread to think what the result of that day would be. I made the flight with not that much time to spare, but still safely in time anyway. What a wonderfull world it can be!