Well I'm now in Port Douglas for a couple of days and how very nice it is here too - quite posh and not many of us smelly backpackers around. That said it's a nice rest here and I've heard that its beach (called 4-mile beach) is well worth a visit some I'm going there this pm to cool off in this tropical heat (... and they have stinger nets so I can swim in the sea at last). Anyway I love Oz - that's offical. I was completely awestruck with Cape Trib and the Rain Forest and was completely unprepared for the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef. I took a boat out there for a day trip on Monday from Cape Trib. I chose to go from here as I heard it was less crowded and the reef less spoilt. And what a good choice. Our boat only had 15 people on board and the crew were great fun. We had two snorkelling sessions (I'm still not tempted to dive but could have done as I've got by beginners badge) but even just with a snorkel what a fantastic time and quite beautiful experience. Unless you've done the GBR it's hard to compare it to anything - I think that this is one of the best sights I've had the pleasure of seeing - beats all those temples and mountains. I saw two turtles (one swam right up under me) and also a black fin reef shark and all the coral and rest of the fish was astounding. I could go on forever about this trip but won't and I'm defo going out again when I get further down the coast so I can bore you again then and next time I'm getting an underwater camera. Yesterday lazed around the swimming pool at my Cape Trib hostel in the morning then in the afternoon got a bus to Port Douglas which stopped at Mossaman Gorge - another quite stunning piece of natural landscape and the water was so cool to swim in after a long, very very hot journey. My hostel in Port Douglas is a bit special. It's an Eco Hostel called the Parot Fish Lodge and the floors are all painted like the sea and the walls are decorated with Abo art - and it's spotless and has great big sofas in the tv room and a really good bar downstairs with happy hour - yes I'm happy at this hostel and may come back here for new year as I have to fly out of Cairns to Perth and PD is pretty near the airport and much nicer than Cairns. Well must go now - got that 4 mile beach to visit Take care all V xx