First things first - apologies for the incredible delay in updating! This has got to be the longest time between entries since I started the diary! But the simple answer is that I just haven't had a chance to get to the internet to write an entry.....so this could be a big 'un! I'll go back to my last update, and fill you in on everything since! While we were in Cairns, we did 2 day trips - the first to the Great Barrier Reef, and the second to Cape Tribulation. The reef tour was excellent, we went out to Michaelmas Cay (a bird sanctuary - ugh!), where we could dive, snorkel and go on the glass bottomed boat. We went on our introductory dive, and after the first few panicky moments of trying to come to terms with the fact that I actually could breathe under the water, I started to quite enjoy it. Sarah wasn't so keen, so she went back to the boat, and the rest of us basically just swam back to the boat from the beach - it wasn't a long dive (about 20 minutes) but thats probably enough for the first try! I saw lots of fish and coral, and the instructor even showed me a Nemo - I did take a photo but we haven't had them developed yet so god only knows how they'll turn out! The semi-submersible vessel was a very good trip - brilliant views of the reef and we even saw a few turtles. The snorkelling was also incredible - the reef comes right up to the beach so you don't have to go far. Unfortunately, it was somewhat ruined for me when I was attacked by the most vicious fish on the reef.....not a shark as you might imagine but a white damsel - and before any of you laugh I'll have you know it was very painful! I didn't even know fish could bite! To add insult to injury, having bitten me once the little toerag came back and bit me again (and drew blood!) so that was really enough for me! The next day we went on our Cape Tribulation tour which was also excellent. We went on a crocodile cruise (and saw 3!), a rainforest walk, to the Mossman Gorge (incredible but just a teensy bit too cold for swimming!) and to Port Douglas, and absolutely adorable little town. We spent most of the day terrified it was going to pour down with rain (in the rainforest you see) but luckily we managed to avoid it, so we were pretty smug! Our final day in Cairns was spent recovering from a night out with our friends from Surfers, and just generally enjoying the first day of winter by sweating it out at the pool - very bizarre!! From Cairns we flew to Ayers Rock - or Uluru as it should really be known. Flying in was amazing - you go from seeing nothing but red dust and the odd tree to suddenly seeing this immense rock rising out of the earth - it really is awesome. And it looks EXACTLY like it does in the pictures, so we were not disappointed!! We spent our first afternoon exploring the Ayers Rock Resort, Yulara (which took all of about 20 minutes), and then lazed by the pool (fully dressed, it wasn't that warm!) of the posh hotel - the best thing about Yulara is that no matter where you're staying, you can use the facilities at any of the hotels. So us, in the $30 a night 20-person share, could lie by a pool that was heated (shocker!), had sun loungers (even bigger shocker!) and, best of all - cushions on the loungers!! Such luxury! Out in the sun the weather was beautiful, but in true desert style, as soon as the sun drops, so does the temperature, so it was an early night with extra blankets for us!! The next day was our only full day in Uluru, so we had to make the most of it! Ayers Rock is not the only big rock around - Kata Tjuta (formerly known as the Olgas) is lesser known but just as popular over there, so of course we had to fit that in too. So we went for the sunrise tour of Kata Tjuta, followed by the base tour and sunset at Uluru. This involved getting up at 6 to drive out to Kata Tjuta - stopping at Ayers Rock on the way to pick people up, so we were actually there for sunrise instead of the Olgas and then driving over to Kata Tjuta to do the Valley of the Winds walk. This wasn't as windy as you might expect, and in fact was beautiful - we had a bright, cloudless day and the contrast between the red rock and blue sky was incredible. We had a few hours break back at the hotel and then set off again for our base tour. This involved a stop at the culture centre, a walk to one of Uluru's waterholes (apparently the rain cascading down the rock is really a sight to behold) and then a drive right round the base. Its incredible just how different it looks from different angles - and some points its hard to imagine that its just one rock. The size of it really is amazing, I know this sounds daft but it really is immense! The tour finished up with a viewing of the rock as the sun went down. I was expecting a whole range of colour changes, but its not really that dramatic - the rock is red, the sun goes down, and then its brown. Thats it really, but the sky is beautiful and it was a good trip. No matter how many times I looked at Uluru I didn't tire of it, so I suppose it must be pretty good! And the next day, we flew to Perth, where we are now! We arrived on Sunday, and I fear we're never going to want to leave. We are staying with Sarah's Aunt Collette, and she is spoiling us rotten! Between Collette and Sarah's other Aunt Anne, we have had 3 roast dinners since we got here, and countless other home-cooked meals! We have an incredibly comfy room (with no strangers in it) and a whole house to relax in. Words cannot express the luxury!! To top it all off, we're staying with locals, so they tell us all the best places to go, and also give us lifts - its been days now since we've even had to look at a bus! I think going back to hostels and backpacking is going to be a real shock to the system!! Since we've been in Perth we've been to Point Walter (where we saw dolphins about 10 feet off shore), the gorgeous seaside town of Fremantle (so good we're back here for a second visit today!), into the city to go shopping, and to Hillary's boat harbour. All these places are surrounded by water, whether its the river or the sea, and they are all beautiful. The weather is much better than we were expecting - its a bit chilly but its clear and sunny, so we're able to spend all day outdoors without freezing or drowning! All in all, Perth is fast shaping up to be one of my absolute favourites. There's nothing like having locals to help you explore a city - you just see everything in such a better light. And if those locals happen to take very good care of you at the same time then so much the better!! Well, I think thats it - its taken me ages to write all this so I really think I ought to stop! I'll try not to leave it quite so long next time!!