Heya Everyone,

I arrived in Magnetic Bay on Friday (Anzac Day) to do some serious diving because the weather in Byron is so bad at the moment we can't go for a week or so.

It took us a good few hours to drive up to Brisbane in Perry's HUGE white bus (that now has 'Perry's Dodgy Tours' written across the side in red marker pen). It was good, I just slept. We arrived in Townsville Friday night and got a ferry across to Magnetic Island (so called because in 1770 when Captain Cook sailed past his compass went mental).

Every day we go to a place called Nelly Bay and do about 3 dives in our snazzy new dive gear (pictures will follow when I get back to Byron - promise). Then I get back absolutly exhausted (from carrying 14kg of weight to cancel out the fact I'm 5m deep in a 7mm wet suit) and sleep on the beach, which is compleatly empty.

We saw a sting ray (wow, exciting) and I cut my hand open on some really sharp coral (i was an abrasion, not a laseration - I've done my first aid course). We lots of coral and some pretty fish. The girls were amazing at the navigation, using a compass underwater, we swam around in a BIG square and the boys bodged it up completely. Yessss!!!!

Got a stunning room. Leaky a.c, bathroom covered in hair and smells of wee, shower falls on your head, room itself stinks of damp and boy smells. I can't wait to get our beautiful girl room back at Byron.

Tomorrow we're getting a boat out to the southern part of the great barrier reef. It's an all day thing, so it should be good fun! Also, we are hoping to hire some 'topless' cars to explore the island on Wednesday (because we need to leave 12hours before flying Dad ;-)

It's really expensive. A can of coke costs 1pound 25. What a rip off. The kitchen here is also crap. There isn't even a cooker. I sense this will be an expensive week.

Miss you all loads and loads,

Will put some photos up soon,

Char xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

P.S I hope eddie hasn't turned into a gay dog.

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