Have been a bit slack in updating this journal so here goes. I left Townsville and spent new years on Magnetic Island - didn't go to the big backpackers party because all the tickets had sold out but i wasn't fussed and it was all house music anyway which isn't me. Spent the night at the hostel resort where i was staying and had a nice chilled evening - a possum even joined us. After leaving Magnetic i got the greyhound up to Cairns and have been here nearly a week now. Last night i got back from a two day one night trip up to Cape Tribulatuion - which was pretty fun i stayed in Crocodylus - a budget resort that is right in the rainforest. Whilst there i went on a 3 hour night walk through the rainforest and saw loads of spiders, crickets, cicadas, moths, a lizard or two a huge dragon fly thing and a small snake aswell as roosting chickens, frogs and a cane toad (which our guide (called possum- i'm guessing its not his real name) would have killed by jumping on it's brain if we weren't there - they are big pests in the rainforest since they aren't natives) and a bandicoot when we got back to the resort!!! Was good fun and not as scarey as it could have been! I got free meals at the resort because i helped to serve up the evening meal so i got that free and the added bonus of a free breakfast - all home cooked!! It was a really cool place to stay. Other things on the trip - saw a crocodile on a river cruise - it wasn't a very impressive one though but still i can say i've seen one - just would have made a better photo if it was one of the 5 metre ones!! Also stopped off in Port Douglas for a bit of the afternoon - was a really nice place and would have been good to stay longer.

Anyway i'm now back in Cairns - going on a reef day trip in a couple of days and finally going to dive the great Barrier Reef - as long as the sore throat i've got doesn't turn into a cold and bung up my head. Been lazing around the lagoon with the two Louise's that i first met in Brisbane which has been fun. There's not too much else to do in Cairns - except shop, buy a million and one types of Australiana and walk around. It's not a cultural city - although i will go to the art gallery i think and have a wander along the esplanade. Going to Kuranda on Friday with Louises and then headed down on the train to Brisbane at the weekend - a long journey!! planning to make my way to Melbourne via Sydney and Canberra (short stops) and pop over to Tasmania. Then think about work - all these trips are zapping my bank balance!