Hello!

I have been in Airlie Beach for just over a week now. Laura and I didn't realise that this was a town like Cairns, and that there is no beach here, so we have been here too long! There is not much to do apart from sunbathing around the lagoon or if you have money to go out there are lots of bars and clubs, but we don't so we have limited our week here and have had one night out! The first 4 days it was very overcast and even rained, so we didn't even get much of a chance to sunbathe either! But things have picked up in the past few days and we have managed to get outside and also do some shopping.

Yesterday I went on a sailing trip to the Whitsunday Islands. It's also national marine and park area so not many people can go there at once. On whitehaven beach it was just people from our boat on this absolutely huge expanse of pure white sand which was brilliant. We had to go on a bit of a hike before we got there to go to a lookout point and both laura and I nearly passed out from the heat or from just generally being unfit! The sand was so fine that it sqeaked when you walked on it though and it was definately worth the walk.The sea was just amazing, shallow because of all the sand banks through out it. Then we moved on from there and went snokelling. The corals here were so bright and we saw so many more fish here than up in Cairns, and HUGE fish which I have taken a picture of, the boys on the boat though it would be funny to throw the bread they were feeding them with towards me and laura inthe sea so all these horrible big fish came and swam around us and touching us, which was disgusting! It was So cold on the boat on the way back home but there was amazing views. We met a couple of English speaking people on our boat (most were hungarians) and then arranged to go out in th evening with them, you can see them in the pictures.

Tomorrow I am moving on to Hervey Bay or Rainbow Beach, but stopping in the outback to a cattle station to learn how to lassoo cattle and ride a bucking bronco! We haven't decided where to stay after that, yet because we're trying to get to Surfers Paridise in time for my birthday so we can go to a waterpark on the day! From either of the beaches we're staying at you can get to Frazer Island, which is where we will probably do trip to.

Thankyou for all your messages, I promise I will reply to them soon!

Lots of love to you all,

Em xxxxxxx