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After a couple of laid back days in 1770, we embarked on a 14 hour epic Greyhound journey up to Townsville. A short ferry ride later, and we were on a very sunny Magnetic Island (so called because Captain Cook's compass went crazy when he sailed by). Apparently the island is home to a lot of wild koalas, so our eyes were peeled at all times (unfortunately we didn't spot one the whole time we were there) as we wound our way to the hostel on the other side of the island (Horseshoe Bay - pictured). It has to be the best hostel we have stayed in so far - little cabins were dotted around the rather large site - it was like a luxurious campsite, and we had a cabin all to ourselves! The hostel also had a koala reserve in the grounds, and a lot of wildlife everywhere - kookaburras on signs, possums hanging around by the kitchen, a wallaby in the bushes behind our cabin and a lot of nosiy birds! We headed out for a walk up to the WWII forts near radical bay, which had amazing views of the bays and the beginnings of the sunset. The next day we ventured further afield in search of good snorkelling sites, but a complete lack of a sense of direction meant we found ourselves in Arcadia, so we picnicked on the beach there before trying again for a snorkelling beach. Eventually we found Arthur Bay, but the sea was much too choppy, so I attempted a bit of swim-surfing instead, which was fun!
The next day brought the return to the mainland, and we journeyed up to Mission Beach on an adrenaline hunt - quickly booking white water rafting for Hannah's birthday. Up at 6am the next day to make a pancake breakfast for the birthday girl, we ate more than was sensible before hitting the river... Rafting was amazing fun as we careered down the rapids with our intrepid guide Callum shouting instructions from the back of the boat. Gaelle and I, at the front, spent a fair bit of time just hanging on as we were thrown from side to side. We even lost Gaelle for a bit as she battled with a rock (she came away with a sore nose and a black eye, but the rock was worse off - trust me) midway through a particularly bumpy ride. It was very very fun, and I wish it was my birthday treat! Exhausted but determined to continue celebrating Hannah's birthday, we headed out for a meal in Mission Beach. This was easier said than done as Mission Beach is very, almost unnaturally, quiet, and nowhere seemed to be open. But we found a nce little Italian restaurant, and had a good dinner before we crashed into bed. Still rather tired the next day, we contented ourselves with Scrabble and Monopoly, and a brief shopping trip in Mission Beach before a fry-up dinner.
We boarded our last Greyhound up to Cairns the day after, and after exploring the town we headed for our free dinner at a local pub which was tastier than we were anticipating. We had another early night, in preparation for our snorkelling extravaganza the next day - we boarded Ocean Spirit, a huge boat (one of the biggest in the marina), at 8 in the morning and were greeted with tea and coffee, and the news that a scuba dive was included in the price. Very excited by this discovery, we spent the next 2 hours eagerly anticipating our dive as we sailed to Michaelmas Cay. During a quick snorkelling session, I saw lots of coral and an overwhelming variety of fish - my favourites being the little neon blue ones, the big rainbow coloured ones and the 80s fish (it had neon green and pink lipstick!). We headed back to the boat, and out again for our dive - Gaelle and I arm in arm with the instructor as we are newbies. It was an amazing experience as we got so close to the reef and the fish, and even knelt on the sand to get a closer look at an almightily huge clam (which completely fasicate me). Emerging back onto the boat, we were greeted with a seafood lunch which was very tasty, before we headed back to the beach and more snorkelling - I just floated above a giant clam for a long time... The Great Barrier Reef experience over, we were back on the boat and making our way to Cairns again. Today is our last full day in Australia, which is very sad - it is such a sunny place, and everyone is a lot friendly than in England! The next blog update will be from New Zealand!
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Christine C It's amazing reading you and how much my mind is full of colours and images and adventures ... Have a nice last day in Australia and a perfect trip to your next country!