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We got up early on Monday the 7th November and quickly rushed round getting ourselves sorted. We opened the door and there was a massive storm outside, so I left Rachel in the room while I ran round putting the stuff in the car and dumping our sheets in the washing bin. I then headed back to the room to get Rachel and walked up to the door, reached into my pocket to get the door key and……. Oops where's the key, I knocked on the door and Rachel let me in then we franticly looked all over the place for it, finally we thankfully found in at the bottom of the steps. We then made a dive for the car and still got soaked. We drove through the deserted roads which were now streams and headed for the airport, it looked like we were getting out of Darwin just in time.
We got to the airport, handed in the car keys, checked in, went through security (where Rachel got tested for explosives), waited in the lounge, boarded the plane, fell asleep, woke up, landed in Cairns, got off the plane, collected our luggage, went to the shuttle bus terminal, waited for a bus, drove into Cairns and stopped outside the YHA. Well that's the short version of it, if anyone wants further information like the colour of the plane, the mm of rainfall in Darwin etc etc just let me know.
So we arrived in Cairns dumped our stuff in the YHA baggage hold as it was too early to check in, had a quick look at the notice boards and headed off into Cairns to hunt down youth hostel notice boards in search for a car. Day 1, we searched, day 2 we searched, day 3 we searched, day 4 we searched and finally found a winner, or that's what we thought. It was a Nissan Pulsar, sorry to disappoint everyone who was certain I would get another Ford Fusion, unfortunately they don't sell them out here. Day 5 we take the car to be registered…and there's a problem - it has no road worthy (bit like MOT)! The guy selling it to us didn't realise so said he'd get one sorted. Unfortunately it was Friday 3.30 and all garages were closing. So day 6 and 7 we waited over the weekend. Day 8 we await the call that the cars got a road worthy…but turns out it's going to cost the guy $1000 to put right and wont be ready till later in the week…so we keep searching…
Luckily, we popped to 'Wicked' who normally sell campervans but they had a wagon car ready to buy (you can sleep in the back if you want). We decided we'd been waiting too long and were sick of all the dodgey private deals we'd seen and it would be safer to just go with a company instead. (Didn't help so much that on day 1 or 2 we popped into here for a few quotes! Could've been sorted last week hehe). So day 9, we wait (again) for the car to be serviced for day 10 when we can pick it up!
Oh, woops all this hunting and we completely forgot that over the weekend we did a Great Barrier Reef tour. It was a boat trip that took you out to first a bird island, where there was thousands of birds (and people dodging poo!) they took you out to the island on a glass bottom boat where you could see some fish. They provided snorkel gear and flippers and stinger suits (which made you look like a mime artist) and you could snorkel off from the island. We had some time there for a while, and we saw loads of coral, loads of fish all different colours, and sting rays. Some of the sting rays were massive. We then returned to the boat for a lovely buffet lunch. They then took us out to the middle of the ocean to snorkel some more. Here we saw loads more fish and a turtle!! Which was very cool and we got to swim alongside it for a bit. They then took us back to Cairns with the sail up on the boat.
We also did a few other things besides hunting for cars. We went cinema to see 'Crazy Stupid Love' went for a meal once or twice and few drinks. We did a walk along the esplanade. We've been shopping. And lazed in the hostels Jacuzzi. So we have done a bit besides hunting for cars. We now await day 10 the pick up day…
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mum Really enjoyed the latest blog and photos. It all looks so amazing. The spider sounded a bit scary though. lady Shredder would have enjoyed that for her lunch hee hee. I do love hearing all about your adventures. Loads of love Mum xxxx