Hello and greetings from Queensland.

I have finally made it through the outback and back to the coast to Cairns.  Since Darwin, we have been travelling an average of 700km a day to try and cross the outback and there has not even been a lot to see.

We stayed first in Mataranka and enjoyed the thermal springs before bush camping at a place where a trip to the toilet required you to take a shovel with you.  Then onto Mount Isa which is the world's largest city and is the same size in area as Swizerland although it didn't appear to have much to it.

Last night I had the joys of staying in Mount Surprise where the owner of the camping site put on a snake show for us where we could touch and hold the snakes.   I couldn't even stand outside and watch the show (all those snakes squirming around people's necks!), so much to everyone's amusement sat in the minibus.  The owner did try and attempt to get me out of the bus but holding a snake at the same time at the bus door did little to tempt me!

Today we arrived in Cairns.  I got the cable car down to the coast through the rainforest and am now worrying about tomorrow's boat cruise to the Great Barrier Reef.  It's a 9hr cruise and so I'll be on the sea for that long.  And we've been warned to take seasickness tablets beforehand.  I'm really hoping it stays calm.

Anyway, I will let you all know how the cruise goes next time.  Everyone is feeling the cold here as it's only in the mid 20s which if we were in England everyone would declare a hot day!

Monica