Thankfully we had a lay in this morning as we didn't have to check out till 10.30. We missed breakfast and slowly started to pack our stuff up and get ready to leave. Today was the end of the tour for some people, most of which I'm not overly bothered about, but it was Courtney's last day too. She was the first person we met when we got out here and we'd all been friends since. It's amazing how close a group of friends can become in only 11 days when you're living with them day in day out. The time came for her shuttle to take her to the airport so we walked her down to reception. And then the tears started - she didn't want to leave and we didn't want her to either. We waved her off and headed back to the room to finish packing. A few people had been out quad biking this morning but had to check out before they went, so our bathroom then became a communal area, operating a one in one out system. It passed the time while we were waiting to be picked up for the airport though.
One of the girls out here had got a bug bite which had gradually got worse and become infected. She's been to and from the hospital for jabs etc but nothing was working so she was admitted this morning for a few days. Apparently there is a lot of dead skin in the area and it's all starting to rot a bit where it's infected (Jesus it turns my stomach every time I think about it). She's got to have it operated on to have bits removed and could be stuck in Alice Springs for weeks. She's travelling with 2 of her friends and they're staying with her till she's well enough to move. So it looks like they're going to miss out on the whole of the east coast which is really sad for them. We said goodbye to them too this morning and signed a card for them to give to Tania bless her.
It was then time to head to the airport for our flight to Cairns. We get a new tour manager and driver today so it meant saying goodbye to Jara and Tim at the airport. Sad times and inevitably, more tears. They were such a good laugh and it's a real shame that they're not coming over to the coast with us. But a new chapter is about to begin so it's all good!
We milled around Alice Springs airport (there's 18 of us going over to the coast) and boarded our 30 minute flight to Ayres Rock airport. This obviously meant flying over it so that was pretty cool to see it from the air and it was hard to believe that only a few days ago we were walking round it. We got off and back on at Ayres Rock and carried on over to Cairns (in a Qantas Boeing 717 FYI Dad, but you're such a loser you probably already know that). These planes bounce around all over the shop too. We have been fed on both flights though so we cant really complain I guess.
As I'm writing this bit, I'm currently somewhere over a massive sandpit, about 30 minutes from Cairns. It's only when you're up here that you really what a bloody big load of nothing Central Australia actually is. I've got a window seat but it's effectively worthless as all I can see is sand! Will be cool coming in over Port Douglas etc though. The pilot just said its 28 degrees at the moment and it's 6pm here. Awesome. Our lowest temperature in the outback was 26 degrees and it was 35 today when we left. It's been just above 30 most days really so looks like the hot weather is continuing!
We landed in Cairns and were greeted by our new tour manager John, and our driver, Horse (his real names Mark but he's so huge they call him Horse)?! They took us to our hotel on the coach and we all checked in. Oh my days, it's such a nice hotel!! Awesome pool with swim up bar, mini bar in room, lush bathroom, nice balcony. This is where I should be - not some bloody bunk bed prison cell!! But I wouldn't change the last 11 days for the world!
We had half an hour to get changed before heading out for dinner with the new people joining our group. We went to The Woolshed which was a backpacker type bar/pub but we were all so tired from our last few days that we weren't in the mood tonight. We've kinda gone from lots of small groups, to one big group now that there are new people joining us. I'm sure it'll ease off once we get to know people but it's a very bizarre feeling now that our group is so close! Will be an interesting first couple of days! Needless to say, we stayed out for dinner then came back to the hotel. I've bagged myself a double bed for the next 3 nights too - touch! Up early tomorrow for the Great Barrier Reef boat trip and then into town for dinner at a nice restaurant and a frog and toad bar hop (pub crawl). It's also Jades birthday tomorrow so its gonna be a top day in so many ways!......