My long 28 hour journey from Fiji to Australia came to an end when I landed in Cairns on the 19th May after my 16 hour wait in Auckland airport. I arrived in Cairns at 11am and after getting my hands on some Aussie money for the first time from the ATM, I found the shuttle bus that had arranged to pick me up and take me to my hostel which was called Globetrotters International. The hostel let me check in straight away which I was thankful about as I was knackered. The room was really good too as there were five beds but only ever three of us in there plus we had our own kitchen and dining area plus our own bathroom and a really nice big TV. After getting unpacked and meeting my roommates I tried to get some sleep as I was still feeling the effects of the long day of travelling I had experienced. But it was so difficult to get any sleep as it was quite noisy as the TV was on plus people were in and out like yo-yos. So I thought better of it so went and explored Cairns, nipped into the supermarket to get a few supplies which included 200 home brand tea bags.....oh yes....they weren't that great mind you as it needed two teabags every cup of tea but they were cheap. Then I went into a few travel agencies to find out some prices for trips that I wanted to do in Australia. I decided to book in Peterpans in the end as they were the cheapest and were also the company that everyone had recommended that I go with.

I booked my Cape Tribulation, Snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, Whitsunday and Fraser Island trip with them and they gave me quite a bit of discount so I got a good deal. After this I went back to the hostel and put my goodies in the kitchen that I had brought and cooked up some pasta and sauce which I hadn't had for ages following the excellence of the food that I ate in the resorts in Fiji so pasta actually made a nice change. After this I had to take an early night as I was shattered and had to be up bright and early for my trip in the morning.

The trip I had booked for the following day was to Cape Tribulation, the bus was due to pick me up at 7.30am but it was late and did not get there until 8am which left me a little worried that it wasn't going to come and get me as it was so late. But it arrived and from there we made the trip up towards the rainforest, Cape Tribulation is famous because it is where the Great Barrier Reef meets the rainforest. It is a good few hours north of Cairns. The tour guide was really good, he told us all about the views out of the window and a little about the wildlife and such things in Australia as we drove to our first stop which was to Port Douglas to pick a couple of people up, he then continued the running commentary about Australia as we drove to Daintree river which was our first real stop. We were there for about an hour or so and in that time we got to cruise down the river in a boat and spot crocodiles in their natural habitat, there was a crocodile hunter on board analysing the scene for us as well as trying to spot them, we got given free tea and biscuits as we entered the boat. We saw many crocs of all different sizes from tiny baby ones to older 6 metre long crocodiles which the guide pointed out had many scars on their faces and worn down backs where they had been fighting over the years. It was really enjoyable especially for me as it's the first time that I had seen crocs in the wild. From the Daintree River we got back in the minibus and made our way to Cape Tribulation, once we arrived we did a boardwalk around the rainforest with our tour guide who pointed out various stuff along the way and gave us information on all the plants and wildlife living there. We then got to take a stroll along the beach to see where the rainforest meets the reef after another short drive before we walked back to a restaurant where we were given a free lunch that consisted of burger and chips. After this we started to head back to Cairns, but stopped off at various places along the way, the first of which was Mossman gorge, a stunning gorge surrounded by different rock formations with a brilliant waterfall, the braver people amongst the group swam in the water despite the chilling temperature of the water. After about 45 minutes at the gorge we were on the move again this time to the town of Port Douglas where we had picked people up earlier in the day, we dropped them back off here and were given a chance to explore the upmarket town, we started off by taking in the beach before strolling through town, it was quite a posh little place and after 45 minutes here we continued on to our last attraction which was Palm Beach, one of the many beaches that makes up the northern beaches in Cairns, this was also a very upmarket area of town with various fancy bars restaurants and hotels overlooking the beach. We drove through here and then made our way back to our hostels, I had pasta and sauce again for dinner, and decided I needed another early night as with another trip early the next morning and still tired from a long day at Cape Tribulation and my long flight I was feeling rather sleepy. It was a brilliant day up in the rainforests of Cape Tribulation and gave me my first taste for the wildlife of Australia.

The next morning I had to be out of the hostel by 6.20am as I had to walk to the dock to start my trip to the Great Barrier Reef, which was a good 20 minutes walk away, as I had to check in at 6.45am and board the boat at 7am. The boat was called Passions of Paradise. Upon boarding we were sat down and asked to fill out a consent form to find out if we had any health problems and basically to say if anything goes wrong whilst we are snorkelling then it's our fault. We were given free tea and cake and then went and sat out on the deck to take in the rays as it was a perfect day. It was then about a two hour journey before we reached an island where we were able to snorkel, the island was covered in birds and most of it was sectioned off as it was a national park so access was restricted to a small section and if we crossed the rope there was a stupidly overpriced fine. We were provided with all our snorkelling gear and then set free in the waters on the Great Barrier Reef, we were giving a goof hour and a half free to roam the waters, and what was beneath them was stunning, the Great Barrier Reef gets a lot of hype and I can tell you it is all deserved as the coral was amazing, the fish were stunningly different bright colours which were all huge and went round in big groups together, the sound of the fish eating the coral was so funny. I also got to swim alongside a turtle followed by a shark which was awesome, I tried to keep up with them but they were so fast and swam away quickly but I got to follow them for a good couple of minutes at least before they strode away. The waters were crystal clear as well which made it excellent for viewing the spectacular colours of the fish, it truly was an incredible experience and the best snorkelling I have ever experienced and maybe ever will after all it is the Great Barrier Reef. We had to board a little boat to be taken back to our big sailing boat once our time snorkelling was up, and then we were served a free lunch on board the boat which was served buffet style and was a right feast of good food. We then got to experience fish feeding on the Reef, as the crew threw food over the edge of the boat and these enormous fish came and ate it all up in one bite. After this we went to a different location to go snorkelling in a different place on the Great Barrier Reef, the location was privately owned by Passions of Paradise the company that we were travelling with so they had the rights to the snorkelling spot meaning we were the only group there. The snorkelling was again excellent, not quite as good as the first location but the fish were still stunning, all with beautiful colours on amazing coral in the blue waters. We were given about 30 minutes to snorkel at this location.

Once this time was up, we boarded the boat once again took off our wetsuits and snorkel gear and sat out on the deck to dry off and get some more sun. We then made the few hour trip back to the port in Cairns. En route back we were served tea and biscuits as well as cheese and crackers. We arrived back in Cairns at about 5pm, I then called in the Greyhound office to book my bus to Mission Beach and find out my internet code, and then went into Peterpans to use their internet and book my bungy jump for the following morning. After which I went back to the hostel arriving back at around 7pm, I had pasta and sauce again for dinner, which I was now getting used to eating for dinner after a two week break from it in Fiji, used the internet and then went to bed as I was knackered from all the activities I had done the previous couple of days.

The next morning, it was Saturday 22nd May and I got to have a little bit of a lie in as I wasn't being picked up to do my bungy until 11pm, so I made the most of a few hours extra sleep before getting up around 9.30am to psych myself up for the jump later in the day. After showering and having breakfast, it was 11am which meant it was time to be picked up by the minibus which got me from outside my hostel, we then picked up a couple of other people and then made the trip to the jumping location which was about 15 minutes outside of central Cairns, during this journey I was getting more and more worried about what was in store for me, we eventually arrived and had to check in at the main desk and were then weighed and asked whether we wanted a video and picture package as well which I did. After this we then had to make the long walk up the steps to where we were to jump from.

It took a few minutes to walk to the top and at each level there was a viewing point over the lake that we jumped head first into, and it made me feel sick just looking at how high we were and I wasn't even at the top. Once I reached the top 50 metres which is the height of my bungy jump looked incredibly high, if you could appreciate the surroundings at such s time they were stunning as the jump was set in the heart of a lush rainforest, we had the option of getting dunked in the water in the lake at the bottom of the jump and I thought if I'm going to do it I may as well do it in style so got dunked in the water. I was sat down and got my harness on and my feet strapped together and was now starting to get incredibly scared, I couldn't help but look down to see how far up we were which of course was a massive mistake as the view down was incredibly scary, I got to the edge and was told to go so I bent my legs and got ready to jump but my legs turned to jelly and didn't want to move so I bottled the first attempt as I was petrified but I thought the longer I stand at the top and look down the worse it's going to get so I went for it and jumped at the second time of asking, and it was so scary yet such a great feeling at the same time, you get an incredible adrenaline rush but I was delighted when the jump was over, first the bungy cord flings you up and down a few times before you come to rest and have to grab a stick and be hoisted onto a boat in the water below, it was such a relief to eventually get onto dry land however, I can safely say that the bungy was my first and last, it just petrified me, it was an achievement and I'm glad I can say I did one, but it was so different to a skydive as I would do another skydive without question as it was so much fun and you have an instructor who controls the jump, but the reason the bungy was so much scarier was because you actually physically have to throw yourself off and have the balls to do it, the people working there aren't allowed to push you off so it makes it so hard being able to have the guts to push yourself off of the edge. Once I was back in the reception area I got to view my video and was given it along with my pictures and then got to watch other people do their bungy jumps, and there was one girl that took at least 10 minutes to jump off which didn't make me feel anywhere near as bad. I then got the free shuttle bus back to my hostel at 12.30pm which got me back at lunchtime, I was greeted by the owner upon my return and she told me that the cleaners had been in and chucked out all the food in the room as they thought everyone had left the room so she gave me 5 dollars in compensation even though my food was valued nowhere near 5 dollars so I was actually quite pleased, especially as they left some noodles behind which weren't mine, meaning I could have them for lunch as there was no one else in the room, I had them with a cup of tea and watched some of an AFL game and picked up the rules quite easily and actually got quite into the game.

After this I went for a stroll around the city to take in the very few sites for one last time, the lagoon was being done up at the time I was there and there are no beaches in central Cairns. I called in at the supermarket and Peterpans before making my way back to the hostel, when I got back I spoke to my parents of Skype and then had dinner which again was pasta and sauce. After this I stayed up to watch the championship playoff final, which Blackpool came out on top in against Leicester, so all I can say is good luck in the premiership Blackpool! Then I went to sleep for a few hours and set my alarm so that I would wake up for the champions league final in the early hours, I woke up bang on time but then our TV decided to break and wouldn't turn on so despite numerous efforts to get it to work, the TV wasn't having any of it so I had to give up and go back to bed to get some sleep before my first ever greyhound bus to Mission Beach.

Love Toby xxxxx