Gigantor and Stinger save the day!!

So, after a miserable few days on Magnetic Island in the relentless rain we finally got back to Townsville on the mainland where we checked into a hostel with Soph, Matt, Jess and a bunch of our Oz exp mates to wait out the flooding. You would think by now they wud have sorted out some sort of system to stop the roads flooding. Severe depression began to set in when Dad informed me that people have been known to be stranded in Townsville for weeks....believe me, not a place you want to get stuck!

However.....an hour after we checked in news that the Oz bus was going to try and make it through was spreading. Very exciting seeing as not a single Greyhound bus had left in 4 days! Jen and I were resigned to the fact that we would now be staying in Townsville forever, (alone) until Matt and Jess saved the day!! They had booked a flight out of Townsville so their spaces on the bus were free! So after a bit of sucking up to the bus driver Jen and I officially became known as 'Nat' and Jess and we were on our way!! whooohoooo!

The flooding was so high in some places it was crazy! I couldnt believe the amaount of rain! Guess thats what you get in the wet season - duh!! We had to miss out Mission Beach and delay our white water rafting but wudnt have wanted to do it in the rain anyway. This meant we arrived in Cairns 2 days early which would have been fine if it hadnt rained all week. Nothing to do but shop and get drunk! oh dear! had a great and very cheap nite out in the famous 'Woolshed' (cheeky monkeys of Cairns) using the Oz Exp passes (cheers G and S!) and got free drinks all week coz we got the know all the staff!! More dancing on tables and memory loss - love it!

Big news! Some of you may remember giving me lots of banter before coming away as I 'found' us some friends on the interent doing a similar route to us. Well, a big fat 'in ur face' because we met them!!!! how weird was that! Turns out they had made friends with a bunch of our friends!! Warren, Tom and Leroy. Turns out they are really nice although now think we are weird stalker girls because we have been reading their blog since Thailand and pretty much knew everything they'd been up to!! Gonna meet up with them again in New Zealand so think they have finally accepted that we are not psycos! Plus, I taught them the true meaning of Turbo Shandying - the Guern drinking style never fails - Tomo you would be proud!

Our trip up to Cape Tribulation turned out to be a complete wash out. We went treking in the rainforest in the rain - apparently the best time to see it?? bah!! Saw a platypus in the wild though which apparently NEVER happens. our guide was uber excited! Then went on a river cruise to see crocs, snakes, frogs. Unfortuantely the rain had been too heavy so we had to turn back and cancel our 2 nights up the coast. But lucky us!!! got to go to ANOTHER wildlife sanctury! Seriously, if I see another Aussie animal or bug im going to scream. Koalas are not cute, they smell and sleep! thats it!!

Apart from the failed trip we generally spent our time in Cairns sleeping, drinking and going to the GYM!! Finally some excercise! Not the best week all in all but we were still in good spirits and thankfully the sun came out for our last 2 days in Queensland when we had our diving and rafting days......