Just got back from Cape tribulation where i spent 2 days and 1 night. A huge rainforest over 360 million years old just up from Cairns. Was so nice to get out of the city for a couple of days and just relax away from the hussle and bussle of citylife...cape tribulation itself is beautiful-there's just acres of lush rainforest-large mangrove trees, palms, varying exotic trees......a lovely background to the long sandy beaches-many of which are pretty deserted.This...

I'm now a CERFTIFIED OPEN WATER DIVER! WAHOO!!!...and what a place to learn how to dive...THE GREAT BARRIER REEF!! I've just completed a five day course, 2 days of pool/theory work and then we headed out on a boat for 3 days to complete our dives and explore the reefs, about 3 hours from cairns! I was pretty nervous to begin with...the lessons on how to cope with emergencies, such as running out of air (just a minor problem!!!!!) didn't exactly put me at ea...

Just in Airlie Beach at the moment, catching the overnight bus for my final time (wahoo!!) upto Cairns. I arrived in Airlie beach on sunday, the 'gateway to the whitsunday islands'. Nice little town, with main street running through it and lagoon area overlooking the sea and harbour. With the huge number of saling boats moored up all over the shot! If you have enough money for a boat this is one place you'd want to be-must be so nice to just go out and explore th...