CAIRNS

We arrived in Cairns via Qantas three nights ago and have been go go go ever since. We were up and at em on Sunday to go to the Outer Great Barrier Reef and do some snorkling etc. It was fun but very windy and cloudy with rain at times. The reef just looked dull greeny gray but we got to do it and had several pics taken and so I bought 5 different ones. It was an all day event and a good portion of our time at the reef we spent in the water. Both of us enjoyed our time exploring and looking and touching the huge fishes that were around the platform where we jumped into the water. Feeding time and we swam and snorkled around the fish.

Several people were seasick but we were fine. Took ginger tablets and they work - no nausea!!!

Today we spent in a rainforest. Quite an experience. We went up the mountain into one of the World Heritage rainforests, took a "DUCK" tour on land and water, had a barbeque lunch, went to the zoo, had our picture taken holding a koala bear - which is really related to the wombat. Then we tried to throw a boomerang - no luck for me. Watched a spear throwing demo. Wow, can those things go a far distance to nail a kangaroo!!! Really interesting demo.

We went up the mountain on a narrow gauge rail coach and came down on a skytram. The Skytram is awesome. You are so high above the rainforest that you see things you would miss on the ground. It is so dense that you could not see the floor. Very interesting what it is like up there.....Felt like Medicine Man....

Well, we are off to an Aboriginal dance tomorrow evening complete with dinner (Wednesday). Thursday we are off to Sydney and shopping, touring and going into the opera house. Then we are home August 31, later in the evening. I will write a lot more then and lots of details with pictures. This trip has been wonderful but not without its problems, some serious.

More soon.......

Nancy Q & April too