Running around Cairns

G'Day Mate!

Just finishing up my last half hour in Cairns... Love the place, the people are just amazing.

I don't particularly have a great deal of time to tell you all that I've been up to the past 5 days, but I have been keeping notes on the little Netbook I've got... I'll get those up as soon as I can.. Maybe in Melbourne.

What I did want to mention though is the kindness of the people up here in Cairns. My tour guides have been outstanding, and even in Kuranda... can't ask for better. I'll give you a few examples of their hospitality. I had an amazing day in Kuranda two days ago, the skyrail up over the rainforest canopy is outstanding. Then, once in Kuranda, I saw an ad for cuddling with a koala for $15! BEAUTIFUL! so I ran up and got my ticket and went over and cuddled with Hogan.. cute, eucalyptus smelling 30lb Koala. I also got to see a gorgeous little baby koala snuggled with his mom. I took tons of pictures. Even at lunch I took pictures of the newspaper (great story on the catamaran I went on having spotted whales and another on an elephant that was fitted with an artificial limb after having stepped on a landmine).. any case.. no one seemed to think I was strange.. or at least they kept their comments to themselves. :)

From there I went through the shops where I met a lovely lady with a great sense of humour selling kangaroo pelts in various items. I bought postcards from her and asked if I could take a picture of her Roocycling... (even using roo scrotums as pouches!) She even sold Roo G-strings.. lol.. she and I had a great laugh at all that.

Then later, after a rainforest walk, I took the scenic train back down to Cairns. I got seat 13, and had a great view all the way down the mountainside!

Any case.. long story short.. Got home to download all my pictures, I didn't flick the tiny switch to lock my little memory card and before I could blink or even touch a key... my entire card.. 1500 + pictures.. wiped out. My entire day was GONE. I was devastated.

I tried to get out of my tour yesterday.. couldn't do it. So.. I went back today.. for an hour.. (bus was $8 returen rather than $93 via skyrail and train)and met up with the koala lady who let me in to try and take a picture of the baby (no luck.. mom was hiding him) and the other lady with the roo fur also let me take more pictures!

GREAT people!

Well gotta run.. catch my plane!