It's tough living the dream... I get hardly any sleep!

We didn't dive today :o(

We hung around Arcadia for a whole hour, then went back into the Dive Shack to be told it was too choppy to go out today, also the visibility was poor and we'd just end up getting washed up. At first I wasn't that bothered, as it meant we had an opportunity to head on back to the hostel and hire a couple of scooters, and spend the day exploring the island since we're leaving tomorrow. Besides, we could always dive in Cairns, right? Well, yes, we could, but it would mean paying an extra $50 as you can't dive off the shore - you have to go on a reef boat trip. So that was a bit of a bummer. But we both really want to do it so we didn't really have much of a choice. Besides, it's only 20 quid extra really, and we get to do a scuba dive on one part of the reef, snorkel on another, have a glass bottom boat tour, go boomnetting (riding inside a net off the back of the boat - rock on!) and our dinner is included, plus coffee, tea, wine and cheese. So I guess it's not all bad!

So now that's booked for Tuesday, we're gonna be having an action packed few days ahead! Tomorrow we have an early start to catch the ferry back to Townsville, to get the bus to Cairns. On the way to Cairns we stop at the AJ Hackett Bungy Site, and although I've not really got the balls - or the money! - to do a bungy, Me and Claire have said we'll tackle the Minjin Swing. It's basically a 40ft long piece of tarzan rope that yourself and two others can swing from horizontally in the middle of the Cairns rainforest. It sounds pretty cool anyway! And much less scary than a bungy. Hopefully.

Then on Monday we're going to the Atherton Tablelands on a waterfall tour with On The Wallaby Tours. It's an all day trip and we'll get to swim under waterfalls and see the real Queensland rainforest up close. And then on Tuesday, of course, we have our Reef Trip. And on Wednesday evening we fly to Darwin. So hopefully we'll have most of Wednesday daytime to explore Cairns, since we'll have been there 3 days and not seen any of it! That's if we're not totally knackered!

So what else have I done today. Well we got the bus back to the hostel to hire some scooters, which by now I'd had my heart set on, but of course, as luck would have it, they'd all been hired out. So we just hung around the beach and stuff until the next courtesy tour bus from the hostel was setting of at 3pm. We got on that with Lucy and Tracey from the boat, and rode over to Horseshoe Bay on the other side of the island (we're in Nelly Bay). We got off and had a bit of a mooch around the few shops, and went in the sea as they had a protective net. Not sure if I've mentioned it, but since it's stinger season (playtime for jellyfish) you cannot go in the sea north of Town of 1770 unless you want to risk being stung by some of the most lethal stingers in the world. Then we chilled out by the bar and waited for the next bus. And on the bus there were some Aussie fresher girls offering us loads of chips! You would never get that on a British bus!

Anyway, came back and made some tea, and Claire has burnt her hand really badly, by - get this - feeling the hob to see if it was on. I don't know. But the poor girl is in masses of pain now and neither of us know much about burns so any advice would be gratefully received.

Gotta dash, catching the bus to the ferry at 6:30am so I think an early night is in order really!