We finally made it to Cairns! WOOT.

Yesterday morning, we got up at 7:30, packed our bags and walked down to the bus station for our daylong adventure. We were taken to the marina by the most beautiful aqua water I have ever seen. We - along with the other 33 passengers - were given a safety briefing and then led to our boat - the "Big Fury" - by a long haired 20-something Aussie named Cam. We had an hour-long boat ride out to the snorkeling bay where we were fitted with masks and fins (not to be confused with "flippers," which are dolphins :) ...), and then we jumped into the beautiful AND FREEZING water. We swam away from the boat and to the reef to see the brightly colored coral and fish. There were all shapes and sizes of both - green, yellow, purple, red, black. We saw a really huge clam, which didn't look like a clam at all. It was grown into the reef and was about the size of a basketball. If I hadn't been told it was a clam, I would have thought it was some kind of alien being. :) Very cool! After an hour, we swam back to the boat and had a cruise around the islands. After another hour, we hit the beautiful white sands of Whitehaven Beach. Apparently, before it was declared a state park, they dug up several tons of it to make the Hubble Telescope... We jumped out and played around in the water for a few minutes before being called to lunch of sandwiches, potato salad, pasta salad, prawns, fruits, etc. It was good and we were hungry! After a little more play, we headed back to Airlie Beach. We walked along the ocean back to our car, then we snuck a shower at the hostel we had already checked out of and hit the road. It was dark by the time we set out, but we drove and drove and listened to our iPod thru the tinny car speakers. Around 10:30, we found a rest stop that clearly said no camping allowed, and pitched our tent between some camper vans, very near other tents that were illegally set up. (We're so rebellious...)

This morning, we woke up bright and early and got back on the road. We arrived at Cairns around 1:30 and found a hostel near the ocean. It is much warmer in Cairns, as everyone said it would be. YAY! So we walked up the street to the lagoona and had a brisk swim, then laid out in the warm sun for about an hour. ahhhhh... After that, we walked around to the many tourist shops and wasted some time until the Woolshed opened at 5:00. The hostel we're staying at offers a free meal here - or you can upgrade to the regular menu for a few dollars more. We totally upgraded! B had a steak dinner and I had a Thai green curry and chocolate cake. YUM YUM! After dinner, we chilled on the couches in the very hip restaurant and watched music videos. Twas good! I've been longing for a couch and a good movie. Couch and music videos was almost just as good!

So now we're back at the hostel doing internet schtuff. We check out by 9:30 in la manana and are heading to the Daintree National Forest. Hopefully there, we won't want to spend so much money! I'm excited to check it out. We're in the wet tropics now, so the scenery is a little different from the scrub brush and eucalyptus trees we've gotten used to. We're also gonna go on a croc tour. Cross your fingers that we don't get eaten. :)

Miss ya!
A