Australia

What an experience!!! A super cat took us out at high speed to the Reef, some 60k off shore where the weather was perfect - just a slight breeze and some cloud cover, but with the sun promised later in the day. We had hoped to do some scuba diving but because of medical conditions we were not able to do this, but in the end we were glad, as so much time would have been taken up with learning the ropes and we spent all that time snorkelling on the Reef. We first had a ride over the Reef in a glass bottomed boat and learnt about its history, all 18 million years of it, and about the creatures that inhabit it. Very interesting and made the snorkelling much more relevant.

Then with our lycra suits on (very fetching!!!) because of the threat of jellyfish in the area we were off!! There was so much to see and so many fish to keep us amused - all the colours of the rainbow - yes and we found Nemo as well!!! It was all we had hoped it would be.

Then lunch and on to another site on the far side of the Reef and the sun came out. Again, there was lots to see and Bob and I spent a couple of hours just swimming round admiring it all. A brilliant day!!

Today we have been by the pool soaking up some more rays and tonight we watched the sun set over the Inlet at the Marina - not as spectacular as some we have seen but a perfect setting. Apparently Kate Hudson is filming in Port Douglas and has been spotted on a bike riding round the Marina recently!!! (No we weren't sure who she was either!!!)

Bob has organised to meet up with the Mossman Hash tomorrow evening - they are hashing in Port Douglas luckily so we will have another lazy day and then head on down to meet them.

Well, our first day in Sydney was a bit of a disaster as I was very ill and spent most of it in bed and Bob lost a crown and on a visit to the local (Chinese) dentist had to have the root removed!!! Fortunately we had booked a wonderful guest house with hosts Peter and Declan who looked after us really well and tended to our needs. They were also very knowledgable and gave us some good advice which we will be able to use when we return to Sydney over Christmas and New Year. We did manage a quick visit to the Quayside to view the bridge and Opera House before we succumbed, but as it was Melbourne Cup Day (equivalent of our Derby at Ascot) everywhere was packed with partygoers all in their best bib and tuckers so we soon decided to make a retreat back to the pub opposite the guest house. Glad to say we are both now on the mend!!

We have now flown up to Cairns and on to Port Douglas - a beautiful part of Australia, unspoilt at present although with a lot of building work in progress. The weather here is wonderful and warm - a real treat after the last few freezing days in Beijing and Sydney. We have spent the day on the beach, enjoying the bath warm sea but avoided laying under the coconut trees which were a real hazard, regularly shedding their fruit!! We are booked onto a trip tomorrow to the Great Barrier Reef to have a go at snorkelling and scuba diving, which we are both looking forward to.