Now really to 'down under'.....

From Port Macquarie we travelled up the Queensland coast and Surfers Paradise to Brisbane. Like everywhere else the beaches are stupendous and the activity on the beach non stop. How they do it I do not know - up and down and paddling out and up and down and in and paddling out again - on and on and on it seems. What fun.

At Brisbane we caught a plane to Cairns and spent a day on the The Great Barrier Reef. I was so proud of myself as I am a scaredy cat when it comes to water. I told the ships' crew and they were so supportive, knowing that I wanted to try everything but was frightened. They suggested a wet suit for both protection from the sun and flotation purposes and then they gave me a noodle to keep with me in case I panicked. It was tremendous. As you see I really did do it and loved every minute of it ....well nearly every minute. I had a couple of desperate noodle 'hangings on' when I needed to stabilise my breathing but I got so entranced watching the under water life that I forgot to be afraid......almost forgot to keep my mouth tight around the snorkel too hence the use of the noodle!!!

We swam close to where Steve Irwin died the following day! It made the dangers real but at the time I was not afraid and was enchanted by the movement of the coral and the hiding places of the colourful fish.