May

29

Frasier Island, largest sand island in the world! Central Station, walk through Pile Valley along Wanggoolba Creek, 75 Mile Beach, Cathedrals (colored sand), Maheno shipwreck, float down Eli Creek, see first dingo

30

Fraser Island: Indian Head, Champagne Pools, Middle Rock, Rainbow Gorge, heard snake in bush (seen by others) -- aaaaahhhh!

Perform "Love Shack" at Kareoke night (sadly without leopard capri pants)

1

Fraser Island: swim in Lake Wabby and in Lake Mckenzie; return to Hervey Bay

2

bus to Rockhampton where I cross the Tropic of Capricorn; spend night in Yeppoon, get to hold new baby to make up for missing the April births of Marguerite and Tom's and Meredith and Mike's babies

3

Great Keppel Island: sea-kayaking, saw great sunset

Ailment of the Week Double Header: Rotator Cuff injury returns (duh, think there's any relationship to that and the kayaking?) and mystery cough develops

4

Great Keppel Island: Long Beach, saw snake -- aaaahhhh!!

Still coughing and annoying others, no doubt

5

Great Keppel Island: Monkey Beach (hike there reaffirms limits of the toe)

Supposed to go to Mackay, ditch plans, change all reservations for a day, and stay in Rockhampton due to cute man on ferry (F.I.L. -- what number are we on? 5? Not counting surfing beaches, of course.)

Leopard capri pants go on dinner date

6

7

Eungella National Park: hike and swim in Finch Hatton Gorge; see platypus (finally!) at Broken River

Other tour participants worry about woman with TB in their midst; mysterious cough is accompanied by high fever -- think my body is trying to tell me something?

8

Happy Birthday, Suzie

9

Treat myself to a massage even though it is the equivalent of what I pay for 3 nights lodging.

Happy Birthday, Aunt Adah

10

Spacing out and coughing in Airlie Beach

Happy Birthday, Aunt Augusta

11

Embark on 3 day sail around the Whitsunday Islands. Dolphins dance for us as we leave the harbor. Go to Silica Bay for a swim and watch sunset with appetizers and wine on Hasslewood Island.

One of the owners of the boat is a chef who doesn't treat my dietary needs as a nuisance, but rather sees it as a challenge. After a very tasty meal I tell him I have married for less.

12

Still sailing/cruising (and coughing) in the Whitsundays with incredibly beautiful weather: Whitehaven Beach and hike on Tongue Point on Whitsunday Island; snorkeling at Border Island and Manta Ray Bay on Hook Island.

13

Still sailing/cruising in Whitsundays: Nara Bay hike to rock pools for dip; saw reef shark (but not while I was in the water!). Bang knee hard on steering wheel, boat stays afloat anyway.

14

long bus ride to Mission Beach

15

Hanging out in Mission Beach

Begin to figure out that I am highly allergic to tropical Queensland (hence the coughing).

16

Dunk Island: Do island circuit hike and swim including Muggy Bay, Mt. Kootaloo, Coconut Beach, Brammo Bay

17

Mission Beach, bus to Cairns

18

Snorkeling on Great Barrier Reef, Saxon's Reef

19

Cairns

Allergy medicine finally accumulates enough so that coughing is minimal.

20

Skyrail to Kuranda with intermittent rainforest walks. Markets, butterfly sanctuary, scenic train back to Cairns

21

Atherton Tablelands: Cathedral Fig; Curtain Fig; rainforest walks; 3 waterfalls -- Millaa Millaa (swam here -- brrrr), Zillie, and Ellinjaa; stayed in Yungaburra

Happy Birthday, Carole and Kim

22

Atherton Tablelands: Bike ride (former bike wimp Deborah overcomes fear of riding on a road with cars -- aaaahhhhh!) to Lake Eacham in Crater Lakes National Park; walk in rainforest, saw a snake -- aaaahhhh!; canoeing on Lake Tinaroo

back to Cairns

23

Daintree River cruise, saw 2 crocodiles and one tree snake, did not hyperventilate

rainforest walk on Marrdja Boardwalk in Daintree National Park

Cape Tribulation, fascinating conversation with F.I.L. #6, walk to Myall Beach, collect coconut and eat it that night after great difficulty opening it (my Swiss Army Knife does not have a machete)
great beach sunset that made the water look lavender

Happy Birthday, Sarah, Colleen, and John B.

24

Cape Tribulation: beach walk, discover that F.I.L. #6 is gay; exotic fruit tasting; swimming hole (no crocs or stingers); Myall Beach, collect another coconut; another rainforest walk on Dubuji boardwalk; Cape Tribulation beach

Waste no time in replacing F.I.L. #6 with F.I.L. #7

25

Cape Tribulation beach walks; Mossman Gorge; "Carnivale" street party in Port Douglas with two of my favorite things -- a parade and fireworks

26

Snorkeling on Great Barrier Reef, Agincourt Reef
more Carnivale in Port Douglas, this time a Food & Wine Festival

Happy Birthday, Amanda

27

more Carnivale -- a Seafood Extravaganza -- in Port Douglas

Four Mile Beach

28

back to Cairns to try to figure out how to get to Sydney (thousands of miles away) by Friday

uploading tons of pictures -- which you'll soon see!

29

Cairns

Tjabukai, the Aboriginal Cultural Center where I successfully threw a boomerang several times! And finally successfully threw a spear (no one was hurt).

Dance on tables at infamous Woolshed bar

30

Cairns

Lazy day, listen to noontime music on the town stage; get flights set to Sydney

31

Cairns

Happy Anniversary, Kathie and Jeff

1

Change of plans -- was supposed to fly to Bangkok via Seoul, flew to Sydney instead

2

Sydney (actually staying in Coogee, a beach town): beach cliff walk to Bondi Beach

Darling Harbour and Fish Opera in the evening