Ugh, the next morning I was up really early, and off to snag the rental car, which turned out to be a Daihatsu Charade, aka the Red Rippah. With its bold hatchback design, 12-inch tyres, and manual transmission on the left, it was the perfect vehicle for exploring the mountainous terrain and pothole filled roads surrounding Cairns. I drove around town for a bit, getting used to driving on the left, shifting on the left, roundabouts, and hitting the wipers everytime I wanted to signal. Decided not to signal anymore, especially in roundabouts. Soon, however, I found it was like roidin' a boike, so I went back to the hostel to get my stuff, popped in the didj CD I bought on Circular Quay in Sydney, picked a destination (Kuranda), and was off. Sabrina and company were not due to be back at their hotel in Port Douglas until 5pm, so I had wheels and a day to kill.

After a couple of scenic wrong turns (basically guided by the map on a placemat), I hit the winding mountain road up into the Atherton Tableland and put the 1.0L engine to the test. Amazing switchbacks were tossing the small car around even at 40km/h. Finally reached Kuranda, which is one of those little villages that the hippies retreated to in the '60s, now full of craft and souvenier shops (stuffed toads drinking Guiness, kangaroo wallets, alligator toe keychains - but to be fair, some beautiful local art) , butterfly and koala sanctuaries, venom museum, and oh, some rainforest.

I didn't really feel like lining up to cuddle a koala or anything like that, so I opted for the Jum Rum jungle walk, basically a walking path. I got into the rainforest a bit, and was soon lost from town except for the path. I stopped, shut my eyes, and took in the dense layers of sound from the birds in the area. I took a step forward, and hear this "crunch". I looked down, only to see that I had stepped on this little gecko and crushed it, its now separated tail still thrashing around on the path. That's right Conrad, travel to far away places, find exotic creatures, and kill them. I resolved to watch my step a bit more carefully, and carried on. It paid off, as I saw another gecko in the tree, and snapped a picture.... it was alive when I left it, I swear. As the day wore on, I got to realize how little of a novelty geckos really are here, although it doesn't excuse my clumsy feet. I also saw a couple of huge spiders, some crazy grubs falling out of a tree (they travel on the ground as a single unit, and collectively wave their tails if threatened - and apparently to touch them would give the rash of your life). I also saw the biggest butterfly/moth I have ever seen, just chilling out on a step near the Gent's toilet, meaning I saved myself 14 bucks from the sanctuary.

I got back in the Red Rippah, and carried on to Barron Falls, as you guessed it, a big waterfall. Took in the sound and the sense of space, then hopped back in the car, back down the mountain, and off to Port Douglas. A little way north up the Captain Cook Highway, I came over a crest, and suddenly I was driving along the coast. Jeepers! I pulled over the side of the road and high-tailed it to the beach, which was empty except for a couple of guys with the wedding tackle splayed out. After having to settle for the lagoon in Cairns, this was definitely the ticket. I walked along for a bit, watching little shellfish burrow back into the sand after every wave, then back into the Red Rippah once again.

The drive along the coast, with mountains to my left and the plain between filled with sugarcane, was suitably windy and fun to drive. I reached Port Douglas, and was met by rows of manicured palm trees and country clubs. Finally met up with my friend Sabrina, her boy Jeff and sister Charlene. They had been in town for a week, and after adventures of their own, as well as a bug which ripped through the three of them, they were winding down. We went and got some food, and then all of us hit the sack pretty early.

The next day (uh, this would be the 18th), we were up, had a quick look around town for last minute souveniers, and then off to Four Mile Beach, which runs along the side of town. After playing in the waves and sunning, we parted ways. Sab and company were flying back to Brisbane in the afternoon, and I still had the Red Rippah and wanted to check out Mossman Gorge (and maybe hit that mountain road again!!) I had been debating whether to spend some time in Port Douglas post-Cairns. Scenically and beachically (?), it was nice and tropical, and somewhat what I had been expecting to find in Cairns. However, it felt very family, couple, and group oriented, not a lot of opportunity for a solo traveller to find a niche. Good to know.

Mossman Gorge is adjacent to a little Aborigine village, which you drive through to access the park (including the most brutal speed bumps I've every seen - rocks cemented in the road. The Red Rippah handled them remarkably well, but I was grateful that it was a rental!) A nice place with a rainforest walk, rapids, layers of birds, trees tangled amongst trees, and WHOA - what the heck is that?? A tree kangoroo sitting on the path right in front of me, my camera is dead...
Arghh! Put new batteries in, and the thing was still there, hopping around, but my camera was set on some stupid setting and making everything blurry. It looks like a kanga - muskrat hybrid, and jumps like one, but is about the size of a beaver. I guiltily followed it off the path for a bit to see if I could get a better snap, but was only slightly rewarded. I didn't want to push the issue too much, both for the preservation of the park and my own safety, so I settled for what I had.

Drove back to Cairns without event, except that I paid only $18 bucks in gas for the whole adventure. That night, I went out on Cairns for a bit to say g'day to some Irish travellers I'd had the odd drink with, and may try to hook up at some point and surf with one who'll be in Bondi. We'll see, I'm taking this thing one week at a time. It wasn't a late night, since I had to get up, go to school, and pass a medical the next morning.

The next morning, I got up, went to school, and passed my medical. Scuba baby, yeah!!

By the end of day one, I'd done a morning of theory, and spent the afternoon at the bottom of a 4m pool, getting used to equalizing the pressure in my ears, communicating, taking my mask off. I was blown away, and can't even imagine what the Reef will be like. That night (which was last night) I went to this programme called Reef Teach run by an Irish guy named Paddy who is a dead ringer for Michael Palin. Similar delivery to Monty Python as well. Rapid fire, informative and entertaining, he went over the various life we would be seeing on the Reef, info about the coral, the toll taken by both man and the elements, how to better view and photograph the reef, as well as some scuba tips and free cookies! Worth it for 13 bucks. I could have bought a ton of books and things, but the thought of having to lug it for another three months is keeping me from picking up more than I need. Aside from newspapers and tourist propaganda, that is.

Ah, which finally brings me to today. Spent more time in the pool in the morning (with less sleep than I should have due to some boys from Brisbane, Phil from Brighton, and Kelly from Van - evil, the lot of 'em), learned more theory in the afternoon, and then finally hit the hay for a few hours. Now I'm here at the Net cafe, I've got a bit of the sniffles, but good enough for diving! Tomorrow, I'm up early to head out on a boat for a few days. I'll be doing 5 dives for my open water certification, then 4 more for recreation, one of which will be at night. So I'm off, I'm having a terrible time, and I'll be trying to avoid the Brisbane dudes for my own health. Out.