Mmmm, blogging (or really diarying) creates a certain expectation that one will continue for the duration of the trip.   I am lagging. As I relax more and more, my acuity for retaining the moments of splendour is becoming incredibly more sensory that narrative.       But as Sam McGee said, 'a promise made is a debt unpaid'…even to oneself.

Cairns is another word where Aussie's drop their r's .       Cans, it is.      I love the Jucy RV and campervan rental company that operates in both New Zealand and Australia – all their units are painted lime and fuscia and have catchy little sayings graffiti-painted on the sides.    Like doncha wish your campa was hot like me.      Another R-moment was meeting a fellow named Barry – when I repeated his name in conversation, chat stopped as he and his wife giggled about my harsh pronunciation.      Will miss the rolling hills of Aussie brogue when we get home.     

Now back to the trip.    We’re working our way south, exploring the reef, waters and lands.  Cairns is another place oozing in up-beat, relaxed energy.    The weather is getting predictable – endless expanse of blue skies, 30 degree temps and light humidity – day after day.         We spend what proves to be our best reef day here, an hour and a half offshore.       A water version of Crocodile Dundee, with sun-bleached hair and smile-crevassed face is the marine biologist who gets a small boat to take eight of us out well beyond where any of the plaform-based snorkelers can reach .       We’re floating over the precipice between the reef and the continental shelf drop-off.     As we jump off the boat, I look back at the platform a good distance away and I put my face in to see the drop off, I have to muscle myself to slow my breath.     In.    Out.

Despite being an exceptionally calm day, the swells are likely 5’ and make my stomach wrinkle.      But there are no words to describe the joy.       What an amazing world we live in.     The reefs are coated in a full array of corals – I am reminded of the craft you do as kids, taking different colours of tissue paper, wrapping small pieces on the end of a pencil, and gluing them close together to create pictures.    The corals seemed jammed in together like that.    The reefs, which here are geological formations, with more square footage on their sides than the tops, have every texture, shape or oddity you can imagine.    The longer you look at a spot, the more you see.      And of course, there are fish .   Larger schools here, from dozens to hundreds in a swarm.       Looking down to the depths the water clarity changes in stages to the depths.       Way down we see the shadows of gray whaler sharks, writhing gently on their way.      Also is a sea turtle float only a few feet below and ahead of us, at first curious to check us out and then veering off on his own.       We both returned to the platform happily tired and our thirst of the reef nicely sated.

Nature on land is compelling too.       Butterflies are a magical presence wherever we seem to go.     The Ulysses variety has electric blue on its wingtops, so flit in and out of your view as it flutters it’s wings in and out of sunlight.     Others with less glamorous colouring are everywhere.     Some seem to fly a meter from your nose, float midair looking at you, and then fly away.      These little creatures make me feel like fairy dust is left each time they come into view.      

Snakes are another thing – Australia has eight out of 10 of the world’s most dangerous snakes – including the most venomous, the taipan .       Every five year old can tell them apart and knows what to do if you see one.       I was out for a walk along the beautiful long and wide Cairns waterfront boardwalk, when I came across four rangers who appeared to be pruning a palm.     People were gathered around at a respectful distance, and the palm fronds dropped to the ground.     But then a slither caught my eye.     Turns out a 4m phython was dropped out of the tree, and then stick-handled into a cooler-sized box.      People applauded when the job was done, but no one was unduly upset.      Pythons aren’t scary to those here…after all, they only constrict and don’t bite.      Although taking some comfort in their blasé tudes, I still chose to walk in the sun rather than tree shade from there.

Because of the marine stingers, the waterfront includes a lovely man-made lagoon which is a massive infinity pool with bridges, sand beaches, and picnic tables and sun shelters to allow everyone to enjoy the water.      This all forms part of the most wonderful esplanade that connects the lagoon with the marina, the harbour cafes and restaurants and parks and skateboard tracks further down.     A wonderfully liveable outdoor city.