That was ONE amazing experience!! Even for those who can't stand opera; the sets, costumes and atmosphere was so intoxicating it was over before you had time to think too hard!! Even Paul admitted he'd enjoyed it!

On Wednesday we took the local bus out to the SMALL Bondi Beach. Honestly, I thought from the pictures it was huge, but no, it is about 3/4 of a mile in total, with a tented area where there is live music every so often & the lifeguards hang out. It's more like the front at one of our older resorts like Hunstanton!! From there we took a walk along a wonderful cliff path which clung to the edge of the sea & every so often you would round a corner into a little cove. It was absolutely delightful. We swam in Clovelly cove where there was both a sea water pool and a long inlet onto a beach. The small jelly fish didn't put us off & we used our masks to watch Gropers swimming under us & other tiny fish doing fishy things! We ended up at Coogee & got the bus back into Sydney. I think I saw the cricket pitch Anna but wouldn't be 100% certain!

Thursday we flew up here to Cairns, collected our hire car & drove up to Port Douglas. It is very hot, often rains (it being the rainy season) & is sometimes humid. We have an appartment until Thursday. Everything grows like mad & is very green. There are lots of tiny & bigger bugs but most seem fairly harmless unless you disturb them! We have a small pool at the complex so it is lovely to cool off in it in the late afternoon.
Yesterday, we went to explore the rainforest. Up to the Daintree National Park which is a world Heritage site. It is very lush with very tall trees of many varieties, a lot of which I had never seen before (29 different types of Palm!!) plus Rosewood and other hard woods that I've only ever seen as furniture! We stopped at Cape Tribulation which is the only place in OZ where the rainforest touches the Great Barrier Reef. You begin to imagine a set for a really gripping adventure movie! We then turned back & st5opped at the Daintree Discovery Centre which is a brilliant place with walkways and a tower to climb above the canopy! We saw Orange footed Scrub fowl & whilest eating an icecream a Cassaway walked passed!(a bit like an Emu with a bright blue comb!!)
I also saw a tea Plantation and tasted the tea grown there - never done that before!!
The rain has stopped so we're off to see more sights & visit a Coffee plantation.

Hopefully, we're snorkling on the Barrier reef tomorrow but there is a cyclone hovering not far away so we will have to wait & see!

Ayres Rock on Thursday, so should be warm there!!

Bye for now......