Preferring heights over depths

From time to time on this trip I've tried to push myself into doing things beyond the norm and certainly what I'd regard as beyond the comfort zone. Five-hour walk along a crumbling stretch of the Great Wall, 3 days in a 4x4 on rough roads to Everest Base Camp, a cramped and slippery Cave walk, and today Scuba Diving. Generally speaking I've done pretty well I reckon and although I've been pushed near the limit a few times I've managed to pull through. Today's endeavour however wasn't exactly an unmitigated success and it was here that ability finally gave away to disability.

Although I didn't go with much apprehension I suspected Scuba-ing might not work for me. Discomfort, the inability to have much idea of which way I was heading or wanting to be heading and how to get there plus an mask ever filling with water confirmed that this activity wasn't going to be for me. At least I tried, and the rest of the time I leapt back in with the snorkelling which by now I'm feeling pretty confident in doing. It was a pretty dull selection of reefs alas and hardly demanded much exploration compared to the comparatively teeming coral off Townsville. It hardly matters though. This was snorkel numbers six and seven and I'm feeling I've largely had my fill of the reef and this stretch of coastline. You could certainly spend much more time on it of course and undertake countless activities of varying extremity, however Australia is a much varied place and it would be criminal, in a touristy sort of way, to not at least try to touch upon some of the other and starkly constrasting facets that comprise this gigantic place.

Thus it is with much anticipation that I'll be heading off into the Outback on Saturday on a coach tour. Happily overnight accommodation is largely in remote Aussie watering holes, that's pubs by the way not Billabongs in case you were wondering, and there should be ample opportunity to take in the sights and flavour of the outback, given that the tour takes 4 days and traverses just slightly less than 3000 km. Hmm, I seem to remember getting tired of big overland journeys at some point, but my enthusiasm with the backdrop of the Aussie bush and outback has been renewed with a fresh enthusiasm that I was hoping for from this continent of a country.

I've finally ventured into Cairns and got some the photos uploaded uptodate, including today's adventures in the chopper. Another recent highlight was visiting Cape Tribulation, a national natural treasure of rainforest and wildlife habitat to the North of Cairns. The tour driver was great, typically Aussie and entertaining to the last. My favourite story from the day without a doubt was that of a branch of KFC to the North of Cairns, near the last set of traffic lights on the East Coast, no less. This particular KFC like so many here has a KFC bucket suspended from a pole above the store. However unlike most, this one doesn't rotate. The reason being is that a few years back a cyclone came along and blew this giant KFC off its perch and it totalled 5 cars below. Since then KFC have decided to avoid a possible repetition by bolting the bucket to the pole. This means it no longer rotates but it can claim to be the East Coast's only cyclone proof KFC tub...