While Dad was in meetings, I was able to walk to the main shopping mall in Cairns. In the mall, everyone used trolleys (grocery carts) to go from store to store. If the trolley was too big for the shop, they would park it outside the store. In order to shop both floors of the mall with the trolley there were escalators without stairs. Just be sure to hold tight to your trolley when going up or down.

Target is a big retailer here in Australia. They also have Myer which reminds me of a Dillards and David Jones more like Nordstroms. Clothes and groceries seem very expensinve, but people here make a lot more money an hour than we do in the US.

We made a day trip to Port Douglas up the coast from Cairns. It was about an hour ride by coach. The beach was amazing!! No rocks, no shells just smooth sand. The ocean was as warm as bath water. Lots of families with young children playing on the beach. The only creature we had to share the beach with was the sand crab. A very industrious little insect that rolled little balls of sand one after the other. When you walked by they would dive into their hold for safety.

Cairns Harbour is bustling with boats, both old and new. In fact, we found a picture just for the master diver in the family.

Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is amazing. Here you are in the middle of the ocean and you can see the reef below the surface of the water. We screamed across the water in a catamaran to visit 3 different reefs. The crew divides everyone into 3 groups, snorkelers, beginning divers, and certified divers. Dad and I snorkeled at the first reef and were scheduled to dive at the second reef. We wiggled into our wet suits and put on our snorkeling gear, then off into the ocean. Dad was one with the ocean immediately, but he patiently waited for me to feel comfortable. I had a great time. Then it was time to go the second reef, and our turn to dive. After receiving instructions from the instructor, getting weights strapped around my waist (as if I needed extra pounds/kilos) and the tank fitted to my back, I was asked to step off the boat into the ocean. My heart was pounding, but I stepped off and made my way to the rope we were suppose to hold on to. I started breathing way too fast, then keep losing my regulator. By this time, I was done and didn't make the dive. Dad on the other hand was a champ and made a great first dive.

Austalians have several unique signs that are posted all over. I've tried to photo some of them to give you a flavor/flavour (Aussie spelling) of the country.