cairns v1.0

happy anzac day!

lyds and i left airlie beach for the 10 hour bus ride to queensland's far north. cairns, with a population just under 100k is ideally located: dense rainforests of the wet tropics world heritage area to the north; great barrier reef marine park to the east; atherton tableland highlands to the south. the weather is tropical, but saltwater crocs and deadly jellies make the water too dangerous to swim. although known for being a tourist town, and being famous for the number of japanese flights that land here weekly, lyds and i took an immediate liking to the city as being lo-key and peaceful. it just doesn't feel international. it isn't busy enough for that.

lyds and i have also begun our certification as open water (scuba) divers. the company we went with also owns a fleet of ships, so as soon as the classroom and pool lessons are over we live aboard the ship on the edges of the reef. it is weird to be back in school again, taking notes and having homework. the hardest part was the medical you had to complete with a doctor. for some reason i had a fear i would fail, and would not be able to go out on the boat. some people did fail, but lyds and i passed just fine. my head is full of diving science, equipment, and sign language. my ears are full of water. so far both of us have 100% on the quizzes. tomorrow night after the exam we are headed to a lecture from a marine biologist on the biology we will encounter on the reef.

the other night we got all dressed up for a "fancy" dinner out. unfortunately, all the restaurants around where we are staying by the harbour were way too expensive. even barnacle bill's. so we ended up at the casino buffett in our sunday best. i am bookless except for my dive manual.

stuck on a steady diet of nitro, o2 and coffee. out to the bommies.