Day 10...

Day 10 Day 10 saw us on our final stretch into Cairns. We had planned to be away fairly early but both myself and Rob were shattered. I eventually woke about 7.30 and got up to have a shower before we hit the road. There was no sound or sight of life from Rob's swag. Once showered I returned to find Rob had eventually stirred and not just turned his phone and alarms off. Rob tool the first leg of driving, as expected it was nothing but boring motorway (freeway for you Aussie) driving. Nothing fun, exciting or.even remotely interesting happened throughout this leg so after a while I decided it was time to go back to sleep. I stirred a few hours later as Rob stopped for fuel and a driver change. I started driving expecting it to be much the same as Rob had been doing before I went to sleep. I was very pleasantly surprised. The road climbed and climbed up into the Gillies ranges. The road turned into a mountain side track similar to going up to a ski resort only there were no straight bits between corners. The road flowed from one corner to the next in a seemingly endless road. The views out off the side were exquisite as well when I could spare the couple of seconds to take my eyes off the road and there was a gap in the line of trees. It was so much fun having the car dip and dive from corner to corner although at a couple of points I did have the rear right wheel squealing as it touched the white line. We made if through without any issues, and I did offer Rob on several occasions if he wanted to drive as I'd had the final off road track and the Gillies ranges to drive. Rob declined all of my offers but I suspect fairly reluctantly. Once the ranges had finished I started looking for somewhere to stop to have lunch, there were rivers running along the side of the road which would have need nice to sit out alongside to eat. I found somewhere just past Atherton. We pulled off ice what I thought was a unused barrow gauge railway line and parked the car. While I sat a listen to and watched the wildlife Rob wondered down toward the river. As he plodded down the track a small yellow bird flew down to investigate the car. Hovering about 40cm from my open window it Hung there surveying me and the car before shooting off into the trees again - Rob had returned. Robs first words were "if we are going to eat by the river we may as well take the car down there too, it is a 4WD after all". The 20 stretch was full of large holes and rocks, so the car went into 4WD low and I set off hoping that I wouldnt get it stuck. Once diwn there we unloaded our lunch and wondered over a small tributary on to a bank next to the river pondering about crocodiles. Once finished I let Rob take the car back along the tiny track and drive the final stretch to Cairns hopeful that some of it would be more than Boeing motorway driving, butt, alas, it wasn't. We found ourselves arriving I. Cairns at about 3.30 and this time decided we had best book into a backpacker early to avoid what happened in Adelaide. We circled for a while as Rob frantically tried to remember where he'd stayed the previous year. Stopping a sign for a backpacker called Shenanigins we booked, Rob convinced it was where we stayed. After we booked in for 2 nights and had paid, Rob voiced that us wasn't convinced it was the same place. We'd asked about parking and been directed to a place which was free round the corner. On parking Rob noticed a sign hanging about the entrance for a place called Gilligans, where he had actually stay last time. We dropped stuff in the room and head out into the town for a wonder. On walking past Gilligans Rob recalled a helpful travel shop called Adventure Specialists. We stopped in for a chat about what was available and recommended tor diving. She showed us one for a day grit at about $380 which was only 2 dives, or another which was about $435 for a 2day 1night trip including 7 dives, one of which was at night. We were sold, more diving and not much more cost. We booked the trio for the following day rendering our second night in the backpacker pointless. Neither of us were bothered as we were both too excited about diving on the reef. We wondered down to the sea front and around the lagoon, a large public swimming pool effectively as there are croc's in the sea, and the The Pier, a pub sat looking out over the moored boats and importantly still in the sun. We realised at this point, a lil too late really, that we hadnt booked the car in for its servicemen a few frantic calls got us no results so we had to remember to worry about it before out if phone signal in the morning. After the beer we wondered back in search if food, Rob desperately wanting to try crocodile. After our searching failed us he asked a mini bus driver who was parked outside a hotel. Rob was in luck, he was able to recommend somewhere for us and where it was. With food sorted we headed home via an internet cafe to see what had been happening in the world and let everyone know we had made Cairns. Our morning pickup was at 7.30 so an early night to a comfy bed was called for...