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My birthday!

An incoming picture message and a text message from Mum and Dad preceeded a shower, then I opened the four envelopes that had arrived at Mark's flat a few weeks ago. I recognised the handwriting on the envelopes and was very pleased to receive such lovely cards from my family back home. I had the added surprise of a secret envelope inside another envelope concealing a card from my cousin in Wales, which was fantastic!

Ian bought some chocolate bars for us to enjoy on our journey to Cairns today and on the way out of Townsville we stopped at McCafe for an intake of chocolate cake and hot chocolate, which I enjoyed while watching the birds eat from the leftovers left on the tables outside. It would have made a fantastic photograph if only I had my camera with me. Next time I come to McDonalds I shall carry my camera. It would make an excellent advert for McDonalds.

The 352 kilometre journey to Cairns was pretty uneventful but was improved by the momentary reminder of New Zealand landscapes with plenty of greenery surrounding the road, including more sugar cane plants. Hiding in the clouds was north Queensland's highest mountain, Mount Bellenden at 1,592 metres and a pyramid shapes mountain, Walsh's Peak at 922 metres. I was taken back a few years when Survivor's Eye of the Tiger came on on the radio and being one of my favourite songs I was very pleased to hear it and turned the volume up.

We arrived in Cairns just before 15:00 and checked in to the hostel before wandering the streets of Cairns in search of lunch. We then sought some information on diving trips to the Great Barrier Reef before invading the YHA swimming pool for the next 2 hours. It began with Ian breath holding, trying to stay underwater for more than 30 seconds, and me trying to perform some aquaerobics. But soon Ian started messing around and within minutes my carefully kept dry hair became very wet as Ian took to splashing me in the face, repeatedly. He had spied and captured a volleyball which he then proceeded to throw in my direction. I could only return the favour which resulted in sheer mess and plenty of laughter. People entered the pool while we were messing but soon left again. We just carried on regardless.

After and hour in the cyber cafe we made for a Thai restaurant bypassing the car to collect a bottle of wine for accompaniment and I smiled at hearing a bunch of girls singing Happy Birthday to their friend at a restaurant across the road. In the absence of my friends around me for this birthday, at least Ian sang a sweet Happy Birthday to me this morning as he woke. In the trees there were many bats, although they could not be seen, which were making an almighty noise during dusk. As the evening drew in and the sky became darker the noise from the bats died down.

Our bottle of Wolf Blass was way past serving temperature having spent two weeks in the boot of the car from Adelaide to Cairns via Broken Hill. In other words, subjected to temperatures in excess of 30 degrees on regular occasions. We added ice cubes to it to make drinking it bearable. Wolf Blass would be disgusted at us! I received a text message from my Nan this evening. How many people are as fortunate as I, receiving text messages from their grandparents on their twenty sixth birthday?

One negative point about north Queensland is the presence of mosquitoes. I have received numerous bites over the last few days and have been quite uncomfortable today with the itching. Apart from that I think Cairns is lovely, very agreeable, not too busy, well organised, clean and tidy, which I like.