(Pre-Script: This posting is for February 16th, but in reality I am posting this on February 26th, ten days late. We got home on the 25th early in the morning and as I begin to make up posting the blog, we are now comfortably at home. Since we are at home and do not have to find time to write up the information and try to find an Internet connection, we should be able to catch up on each days posting quickly. Stay tuned.)
Well we are flying again today. Our flight is at 9:30AM so that means we are leaving the hotel just before 7:00AM. (Fifteen minutes or so to get to the airport. Good thing we were tired from yesterdays travels and went right to bed. Those that went to see the Penguins were not so lucky, the did not get back until around midnight.)
We leave just as the sun is coming up and go by the ferris wheel (similar to the one in London, but not as big) which is also no longer safer to ride, but looks nice with the sunrise. (It is easy to tell we took this picture from the bus, the windows are dirty and you can see the water spots in the suns aura.)An unusual thing happens at the airport; we do a mass check-in. Go figure! All of the other times we have had to check in individually and today, Roubin (our tour guide in Australia) does a check-in for everyone and he has everyone's tickets and just starts handing them out. Boy that was the easiest check-in we've done in a long time. Of course we still had to go through security check in.
Our flight is a little over three hours and we are in the back (I'm in the very last row) of the plane. After take-off Carmen and I find two seats next to each other about 10 rows further towards the front of the plane. Not much better, but it is easier on Carmen's ears.
We get into Cairns around 11:30 AM.
Everyone gets their luggage and we board the bus for the hotel. As always, we do a mini-tour around town on our way to the hotel. Roubin and the bus driver point out various things around town. We get to the hotel and unload. Our rooms are not ready yet, so off we go for our trip to the Wild Animal Park. It just happens to be at the top of the Casino across the street. How convenient! Two birds with one stone, so to speak.
At the Animal Park, we encounter a bird that likes to take buttons. One of the men in our group has a cap with a button on the top, like many ball caps. The bird flies to his shoulder and starts biting the button and rips it off, then flies back to his perch with the button. 
There are all kinds of birds running around, they even have a Kookabera. T
here are several Lizards, a couple 
of tree frogs (in a glass container), and 
even a 12 foot crocodile. Doesn't he look mean? He has his eyes on me. I know I'm sweet, but stop looking at me like that!
After the animal park we head over to the hotel to see if our room is ready, it is. We get our bags into our room and head our to walk around town. There is a walk way all along the ocean. 
Along the walkway there is a park with a large public pool area; 1.5 meter end up to ankle deep end. A very nice pool. The park around this area is also pleasant with trees lining the walkways and grassy areas. Good thing too because it is hot about 35c or about 95f. Hot!On the way back we pass a number of restaurants, looking to see whats good for dinner. What we do find though, is ice cream. On a hot day like today, it is refreshing - and good.
Back at the hotel, we take a two hour nap, then get up and head out again to find something for dinner. We eat something, I forget where, but we walk around town more. We do stop at the Casino for a little while. I was doing good, playing Caribbean Stud, until the dealer burned me and everyone betting four hands in a row! There went all of my winnings and then some. Oh well, time to go.
Tomorrow the Great Barrier Reef, yeah!
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