Hiya People, Have just returned from the most fantastic trip to the Australian Outback. Seeing Ayers rock is just out of this world and the amazing thing is it looks just as spectacular in real life than it does on the postcards - except for all the tourists. We spent the last 4 days camping under the stars and cooking dinner on a fire. The group was really cool, 3 Irish, one Dane, 2 swiss and Rich and I. It was definately a bonus only having a small group, the only thing is you don't get a luxury coach just a small 4 wheel drive to get cramped up in but that's all part of the fun. I didn't climb the rock out of respect in fact only 3 people in the group did. You really don't feel pressurised either way and everyone one just respects what ever decision you make which is good. We saw the 2nd and 3rd most poisonous snakes in the world but funnily enough no kangaroos. I also saw a couple of redbacks in the toilet which I thought was quite scary until I got back to the hostel last night where I was informed that there are hundreds of red backs under the tables I'd been sitting at and a guy comes around every day to kill them all and manages to fill a lunch box everytime - I slept really well last night. The most amazing thing is how green the outback is at the moment, due to all the rain they've had recently everything has just grown. My friend who I met up with today was here in December and she can't believe the difference. We did a whole load of walking as well through Kings Canyon and the Olgas and alot of getting up at 5;30am. All in all a fantastic time the only complaint was the flies (or ff's as they're called out here). Well I have 1 hour and I'll be setting off to Cairns, 32 hours on the coach - can't wait. Hope everything is well with everyone, loads of love, Caitlin

Hi folks, Well Rich and I are at Hervey Bay waiting to go on our 4x4 adventure of Fraser Island ( the largest Sand Island in the world) I won't be driving but Rich will (I don't know whether this is a good thing or not, he is getting a little over excited about the whole thing.) We are wizzing down the East Coast like no man's buisness. We did Cape Trib for 6 days which was brilliant, although they don't call it Rainforest because it sounds good, it seemed to rain constantly the whole time but we had fun none the less. We went horse riding (Rich's Horse was called Fat Boy and given that he's being a bit of a girl about his weight at the moment it was rather funny every time the instucter called him as she used the horse name), walking, Croc cruising and diving/snorkling on the great Barrier Reef all of which were fantasic. We then bombed it down to Townsville where I lay in bed sufferering from a Cold ( I need all the sympathy I can get it's a hard life out here, Mike can account for how bad I sounded on the phone) and then went to Magnetic Island which was the most beautiful place. We did alot of swimming and walking here and a bit more horse riding, we even got to swim in the sea with the horses which was an experience I'll never forget. From there we went to Airly and the Whitsundays for a days cruise and some more snorkling on the reef which was again out of this world. Everything we've done basically has just been fantastic and we leave each place wishing we could stay longer but get to the next place loving it just as much. I can't really pick out a favourite bit of the journey, we've seen amazing contrasts in such a short time from desert to rain forest to sun sea and sand and of course the reef. We're really lucky as the East has had terrible weather for the past month and it's just starting to change so apart from Cape Trib it's been perfect. Our next stop (if I survive Rich's Driving) will be Byron Bay. We were given free tickets for 2 nights accomodation and white water rafting at Coffs Harbour by one of our friends that had won them and not had a chance to use them (That's Michelle for those who know her - we love you shell!!!!!!) so that will be our last port of call until returning to the place where it all started, an amazing 7 months ago, Sydney. We then fly to the Southern Hemisphere's equivalent of Wales - New Zealand on the 8th June. It will be mid winter when we get there so we'll have to reclimatise and it will make flying to LA in Mid July like flying into the sun as wellas messing with our bodyclocks somewhat, we actually arrive in LA before we take off in Aukland!!!! Hope you are all well loads of love Caitlin