Adelaide to Cairns

In my short one full-day stay in Adelaide I chose to watch the international rugby 7's. It was a lovely warm day and England and Wales were both competing. The stadium, Adelaide Oval, was only a short walk from my hotel which was convenient. It was a good day out although watching Wales being hammered by the All Blacks wasn't comfortable. They played better against Australia but were still resoundingly beaten. Thank god they beat Hong Kong. And I was pleased to hear they won the shield or some such runners-up trophy the following day.

Although they had no trophy to take home, England were more successful with two Harlequins players, Danny Care and Charlie Amesbury, both scoring important tries in a great win against Fiji, the eventual winners of the competition.

Next day, Easter Sunday, I flew to Cairns where in tropical fashion it was raining and has rained regulalry since I arrived. To allow m my socks to dry, I went to a locals bar which led to a fun night of dancing and drinking ending up in the local casino, but I didn't gamble. I had no money left!

Since then its been a much quieter affair. Today I went on a long cable car ride (7.5kms) over the tropical rain forest behind Cairns and then a short touristy train ride. I probably haven't appreciated Cairns enough but I really appreciate that umbrella i bought in Malaysia.

Tommorow I pick up hire car and head south. Having bought a tent for my accommodation for the next two weeks lets hope the rain is less than tropical.