Today is the final of the Australian Open (like Wimbledon, only in blue, not green). The 2 weeks of the tournament have seen me start to enjoy the laid back lifestyle of Cairns and enjoy both my shifts at P.J's and the free drinks afterwards.
After winning the P.J's pole dance competition after work, and winning a $100 dollar bar tab, and the luck didn't run out there, I have now been asked to work as a Coyote Girl, so basically I will get paid to dance on the bar and encourage the competitors, and yes, I will be clothed! It turns out I don't seem to need my newly acquired bar tab as I always seem to stumble across people who want to buy everyone drinks. On friday, whilst watching the tennis, I was bought Tequila and Guinness as part of a US soldier-on-leave-from-Afghanistan's attempt to spend a considerable amount of his wages in one night. This mixture of alcohol resulted in me shouting at the TV screen rather alot, especially when Murray started to lose.
So that's the tennis and tequila covered... now for the turtles!! On a rare full day off I was able to go to the famous Great Barrier Reef ( which disappointingly wasn't very barrier like). The weather was beautiful and so was the sparkling blue water and bright white sailing boat I saw it all on. I went on a snorkel tour (far more regulated than the chuck-you-off-the-boat snorkeling in Thailand, there were even life jackets). The coral was different to that of Asia, some blue spiky stuff I'd never seen and a lot of underwater spaghetti. The most exciting marine life on the reef were the giant trevelly fish and reef sharks circling the boat and my flippers. The turtles weren't spotted until the afternoon excursion to Green Island, which was surprisingly deserted despite it's tourist resort classification. Circumnavigating the island via driftwood strewn beaches and shallow waters allowed ample opportunity for turtle-spotting. Whilst swimming I thought a person up ahead had been holding their breath for rather along time until my friend pointed out to me that it was in fact a turtle. They are bigger and more beautiful than I had imagined - just Dori left to find to complete the real-life Finding Nemo cast.
Although I am beginning to appreciate some of the luxuries of Australia; warm weather, turtles and Tim Tams on tap (for those who have never tried them, they are the greatest chocolate biscuits ever), I still feel this country has an unjustifiably large ego. Even on ordinary days the locals seem to celebrate being Australian so when it came to Australia Day (a national public holiday and basically just a big excuse for a party) the national pride was pretty hard to stomach. I was forced to wear an Australian flag as a cape all day at work and serve drunken Aussies in patriotic fancy dress. I was trying to imagine a Great Britain Day - I don't think it would catch on, somehow. Half of Britain seems to be in Australia anyway, and how there are any Irish left in Ireland is beyond me.
Saying that I am grateful for the diversity of people in Cairns and in my hostel. I have met English, Irish, Danish, French and a Swedish lady truck driver. I have played volleyball with a group of competitive German men and attempted to tightrope walk with the help of some Aussie pros.
Off to eat some of my new favourite Tim Tams - white chocolate. I wish I could send some home for you all to try.
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You 'wish' you could send Tim Tams? Have you heard of the post. Speaking of which, It has 18 days since I posted you birthday present so hopefully it is now crossing the Pacific!
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