It didn't seem to slow down the airport any.

Down to the restaurant for breakfast - the lady at the restaurant said she had missed us for dinner last night.  Had "our" table set, our pitcher of water ready, and everything.  We thanked her for her hospitality and told her we were off to the next leg of our visit after breakfast.

There were some erroneous mini bar charges on the bill during checkout - we got them taken off.

Drove (for the last time) to the airport - dropped off the car and went to checkin.

Their departure screens don't list code-shares by both airlines - so our Air New Zealand flight that was being serviced by Ansett didn't appear anywhere.  Annoying, but we figured it out.

Two different airline people told us our bags were too big for carry on - I wasn't sure they realized that the duffle was stacked on the pilots case.  Turns out they did realize it - they were complaining that the pilots case was too big.  We didn't know it, but this was to become a recurring source of irritation for the remaining flights in the trip.

The cabin manager for our flight was positively obnoxious - "you can argue and stay here, or check the bags and get on the plane - it's your choice."  Very condescending.  Didn't sway them that we had taken them on a smaller (AirBus sized) plane from Sydney to Brisbane - they were on a mission to insure we didn't take them on to the 737 to Cairns.

We were stuck next to a smelly local on the plane -- not a good start for the morning.  At least I got some descent photos from the air...
 

Had morning tea on the plane.  Included a Tim Tam chocolate biscuit and Schwepps Lemonade - not Sprite or 7-Up - more of a citrus/crisp taste.  Not bad.

News item - a group of unruly football fans are to be banned from all football games in Australia, for life.  Sounds good to me.

Arrived in Cairns - the resort had sent a shuttle to pick us and one other fellow up.  Got our bags quickly (they had been checked at the gate - LIFO [Last In First Out]) and left for the resort.

This was the tropics - no mistaking - high 80's and very humid - A/C is a precious commodity here.

The bus driver admonished us on the subject of sun block: "didn't bring any?  buy some!  What you brought is less than SPF 30?  Chuck it out the bus now, it won't do any good!  Apply it early and often.  If you don't believe me - come back to the front of the resort today around 6pm and check out the people coming back from the reef - those who didn't apply it, or didn't apply it correctly will be glowing."

Got to the Regha Colonial Resort - checked in and the porter brought us and our bags to the room.  The resort is large - 10-some acres, with 400 rooms, 3 lagoon swimming pools (one with a swim-up bar) and three restaurants.

On our first walk around the grounds we saw a tropical tree frog sleeping in a tree (imagine that).  Felt soft and slightly tacky.  Hope it wasn't the poisonous type - we both touched it, so we'll know soon.

Picked up some tour brochures at the tour desk - expecting choppy seas on the reef tomorrow.

Booked a scenic rail trip from Freshwater station to Kuranda - a small town on the edge of the rainforest, and return over the rain forest via the Sky Rail for tomorrow.

Made 6:30p reservations at Jardines for dinner - the resorts upscale restaurant, then went for a swim before dinner.

Jardines was exquisite - the food was terrific, the service wonderful - and they served sorbet between courses to cleanse your pallet.  Dawnise especially liked the sorbet - and the fact it was served in the middle of the dinner.

Took a walk after dinner - saw stars I've never before seen - Orion was conspicuously missing from the sky - "replaced" by the Southern Cross.  The night sounds were like the Tikki Room at Disneyland - only real.

Went for another swim after dinner - there's a roller hockey convention in town - lots of obnoxious teens (boys and girls) who like jumping in and being rowdy (that's mostly the boys).

Turned the A/C on when we got to the room, showered, pushed the two small beds together to make one good one, and fell asleep.
 

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