Cat-astrophes

Okay, so it isn't quite winter yet...

But, as promised, here is the first story of my adventures....
It all began on a Sunday afternoon. My bag was packed - I travel light - and I was armed with my camera, determined to take photos every step of the way (which I did...). First stop, the airport... We at Cat-astrophes fly Virgin.

Of course there was much excitement on the way up. I have to admit I get the giggles at take-offs. Even flying solo - I just can't contain it - the g-forces tickle my funny bone severely! Then there was the in-flight cafe...Okay, this isn't Qantas, you don't just get given your food, but let me say the cup your coffee arrives in is worth every cent!

One thing I love about flying is the scenery. I *love* the sky. It's like a perpetually changing canvas. Being in a plane gives you a perspective you just will never experience on the ground. Here's a shot I took whilst we were flying over a storm in Queensland. There was a fair bit of turbulance to go along with it, but it just makes things more exciting! :)

Now 2 and a half to 3 hours is *long*. It's even longer when you are anticipating a holiday. Hey, I'm still the person that finds it hard to sleep on Christmas Eve. When you have eaten and read everything on board, you start to become fidgety. Long after noughts and crosses, hangman and all that jazz I discovered a new game to play with my next-seat buddy....you know those little radio-things in the handrests? Well, they also double as another type of entertainment! First we'd set the channel to 4. I would take the 'down' button, and Next-Seat Buddy would take the 'up' button. My goal was to get the tuner to 1. She had to try to get it to 8. The first to do so was the winner. That kept us occupied until descent.

Next stop - the ferry. We waited at the terminal at Townsville for over an hour. Apparently ferries don't run too often on a Sunday night. I have no idea why not.... Anyway, that gave us more of an oppurtunity to kick back and ... read. Don't get me wrong, I like reading...but I just wanted to get on with the holiday already...

When it finally arrived, there was a pretty long trip across the open sea awaiting us. I don't quite remember the trip being so long last time I went, but the jetty has moved to another bay...so maybe that accounted for a few extra minutes... Anyway....the sea was *rough* and silly us had chosen to sit on the roof. If the wind wasn't picking up loose articles and throwing them around, the waves certainly were tossing us about! Infact it was here I discovered true isle-surfing. It was a challenge to stay upright, and there was many a sore-buttock slammed against a seat.

Bottom line (haha...buttocks...) we got there safe and sound (after 8 hours of travelling!!), and stayed on a luscious property nestled within the island. It was so integrated into the tropical landscape that you couldn't help but get a jungle-experience. That includes all the wildlife...but I'll tell you about that another time.

We were able to get around the island in a car lent to us. However I made a mental note not to complain about petrol prices for the time being...look at how much the islanders are paying on a cheap day....that little display says 143.9 cents per litre!! Phew...and there is only one petrol station on the island...so he can pretty much charge what he likes!

The ferry back wasn't so eventful. However the goings-on back in Townsville were so eventful they require a post of their own...I'll leave you with this snapshot - a dingy little hotel I stayed in a night or two (darned hazy memory) last time I was up. It still looks as how I remembered it. No idea what makes it so interesting to me...it's just so typically 'aussie hotel'.

The flight back doesn't deserve mentioning. It was with Jetstar, and I have to say 'not happy'. Seems like I'll be a Virgin girl from here on.

teehee

xxx