I just returned from 35 days in Australia, Thailand, the Netherlands, and Kenya. I thought I would pass along a few of my experiences and tips for travel in Australia. I'll also post some suggestions for Thailand and Kenya as well.

Australia is a great place to go if you just want to relax and enjoy a quiet vacation. It is very laid back.

Cairns is a beautiful city surrounded by rain forest. It is a bit touristy, but it's a great place to visit if you want to relax on the beach or visit the Great Barrier Reef. It was a bit odd for us to have all businesses close early in the evening. In Cairns, everything shuts down by 5:30pm -- even the large shopping malls are closed. The bus system operates frequently and it is very easy to get around using the public buses.

There are a lot of fun activities to do in Cairns. If you want to visit the Queensland Outback, I highly recommend a visit to the Undara Lava Tubes. You can book through their web page -- <a href="http://www.undara.com.au" target="_blank">http://www.undara.com.au</A> and they will arrange pick up from your hotel in Cairns. I also highly recommend a visit to Kuranda, a small town in the mountains above Cairns. Here you can hold a Koala Bear and see many animals native to Australia. We took the train up to Kuranda and then took the Skyrail Raiforest Cableway back to Cairns. It was a lot of fun.

The highlight of our visit to Cairns was an overnight cruise to the Great Barrier Reef. We booked through <a href="http://www.vagabond-dive.com" target="_blank">http://www.vagabond-dive.com</A> and had an incredible time. There were only 6 passengers on our sailboat, so we got to know the crew and other passengers. The reef was more colorful than anything I've seen underwater before and the fish were amazing. I went scuba diving for the first time, and our instructor was the best -- he never let go of me while underwater and I felt very safe. And staying overnight on the Reef was also amazing. The night sky felt so close like you could reach out and touch the stars. This is definitely a "must see" if you travel to Australia.

We also spent 3 days in Sydney. Sydney is a very modern city. It is very easy to get from the airport into town using the subway train. Boat taxis on the harbor were also a fun and convenient way to get around.

I highly recommend a visit to the Taronga Zoo in Sydney. It is located across the harbor from downtown and the zoo offers a marvelous view of the city. It also has some wonderful exhibits of wildlife native to Australia. The Sydney Aquarium was also a wonderful place to visit.

We were able to take a guided tour and see a performance of "Abduction From the Seraglio" in the Sydney Opera House. This is an amazing venue for an opera, symphony, or concert. A stroll through the nearby Royal Botanical Gardens is also worthwile.

If you would like to see some photos of our trip, I've posted some on-line. You can access the photo album at:

<a href="http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2088...sc-email-AlbumInvite" target="_blank">http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures...ail-AlbumInvite</A>

I hope you enjoy. Happy non-revving.
Mark