I am at the airport travelling home from Mission Beach. I had a great time and will definitely be heading back up there again.

Apart from just lazing about on the beaches and drinking cocktails with the girls, we managed to squeeze in some activity too. Namely white water rafting, rainforest walks and snorkelling. Next time I will need to try and do the skydive onto the beach, as well as spend time at the Great Barrier Reef.

Tomorrow is back to work.

Merry Christmas! No photos to download today due to camera still being broken. I have bought a disposable one for the holiday and intend to get the shots developed when I get back to Adelaide, and then I will try and scan them into the computer. So until then you may just have to imagine what it looks like.

Christmas Day was fun. We went for a swim in the sea, had a walk down to the main part of Mission Beach and had lunch at a cafe. Before returning to the beach for some sunbathing and our picnic of champagne, prawns, olives, bread etc. The weather is more humid here than Adelaide. But it was a lovely temperature.

Today (Boxing Day) we are due to go to the tourist info place to see if we can book a couple of trips. The favoured ones so far are to go snorkelling at the Great Barrier Reef and White Water Rafting.

Tropical Beach holiday is getting off to a shaky start....

Firstly my camera malfunctioned last night. The lens won't retract and I get an error message each time I try and take a photo. Terrible timing. It's still under warranty so I will send it back. But I may just have to buy a cheap disposable one for my holiday.

And arrived at the airport this morning to find that my flight has been delayed by 5hours! O no! I'm sat at the airport currently. I hope it's not delayed any further.

Hope things improve from here!!!

Here is our neighbour laying fake grass outside his house. It's like the AstroTurf Dad and Gary may play football on at home. With the lack of rain the real grass dries and shrivels up, leaving just brown dust.

It was due to get to a sweltering 42 degrees here today. But I don't think we did. Maybe mid 30's, I think.

I fly to Cairns tomorrow morning. I will be taking my laptop so will be able to Skype on Christmas Day.

My pronunciation of Cairns has caused much hilarity in the office. It's not KAY-URNS they say, it's CAN-ZZZ!

Hey Gary, I have added you on Skype. I see you are online now. Me too. Skype me now if you have the chance!

What's going on with Kelly down under..? Not much this week; I've just been working and at the gym. You are getting a blog from me tonight because I bailed out after only 2 classes at the gym today. I have been trying to aim for 3 a day. But tonight the lure of toasted muesli was too much and I came home! Yes, I am eating cereal for my dinner. That's laziness I know. But I may have carrots dunked in peanut butter as well! Haute cuisine! I'm been thinking this week that I may become vegetarian. I so rarely eat meat these days I'm not sure it would make much difference to my diet.

I guess maybe this week has been a bit quieter because it is Christmas next week. I think I am prepared. I sent little parcels to you all a wee while ago. So expect them by Easter. And I just need to get for my flat mate and the girls I'm heading to Mission Beach with. We're doing a Secret Santa thing. So I only have one to get. Down here Secret Santa gets called Chris Gringle...! I have no idea why. I saw that whoever has bought my Chris Gringle at work seems to have got me a couple of CD's. I'm hoping they are not bagpipe music or some other Gaelic music thing!

This weekend I am having another international night thing with some Hungarians and Brazilians. This time I am giving the stinking Cullen Skink a miss and making tattie scones instead. And on Sunday I have my gym's social and then I am heading to my room mates parents house for a pool party/ BBQ. Will get the camera out then for some photos.

Hope you are all well.
Lots of love,
K xx

Got up early this morning (Saturday) to Skype... but no-one was online... :(

I've attached some photos of Perth, Australia. The loneliest city on Earth. Perth sits alone on the Pacific Coast. Closer to Singapore than Sydney apparently. My chum Sophie has been out there for about 5years now. I've booked flights to go and visit her there at the end of January. We have a Public Holiday then- Australia Day. So I have taken the opportunity of the long weekend for the visit. Allegedly Australia day tends to involve a lot of drinking!

On Thursday night I went out to the Graduation Ball for my new girlsfriends in the RAF. It was at a place called Ayers House in Adelaide. It was a fun night. The dress code was cocktail again. So I wheeled out my one fancy dress and bought some new accessories. I was aiming for a 1920's vibe. Although you'll just need to take my word for it, because I didn't get any pictures! Sorry!

That may be the last time I see those girls though as they are all now being deployed to various places around the globe (mainly in the Middle East I think). What a life, eh..?

Tonight is my work's Christmas Party. We're having a pool party, rather than going out in town. Although, its pretty grey here this morning, so it'll need to brighten up soon! This week the weather has been mainly in the mid 20's, so relatively cool, but nice and sunny. Next week we hot up again to hit a high of 39 on Wed. Before it cools off to 21 (Brr..!!) on Thursday!

Photo's of Gepps Cross market this morning where I get my fruit and veg at the weekend. The cakes are Lamington's, an Aussie favourite. I think they are sponge with an icing on top. Not had them yet. Still burning off the Vietnamese coffee from the other night.

I have been noticing that Aussies tend to shorten words... so we all know about 'this 'avo' meaning this afternoon..... also for example, 'are your rellies coming over for christmas...?' (relatives).... 'can you stretch your hammies now...?' (hamstrings).... both things said to me today. This relaxed use of language is not just spoken. I was reading an article this weekend in a paper about changes to alcohol licensing rules, and the journalist referred to it as 'grog' in the article! I like it!

Continuing on the language theme, I also learned this week that giving someone a 'dinky' on your bike... is giving them a backie. And bogan (say bo-gun)... which sounds a little like our boggin... means someone who is undereducated, lives generally in the outback, wears checked shirts and has a mullet. I discovered this word when I went out for drinks and asked for a rum and ginger beer. The bar man looked honestly shocked... I thought he hadn't understood me at first, because of my accent. But then a friend explained that only bogans drink rum in Australia.

There is mainly one kind of rum here...Bundaberg. Made in the place in Queensland of the same name. Commonly thought of as cowboy fighting juice. Hence the funny look when I asked for it! I may have to consider changing my drink!

I've taken more photos of Adelaide today. But you'll need to check Facebook to see them. Not posting everything twice! Sorry Gary. Whilst I am on the subject Gary... I thought your blog was hilarious! I never thought the sounds of farts was my butt cheeks vibrating!!!! I am about 10 hours ahead of you Gary.. so if you are home alone again Skype me.. it will be my morning time.

Went out for a Vietnamese meal last night. It was very good. Best meal I've had in ages. The picture of the flat roof building with the parasols outside is the restaurant. I know. Terrible picture. Sorry!

Highlights of the meal included the cold rolls (starter... or entree as they say here). Which were veg and pork in a thin wrap. Salt and pepper thin shell crab (crab with a thin shell..funnily enough!... so you eat it all, shell included!) and vietnamese coffee (which is strong coffee with... condensed milk! help! I need to get back the gym!).

We sat and watched this fire blaze away in someone's backgarden for a while. We thought they were just burning stuff, until the fire brigade arrived! Oops! We had just sat there and not done anything! The two guys pictured are Patrick and Graham, two of the people I was out with. Remember these faces. Not very good in an emergency.

The other picture is of Ramsay Street. Where is Harold..?

Interesting fact (well, sort of...)... Australia has banned Guy Fawkes Night.

And even less interesting than that... but I thought worthy of mention, Patrick and Graham have never seen snow.

O dear... would you look at this place...? I can't imagine anyone wanting to go here... the sacrifices I make....

If you have not already stopped reading in disgust, I have just booked my flights to Mission beach in Queensland (pictured) for Christmas.