Too many people online for Mother's Day yesterday, couldn't post a blog. So now I'm two behind. I still owe you Darwin, and today, coming up, I'm going on a jungle train and an amphibious army duck. It sounds adventurous but I'm passing up a Skytrain (6 people in a gondola climbing up over the rainforest to lookouts). I'll still get views fom the 90-minute train ride.

Yesterday was Mother's Day - or today depending on your time frame - and I thought of my family, of course. I did get on line early in the day to wish them well, but then everything jammed up. I gave a "chat", as scheduled, brought about by two fellow-travellers who turned out to be from Guelph, Ontario, just an hour's drive from Toronto. They're getting off this cruise in Sydney, four days from now, so we had to fit me in before they leave. I talked about my writing and about memoir and blog writing, just easy chat. It was a dock day: we moored at 1 o'clock in beautiful Cairns after sailing along/through/around? the Great Barrier Reef. People went ashore to shop and look aroiund. I had a sleep after celebrating M Day plus my chat with a bottle of champagne shared with 4 fellow-travellers. Have I told you that one can buy a "cellar", 7 bottles from a selection, then labelled with the stateroom number, and served on demand? I didn't know how I was going to drink a bottle of champagne all by myself in one sitting, so this was ideal. There is no occasion that is not enhanced with champagne.

It was a heavenly day: soft air, soft breeze, beautiful harbour, unbelievable, real,y, that I am here. I keep being reminded each day how astonishing this world is and how blessed I am.