I have posted some photographs from my recent Australia and Singapore trip here.

I will try and put some photos from other parts of the trip later. The report is sort of on it's way - It is almost taking longer to write up than the trip itself took.

It looks like paradise, Tim, except of course for the Stinging Tree!!!

I can't believe that you saw a real Cassowary. The many times we've been to Northern Queensland, we have never seen anything except the warning signs.

I sooooo jealous!

Elly

Unfortunatly (or probably fortunately seeing how big they are), the only cassowary I saw was in the zoo. There had been some around lake placid near cairns, but they were beginning to be a real nuisance with picnicing families, so they had to catch and relocate them.

I have put a couple more photos in here and here. I am slowly working through my notes, and hope to have the first weeks reports online by the end of the weekend.

nice pics, i never heard of a stinging tree- how exactly does that work??

Fortunately, not too many people nowadays suffer from the stinging trees, because there are signs around to advise you of them. If you stick to designated walks and paths, you will avoid them.

They have a barbed leaf with nettles, not very visible at all. The trees themselves look harmless, but the nettly leaves will penetrate the skin and leave the victim in agony, sometimes for days.

I can hear your reactions to this already, and all I can say is 'Well this is Australia' the land of the unusual and sometimes painful objects.

Elly

Great photos! Australia looks beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing them.