What weather!

Well, it sounds like I've missed the 1st July celebrations and fireworks, but I got the great weather, so that's alright!
It's been not only consistently sunny here, but also very hot. 30 is not uncommon. It makes for very early (sunrise) visits to the beach and then hide in the shade until the later afternoon. The sunscreen I've been using is very good and I have been lucky to not make a big mistake in forgoing it or forgetting it.
I wear my little scrunch hat all the time. It's now decorated with a large assortment of Oz pins. Train lines, animals and country shapes. Lots of crocodiles, which I can claim to have seen in the wild!
I found a long sleeved shirt that is an spf 50 protedtion against the sun. It's very light, so not too hot during the day, but good for when you feel a little cool too. I like it a lot! It will be my garden companion at home.
We have been visiting the town of Cairns, taking in all we could before leaving tomorrow.
Galleries, museums, shops and Nina even visited a Casino! just looking.
We have only been here 8 days, but because we did so much in those 8 days, it feels like a lot longer. It takes some time to wind down from all that busy-ness.
I finally reached a rested and not too distracted state where drawing is what I feel like doing. Trees seem to be the most compelling things to me, so they have been the subject of pretty much all of the drawings I have done so far.
I bought a book on the birds of Australia, and I have been able to mark off a great many, including a sacred kingfisher today! Small and green, very beautiful. My favourite is a bird called a Willy wagtail. A black bird with white eyebrows and a long tail that he wags whenever he sets down.
We leave tomorrow morning for a place called Earli Beach, apparently a surfer paradise. We chose it because it is a long train ride to get there, we rest for a few days or so, then take the overnight train to our next stop, so hotel and transport as one. People watching should be the great amusement there.
The next stop will be Hervey Bay, if I remember correctly, for the Whitsunday island area. I may find an outback experience there if I am lucky, or do that from Brisbane, as we will be there at least two weeks.
Well, This YHA is very nice, but has a continuous music track that urges us all to get up and dance, so that is what I will do!