Another Continent Another Adventure

Australia and the Great Barrier Reef have always been on my "To Do List" probably since I knew such a place as the Great Barrier Reef existed. I have tried to get "down under" a few times but it has never worked out. It wasn't until Laura moved there on a semi permanent basis (or about as permanent as she can be) that it has now became a reality.
Now I have been to numerous countries (this trip will make 4 out of the 7 continents) With Laura there have been some rather interesting adventures; be it trying to get windshield wipers to work in Arizona, scaring seagulls away on Santa Barbara Island or the lack of facilities that we have encountered in our trekking through Mexico. Though, I will have to say that this one maybe the the grandest adventure of them all.
Take the phone call I got from her just a few days ago. As she tells me about the three shark attacks in Sydney and the five year old body they took out of the crocodile and how we will need to be careful along the coast because of the dengue fever, not to mention the cyclone that is currently baring down off the coast of Australia.
Even Bill Bryson's book " In a Sunburnt Country", a lovely book all about Australia given to me by Angela had something to say about how dangerous it is down under....
It has more things that will kill you than anywhere else. Of the world’s ten most poisonous snakes, all are Australian. Five of its creatures—the funnel web spider, box jellyfish, blue-ringed octopus, paralysis tick, and stone fish—are the most lethal of their type in the world.
So what do I plan on doing while I am there? Well of course running a muck with Laura in the rain forest (and getting me a leech, as per Laura's request), exploring the exciting city of Sydney and maybe taking a swim in the ocean (shark attacks permitting), diving in the Great Barrier Reef (dengue fever be damned!) and swimming in some craters. Hopefully I will partake in some local flavor (like the sexy Swedish backpackers that apparently hang out in Port Douglas). Whatever it is, it will be interesting and hopefully fun and exciting. I hope to be able to put up some more posts in the coming weeks, so check back occasionally and see what I have been up to and if all my body parts are still attached. :-)