Following up on the bucket list.

When we arrived, I swore not to reproduce my american mistakes, being working too much and not traveling around the country enough.

At this time, I made a bucket list with only my top 10 fav's:

1. Go to the great barrier reef (and dive, and sail, and enjoy)
2. Go to New Zealand and meet my family
3. Visit Tasmania
4. Take a cruise to some of the 74 QLD islands
5. Camp in the bush and teach the kids silly campfire songs
6. Visit Angela in Melbourne, Catherine in Perth, and Pierre in NZ (to redeem myself for not visiting Julia in Boston, Carly, Drew and Meredith in Philadelphia)
7. Make friends and organize Halloween Party, BBQs and camping trips
8. Buy a house and have tropical furniture on the deck, a mango tree in the garden and a pool in the yard.
9. Go to Asia: Bali, Thailand, Japan, anywhere we can think of and all want to go
10. Tour the Kakadu National Park and go to Alice Springs

In the past 6 months, we've been hiking, met some wildlife, went to various local QLD beaches, spent a long weekend in Noosa. I've been to Sydney, I'll go to Newcastle soon, but we didn't really get started on the bucket itself.

But things are going to change as I'm getting ready to cross #1 down, the great barrier reef! There is much more than diving and snorkeling awaiting behind #1... My great friend Kathy and her lovely teenage daughter Jahrnee are visiting from the US. Unfortunately Nic has no time off, having just started a new job, but we all decided that it should not stop us, and we're making it a girl's trip! After 8 days in Brisbane and surroundings (hopefully we'll cross #4 and 5 during this week), we (Tiare, Kathy, Nee, and I) are going to spend 3 full days together in Port Douglas. Because it's such a short trip, we have a serious plan. And OMG OMG OMG I'm SO excited that I have to share!!!!

- Day one: Daintree rain forest trip and Cape tribulation

- Day two: Snorkeling on the great barrier reef.

- Day three: Kurunda skyrail and train.

I already wish I had more time to spend there with my friends, but I have a business trip to plan and I have save some vacation and exciting plans for when Nic gets vacations, and for when Caroline and Jean Christophe are coming in January!

Maybe we'll have a combo of 7 and 9, then?! Or a 3? And a 4?

To be continued...