It's Getting Better All The Time

We're staying in a gorgeous house just minutes from the beach.

You can tell we're in the tropics.

The bird and insect noises are just different, and the vegetation is unfamiliar.

The beach is gorgeous, but unfortunately there's no swimming at this time of year, due to the box and irukandji jellyfish whose stings don't merely hurt, but will kill you. Badly and surely.

The sand is smooth, and scattered with a charming tracery of aboriginal-style sand paintings.

These pointillist delights are made by little crabs, who you can see plopping into their holes as you approach, but if you sneak up on them, they'll freeze and play dead.

The heat and humidity encourage the growth of mushrooms in all colours and shapes, like this bright orange cluster.

Best off all, the airlines called to say our luggage is in Sydney, will be in Cairns on the four o'clock flight, and will be in Port Douglas an hour or so later.