For the Christmas holidays a friend and I went to Tripical North Queensland. We dove on the Great Barrier Reef, relaxed on an idyllic beach, visited "the world's oldest rainforest," discovered some amazing restaurants, and soaked up the warmth that is currently so lacking here in Japan. All in all it was much like any other tropical paradise, but disorientingly developed and modern. I felt like I had arrived in a place that was part Africa and part USA. It was a strange sensation. I was disappointed by the fact that the tourist industry was not devoid of people out to make a buck [or a couple hundred] more than to introduce visitors to the marvels of their homeland, or even to protect the natural beauty. I was also surprised by the attitudes expressed by many of the Australians I encountered towards aboriginal people. Also shocking was the obvious and stark contrast in their economic condition. It reminded me of the deep south of the US [only I suppose it was the "deep north" of Oz]. Basically, though, I think Australian people are very laid back and personable with a ready sense of humor. Next time I go to Australia [and I sincerely hope there will be a "next time"] I plan to avoid the tourist track as much as possible. It would be a perfect place to rent a car with some friends or that special someone and follow my heart or my whims to create a great adventure. With beauty and charm around every corner it would be hard to go wrong!