Hello again

Technical difficulties and lack of connection mean we're getting a bit out of order, but we're back on dry land after three brilliant nights at sea with Mike Ball Dive Expeditions. 

More of the trip later but it was strangely liberating having no contact with the outside world: no opportunity to check the latest news, football results, bank balances or facebook posts. 

The strange thing is that the more you travel the more you realise it's a small world: one of the crew went to school in Farnham and one of the guests works in Comber, just down the road from Moira's brother. 

Everyone has a story. Another crew member told me he played cricket at regional level and once opened the batting against Allan Donald,  although he hardly looked old enough. Then there's the chef who was scared of the water but learned to dive in seven weeks. 

The crew were all fantastic, both as hosts and dive guides.  I mentioned the long hours they work and one said 'well it's hard work but it's hardly working.'

Today we drove to Port Douglas along the Captain Cook highway, a beautiful road where the rainforest really does meet the beach. 

In the next post you'll see more pictures of us sweating in the searing heat.