Come off it, Maria! Weather in Cairns quite good all year round? I've been there in the wet! Let me tell the list about the local joke: "If you can see Mount Bartle Frere (the highest peak around), it's going to rain; if you can't, it IS raining!" Seriously, folks, even in the wet, the Cairns weather's not all that bad - not like it was in Ottawa two days ago when we had, I estimate, 15+ cm rain in less than 4 hours, with hailstones (I measured 'em) 4 cm across. With the wonderful seafood NQLD has, ANY restaurant should be a success. And you don't have to worry about what the Queenslanders call "bugs" getting into the collection! The Queensland Cockroach, now, that's a bit different. As soon as I win the lottery, Cairns is the first stop. I can taste the old XXXX as I write. Harry Needham Canadian War Museum