There's a Bandicoot in our Vestibule

It's always scary when you go to unzip your tent and you hear something -from inside- WHAP! against the tent wall beside your hand.

That's what happened last night when I went to get a sweatshirt. "Oh my God!" I shrieked, as a funny little rabbit-sized creature scooted out from under the front vestibule fabric (or, as I like to think of it- our porch) of our tent, and disappeared into the woods. I don't know what he was doing to our shoes, and I really don't want to know, either.

He's pretty fast (hence I have no picture of my own) and runs/hops like a bunny, digs like a groundhog, and rummages like a raccoon. Some of our camping neighbours have given him French names. The bandicoot that hangs around our campground is usually really cute and tame, but sometimes he just scares the crap out of you.

The bandicoot is just one of the creatures we'll miss if we finally leave the campground... but good news is we may be getting an apartment in Port Douglas. My legs are very happy, because maybe they'll get just 3 or 4 bites a night instead of 14.... And it's not mosquitoes (or mozzies, in Oz speak) that are the problem here, it's pesky critters you can't even see, called sandflies. We've had to coat ourselves nightly in bug spray, and I'm not even sure whether it's working. (Where's my 95% DEET when I need it?) Adrian doesn't get bitten as much as I do, but he's still appreciating the best Australian product we've discovered since Tim Tams- Itch Eze cream. It's like Afterbite, but instead of stinging your bites, it's got anaesthetic in it so your skin actually goes numb for a bit so you can actually get a decent night's sleep (or get through a job interview without looking like you have fleas). Maybe we'll start importing it into cottage country!

In other news... we have been following the Jays, thanks to their website, our people at home who send us news (thanks Dad, Bliss, Laura, Graeme, Neil, and everyone else!), and a cool podcast we found on iTunes called Jaycast. We love listening to it for a little nostalgia, and were absolutely thrilled when Jayscast hosts Colin and Steve read our email and said hi to us on the air! (Download Episode #6 to see how famous we are ;) Somehow the world feels smaller all the time.

Finally- the Lonely Planet video contest closes on Tuesday, so keep watching our monkey video.... pretty please! Miss you all, and keep in touch. And a big Happy Mother's Day to our moms and any other moms who may be reading (except down here you're a "mum")
-- Love D & A xoxo