Hi all,

It's been over a year since my last Cairns Capers post. One reason is that I've been really busy with Uni and work. My latest get rich quick scheme is iPhone Apps but like all get rich quick schemes it's a lot of hard work for little reward.

The other reason I haven't sent an update is because nothing quirky has happened to me that was worthy of a Cairns Caper, that is until today.

Some of you may know that I've moved out to the Rainforest. I now live in Cairns Rainforest Estate in Kamerunga right on the edge of a National Park. It's a beautiful place to live, provided you can handle the bugs.

I've recently got into the habit of heading down to the creek to have a swim. I go almost every day. Today was no exception. The creek is literally 100m from my house. The best swimming hole is a further 100m stumble along the rocky path. As a local resident I feel a certain entitlement to the swimming hole and it annoys me no end that as things heat up it gets more and more crowded. There's almost always 2 or 3 people either swimming or sun bathing near the pool. Today was no exception.

As I was staggering along the path I noticed two people in the distance near my favourite spot. One was clearly a guy as he was sporting a beard and wearing boardshorts. The other I wasn't too sure of but I could see they were topless. As I drew nearer I realised that this second person was also bottomless. I had stumbled across a skanky old feral hippy woman and her scruffy bearded boyfriend sharing a joint at my local swimming hole.

At this point I suddenly realised I was in a minor etiquette dilema. Now do I back out as gracefully as I can, which would be difficult given that I've already staggered 50 metres across rocks so far, or is it more polite to continue to my destination, thus making the scraggely old hippie woman think that I didn't find her naked body repulsive (which by the way I did).

My other thought was, why should I back away. I have just as much right to swim here as them. There's many a time when I would have liked the swimming hole to myself. Instead I've had to put up with bogan VB drinking air conditioner repairmen on their lunch break, and skinny old bald men in red meat hangers bathing on the rocks.

So why should I back away and afterall what would happen to the world if you could reserve a place just by getting naked. Who knows where it would end? People stripping off at the local pool? Naked long haired freaks queueing up for Metallica tickets? Naked people on planes taking the extra legroom in the emergency isle? Well I say NO! So I took a stand and I kept on walking, but with my head down trying to avoid looking at them as much as possible. I was also rushing a little which is probably why I slipped off the rocks and splashed into the creek just next to them.

Once I was there I sat my thongs on a rock and swam into the pool and around the corner. A nice safe distance away and out of sight.

So I guess my question is, Did I do the right thing? Who was in the wrong? Do naked old hippy chicks have the right sit upright naked on a rock without people disturbing their peace? Do local internet nerds looking for a swim have the right to swim without being affronted by naked old hippy women?

Something for everyone to ponder no doubt.