Is the Shangri La Hotel a good option in Cairns? Also we are in Sydney with 5 people arriving from 14 hour flight. Should I book a transfer, or is it easy to grab a taxi. We have an 87 year old with us!

The Shangri La is out of my normal price range but I'd reckon you'd have troble getting any better there and superb position.

Anytime I 've been out at Sydney Airport there's plenty of Taxis at the airport and they'll be waiting in a queue rank where passengers also queue but the system works well.

If by transfer, do you mean from international to domestic?, for if so the other options are a bus shuttle transfer or the train but for four a taxi ought to be cheapest - http://www.sydneyairport.com.au/SACL...-Transfer.html for info.

Shangri La's a nice hotel on waterfront of Marlin Marina, from where all the reef trips out of Cairns leave. Lots of choice of restaurants on its boardwalk and nearby and there's a brand new waterfront restaurant and bar, Salt House. www.salthouse.com.au Do ask for rooms with harbour views, some rooms look over courtyard and pool area only.

For Sydney, if that's a shuttle bus transfer versus a taxi, or unless your hotel has its own transfer service, I'd be getting a taxi, especially after a 14 hour flight. Ditto for Cairns, where its only about 10 mins from Cairns Airport to Shangri-la. In Cairns for 5 people and luggage you'll need a maxi taxi, available at airport, if there's not one outside rank just call on free taxi phone in departure lounge.

Shangri La Hotel has an airport service but I do not know there charges. Suggest you contact them or just take the maxi taxi option.

Their not 'there'

Wish I was litter rate!

Saltaurius - you know about these things, wonder if you could help with wildlife question? (Sorry to go totally off-topic, Mary)

Cairns Birdwing Butterflies - about 10 enormous caterpillars ate out our Dutchman's Pipe vine and are now pupating in a bottle brush tree which the vine was growing through. No sign of hatching and some of the pupae are at least 6 weeks old, when I googled the hatching time was said to be about 4 weeks. Do you think they're just waiting for warmer weather to hatch or are they cactus?

Not litter rate either, couldn't spell Saltuarius

Okay, I'm curious...did they hatch? Are they Cairns Birdwings? I really wanted to see one, thought I did then looked again and it was just wishful thinking....

Hi Toucan, definitely Cairns Birdwings, I saw the female laying her eggs, and the huge caterpillars are easy to identify. Have seen quite a few in garden lately, along with the neon blue Ulysses, which are quite common.

But nup, they still haven't hatched, one died and was eaten by ants, but the rest are still hanging there, suspended with what looks just like fine black sewing thread. They don't look shrivelled and are a greeny/yellow colour, you can clearly see the pattern of the butterfly wings. If they ever emerge will try to take a photo!

Would love to see that photo if/when they emerge! How cool to see them in your garden. I loved those Ulysses as well, that blue was unreal.