Our hotel room faces Catseye Cove, and the view from our balcony is nothing short of spectacular. It felt like a complete indulgence to sit in a lounge chair on the balcony and read a book with such a wonderful vista right in front. We went down to the beach yesterday afternoon for a swim and the water was so warm, so clear and shallow that I actually ventured more than 10 feet from shore. I was fairly confident that I could spot a shark a fair way out, so there was no harm in venturing in above my ankles for a change. This sudden burst of crazed adventure-seeking led to further lunacy today, but I am getting ahead of myself.
The hotel room has been very good, but it certainly has its quirks. We have to keep the sliding balcony doors closed at all times to prevent the local birds from flying right in from outside in search of food. I was somewhat surprised when I realized that the winged marauders were actually cockatoos - the same birds that you see for sale in a pet store for $2000. Here, they are really just a ginormous pain - they are quite aggressive, and have no problem getting quite close to people sitting on their balconies. The other interesting part of the room is that it boasts a brand new oven which is a conventional, convection and microwave oven all in one. You know the expression "jack of all trades, master of none"? We have taken to calling the oven "Jack" (and other names which the content checker does not allow me to include in this blog). Eating in is really the only option on an island considered expensive even by Australians, and we are being stymied by a malfunctioning Norwegian cooker. It's a plot!
We all agree that today was probably our favourite day of the trip so far. We went for a full-day boat trip which took us out to Whitehaven Beach, considered Australia's best beach. I have to say that it would be hard to disagree with that assessment. The white sand beach was utterly spectacular and the water was warm and clear. We were all given "stinger suits" to wear in the water to protect us from stingray and jellyfish stings, as there were apparently large numbers of both in the water today. We did not see any (fortunately) but we all wore the suits while we were in the water. We had a great time putting the hoods over our heads, lying back and basically enjoying sensory deprivation in the ocean for a while. I think I have discovered my new "happy place". We also went for a hike to a viewpoint overlooking the beach, and it was simply breathtaking. I have never been to a more magnificent natural area and trust me, the pictures do not do it justice.
After we lazed around on the beach (in some very handy shady areas) we were taken by motorboat to Chalkie's Beach for some snorkelling. None of us had ever done this before and I will be honest - up to the last minute, I didn't really know if I would want to do it. I'm uncomfortable in the water at the best of times and throwing in breathing through a tube just makes me that much more "meh" about the whole experience. But I figured that I needed to do it at some point so I took the plunge (so to speak). I am certainly glad that I did - the reefs around the beach had an amazing assortment of coral and so many different varieties of fish that I lost count. I am just sorry that I did not have an underwater camera. However, I have found some handy Google images that basically replicate what we saw today, so, no harm done. The kids had a fabulous time and we were some of the last people out of the water. We are all agreed, however, that lounging, swimming and snorkelling on a beautiful beach is tiring work, because we are all exhausted tonight. I can barely keep my eyes open (which explains the spelling errors and scattered grammar!)
As I sit writing this blog, there is an off-the-hook Indian wedding reception taking place on the beach just across from the hotel. The women look spectacular in their formal saris and the Bollywood music is just thumping. We have just finished watching a fireworks display that rivaled anything I have seen on Canada Day. As far as destination weddings go, this one appears to be a roaring success! Tomorrow, we are booked into the wildlife sanctuary for the event that Siobhan has been waiting for since we got here - koala cuddling. No, I am not kidding. It should make for some great pictures for tomorrow's blog, though!
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