Sunday, 16 September 2012

Sat. 15th Sept., 2012 - Visit to Monkey Mia & Little Lagoon

Our day began early - we were up at 6am & on the road just after 7am.  We were off to Monkey Mia to see wild bottlenose dolphins coming ashore to receive small amounts of fish & to interact with the rangers & onlookers.  The dolphins visit almost every day & we were extremely lucky, as they spent a lot of time near to us, in the shallows.  It was amazing to have adult females & their young approaching so closely that we could actually hand feed them (I was fortunate enough to do so!)  They were very trusting, sociable & a delight to watch. 




A manic pelican also tried to get in on the act by attempting to steal the fish before it could be given to the dolphins.  A turtle popped its head up from time to time & there were plenty of fish & birds to hold our interest.

What a wonderful place - sufficient facilities for comfort, but not enough to be over-commercialized.

After lunch, we drove to Little Lagoon, a circular-shaped lake, which is a popular spot for fishing, swimming & canoeing.  It was there that the most dramatic event of our trip, so far, occurred ...



 Bob decided to drive around the lagoon, on the sand, but when he attempted to exit from the beach, catastrophe struck.  We became totally bogged down & could go neither forward nor back.  The wheels merely spun around & the bottom of the car was resting on the sand!  Bob tried to clear the sand away from the wheels but his efforts were in vain - we were well & truly "bottomed".  In desperation, I sought the help of a young lady who had been sunbathing nearby.  She & her companion very kindly tried to help us by tying a rope between our two vehicles & attempting to pull us free.  In the process of so doing, they became bogged down, too!  What a fiasco - we were so embarrassed (well, I was!)




By this time, quite a few visitors to the lagoon had gathered & someone had gone to fetch our would-be rescuer's husband from the gun club, where he was a member (it's a wonder he didn't use us for target practice!)  Fortunately, he arrived with someone who had a more powerful vehicle & finally both of our cars were pulled free.  What a relief, but we had red faces that weren't just the result of sunburn!


I must say that Aussies are great people to have around when disaster strikes - we shall be eternally grateful to all those who pushed, pulled, wielded spades & attached tow ropes in our hour of need.  An unforgettable day, in more ways than one!  And, has my dear husband, who lacks any sense of caution, learned from this experience?  I doubt it!  His adventurous nature will, almost certainly, continue urging him to "rush in where angels fear to tread."


 

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