Coochie

We aimed to be awake at 7.30 this morning, in order to not embarrass ourselves in front of our super-early-morning-riser hosts. Hmm. We made it up by 8am, not too bad, considering the complete lack of sleep the night before!
Our plan today was to take a bike ride up the coast to Victoria Point and then catch a ferry over to a tiny little island called Coochie Mudlow. So, after manufacturing ourselves some salad sandwiches from last nights leftovers, packing up water bottles, rain jackets, maps, phones - the whole shebang of a survival kit, as well as donning our law-abiding helmets and some blister-avoiding fingerless gloves (like a ruffian) we mounted our worthy steeds (Richard and Ansie's bikes) and set off down the sloping driveway. Then we stopped, to adjust the saddles. Then, we zoomed down the road! Then we stopped to check we were going in the right direction.
Eventually, we set off properly, whizzing around the bike paths along the coastline, the sea lapping not three metres away. Mangroves skulked about in the shallow water, luckily clear (I say lucky, because if it is muddy the crocodiles can surprise you!) We took a path through woodland round the back of a golf course, spotting a sleepy goanna lizard pop into flee mode and walk on water before submerging itself under a lily pad in an ornamental pond. After some hills and a few long roads with overhanging branches, we made it to the ferry port and walked our bikes onto the little 40-people ferry that pulled up at the jetty.
We meandered across the bay, landing about ten minutes later on Coochie Mudlow. We embarked immediately upon a cycle route around the island. There were some excellent hills to whoosh down, providing a much-needed breeze in the seriously warm environs of the island. I had a nervous moment when I felt something on my leg and looked down to see a large, spherical brown and cream spider sat on my calf. I almost hit a tree in my eagerness to stop, but then very calmly managed to brush it off with a twig. Phew. I laugh in the face of deadly creatures.
We continued on, viewing the pancake-flat cane toads on the road with a sort of macabre interest. I mentioned a while ago, how the New Zealanders serve to hit possums - Australians do the same with cane toads. They have cane toad bashing days. It is like a national holiday!
With great surprise, we found we had completed the entire island route in very little time...admittedly Coochie is a very small island, but still. Bikes are not our first form of transportation! We drew up outside the kiosk and sat down to sample caramel icecreams and vitamin water, which I am addicted to. We watched the creamy ibis stalk about the patio. After our recuperation session, we wandered down onto the yellow sand beach and got comfy after a re-app of sunscreen. Alex concentrated on building a mini fort to protect himself from the sea (thouroughly checked over for possible nasties/jellyfish/sharks/crocs/random evil man-eating beasts that lurk in water) while I started a battle against the land-based meanies, the ants. After a while, in the heat, the sea was looking mighty tempting, but the fear remained. Would we die a horrible death if we ventured into Australian seawater? I dipped in a toe, and survived. The signs were good. There were kids further out in the bay - if all went badly, they would be eaten first. Happy with this arrangement, we went into the deliciously cool water and washed off the grainy sand.
Well, we survived the sea, got back on the ferry and biked on home again. We arrived back to find a note from Ansie - Licelle had given birth at 4pm that afternoon! So congratulations to Licelle and Brad, and welcome to the world Rhian!
That evening, once Ansie and Richard had returned from the hospital, we all feasted on amazing vegetable pies, and I seasoned mine with the 'Hooligan Juice' manufactured by Richard. This substance contains 5kg of tiny chillies, and little else. Yum, tasty. Alex refrained, not being into the hot food so much. Its all good.