**ALERT** If you have no interest in underwater photos then skip today’s post, cause underwater is all we did today 🙂 .

Bob and I woke this morning after a very big night’s sleep. I think the nervous energy associated with kayaking off shore as well as the energy expended paddling, snorkelling and hiking following next to no sleep the night before caught up. We checked the wind forecast and decided even though a bit higher than yesterday we would head out again without our tour guides (Karen and Kieran).

The paddling out to the buoy was easy enough and we had a really lovely snorkel with the place to ourselves.

I was merrily drifting along the edge of the reef when I looked up and saw what I will describe as two big sharks! The pulse went straight up and I popped up to make sure Bob was around to get the pieces of me once I was eaten. I reckon we were more than 50m apart! So I swam faster than I kayak back to him to relay the news and thankfully wasn’t eaten from behind while I set an olympic record. On the way back I rationalised that they weren’t great whites ’cause I don’t know that they sit on the ocean bed resting. Once I got to Bob I could see he thought I’d seen a reef shark so I sent him on his way and I waited at the kayaks ready to jump in at short notice. Well he eventually came back and had decided that they weren’t reef sharks, but they weren’t a problem either, so I made him swim back with me to get photographic evidence (from more of a distance this time) and then we merrily carried on our snorkelling about 100m further towards shore, just to be sure. Research once we got back to the van suggests they were Tawny Nurse sharks. Not aggressive and won’t attack unless provoked….

We continued enjoying in wide-eyed wonder at the underwater ecosystems for a while longer. More spam coming…

After setting off for the second buoy 500m further south, we ended up aborting with the wind and waves picking up above levels Bob and I were comfortable with. So we were back at the van by 1030, ready for brekky number 2. We relaxed through to lunch (or in my case sorted photos) and then decided to head to the Discovery Centre around 30km up the road. While there we found that the Oyster Stacks which we planned to snorkel at before we leave the area on Monday morning will be closed due to low tides on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. So quick change of plans and we met the Allens there and spent an hour snorkelling directly off the shore before the tide got too low. Another great spot, which was very popular. Some very large fish here as well as some super tiny ones.

Finally, the Allens headed out for a late afternoon fish while we went back to the van for a lovely sunset meeting fellow travellers and comparing places we’ve all been.

We haven’t managed to catch up with the Scott’s today as they are camped quite a way further south. Karen has sent through an update which has included walking onto the ridge of Cape Range at the Winderabandi Viewpoint. They enjoyed a fire for dinner and sunset.