Lady Musgrave Island was stunning. Gerhard taught the boys to use their new snorkels and fins and off we went.
They took to it like…fish to water! Hugo dived down with his father and I tried to keep up with Oscar who was chasing after fish across the reef. What looked a small reef shark caught Oscar’s eye as well as a beautiful turtle swimming which we followed for a while. Both boys seem to manage to squeal and talk underwater…can’t imagine who they get that from!

With both boys safely back in the dinghy Gerhard and I snorkelled a little more. Gerhard came back and indicated that I get myself on board, and mouthed the word “shark”! He’d seen one on the edge of the bit of reef, about 5-6 feet long. His immediate thought was ‘how on earth are we going to get Gilli back into the dinghy quickly?’. He had been trying to work out whether to get in first and then drag me in (and how to explain to my mother that he’d left me in the water to be chewed on by a passing shark as my legs flailed in the water enticingly) or to be chivalrous and get me I first and then follow, but would we both be a lunchtime snack for the shark? My climbing into the dinghy from the water with snorkel, fins and wet suit has been less than nimble and the cause of great mirth (and on my part disbelief that I can be quite so hopeless) in honesty it makes no difference whether I’m kitted out for snorkelling or just in my swimmers, I’m still hopeless!

The sunsets at Lady Musgrave were delightful – which we enjoyed with the bottle of bubbly given to us by our estate agent on the completion of our house sale, and Foie Gras sent from my friend Wid.

Early next morning we left for Kingfisher Resort further north but still on the west coast of Fraser Island and spent the day playing on the beach and chasing crabs, swimming in the clear blue water, as still as a mill pond, and chasing Daddy! Oscar spent hours sculpturing small rocks into ‘artefacts’ (like the aboriginals mum’). His plan is to sell them …not too sure about the chances of that happening.

As the wind came up we headed for the protected side of Woody Island – a quiet night with just turtles and dolphins for company. Next morning we sailed in to Urangan Marina/ Hervey Bay, ahead of a big wind. We were happily tied up by the time the wind hit us – sounded like something from Scott of the Antarctic blowing through the rigging, but clearly wasn’t given that we were still walking around in shorts and T-shirts!

The boys enjoyed the Wet Side Water park (I recommend that one), Gerhard worked and we restocked and refuelled the boat.

Up bright and early the next morning – as is the way with our boys, we got into the dinghy and went off the explore the beaches and surrounding bush land. My plans to get us all bush walking and burning off some energy were thwarted by the ‘crocodile – warning’ sign on the beach. Bugger! So we played on the beach, climbed on fallen trees and dropped off rope swings into the water. Gerhard did some stunning upside down acrobatics hanging from the rope and dropping into the water, much to the boys’ delight and was met with their exuberant cheers and clapping.

We followed this with a spot of (totally unsuccessful) fishing as the sun set and we enjoyed the glorious light. Lots of stunning photos – none of which truly depict the scene which was in fact the boys & I being ravaged by sand flies: Gerhard of course untouched :-). The boys and I looked like we had measles, with red welts all over us.

The next day pretty much everyone else left as it was the end of the school holidays. Bliss..

Gerhard and the boys went off in the dinghy to take soundings to measure the depth at low tide, to establish whether we could exit the anchorage by a different channel the next morning with the high tide (lots of maths schooling ‘in the field’). Whilst they went off I baked my first batch of muffins in the BBQ and everyone voted them ‘best ever’. Can’t beat hungry tummies when it comes to appreciating dodgy cooking! It was a baking hot day and whilst they’d gone with life jackets, caps and sunscreen, waster bottles and a snack I did wonder how long I should leave it before I sent for help/ raised an alarm? And who exactly was I going to call, and what was I going to say? Was it likely that the crocodile had spotted them, and they’d had to fend it off? Had one of the boys fallen and the boat capsized? None of this really meant that relaxing time on my own was really very relaxing after the first hour had passed!

Anyway, they came back a few hours later, smiling, hungry and full of their adventure – and no croc sightings.

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