Day 8 & 9: Estuary Kayaking and Free Time

Today we woke early to spend the morning paddling up a nearby estuary (about a few minute's drive away) to try and spot some wildlife and crocodiles. We tried to go early to beat some of the heat as well, though on the paddle back it caught up to us! We paddled in a double kayak for about 45 minutes as the channel narrowed until we were going through small winding jungle-covered waterways. We spotted a crocodile nose sticking out of the water about 3 feet from our kayak (which made me kind of nervous given the size of the nose and how low to the water we were). Our guide reassured us the crocodiles in this area have never been aggressive without cause. As we continued further back and hit a dead-end area, we were able to spot baby crocodiles, no more than a foot long, hanging out on a log sunning to get warmed up.  We spent about 15 minutes here just watching them, taking photos, and soaking it in before paddling back. Along the return, we saw a number of motorized boats heading towards the back, and it made me smile as they will not be able to reach the areas we did by kayak and will likely miss it. 

We returned to the total ready for our full free afternoon to do whatever we wanted! I spent an hour or so shopping at the nearby boutiques along the boulevard for gifts for my family back home, and then we decide to go rent surfboards again and give it another try.  We were successful and even met up with a young boy staying at the same hotel who was also trying to learn. He and my son spent a solid hour out there trying to surf together while I was able to relax on the shore and watch them. The day finished up with a sunset dinner and we welcomed a relaxing evening after our action-packed trip.