Jim and Michelle, friends of ours from dancing have a holiday house in Sarasota,
Florida that they generously allowed us to use for a week in August. Sarasota is
about 2 hours drive south of Orlando, on the Gulf of Mexico side of Florida.
After months of pregnancy and holidays that we were always on the move to see as
much as we could, this was just what the doctor ordered. We went to the beach
for a swim, lay by the pool and generally just relaxed. We even managed to catch
a couple of movies at the local cinema. Of course Adam also found time for a
round of golf while we were there.
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Jim and Michelle's paradise retreat
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Carol relaxing at the beach (only the sun smart Aussie's were trying to find shade at the beach, rather than get a tan)
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Gulf of Mexico beaches are a little different to what we're use to back home - not much surf
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It's a hard life
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All the golf courses down in Florida are green and flat - doesn't make them any easier though
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We just had to try the Outback Steak House one night - the Aussie restaurant (apparently)
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Florida Everglades
Friends of Adam's put him on to a company that provides fan
boat rides through the Everglades about an hour south of Sarasota. This was
on the must do list while we were in Florida, so we packed up the car and
headed south for the day.
The Everglades are huge, with the National Park covering
some 6,105 km2 (which is only about a third of the Everglades).
We went for a one hour cruise around a small area of the Everglades on a fan
boat and it's a good thing we had a guide. Everything in there looks the
same, so it would have been easy to get lost.
The fan boats are great fun and fast but very load. Our
guide was very informative, telling us about the area, the local wildlife
and plant life. The Everglades change from close growing mangrove trees, to
grass plains and back again with almost ever turn. The water levels change
throughout the year (wet or dry season) but when we were there it was only
about 1m deep. That said the silt is very fine and whole planes have been
known to be lost in the mud of the Everglades. So no wading through the
water for us.
But of course the thing I think everyone goes on these rides
for is the alligators and he took us to see a couple of good ones.
After living in the NT, Adam is very suspicious of these
animals but while they look similar to the salt water crocodile, they
certainly aren't as aggressive (well at least they don't appear to be). That
said there was no way we'd be getting in the water. Apparently they have
strong jaw muscles for biting down but very weak muscles for opening their
mouth. The guide was easily able to keep the alligator's mouth closed
(rather him than me).
Back at their office, they have a couple of little baby
alligators that people can hold. Carol held her nerve and held one of the
baby gators. They are sort of cute little things at that age!!!!
The Everglades have a beauty all of their own and we highly
recommend to anyone who finds themselves down that part of Florida to go on
a tour.
