day 43 9.9.2008

---

The days seams to roll into each other and they are starting to go quicker. Up at 6.30am and took dogs for a quick walk and then off to Monkey Mia to se the dolphins being fed. The drive is about 25k’s and got there about 7.15am there were some people there already waiting but within minutes the crowd started to roll in so someone left the gates open for the billy goats to come.

The ranger explained that due to a baby dolphin (10 days old) people were not allowed at all in the water near mother and baby. Mother and baby were already there waiting for a feed and putting on a small show for the crowd, but they were swimming out to sea so the Ranger asked everyone to more back to give them so space. So mother and baby and about 6 other dolphins came right up to the shoreline.

The mother dolphin is 33 yrs old, when they wean the calf off which takes about 3 yrs then they get pregnant again. They give birth tail first as soon as they are born they need to be pushed to the surface so that the calf can breathe. Marg stayed at the water edge to get a good view while Warwick went onto the wharf to take pics.

After the show it was a quick trip back to the van for breakfast and let the dogs out for a run, then get ready for the quad bike ride. We had to fill in some paper work and produce a licence before we rode off, had a helmet and a yellow safety vest. The tour guide showed us the bike controls which was auto’s. Due to Marg and Warwick never rode bike before we had to follow the tour guide right behind him and left the experience rides at the back. At the first stop one of the experience rides came over and gave us some tips and to relax so after that it was excellent. We rode around for about3 hrs. While going down a narrow dirt track Marg started to pull away from Warwick he was doing 45kph but Marg said later that she was doing 52 kph, a bit of a speed hog.

Te tour guide took us bush into an old quarry where there was a track cut into the hills so we started to have fun, then along the beach and up and down big sloping hills Marg’s comment was “oh sh*t”. After finished ride (1.30pm) grabbed some lunch and took the dogs for a walk. Marg washed the clothes as they were covered in dust/dirt.

---