Boogie Boarding and Snorkeling

We were all feeling much better now after a long nights sleep, so we decided to head for the beach to try our luck boogie boarding.

The idea is to swim out into the surf to catch a
wave back to shore, similar to surfing but instead of standing up you just lay on the board. We thought the kids would have more  
luck doing this first before trying surfing.

We quickly loaded up the car with boogie boards, snorkels, flippers and snacks, then set off to Boat Harbour. This is a beach on the other side of the bay from Cronulla where you drive your 4 wheel drive vehicle right on the beach. Luckily Uncle Chris has a 4 wheel drive so there was no worry of getting stuck.

It was advised we wear wet suits because the temps are getting a little cooler now - remember, Australia is now starting to head into winter and daytime temps are hovering around 20C. Wet suits, well that's a bit of an adventure getting into!

After some time and much struggle, we were now ready to hit the surf. Sean thought it would be best to stay close to shore while he watched Kieran attempt the big surf, so Dad, Uncle Chris and Kieran headed into
the ocean in search of the perfect wave. Kieran took to the ocean like a pro jumping at the first wave he could. Unfortunately he forgot to close his mouth and ended up swallowing what seemed like half the ocean. However, this wasn't going to stop his determination and he headed right back in, and before long he was riding them like a pro. Dad on the other hand didn't catch on as quickly!

           
                                                 
After a couple of hours and many waves conquered, we decided to head around the beach to a sheltered bay to try our luck at snorkeling. Kieran raced into the water to start his search for hidden treasures and tropical fish. Sean thought he had enough swimming by then and settled down to make a huge sand castle that included decorations of seaweed, shells and some unique native Australian flowers.

As you can imagine, we were all hungry by this time and thought it would be really neat to try a Teppanyaki restaurant.Teppanyaki is a style of Japanese cuisine where they cook on an open griddle in front of your table. The kids loved watching the chef prepare their meal right before their eyes and were amazed with his skills cutting and dicing food.



Halfway through the dinner the chef tossed each person a small bowl in the air for them to catch. This is where it got interesting .... One by one he would toss a raw egg in the air using his spatula for each person to catch using their bowl. Remember, this is a skilled chef who can make this toss as difficult as he chooses, so everyone had their fingers crossed they weren't going to be the target of the evening. First it was mum's turn ... up in the air the raw egg flew and with her great skill she managed to catch the egg without a drop landing on her. Next was Aunt Mary then Sean, both managing this challenge without any mishaps. Kieran also did this without a mishap.

Over to Dad now. Up flew the egg high into the air with Dad manoeuvring his bowl in place for the perfect catch. Unfortunately Dad's judgement was off and the egg came splattering down on him covering his shirt and pants. Everyone was laughing so hard. This was one of the funnest restaurants we've been to and a great way to end a perfect day.











Tomorrow's plan is to visit the Sydney aquarium to see sharks and all kinds of other sea life.