Snake vs Goanna

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An early morning kayak trip to watch the sun rise and have a relaxing breakfast on the beach. That was how our trip was advertised.

The location was remote tropical Queensland and we were up early, meeting another traveler and waiting for our guide. Half an hour passed and still no show. Eventually he rolled up in a very bad mood and a nasty looking gash on the back of his head. Keen to get his tour guide money he opted to carry on rather than heading to hospital and told us the story along the way to the beach. He had been taking the kayaks on the tractor down to the water's edge before he collected us when the trailer dislodged itself, whacked him in the back of the head and diverted off the track into the trees. With nobody to help him he had tried to retrieve the trailer but to no avail. On route to the beach with his passengers we managed to hook up the trailer once again and head to the cove.

At this point we find out that the other traveler has no idea how to kayak, and ends up in a double kayak with me, my husband on his own ahead of us - blissfully unaware that I was being sent round in circles and feeling extremely queasy! We eventually got the the remote beach and the guide had set up breakfast for us. Perfect remedy for seasickness.... As we sat down with the billycan and some biscuits, we spotted a large goanna coming our way. Unperturbed the guide told us to stay still. It wasn't until he saw the goanna eyeing up a venomous snake ready for battle that he lost his cool.

We abandoned the kayaks and breakfast and jumped into his little motor boat. We looked out to sea and saw a storm coming - pretty swiftly towards us. But just to add to the tension, the boat wouldn't start and the waves were pounding over the side. With the girls baling out and the boys trying to start the engine, we were exhausted when we finally got it running. We jumped in, headed back to shore and ended up back at the hostel very tired, wet and hungry but glad of a great Australian adventure - only a crocodile encounter would have made it more exciting!

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