Day 193 We made our way over to Chute Harbour last night to give us more time to get ready in the morning. Our transfer was due to depart at 8 am from here. We packed our bags with very little and headed down to the pier to wait for the vessel. Knowing how excited we were to get to this island getaway they left promptly on time. The ride over was short but sweet. The boat glided effortlessly over the teal blue water and within no time the island was visible and we were on the dock looking up at the welcome sign. We took the breathtaking walk up the pier towards the resort. Check in wasn't till one in the afternoon so we were plenty early. We left our bags at reception and headed to the cafe for a coffee which we enjoyed on the beach whilst looking at the scenery. There was a Pied Oyster Eater hanging around waiting for the tide to go out so he could feast. He was there every morning like clockwork, sitting around and just waiting.
After coffee we took a dip in the ocean, the water was still cool but only for a second or two then it just felt nice. We got our first look at a stingray but he was too quick and elusive for a photo. He would be the first of many awesome marine life we would see on this island. After we cooled ourselves off we were off to explore the resort. There was a tennis court, virtual game room, mini put, and much more. There was also what at first we thought was a sundial but upon closer examination turned out to be a coconut dehusking tool. I found a coconut and went to work. There were two pools one which we dipped in on the way back from exploration and one with a bar which we enjoyed not long after the other one. This one we spent a little more time in as we got a drinks to fill the time till our room was ready.
Our room turned out to be a delight. The booking agent on shore told the resort a little lie that we were on our honeymoon and we got a free upgrade to ocean view. It wasn't too big of a stretch, we are celebrating our one year anniversary. A cyclone ripped up the resort last year so the rooms that were usable were just renovated. The bathroom was super modern, the sink, shower and even toilet followed a rectangle theme. The balcony overlooked the clear blue ocean. After dropping off our things and cleaning ourselves up we headed back outside.
Our stay included three meals each day, and they did not disappoint. The dinner and lunch menus hand all you can eat salad bar and soup, and a choice of one of the 4 main meal options. The first night we had Tandoori Chicken and Grilled Trout. The nights entertainment was a one man band playing live music. He was pretty good and knew his music as he took requests most of the night. We enjoyed a bottle of wine whilst listening to him rock out.
The next morning after the extensive breakfast buffet we took to the ocean via kayaks. The tide here was again different from our previous experience as it started to go out just around noon. It's hard to get over just how clear the water is. While out there we seen numerous schools of fish, which you could get real close to if you paddled hard then coasted when near them. We also got a look at a sea turtle but surprisingly not as many as in Carmila. After the kayaks we took to the mini put course for a friendly but fierce game of golf! Who won is not important lol!
After lunch and siesta which included a hammock, it was time to go snorkeling. We got the masks and flippers from the water sport hut and walked out to the pier. It was fun looking at all the colorful coral while it lasted, which was till a jelly fish scared us out of the water. Not sure if it was a harmful one or not but we were not taking chances. Since we were already out on the pier we waited for the Batfish feeding. We did this on the first day already but the fish look pretty cool and like I said we were already there. Soon the resort guide and a group showed up. The Batfish also called Moonfish are flat and about the size of an 10 inch pizza. They are mostly grey with yellow accent with the males having a little bit more colour. About six to ten show up for the feeding daily like clockwork.
When we got back to the resort it was almost dinner time. We headed up to our room to clean up only to find hopeful dinner guests. A couple of Cockatoos hanging around the balcony looking for handouts. Today's mains we chose were the Steak fillet and Grilled Barramundi with red wine jus. We brought a bottle of bubbly with us which we enjoyed while watching people do karaoke, the entertainment for the night. It took a while for it to get rolling as no one wanted to be the first victim but after that it just picked up.
Our vacation on our holiday reached it's last day. It started off windy and a little overcast which turned out to work in our favor. Because we wanted to wait for clearer skies before hitting the water we went on the island hikes. They weren't the best hikes and scenery but it killed an hour or so and that's all the skies needed to clear up. It was still windy but that didn't matter as we took out the kayaks again. And here is where the hour or so delay was a good thing. As we were out there floating around, Jenn points and says "you see that? There!" I look over just in time to see a massive fin duck back in the water. Sweet as!! A whale!! It breached the surface a couple more times once giving us a nice wave with its huge tail and then it was gone. All that didn't take more than a few minutes but man to see it, just awesome. Once we went back to shore we packed up the room and headed for reception to check out. We kept our bathing suits and took one of the paddle boats out for a spin before lunch and yet another siesta. I needed this one extra as they served lamb goulash for lunch and I had a lot. Few minutes into siesta hour Jenn pops up and "there!" another whale sighting. Even though this one was shorter than the last we were lucky to see one whale but two!! In the same day!! Just crazy!! That was the last thing we did on Long Island as soon after we made our way to the pier to catch our transfer to the main land. We went a little early in hopes of catching another whale. We didn't see another but we did see some very colourful parrot fish hanging around the coral.