Botany Bay - the second trip

We couldn't resist heading back to Botany Bay with the rest of the family, and adding in my sister and her two kids..... so 11 of us descended on the island for a day of fun.

Brian drove with my mom, Blondie and Cheesie. They left super early because Brian wanted time to photograph everything, I was bringing teens, so we left about 3 hours later.

It was pretty deserted for awhile, and gave Blondie a chance to find shells

and Brian time to photograph.

They swam

and jumped the waves (yes, Blondie jumps)

and posed for Dad's endless photo requirements.

One thing I didn't write about last week was the amazing pelican patrols on the beach. Long lines of them fly up and down the beach. Brian got this great shot of a pelican diving for the fish. 

With a very hot day there is zero shade on this beach.  The minute you head for the trees that are thick enough for shade you get eaten by the mosquitoes so it is WAY BETTER to improvise and camp out..

because then the teens show up and the FUN begins!

I swear these four spent all day getting pounded in the waves.  They dove through them, rode over them, got bashed up, and went back for more. 

                           

 My nephew "Super S" came for his first trip to the ocean. His mom was smart and brought a giant umbrella.

He didn't need it for long though, he LOVED the ocean. No fear, no tears (until he got tired).  He spent a lot of time laughing and crawling in the water, looking at the mud and waving around shells.










And if he got bored there were lots of cousins, and his sister to play with.....

 when they weren't messing around in the ocean...

 OR the pluff mud! My niece is in college, but loves to have fun

and sometimes drags her cousins into it with her

And while the Pelicans flew overhead

some took a break before doing it all over again. 

 **I will finish this post tomorrow with some pics of the high tide, and HOW HIGH it really got. I also learned a lot about the erosion of this place from the volunteer. It really illustrates why we need our dunes.  Stay tuned.**