Today's Friday trip was supposed to be a game of touch footy, frisbee and cricket down at the beach. Everything was going fine until it started pouring rain but that didn't seem to worry the kids. As we got to the beach, the shirts were off and they were straight into the water! I was stressin' out! Less than 24 hours ago, the rangers had pulled out a 4+ metre croc. They assured me that they'd be right so I was happy watching from the shore. The rain continued to pour down and I was getting drenched. The water and the games of footy and frisbee were starting to look pretty good so I handed the troopy keys to Silas, ripped the shirt off and in I went. It was just like being back home, only the whole time I was thinking of crocs, stingers and any other type of deadly creature that kicks about up here.

As we were playing touch footy in the water, 3 of the boys took off looking for fish and crabs. When they were coming back, Barney yells out to me that they were having a horse race. I think I said 'What?' about 10 times because I didn't have a clue what he was talking about. As I got closer, the boys pointed down in front of their and there I saw 3 Shovel-nose Rays in front of wach of their feet! I could not believe it! The boys had found the rays, picked them up and placed them in a line. Then they were kicking them along to see whose ray would win. It was the craziest thing. Then Damien goes, 'Sir, kick mine along for a bit, he's killin' the others.' So there I was, kicking this Shovel-nose Ray along to try and keep him in front of the 2 other Shovel-nose Rays. When we got back to the group, the boys showed me how to pick it up. I lifted the ray up into the air and didn't have a clue what to do with it. "Throw him Sir!" was all I was told. So I launched the ray into the air and after he hit the water, off he swam.

I still can't believe the stuff that goes on here! Another awesome Friday Trip, school doesn't get much better than that!