The Sauna Part 267

It had taken longer than we anticipated to get our bags at the airport and make it back to the hotel and we soon discovered that there wasn’t a whole lot going on at four o’clock in the morning in Melbourne. When we reached the hotel, none of us were really ready to sleep as we’d done plenty of that on the plane. It was actually noon on Wednesday for Jim and me and Wednesday evening for Jon and Richie, so we were still wide awake. It was the peak of summer in Melbourne and Jim and I were way overdressed, so we changed into more comfortable clothes and decided we’d take the limo and go watch the sun rise over Port Phillip Bay.

It looked like a glorious day and the sunrise was spectacular over the water. I was glad that Richie had thought of it and it fit with the romantic mood I was in. Jon and I sat together near the dock while Richie snapped several pictures to capture it on film. I was glad we’d be spending some time here to give us a chance to adjust to the time changes and I could see Jon was yawning despite the long naps on the plane.

“Breakfast? I could use some coffee, man, how about you guys?” Jon yawned again and I readily nodded, never being one to turn down an opportunity for my favorite substance.

Richie’s stomach growled in agreement as they had both missed their dinner and Jim was always ready to eat. It was still rather early and there wasn’t much open, so we headed back to the Crowne Plaza Hotel for our breakfast.

“So, babe, what’s on your agenda to see while we’re here? I know you were dying to come to Australia” Jon asked indulgently.

“The little penguin walk!” I spouted immediately as I’d read about this and was anxious to see it myself. “And I want to see Tasmanian Devils! I saw this place online…” I began when Jon and Richie started laughing.

“What’s so funny? This stuff is real, I even researched it!” I pouted.

“I have no doubt in my mind, darlin’, none whatsoever” Jon managed to get out as he tried to stifle his laughter.

“I’m serious! I’ll have you know…” I tried again but Richie interrupted with a signal to stop before the two of them split a gut.

“Trish, we know, we know, really. We just think it’s a hoot the way you research every place that we’ve gone. We’re only teasing, doll” Richie smiled.

“Well, if I left it in your hands” I glared at the two of them “we’d never see anything beyond pubs and hotel rooms!” I protested.

“She’s right, bro. The only thing you’ve contributed so far was the spa and a few restaurants. We’ve all seen more on this tour than we ever did before” Richie nudged Jon.

“Hey, I was the one who remembered Freud’s house, don’t forget!” Jon reminded me.

“That’s true, love, you did real good there, babe” I coddled him.

Jon smirked, but he knew I was right. I had become the unofficial event planner and my role was undisputed and I took my job seriously. There had been lots of time to kill on the plane and I’d brought my own laptop this time so I was fully armed with an ambitious itinerary.

“What about you, Jim? Anything special you wanna see?” Richie asked as he’d been rather quiet this morning.

“I’d be happy with babes in bikinis since it’s summertime here” Jim smirked and ducked as I pretended to slap him.

“Whoohoo! I like this guy!” Richie whistled as he put his arm around Jim’s shoulders and the three of them grinned like a bunch of idiots.

“C’mon, babydoll, there must be ‘beach’ on your list somewhere?” Jon schmoozed.

“Well, there’s a beach with some caves and interesting rock formations on Phillip Island where the little penguins and the seals are…” I offered.

“Okay, there now, everyone’s happy! And Tico will probably come too as there’s a great golf resort there, I think, right Rich?” Jon added.

“Awesome, babes, bikinis and golf! And I’m assuming there’s beer. Sounds like paradise!” Jim added enthusiastically.

“We’ll see the penguins, baby, relax and the Tasmanian Devils too; although I don’t know why since you have two at home” Jon teased again.

“You must mean Floyd, who’s the other one?” Jim asked as only Floyd had given him real grief in the past.

“He’s dissing my boy, Zeke, man. Jon doesn’t like him because he prefers me. It’s not the cat’s fault, he just has good taste” Richie explained and this time it was Jon who was pouting.

“Ahh, that one-the ‘psycho’ cat” Jim grinned.

“See, I’m not the only one!” Jon winked at Jim.

“Hey! Floyd’s old and cranky and Zeke, well…” I said defensively, trying to think of an excuse for Zeke while Jon looked at me expectantly.

“Zeke is special” Richie rescued me.

“Yeah, he’s special alright…” Jon muttered and Richie and I shot him a scowl.

“I guess I’m going on a nature walk while you two hit the beach” Jon observed dryly and I nodded in affirmation.

“Atta boy, Jon! Now you’re really getting what marriage is all about” Richie smiled broadly and we all laughed.

We’d finished our breakfast and Jon wanted to round up the guys and see who was coming with us as it was a perfect day to start our adventure. The smaller charity show was tomorrow night and the large stadium concert for the public was on Saturday. The guys knew they’d be wiped out from the time change and had learned over the years to take things a bit slower and that left me plenty of opportunities to drag everyone off sightseeing.

Tico would join us on the ride to the island to play golf as Jon had expected and David thought the bikini watching sounded appealing. Hugh was torn between golf and the penguins and decided he’d spend the day with Tico and they would all meet us at sunset for the penguin walk. I was thrilled and I beamed rather triumphantly as we all headed off to Phillip Island.


***********


We drove over the bridge from the mainland and it was mid-morning when we arrived on the island and split up to go our separate ways. We dropped Tico and Hugh off at the golf resort first and then we drove on to Cowes where Jon and I would leave on the boat for Seal Rocks. Richie, Dave and Jim would check out the beaches and the limo driver would return in a couple hours to get Jon and I. As the limo pulled away, Jon made a pretense of waving goodbye wistfully to Richie and the rest of the bikini-watching crowd, exaggerating his performance for maximum macho effect. I tugged on his belt and he whirled around to embrace me as soon as the guys were out of earshot.

“I couldn’t let them think I’d rather watch you and the seals” he purred in my ear.

“If you behave yourself, I promise you that before the night’s over you will not regret skipping bikini island” I giggled.

We stepped onto the boat, the Kasey Lee, and grabbed a good spot near the prow. I closed my eyes for a moment and leaned against Jon, inhaling the fresh scent of sea air as it mingled with his natural musk. He wasn’t the only one looking forward to later tonight; I was anxious to have him all to myself.

The warmth of the sun kissed my face as I opened my eyes and looked up at Jon. His blues eyes appeared even deeper against the blue of the bay and I caught my breath for a moment as the breeze ruffled his hair. Goddess, he was a beautiful man! He smiled contentedly, his eyes crinkling with genuine pleasure, as he bent his head down and our lips met. His mouth was warm and sweet and held the promise of a night to remember.

Our first sighting was an unexpected one as we watched in the direction where the guide was pointing. Off in the distance, to the right of the prow, was a lone Humpback whale and we could see the spray catching the sunlight as it saluted us with a blow! This incredible spectacle was soon followed by a troup of dolphins who played and cavorted in the water around us. Some came so close I could almost reach out and touch them and their charming behavior kept us well entertained.

We took turns sharing the camera as we attempted to record these precious moments and I instinctively understood why so many people were immediately drawn to dolphins. There was something so friendly and immediately engaging in the way that they interacted, both with themselves and with us. It seemed as though they found us nearly as interesting as we found them and it appeared that they did their best to hold our attention; I couldn’t take my eyes off their antics.

As we approached Seal Rocks, I was awestruck by the sheer numbers of seals that lay sunning themselves before us. Our guide on the tour was extremely knowledgeable as she shared a wealth of information about the seals and their habitat. She pointed out the younger seals as well as the older bulls who watched over the colony and I found myself mesmerized as we came closer and closer.

We pulled up and anchored and were served a complimentary tea as we gazed at the spectacle on the rocks. I laughed and smiled as we got a glimpse into their lives and noted how much like humans they seemed at certain times. Mothers were seen scolding itinerant pups and younger males clearly competed for the females’ attention. I squeezed Jon’s hand as we watched an intimate moment between a mother and child, but I was touched beyond measure by one particular bull as he turned away from his post and looked directly at me.

“Trish, baby, he’s looking right at you” Jon whispered, catching the moment.

“I know…” I breathed, my eyes locked with the seals’.

There was wisdom and peace in the look that he gave me as I stared into those wisened old eyes. I felt myself melt as I gazed into the deep, liquid depths and for a moment in time I felt truly connected. I wondered what all he had seen in his lifetime and I smiled back to thank him for that special memory and Jon snapped his picture. He tossed back his head with a grunt before returning his attention to the others around him and Jon wiped a tear from my cheek.

“That was amazing…” I sighed, absorbing the experience, as I looked back at Jon.

He nodded solemnly, acknowledging the sacred bond between animals and humans, and I laid my head on his chest as we continued to watch the drama before us. It was a once in a lifetime experience I knew neither of us would ever forget.

On our way back to Phillip Island, we were once again accompanied by the cheerful dolphins and I felt suffused with their energy. Their high spirits and sense of adventure filled me with a sense of wonder and I felt grateful for merely being alive. There was something about being so close to nature that reminded me of the magic and mystery the world had to offer.

“I really am glad you made us do this, babe” Jon whispered softly, all kidding aside.