The First Trip 1993 – Day Six – Typhoon Lagoon – 15th September 1993

[Laner]

We had scheduled in a trip to Typhoon Lagoon at this point as a day to unwind and chill and also because my wife insisted on it, as she said that she wasn’t going home without a tan and wanted a day to lie in the sun. I think we went to the Ponderosa again for breakfast and then headed over to the water park. We got there for about 9.30am, so when it opened, we were one of the first in line and managed to get a spot to the left of the wavepool as you look at it, with some shade under umberella’s and beds in the sun for those that wanted it.

I was actually really looking forward to this day because again, one of the big selling points in the brochures was the chance to swim with sharks in the shark pool. We dumped towels on the beds and all decided to go on everything once, so my wife and our friends could get their afternoon in the sun. We tried most of the slides, some of which were very tame compared to Watermania and then headed to the shark reef. We donned life vests and put on the masks and snorkels and stepped into the water and then abruptly stepped back out as it was freezing. For those who remember the reef, you had to take a deep breath before you eventually took the plunge. It was a great experience at the time and really whetted my appetite for diving and seeing wildlife. Later in my life, I would do more diving in various parts of the world, including the Red Sea. The day consisted mainly of my wife and friends lying around in the sun and because that wasn’t for me, I spend the day exploring the park on my own and just bobbing along the lazy river.

We had a great relaxing day, headed back to the hotel, got changed and headed out for dinner. We went to a restaurant which isn’t there now called Key W Kools which was recommended to me by my work colleague. It was a steak and fish restaurant and I think it was a step above the usual places on the 192. It served us well and the steaks were fantastic, as was the vegetarian options for our friend. We went there 2 years later as well when we returned and the food was just as good, but alas it disappeared for future trips.

We drove back the short distance to the hotel and headed straight to our rooms as the heavens had opened and the rain was extremely heavy.