I Hate Rollercoasters

I hate rollercoasters with a passion. I don't like the sensations they engender and I loathe have my equilibrium upset. So why in Heaven's name did I sign up for a whale watching cruise off Port Stephens in a 2 metre swell?!
Probably because, like having children, it seemed like a good idea at the time.
As I mentioned yesterday, we dropped the kidlets off at my parents for a few days and so Mr Bear and I decided to go whale watching as this is an activity that we couldn't do with the kids. I guess the bowl of seasickness tablets on the bar in the boat was a harbinger of the fun times in store. Mr Bear and I both had one just in case...prevention being better than cure.
We found ourselves seats in the bow; seats that were bolted to the floor of the catamaran for reasons which were abut to become blindingly obvious.
Tha Captain warned us about the swell and advised those in the bow - like us - to make use of the free spray jackets available on board. We did. Another good decision.
After the obligatory life jacket demonstration, we cast off into the Bay. Now this was sheltered water, but no sooner had we left the Mariner than the boat began to pitch and roll. We crossed the heads and made for open water and the pitching and rolling got a little more exciting/petrifying not to mention cold and wet. I would have gone below where it was warmer and less damp, but the thought of letting go of Mr Bear's hand on one side and the bolted down seat on the other side didn't bear thinking about.
Strangely enough, after about 40 minutes, the fear factor dropped right off and I actually began to enjoy the experience. The scenery was magnificent and all the time there was the prospect of seeing some whales on their annual migration to and from Antarctica.
That was until the fighter jets from Williamtown RAAF base spotted us bobbing about on the ocean. By this stage the engines were off and we were under sail, tacking about in the track the whales usually follow. We were buzzed by no less than seven fighter jets in the space of an hour. They were going so fast that by the time you heard them, they were gone. According to the Captain, this is a regular occurrence and they often have trouble with the RAAF, especially as the noise generated keeps the whales away. Ergo, no whales sighted.
But we did get a half price return ticket to go back again sometime before December next year.
Thanks to the tablets we weren't sick; thanks to the spray jackets we were relatively dry and warm and we had a lovely time out on the ocean.
But I still hate rollercoasters.