Florida is famous for something else which holds a strong appeal for me – its wildlife, and one species in particular – the American alligator. We were to see our first specimen five minutes after leaving our hotel on the first morning; a little fella of about three feet chugging up a marshy canal by the side of the road. I enquired of Danielle, who was driving, if there were any alligators to be found in the India River, where I rather fancied a swim.
“Not so many alligators. Sharks, yes.” This recalled the old maxim from Northern Australia. “If the crocs don’t get ya’, the sharks will!”
In fact, the Space Centre, NASA, and the launch pads to be found on the other side of the causeway, are all situated south of a large nature reserve on Merritt Island which plays host to such species as gopher tortoises, egrets, ibises, ospreys, manatees, bald eagles, bobcats and the elusive Florida panther. The busy criss-crossing roads had no protective fencing, but I am glad to report that I saw no roadkill.
We were to get closer to the local fauna than a glimpse through the window of a passing car. At Brevard Zoo, a lushly planted tropical Eden, they offer something truly unique. As well as observing the animals via the conventional method of paths and viewing platforms, there is also the option of a guided canoe tour along the Zoo’s natural waterways. Gliding past giraffe, zebra, and okapi in the African zone, one could almost kid oneself into believing that one was on safari on the Zambezi.
Even better was a chance to let rip on a non-guided paddle in our own canoes which a few of us opted for. Although the reed-fringed wetlands lay in the confines of the zoo, it was a real wilderness with the potential for spotting wild alligators. Alas, the big reptiles were lying low, but it was incredibly peaceful (broken only by the distant cries of kids plunging down a flying fox). The sense of independence and beauty made it a low-key highlight.
I wasn’t yet done with gators though. Camp Holly, a rustic fishing spot and erstwhile hangout of outlaws on the St John’s River, is prime gator country and thence were we bound. We went out on an ‘air boat’, the high stacked tin boat with the enormous, raised propeller made familiar from the 1960s American show Gentle Ben which I had watched avidly as a boy in Australia. On the forty-minute jaunt we spotted two six-foot gators and a brood of gaily striped little ‘uns a mere two weeks old and about twelve inches long apiece.
Our young, bearded pilot Anthony explained that there was a hunting season for alligators which we were in the midst of. There was a lottery system for permits and each hunter was limited to two pelts. Apparently, from some sixth sense of danger the gators knew when the season was on and tended to make themselves scarce. On the way back a storm caught up with us that pelted us with rain as excoriating as hail stones. We were drenched to the skin in five minutes and pummelled pink.
Classic Florida fare has a Cajun inflection, is often battered and fried, whilst the ingredients reflect its aqueous geography – conch fritters, shrimp and grits, gator tail and… key lime pie. When freshly prepared it is delicious but it is also calorie heavy so I was glad of the swim in the hotel pool I would shoehorn in every day before breakfast. On our last night we were treated to something different. Anyone who has been to university in the UK or who has lived in a settlement with more than one pub, will be familiar with, or perhaps will have engaged in the activity of a pub crawl.
I don’t know if a restaurant crawl is a typically Floridian pastime but that is probably the most apt description of what was to assail us. Ably hosted by our charming dinner guide, Halim Urban of Village Food Tours, things kicked off with drunken noodles at Korean joint Mangetsu, followed by mains at the family run Aya Mediterranean Cuisine which delivered killer kebab skewers, kofte and freshly made flat breads. It was a diverting change of gear, but I found it difficult to pace myself – everything was so exquisitely tasty that I found myself scattergun hoarding into my maw. Where I should have been approaching it as a tasting menu, I was acting as though it was the last supper.
When the thought of staggering to my feet let alone letting another morsel pass my lips was beyond me, we were whisked off to chic contemporary diner Ember & Oak where I risked Mr Creosote combustion by devouring a full range of desserts. We finished off with drinks at dive bar Chumley’s where a local rock band was playing out the back, NFL was on screens above the bar, and I chatted to friendly locals wearing Stetsons.
Of course, Florida is also famous for its beaches and on our last morning I was able to sample the saline delights of one of them. Cocoa Beach is your classic soft white sand Floridian beach stretching for miles. The waves were slow curling three and four footers and coming in at long, rangy intervals, made the conditions perfect for both swimming and surfing – a bunch of novices on their long boards were tucked into the nursery by the pier.
The water was as warm as Goa’s, and I swam a kilometre along the shore before turning around and soldiering hard against the current which was running north-south. For once I was glad I didn’t encounter any alligators, or sharks, or crocodiles (Florida has all three). I spent a further twenty minutes body surfing and diving under the waves. This was such an awesome privilege for a Brit – as I said to Mat our driver who was a keen surfer, you simply can’t play like that in British waters – it’s too damned cold.
We swung by the institution that is Ron Jon’s Surf Shop housed in a parti-coloured Art Deco gem, grabbed a final bite of surf n’ turf and suddenly we were being ushered through the departure gates of Melbourne Orlando International Airport bound for shores that were about ten degrees cooler. I might not be signing up for the next Apollo mission, nor will I be donning a mauve jumpsuit at a Boca Raton retirement home, but Florida not only nicely exploded my expectations but delivered a helluva lot more.
Harry stayed at Hampton Inn & Suites Cape Canaveral Cruise Port, where rooms start from between $169 and $299 plus taxes per room, per night, with breakfast included. For more information, please visit www.hilton.com.
TUI (www.tui.co.uk) offers return flights to Melbourne Orlando International Airport from a range of UK airports including London Gatwick, Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester, Belfast and Newcastle. Return prices for summer 2025 start from £550 per person. For full information go to www.tui.co.uk.
For more information on visiting the Space Coast, go to www.VisitSpaceCoast.com.
