|
Hervey Bay's sandy beach is quieter in the months between the busy summer
holidays (Dec-Jan) and the winter (June-Aug). Southerners come up here
to escape the cold, and visitors from all over enjoy the whale watching
season from July to November.
|
Holidaymakers and backpackers enjoy a variety of watersports. I have
seen windsurfers, jetskiers.....
|
..... and even kiteboarders!
The beach is sheltered from the
Pacific Ocean by Fraser Island, making it a safe swimming spot for families.
|
|
Pelicans and seagulls frequent the beach, especially when fishermen
are filleting their whiting catch.
|
Sometimes they wait patiently.....
|
Sometimes they get a bit stroppy!
|
|
The Urangan
Pier was once a third longer than this. I recall the days when paper
boats and oil tankers docked there. In July, I saw a fisherman with
a nice bluefin tuna he had caught from the end of the pier.
|
The swampy areas have been converted to lagoons, and are a haven for
ducks, waterfowl, ibises and other birds.
|
A large flying fox (fruit bat) colony close to the beach is not popular
with nearby residents, who complain of the noise, stench and possibility
of disease. They can be seen in their thousands at dusk,
flying mostly east to Fraser Island to feed.
|
