Hervey Bay Gossip

If you don’t get down that way very often then let me show you the changing face of Urangan. The image of a sleepy little fishing village known mostly for it’s pier is changing as these photos will show.

The change may not be to everyone’s liking but it certainly is happening.

Here is a photo taken from the pier in May this year.

and a similar view taken today

Hervey Bay City Council is seeking community comment on two planning papers that the Council is currently considering. Those papers are:

The Gatakers Bay and Parweena Park Draft Foreshore Enhancement Plan and

The Review of the Hervey Bay Foreshore Management Plan Discussion Paper

If you wish to peruse the papers you will find them on the Council website at http://www.herveybay.qld.gov.au or at the libraries or Council Offices.

The closing dates for written submissionsare November 4 for the Gatakers Bay Plan and November 25 for the foreshore discussion paper.

We often forget just what a wonderful place Hervey Bay is to live. The climate is wonderful and we’re surrounded by some of the most colourful and amazing birds. And you don’t have to go any further than your own backyard to see and hear the birds.

That was brought home to me during the past week when I was chatting with one of our clients in the United States. I was telling him about some of the wildlife that we get to see right here in Hervey Bay and he was amazed.

At the time I couldn’t find this photo that I grabbed down on The Esplanade, just across from the Bayaroma Cafe in the middle of the day.

At the time I was chatting to him I couldn’t find this photo in my collection but now I have it so Jim, and anyone else from other parts of the world who happen to wander by, here is a sample of the birds you can see right in the centre of Hervey Bay.

These two were part of a bigger group that were wandering around the gardens just near the Torquay Sailing Club and that’s an area that is always quite busy through the day.

Now there’s a subject that embedded in the minds of every computer user in Hervey Bay, and if it isn’t then it really should be.

You may think I’m joking but I am really being very serious. You don’t have to work with your computer for hours every day as I do to feel the need for an ergonomic mouse. Repetitive Strain Injury can strike anyone and when it does using your mouse becomes torture.

That’s why you should check out this story over at the Home and Small Office Computer Guide

Residents of Hervey Bay are reminded that Level 2 water restrictions are still in force despite the good rains that we’ve had recently.

Our source of water is the Lenthalls Dam and that is over 30 kilometres west of Hervey Bay. Even though it may be raining here in the city it may not be raining out over the dam or its catchment area.

Recently when we had a 20mm fall here in town nothing fell on the dam or the catchment area so don’t be fooled by heavy rains here; the dam may not see a drop of it.

If you’re wondering how you can be even more water-wise then pay a visit to http://www.yourwater.com.au

Well if they aren’t right now then they sure will be some time this week.

A news team from Channel 7 were down the beach doing an interview this morning

Identity theft is become a major concern for many people and if you’re online then you face an even greater risk of it happening to you.

However, you can minimise that risk with some very basic precautions and Jim Faller talks about those precautions here

All right, admit it, you like playing games on your computer. I know you do, everyone does. I do it … when I should be working. She-who-must-be-obeyed does it when she needs a break from working and everyone does, even us oldies.

But if you find that there are times when the screen freezes or the computer crashes then you’re probably trying to play a game that requires more resources than your machine might have. Those resources, things like more memory, a better graphics card and even a better processor do cost money.

If you’re into computer gaming you will know that when it comes to the price of a machine that will run all those games without the screen freezes and crashes then the sky really is the limit.

$US600 for a graphics card doesn’t even cause a hardened gamer to catch his breath and the gaming machine that my friend Rick has for sale down at Fraser Coast Computers for $A4000 is nothing out of the ordinary.

What is out of the ordinary is a good budget priced gaming PC and while you won’t find a manufacturer who supplies them ready built it may be possible to assemble on of your own for around $US500.

If you want to know how then jump over to this article on Tom’s Hardware Guide

Maybe if you want to get serious about some gaming you talk to Rick - $US500 is probably not achievable here in Australia but you might find that just by upgrading a few components you can get more enjoyment and relaxation out of playing games

Hervey Bay City Council is holding a community consultation meeting on Monday, October 31 at the Community Centre, Elizabeth Street, Urangan. The meeting will discuss Natural Area Foreshore Enhancement projects for 2005 - 2006 in the Urangan area.

The area under discussion is west of approximately 591 The Esplanade, past the Reefworld Aquarieam to the Great Sandy Straights Marina.

Input from the community is seen as vital because you may be able to help compile wildlife lists for the site, share historical information and raise relevant concerns or identify community needs.

The meeting times on Monday are 7pm to 9pm.

A quick look at the weather forecast for the weekend shows that we’ve got another great weekend ahead of us. That means there’s no excuse for not getting out and enjoying it.

The beach is just one of the places to go this weekend and when you live in a place that the rest of the world drools about there really is no reason not to enjoy what Hervey Bay has to offer.