Hervey Bay Gossip

Not everyone might remember the price war that raged between Fraser Island ferry operators during 2000 but it certainly seems to have been a rather bitter struggle.

That struggle had its curtain call in the Federal Court in Brisbane on Monday when one of the operators was fined one million dollars by the Australian Consumer Commission for being in breach of the Trade Practices Act.

edited to remove a dead link

If you’re out on the waters around Hervey Bay these holidays do be aware of the boating regulations - especially those that govern the speed at which you can travel when you’re close to the beach and around swimmers.

This hoon was on his second high speed swing through very shallow waters near the Aquavue Cafe at Torquay yesterday.

I know that folk lore suggests that computer geeks dine on pizza and quaff litres of 7Up and other fizzy drinks while sitting huddled over their keyboards but don’t you believe it.

You’re geeky crew at the Hervey Bay Gossip do occasionally like to untie the umbilical cord that keeps them attached to their keyboards and Tuesday nights are generally our night to step out into the wide world.

We dined at the Boat Club last night and if you’re looking for a very pleasant place for dinner then you really should give Sinbad’s at the Boat Club a try. The food is excellent and the view is wonderful and the house chardonnay sure beats 7Up any day.

If you woke up this morning thinking that you could smell smoke you were right. A thick pall of smoke blanketed much of Hervey Bay and it all came from a fire over on Fraser Island.

Fortunately by 8.30am a breeze had sprung up and was slowly dissipating the smoke.

If you’ve been downtown to do some shopping you will already know that the rush is on. The car parks are full, the lines at the check-outs are long and there are people every where.

So if you still need to get some Christmas shopping done you would be advised to do it now rather than leaving it till Saturday.

A British backpacker has sustained multiple injuries after being run over while sleeping in dunes near Eli Creek on Fraser Island yesterday.

He was flown to Hervey Bay Hospital for treatment .

It is believed that the injured man was part of a group of backpackers who had camped in the dunes for the night and they were still asleep at 6.50am when the accident happened.

The area where the group camped is a popular four-wheel drive spot. After investigating the accident police will not be charging the driver.

Sitting here in Hervey Bay it’s not hard to think that what is happening in the rest of the world is really happening on another planet.

Over the weekend we learned that the US President thinks he has the right to spy on his own countrymen and to do it from outside the law. Where was he when Watergate was happening?

As one commentator put suggested, Bush is now the US President who has achieved so little despite having more power than any other President before him.

Then on Sunday we read revelations that after World War II the British government ran a torture camp in Nazi Germany where innocent people were beaten and starved to death.

And of course, here in Australia we have a government that is so driven by ideaology that it is prepared to push more Australians into poverty just for the sake of settling old scores with the Union movement.

Here in the peace and beauty of Hervey Bay it’s hard to believe that a world like that really exists in anything but our worst nightmares.

The Hervey Bay Gossip tends to stay away from matters related to sport but after spending much of yesterday watching the cricket it’s a bit hard not to say something.

Overall the game was absolutely really enjoyable. While we love to see Australia win we would certainly rather see a hard-fought battle than yet another easy-beat team getting trounced. Unfortunately though the spotlight often turned to one of South Africa’s fast bowlers yesterday.

Andre Nel - a great lump of a man who seems to think that he needs to intimidate the opposition with his mouth before his bowling can have much effect. Perhaps he’s right but it would be nice to see him actually take wickets with the ball rather than posture like some back-alley thug and hurl challenges at the batsman.

In other words Mr Nel it’s wickets and not words that we want to see from you. Anyone can be a mouth but not everyone can take wickets.

Don’t forget that this year’s Carols by Candlelight is on tonight at 7.30pm at the Seafront Oval at Pialba. It’s a great night for all the family and it should not be missed.

Many anglers may not be aware that a new Fisheries Infringement Notice system came into affect last month. Under this new system anglers caught fishing without a licence are liable for a fine of $225 if caught fishing in one of 29 dams throughout Queensland.

Licences are easy to obtain and and come in a range of prices to cover anything from a week to a year.

edited to remove a dead link