Hervey Bay Gossip

Have you ever wondered what actually goes on behind the scenes here in Hervey Bay?

If you have then slip over to Strewth and be sure to bookmark the site or add it to your blog reader because who ever is writing that blog seems to know where all the cans of worms are around this town and he or she is not afraid to talk about them.

Here in Hervey Bay we live cheek by jowl with some amazing creatures but we rarely see them unless we step into their environment but not yesterday. Yesterday 4 dugongs made an unexpected appearance just off the beach in front of  the cafe at Aquavue.

These are usually very shy and elusive creatures but not yesterday. You can read Larry’s account of what the diners at Aquavue got to see right here.

Today’s the day that Queensland’s first female Premier takes office and it’s also the day that our very own representative for Hervey Bay - Andrew McNamara - steps up to the Ministry.

It looks like being an interesting time for the State and for Hervey Bay and I think it’s likely to be an interesting time for the National Party leader too. Head kicking in politics is all well and good - perhaps - when there’s a male on the other side of the chamber to aim at but will he look so macho when he’s trying to apply his old techniques to a female Premier?

The Opposition wasn’t all that effective against Premier Beattie - will they really be able to lift their game to deal with Anna Bligh?

… and we don’t ever want it to come here.

Today is World Rabies Day and the event is being marked in 61 countries around the world. There is no doubt that Rabies is a killer and not just of animals.

While there were nearly 7,000 cases of animal rabies reported in the United States  last year the impact on humans is just as horrendous. Currently the worldwide stats show that one person dies of Rabies every 10 minutes.

The greatest threat to humans comes from domestic dogs that have encountered infected wildlife such as bats and foxes.

It’s definitely something we don’t want in Australia.

Since the fatal boating accident in Moreton Bay last weekend there has been quite an outcry over the whole system of boating safety and the issue of boat licences. Debate on the issue was probably not helped when one Brisbane boat licence examiner claimed that the only people who failed their boat licence test were those who were blind.

While that may be his view on the situation it’s not a view shared by boat licence examiners here in Hervey Bay. Larry Burch from Aquavue, who conducts boating courses and licence examinations here in Hervey Bay in conjunction with the Australian Boating College is quite prepared to fail people who do not display the competency required to hold a boat or jet ski licence and has done so in the past.

At the same time the Minister for Transport has invited Queenslanders to have their say on a special Maritime Safety Queensland discussion paper on recreational boating safety.

“Queensland is the boating capital of Australia with almost 214,000 registered recreational vessels,” Mr Lucas said.

“Growth in boat ownership has continued to outstrip population growth by around two to one annually for the past five years. This presents some real challenges for maintaining the safety and sustainability of Queensland’s waterways.”

(more…)

The ABC is currently carrying a brief story about rent stress in the Wide Bay and names Hervey Bay as one of the areas where high demand for limited rental properties has led to the cost of rents going up.

To the casual observer it would seem that there are quite a few rental properties  currently available in Hervey Bay. There are a number of houses around town that are displaying signs that they are for rent.  There is a block of Main Street units in the centre of Pialba that have never been fully occupied since they were completed over 12 months ago and there is a modern block of units down on the Esplanade between Scarness and Torquay that haven’t been fully occupied for months.

At the same time demand business premises is at an all time high and rents are soaring. One shop in the centre adjacent to Viva Italia that will soon become vacant has had numerous people inspect it with a view to renting it and the annual rental will go from under a thousand dollars a month for the old tenant to several thousand dollars a month for whoever moves in.

These days there are plenty of ways of keeping fit in every major centre around the country and Hervey Bay is no different. Here we have a variety of gyms ranging from those that are specifically for women to those that cater for everyone and are even open 24 hours a day.

Each one of them can help you get fit and healthy but this is Hervey Bay, it has a wonderfully temperate climate and you can get outdoors and enjoy the wide open spaces almost every day of the year. So why not take your urge to get fit outdoors too?

Why not factor the beach and the waters of Hervey Bay into your plans for fitness and health?

Perhaps you didn’t realise that you could enjoy the beach and the great outdoors and get fit at the same time but you can. Aquavue Cafewatersports in conjunction with Ozpaddle offer regular sessions every week for those who want to get fit and enjoy life outdoors.

Working out with Ozpaddle and Aquavue in Hervey Bay means that you’re not restricted to a sweaty gym circuit, instead you can be getting fit on the beach and out in the warm waters of Hervey Bay. So if you want to get into some serious beach fitness that combines exercise and all the enjoyment that you can get from being outdoors in the fresh air then head down to Aquavue and talk to the crew there about having some fun and getting fit at the same time.