Hervey Bay Gossip

Hervey Bay is seeing a real return to the great holiday times back before the recession. Drive along the Esplanade and you will see ‘no vacancy’ signs up at quite a few of the holiday apartments … the caravan parks are packed … and there are people everywhere.

In the shopping areas and along Boat Harbour Drive the traffic is like nothing we’ve ever seen before in Hervey Bay.

Let’s hope these great times continue on through January.

We’ve had so much rain in Hervey Bay this afternoon – currently 33mm at Hervey Bay airport – that there has been minor flooding in various parts of town. In several places along the Esplanade water is covering half the road and the police have closed the Esplanade between Frank St and Denmans Camp Road due to water covering the entire road.

Despite the fact that the tide in the Bay is currently low the water does not seem to be draining away.

Tooan Tooan Creek is running a banker but it has cut through the sand that blocks the mouth at low tide and it is draining but elsewhere the stormwater drains seem to be unable to cope.

I wonder how the people in the poorly drained area in Wondunna have coped this time … did the council finally fix the problem?

Last week the Fraser Coast Chronicle reported a very happy Councillor Nioa announcing that Hervey Bay now had direct flights to Sydney and Melbourne thanks to QantasLink but it seems that our esteemed Councillor has a different interpretation of the word “direct” to what most other people have.

When I think “direct flight” I think of boarding the plane in Hervey Bay and not getting out of my seat till I arrive at my destination … you know … direct flights like Virgin Blue still has to Sydney and Jetstar used to have to Sydney.

However, if you take the “direct flight” to Sydney or Melbourne that QantasLink is offering and our Councillor was so happy about you’re still going to have to get off the plane in Brisbane … find your way to the departure gate for the Sydney or Melbourne flight and then board a different plane to continue your journey.

Isn’t that the way it’s always been?

This was the scene outside Vinnies in Liuzzi Street Hervey Bay on Monday morning after some local idiots had set fire to the collection bins on Sunday night.

You have to wonder how many of those vandals can’t afford to shop anywhere else but at Vinnies

If you’re heading south into New South Wales these holidays then here are a few tips we can share with you after making the trip south from Hervey Bay to Newcastle last Thursday.

Brisbane
Try to get through Brisbane outside of the peak travel times. This was the scene at about 7am on this side of the Pine ‘River as traffic slowed to a crawl and stayed that way almost right through to the Gateway Bridge.

New South Wales
Once you’re across the border and through the Tugun Bypass be prepared for a lot of roadwork with plenty of lengthy delays right through till you’ve reached Woolgoolga and then more delays south of Port Macquarie around Kew.

We travelled home on Sunday and most of the roadworks had stopped for the weekend so the trip home took about an hour less than the trip down.

The Hervey Bay Water Park was officially opened last Sunday and without a doubt it’s the most popular place in Hervey Bay. Every time any of the Gossip’s crew have been past it the place has been packed and we’re not even into the school holidays yet.

Unfortunately it seems that someone forgot to allow for sufficient parking spaces and every day this week there have been a large number of cars parked under the trees on the Point Vernon side of the roundabout. That’s a problem that’s sure to get worse once the school holidays start.

After a very lengthy period where rain was most noticeable by its absence it’s finally raining again in Hervey Bay. Yesterday 5.2mm was recorded at Hervey Bay airport and there have been some more heavy showers this morning.

Maryborough recorded even more rain yesterday along some hail and some residents in Burrum Heads reported plenty of rain and wind damage as well. One resident resident found that his backyard had become home for another neighbour’s trampoline as well as a small collection of chairs … just like the Suncorp Insurance ad.