Hervey Bay Gossip

These days it’s hard to believe that Howard was once a booming coal mining town but between 1866 and 1977 that’s exactly what it was. Historians suggest that the coal mining at Howard also had a lot to do with the development of Hervey Bay with much of the coal production being shipped out from Urangan Pier.

Today there’s very little to see of what once made Howard a boom town but a photographic exhibition and artefacts housed in the Howard Museum can certainly give you some idea of what life was like in Howard back then.

The Howard Museum is housed in the Tom and Minnie Young Memorial Hall.

Wide Bay Transit will be making alterations to the bus routes 5, 16 and 18 in Urangan from February 20. The changes are necessary due to roadworks on Boat Harbour Drive between Honiton and Elizabeth Streets Urangan.

For further information contact Wide Bay Transit on 4121 3719

If you have ever taken the time to walk right to the end of Urangan Pier you will have noticed that it’s not exactly the nicest place in Hervey Bay. There’s plenty of blood and guts at the end of the pier and now it has come adverse criticism on a website.

The Hervey Bay Council did clean up the area just before Christmas but now it seems that the mess is back and this time the Council wants the fishermen to clean up their own mess.

I think there is little chance of that ever happening and it’s sad to see a major tourist spot like the Urangan Pier being left in such a mess.

Police, Ambulance and the Fire Brigade were called to a nasty four car accident on the roundabout at the intersection of Boat Harbour Drive and Elizabeth Street Urangan around 5.30 last night.

That’s a timely reminder that, while you should always be exercising care when you get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle, at this time of year you should be extra careful and be aware of the other vehicles that are around you.

Drive defensively and arrive safely.

It seems that the Anchorage Caravan Park at Urangan is soon to be cleared out and turned into something quite different. Various rumours are circulating and some suggest that a theatre or even a casino will be built on the site.

However the information that we have received via people who may have some idea is that Ramada is back and is interested in building a resort on the site. Whether that really is the situation is not yet clear.

One thing is for certain though, more and more tourist developments are going to happen in Hervey Bay and the older areas close to the water are definitely prime candidates for redevelopment.

Update: 10 January 07
The site has now been sold and the land has been cleared. You can find the story here

If you’re looking for somewhere with a great view to have morning tea or even lunch then you really can’t go passed the the cafes along the deck down at Boat Harbour, Urangan.

If you leave your car in the carpark just across the road from the Boat Club and then walk down to the marina you will find yourself wandering along the waterfront and there are some great spots for that cuppa from the Boat Club right round to the entrance to the jetties.

Here are a couple of views taken in that area yesterday.

The Esplanade at Urangan may be a good place to avoid for the next few days. Roadworks in front of the new resort are leading to very long delays and on Friday there were times when traffic was stopped both ways for so long that drivers were turning back to find alternate routes.

Work on the reconstruction of the walkway and surround areas is continuing down at Urangan,

It certainly is still messy around the Elizabeth Street end but enough work has been done down towards the pier to give you a good idea of how it will look.

We took a wander along there on Monday and it certainly is looking good. The path has been widened considerably and there are new seating and picnic areas along the path.

When it’s finished it will be a vast improvement on how it looked before and we can only hope that the widening of the path is carried on beyond Elizabeth Street.

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 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.