Last Sunday was one of those perfect winter days that you grow to expect in places like Hervey Bay. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the fish were out there in the Bay and you just had to get out there and enjoy it.
We took our camera’s on a stroll down from Shelly Beach to the Urangan Pier and joined all the others who were out and about on such a great day.
Hopefully these photos will show you why we think that Hervey Bay is THE place to live.
Yesterday we had an interesting chat with one of the owners of a rather successful small business here in Hervey Bay.
He and his wife came to Hervey Bay and started their business from scratch and after a lot of hard work it has grown to the point where they are looking for new premises so that they can grow even more.
To their horror they have found that the cheapest industrial premises they can rent in Hervey Bay that will suit their business will cost them $1200 a week … and that’s just for the empty building.
So they’ve been looking outside of the region and they’ve found another suitable building on the Gold Coast for $400.00 a week … and that includes most of the fittings they will need for their business.
It seems that they won’t be in Hervey Bay much longer and it makes you wonder just how many other small businesses Hervey Bay is missing out on because of the high rents that landlords and agents seem to think that businesses can afford to pay here in town.
For some years now quite a few people in Hervey Bay have been concerned about the quality of the water in Tooan Tooan Creek. With huge bat colonies settled along the creek banks you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that the creek has been so polluted that you wouldn’t want to swim or even fish there.
Despite the presence of the bats there’s been a reluctance on the part of Council to erect any sort of warning signs but it seems that the latest outbreak of the Hendra virus has changed all that and these signs now adorn the bridge railings where the Esplanade crosses the creek.
While some may think that putting up these signs after those bat colonies have moved on is a bit like closing the gate after the horse has bolted the fact the colonies were located along the creek banks for years means that it’s going to be a very long time before the residue of the bat droppings stops leeching into the creek.
Let’s hope people heed the signs and don’t think that the dangers have passed simply because the bats have gone.
If you’ve driven along the Esplanade lately you could be forgiven for thinking that tourist numbers are up in Hervey Bay compared to this time last year.
The caravan parks along the Esplanade are nearly full … there are some ‘No Vacancy’ signs appearing from time to time … and there are even some backpackers to be seen wandering around the shops at Torquay. But is all that just our imagination … maybe some wishful thinking?
That’s really encouraging because Hervey Bay is seeing more competition than ever from other whale watching centres. And while that competition may be increasing we’ve seen some new branding and marketing campaigns launched to get the Hervey Bay name out there to the people who want to get close to the whales.
Lets hope that those marketing campaigns go beyond the whales so that tourists understand that this is a great tourist spot at any time of the year.
The first whales of the season have arrived in Hervey Bay.
Quick Cat II spotted a pod of whales further up the bay earlier this morning and there’s sure to be more coming in for a a well-earned rest before they head south.
With whales this early in the season it looks as though we’re in for another great season so if you’re looking for the best whale watching experience on the east coast come on up to Hervey Bay and get close to some of the most amazing creatures on the planet.
While it continues to rain, snow and blow down south here in Hervey Bay we couldn’t have asked for better weather in the middle of winter.
Of course the cold mornings do remind us that it is winter but this week the days have been glorious and people have been out and about enjoying the sunshine. If you had walked along Urangan Pier on Tuesday afternoon you would have been forgiven for thinking that we had somehow skipped the rest of winter and were enjoying a weekend in Spring.
3.30 on Tuesday afternoon and there plenty of people on Urangan Pier - the fish weren't biting but that wasn't stopping a lot of people from wetting a line.
The great weather is set to continue in Hervey Bay this weekend so be sure to get out and enjoy it
Whale watching in Hervey Bay looks set to start on July 16. Quick Cat II announced on Twitter yesterday that their first guaranteed whale sighting cruise would head out into the bay on that date.
Earlier in the month Freedom III announced that their first cruise would be on July 23 and I’m sure that the other whale boats will getting ready to go as soon as the whales start to appear out in the bay.
Of course everyone is hoping that this year Migaloo, the white whale, will stop over in Hervey Bay and as he matures this could be the year that we see him here.
In June the Channel 7 news helicopter spotted him heading north of Fraser Island and here is the raw footage they shot of this spectacular creature.
It’s interesting to note that Migaloo is rarely seen in the company of other whales and sadly some experts suggest that he is something of an outcast because of his unique colouring.
Fine dining in Hervey Bay seems to have always been associated with The Esplanade … if it wasn’t on The Esplanade at Pialba, Scarness, Torquay or Urangan then it wasn’t really going to be the best place to eat in Hervey Bay.
But about 12 months ago things changed … although not many people noticed the change. And the change was the opening of Smoked Pepper at 14 Main Street Pialba just across the road from the old railway station.
Smoked Pepper uses only fresh local produce and the meals are a foodies delight. We know … we’ve tried them.
Smoked Pepper is open for lunch from Tuesday to Saturday and open for dinner on Friday and Saturday. Bookings are definitely essential for dinner.
And while you’re dining at Smoked Pepper take a few moments to sign up for Danny’s newsletter … he has some interesting offers from time to time and he even runs gourmet cooking classes … but the numbers are strictly limited so you have to get in early.
Last Sunday was one of those perfect winter days that you grow to expect in places like Hervey Bay. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the fish were out there in the Bay and you just had to get out there and enjoy it.
