HERVEY BAY

So Hervey Bay has kind of been our unofficial target destination since leaving Melbourne. Noted as the place to be to see humpback whales and their young before they head south early in November. This year however for some reason they decide to begin their journey a little early and so, alas there is no whales to be seen. A little bummed to have missed them but happy to have made it so far north so quickly which wouldn't have happened had we not been chasing the idea. Next time. There is however a surplus of seals, sea hawks a curious pelican and probably the best fish and chips we have ever eaten so by no means a wasted stop. AND.. we're now in Queensland!

NOTE TO ALL VEGETARIANS: When passing through random little towns such as 'Gin Gin' be aware - a 'cheese and onion' pasty may not be the cheese and onion you have come to expect from a bakery! Now I know the name would suggest that your pasty will consist of good old cheddar (or  'tasty' as the Aussies would have it) cheese and onion but NO. Here in Gin Gin 'all the pies have meat in', as I’m told by a dumbfounded assistant in the bakery as I bravely (and naively) attempt to explain my dietary predicament. For starters mince beef and cheese is wrong regardless of my vegetarianism and If I did have to bite into a meat pasty, which I admit brought brief nostalgia (and probably a little well needed iron) to the system, it could at least have been a nice meat pasty!Anychew I was finally rewarded for the mishap with what I can only imagine started life as a vegetable pasty some ten years previous and has been kept deep in the back somewhere ever since for 'fussy' customers.