So, Friday late morning, I set off on the 2 and a half hour drive up the Bruce Highway. The drive takes you through the beautiful Mary Valley, which is the proposed sight of the much debated Traveston Dam. It's a real hot button issue here: the government is planning on building this massive dam to help alleviate the water crisis. The down side being is the scenic, picturesque farm land is going to be under water & farmers are going to be driven off their land. But, they aren't going down without a fight! It's always on the news & there are signs lining the road as your drive through indicating how deep the reservoir will be at given points, some only being knee deep. It's absolutely unbelivable that anyone could not see this is a bad idea. But that is Queensland for you! Read all about it here: http://www.savethemaryriver.com/
I arrived in Hervey Bay far too early and since it was Good Friday all of the shops were shut. It was a bit too hazy to relax on the beach, so I consulted the "Lonely Planet" Queensland guide that Berit & Mike gave us for Christmas. Apparently, my prospects were bleak being that it isn't whale watching season, the other reason people flock to Hervey Bay. The town is wildly popular as a jumping off point for Fraser Island & heralds fabulous whale watching in the spring months (Sept, Oct, Nov.) My choices were: The World Famous Shark Show, "the world's most informative, educational & thrilling video on sharks" that plays in a building with plaster sharks all over the outside or King Neptune's Reef World Aquarium. I opted to check out the aquarium before I had to head over the hostel for our debriefing on Fraser Island.
When I pulled up, I couldn't have been more disappointed. The buiding was a one story cinder block pile right on the water: half function room /restaurant, half tourist trap. But, what the hell? I had nothing else to do for the next few hours and I truly did not want to have to spend anymore time in the hostel than I had to and I had to pee, so how bad could it be? Well, if you are judging books by their covers, then this was pretty terrible. There were a few Japanese tourists inside the aquarium that was literally the size of our apartment.
The young man who worked at the front desk walked around an explained to me that the way that they've structured the aquarium is completely natural. The light is natural sunlight, no artificial light is used and all of the water is constantly being pumped from the sea, so there is no oxygenation mechanism. They even grow their own microrganisms in one tank; let me tell you it's one of the most captivating tanks (totally sarcastic.) Now, I'm sure this is all quite impressive, but the place still was kind of dark & dingy and falling apart.
It was absolutely worth going to see though; there we animals in the tanks that were unbelievable. The colors on some of these fish looked like they were painted by a maniac toddler with Crayola finger paints! There were tanks of these gorgeous sea apples & sea cumbers the likes of which I have never seen. One tank has sea horses that look like they were alien species. Absolutely amazing and it was mind blowing to see a placard that stated that all of these fish, including the tank of poisionous sea snakes, lion fish & stone fish all live in the waters this area, extending up to the Great Barrier Reef. I now have an unhealthy fear of said sea snakes, lion fish & stone fish. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.
I actually learned a lot & the owner of the aquarium came around and explained more about his little ecosystem and the symbiosis of the fish species in the displays. Quite intriguing.
I had saved the best part for last. Outside of the aquarium is a large tank with little baby sharks and big loggerhead sea turtles that you can pat. Now, normally, I'd think sticking my hand into a tank with sharks is a bad idea, but they were just little babies. The sea turtles are just so graceful and beautiful to watch swim around and the sun had finally began to peak out, so I spent quite a while sitting their enjoying the day playing with the turtles. It was fabulous because I was the only person there!
Time got away from me and I had to rush over to the hostel to meet the 8 other people that I would spend the next 3 days with crammed into a bright pink 4x4 on the world's largest sand island. Everyone seemed nice enough & we got the "safety briefing" on how to defend yourself from a dingo which was in itself hysterical and agreed to meet up at 7am to get off to the grocery store to get food.
After a few drinks to make the hostel bed bearable, I turned in to get ready for our early morning departure!
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