Chilled out seahorse: Hervey Bay and 1770

After returning from Fraser Island I spent a few days in Hervey Bay (pronounced Harvey, just like Jervis Bay is Jarvis). Was in a great place, Collonial Village YHA. Not just a hostel but a camp site with villas too, and amazingly no one was around, so it was quiet and relaxing. It was a 20 minute walk to anywhere, but I never wanted to leave. There was a big duck pond where there were 4 or 5 turtles who liked to sun themselves on a floating island and I loved to sit and read on a bench overlooking it all. There was a 'Chook Pen' with crazy chickens including Polish Chickens with mad hairdos and Frizzle Chickens which are exactly what you'd expect. There were also Ginneau Fowl poking around and Muscovoy ducks that had red scaly heads. And then the bats. Every evening at twilight, hundreds of thousands of bats would fly over on their way to hunting grounds.

4 hours North to a town called 1770. The site of Captain Cook's 2nd landing in Australia in (would you believe it) 1770. Again, I was out in the middle of nowhere, with lakes, trees and lots of space. This time my dorm room was a cabin called 'Canada', next door to 'Ireland'…!

And here I had one of my best experiences yet. ScooterRoo.

I got given my biker leathers and flamed helmet, slapped on the temporary tattoos stating I was BORN TO RIDE and headed out to the test track. Hopped onto a chopper bike for my very first motorbiking experience. It was harder than expected to get used to the motion. I'd only ridden a push bike before, and on that feet mean go, hands mean stop. This was the opposite and it threw me for a while. That and leaning with the turns instead of staying upright.

Eventually we headed out on the road, all 20 of us. We rode in a conga line behind a couple of guides with another one riding up and down the sides checking we were all ok. Which we were, cause it was great! First we headed into the hills inhabited by kangaroos, then down through Agnes Water and 1770 and to the marina where we watched the sun set.