Family Connections

Not too bad a sleep on the bus from Hervey Bay even with a busted recline handle.

Beach Front

A good friend from home had mentioned before I left that if I was ever up this way to get in contact with their brother who now lives here. Having never met them before it did feel a little weird that I would be invading these people's home for a few days but after getting a recent email almost ordering me to do so I wasn't gonna argue.

Giving a modest description of what I looked like (stunningly good looking if a bit disheveled) for them to pick me up, Nigel soon appeared on his way to work thoughtfully bringing his bike along with him for me to explore the area a little.

Cargo Ship

Taking a ride down to the Marina with just as many fisherman on the pier as on the boats in the harbor I sat there a little while watching a couple of turtles surfacing a few feet away working in tandem to always appear where my camera was not pointing.

Back in Nigel's office Sue, his wife, came to collect me for the school run picking up their two kids Angus and Alice from the local school before taking Alice to a dance lesson and Angus for a swim given Sue and I a little time to get to know each other and to hopefully realize they weren't letting a total fruitloop stay with them.

Nigel and Sue had moved out here a few years previous from Britain like many others seeking warmer weather and colder beer although I'm still unsure if I could make such a transition despite already seeing the appeal of this country. The weather does have its appeal though, especially coming from Scotland.

Marina

Returning with Nigel and Angus they gave me a quick tour of the area and the beaches around Mackay driving past fields and fields of sugarcane and a few pineapple patches before arriving home.

With them offering to put me up for a few days I didn't object to helping Nigel with clearing the leaves from their pool building up an appetite for a great steak dinner although the later thunderstorm which seemed to have followed me from Hervey Bay undid most of our work.

Just hope I didn't bring anything else with me as one of Angus's fish went belly up only a few days after they got it. Too bad dinner was already over.

Town Centre