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This colourful Leopard Shark
put up a great fight but was
just too pretty to take from the
water.

The Area
There's much to be seen and experienced in the pristine environment of this beautiful area and a host of
discoveries and sightings can be made as we cruise the shores of the world's largest sand island.
These waters are home to a myriad of creatures of all shapes, sizes and colours imaginable.

Hervey Bay
The city of Hervey Bay stretches around the foreshore from River Heads north to Burrum Heads and takes
it's name from the bay named by Capt. James Cook in 1770 for Capt. Augustus Hervey (later the Earl of Bristol).
Between August and October its sheltered waters become a playground for families of humpback whales resting
on their return to Antarctica. European settlement dates from 1863, when Boyle Martin introduced sugarcane
growing to the area; in the following half century several thousand South Sea Islanders were forcibly recruited to
work in the district plantations.

The largest artificial reef in Australia is at Hervey Bay, covering over 50 underwater sites of different compositions.
The Hervey Bay area has some good shallow water, coral covered reefs and plenty of fish. The marine life here is
rich and varied. Giant Humpback Whales have become the focus of a multi-million dollar business, and during the
season Hervey Bay plays host to the biggest whale-watching fleet in the Southern Hemisphere.

Pearl Farm
The pristine waters of the bay provide a perfect environment for pearl farming and whilst yet in its infancy, the local
pearl farm is producing some very fine specimens.

Fraser Island
For thousands of years Aboriginal families living on this great island of sand harvested its seafood-rich waters, as
evidenced by mountainous middens of shells and fishbones among the dunes. Europeans named the island for
the Fraser, the captain of shipwrecked brig Stirling Castle and his wife Eliza, who were cast adrift here in 1836. The
captain perished before he could be rescued but Eliza gained worldwide publicity with her harrowing accounts of
harsh treatment by the local Aborigines. Most of the island is National Park, Crown Land or State Forest Reserve. In
1992 it was listed as a World Heritage site. The eastern beach is the main thoroughfare (four-wheel drive only) and
in places the beach also doubles as an airstrip.

The Marine Life
Fishing is certainly a very popular pastime "Downunder" and understandably so - who doesn't enjoy a couple of
peaceful hours, relaxing on the water, soaking in the sun, perhaps with a tinny or two! And if by chance a fish or two
come your way, then there's the unsurpassed pleasure of sharing a really fresh meal with family or friends. For
those who are not interested in fishing there is still much to observe and enjoy.

About 1600 species of fish can be discovered along the tropical Queensland coastline and Great Barrier Reef and
a wide variety of species are resident in Hervey Bay waters.

Humpback Whales occur in all oceans, but are divided into different stocks, with little or no interbreeding between
them. These whales cover large areas of ocean during their seasonal migration, travelling each year from
Antarctica to warm, tropical waters to give birth to their young. Humpbacks are one of the few rorqual whales (filter
feeders with grooved throats) which favour inshore areas. It is this habitat that made them easy prey to
shore-based whaling fleets.

The Birds
Of the 700 bird species native to Australia, 550 are recorded in Queensland. Many of the attractively plumed
species have distinctive and beautiful calls. In size Queensland's birds range from the flightless emu and
cassowary to the tiny wee-bills and pardoletes: from 1.5 metres tall down to less than 8cm long. Then there is the
wedge-tailed eagle, the fourth largest bird of prey in the world, with a wing span of two metres or more.

The Flora
Flora and fauna have natural existence havens in the State's ever expanding national parks. There are countless
scenic attractions and areas of scientific and historic interest. Valuable Aboriginal relics, including cliff paintings,
drawings and burial caves have been preserved in hundreds of sanctuaries covering more than 3.5 million
hectares of National Parks. Fraser Island is one of some 160 of the offshore islands that have been set apart to
preserve the historical and ecological value for future generations.

Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world, is an example of the struggle between the wind which keeps the
sand moving and the vegetation which tries to hold it.

The Fauna
The Dingo: - Easily recognised by its broad head, pricked-up ears, sandy-ginger coat and bushy tail, the dingo
belongs to the same species as the domesticated dog. Because dogs were long ago banished from the island,
the dingoes of Fraser Island are said to be the purest strain in the country. Their prey includes small mammals and
water-birds, turtle eggs, reptiles and fish washed up on the beach. Tourists are warned that feeding the dingoes
will encourage them to scavenge, lose their natural timidity and become aggressive towards people.

The dolphin is a playful and
friendly character often
spotted whilst cruising in
Hervey Bay. To watch a
family of dolphins playing in
the shallows is a wonderful
experience.

The pristine environment of
Hervey Bay is home to a host
of marine wonders not the
least being the beautiful
pearls that are cultured in the
area.

Amongst the abundant variety
of fish found in Hervey Bay
the Parrot fish is one of the
prettiest and most colourful.

It's amazing how friendly
these graceful birds can be.
This Pelican, whom we call
Percy, often waits the arrival
of DayTripper back to the
harbour hoping there may be
a fish or two that will be
thrown away.

For all his faults the dingo is
a beautiful animal that
deserves respect and
nowhere will you find a purer
breed than on Fraser Island.