August 8: Happy At Hervey Bay
My ride south from Yeppoon to Hervey Bay was full of beautiful scenery and pleasant weather. Skirting the lower foothills of the Great Dividing Range, I passed fields of tall honey colored grass spotted with green topped eucalyptus trees. The sun breaking through the cloud-dotted sky gave the grass stunning shades of amber and tan and the rolling hills beautiful hues of green and blue. What really caught my eye though were the road signs I passed along the way.
Ever since starting my clockwise journey around Australia, I’ve wondered about the team of people designing and placing the proliferation of road signs warning motorists not to drive while drowsy. Using both the carrot and the stick, these public announcements admonish drivers that “Fatigue Kills” and encourage them to “Take A Rest And Refresh” among dozens of similar sayings. Often posted right before designated rest stops, it’s impossible to miss these heartfelt words of advice.
The signs I saw south of Yeppoon, however, literally took the cake. Staged consecutively, the first proclaimed, “Fatigue Zone – Trivia Games Help You Stay Alert.” Just when I was wondering where on earth I was supposed to find a trivia game out in the middle of nowhere I saw a second sign stating “Question: What Cake Was Named After A Governor?” A few minutes later up popped another one: “Answer: Lamington.” Another question and answer followed related to the tallest mountain in Queensland.
Laughing out loud, I almost fell off my bike when I saw the last sign in the series: “Fatigue Zone: Keep Playing Trivia – It May Save Your Life.” I giggled as I thought to myself that I didn’t recall ever feeling so darn cared for on the road. Continuing, I passed the towns of Gin Gin and Childers before turning off the A1 to Hervey Bay.
Riding into town, I pulled up along the esplanade to admire the town’s jetty jutting almost 900 meters out into the bay. Originally over 1000 meters when the structure was used to export goods, the renovated shorter version now sports steel pylons, a timber walkway, and bright white railings and is one of Australia’s longest piers.
Putting on some flip flops, I wandered out on the pier to admire the beautiful views of the South Coral Sea, boats sailing in the bay, and the wet sandy beach ringed by jagged grey and brown rocks. I breathed in the fresh air and mingled with other visitors who were fishing, resting in chairs, and walking back and forth in the brisk ocean breeze.
After dinner and a particularly good slice of cheesecake, I walked to the far end of the pier and back, transfixed by the gently rolling ocean waves, the moonlight peeking through the dark clouds, and a large pod of what looked like enormous pelicans with yellow beaks gracefully floating on the surface right below me. What a great day on the road!
