Fraser Island Day Trip ... Whales Galore

Hervey Bay is world renowned for its massive amount of Humpback Whales that spend time in the bay nursing their young.

We were told the best tour was the one with the Conservationists as tour guides. However their boat was in dry dock getting routine maintenance!

So we took the tour which fitted in with our schedule, which was the Tasman Venture Remote Fraser Island and Whale Watching Tour. This included whale watching, snorkelling, kayaking and walking the beaches on the west side of Fraser Island. Upon boarding at 7.30am after the safety briefing we were advised that we would not need shoes or socks all day. It was a perfect sunny day (like most in Queensland).

Once out on the water, my eye naturally looks for and enjoys patterns.

Myriads of little patterns cross the seas...I think they are fabulous!



No matter how beautiful the view is there is always a cell phone to trump it!

Our first whale sighting...everyone is excited and keen.

Mother and..

Child.....early morning...still half asleep!?

Then slowly but surely the calf starts to play, flipping its fins.

Then their tails at all sorts of odd angles



Apparently the mothers teach them this as it’s needed later!





Mother and calf with another adult protector come in really close to the back of the boat.

We then went ashore in two parties, I went snorkeling in the first group while the other group climbed a sand hill!

This is how we got onto the shore, with this little amphibious Sea Legs boat, made in NZ.

These are Fraser Island Dingo tracks.

Some sort of Crab makes these little balls of sand!

Our American guide tells us this white sand blew all the way from Antarctica...hard to believe! 

Different colour sand..nearly as white as the pommies on the tour!

Below is the whistling skite

Below is the Whistling Kite...the real deal!

And this one is the White Bellied Sea Eagle.

Patterns in the sand... I can’t get enough of them!

Back on the water we really get into some whale action...

Mama Mia.....that’s a whale of a Jump

That really is belly up!

We then went kayaking.

Up a small fresh water creek, no crocs, only eels..the guy with his feet over the side is one of the crew.

His shirt is a bit of a clue!



There was another couple of beached whales from Switzerland on our tour...

Very little chance of them seeing this blog!...or knowing how to track me down!



Full steam ahead we’re heading home...some bow wave Eh!

This was a terrific day without shoes, but with sunburn.

Amazing Australia has it all in vast amounts!

That’s all Folks......

Next blog we are still heading north and inland too!

Till we meet again....some sunny day.

Take care and be creative.

Jimu & Christine.