Maryborough and Hervey Bay

Monday the 4^th July we departed Bundaberg for Maryborough. I found a van park called The Wharf which is right on the Mary River. It is also a private marina, coffee shop and restaurant. The building there used to be the original bond store and the wharf is original from the days when Maryborough was a major port. At one time Maryborough was tipped to be made the capital of QLD.

Views of and around our campsite.

This next shot is a photo from 1874 of the wharf where we are camped. Under that shot is the wharf which is still used as a marina and the coffee shop.

We have rendezvoused with John and Margery who are our friends we met on our NT trip in 2013. Back then we travelled with them and another couple (Jon & Heather) for a month or two after meeting. Then we saw them in Broome and Ningaloo when we did our WA trip last year, as well as seeing them at the Tamworth Country Music Festival. They came up to QLD for a shortish trip to get away from the cold and we were in touch on facebook so we were able to synchronise.

The next morning we went out with John & Margery in their vehicle to Hervey Bay. Unfortunately it was a wet day so Hervey Bay was not looking at its best but we could see how pretty it was and how it would look in good weather.

We went out for a walk on the pier but the rain forced us back.

Went to the mouth of the Mary River where the barge takes vehicles and people and supplies to one side of Fraser Island. Vehicles were queing to get on the barge.

Again the rain drove us back into the vehicle and then headed back to Marybourough. We stopped in at a pioneer shop. The owners, Brennan and Geraghty started trading in 1871 or 1872 and after 100 years George Geraghty walked out of the shop and left it totally as is. All of the stock is still on the shelves. There are Keen's Curry Powder tins and peanut butter jars and other merchandise that is dated in the 1890s. All of the business records are still there. There are records dating back to 1890 during which decade there was a bad recession and many businesses closed. There are letters asking for time to pay which was agreed to by the proprietors.

After lunch Linda and I took a walk from our campsite up to the CBD which is very closeby. There is a lot of history here. There is the old Customs House and Courts and other great old buildings. The lady who wrote Mary Poppins was born and lived here above the bank as did the children in the mary Poppins book. There are a lot of parallels in her life with the book. There is a strong culture of storytelling and poetry in the town and the Rotunda in Queens Park have numerous bench seats arranged like a theatre for that purpose.