Work, Play, Eat, Beach!

Where are we? Moore Park Beach

Hervey Bay to Moore Park Beach

Life's a Beach right now

Twenty-seven days of beach-village life, home-sitting for a couple who have engaged us solely for the care of their two boxer dogs. Of course, the garden and house need attention, but the boys are the main attraction this month! And aren’t they just adorable?

‘Boofheads’ they were called, with oodles of affection, by the owners. After 2 days we could see why.😁 They have blustered and bandoogled (my word 😆) their way into our hearts already. They are super-alert, intelligent, energetic balls of solid muscle, fully believing they’re lapdogs! On the first day, I misguidedly thought I would sit down with a cup of coffee to relax on the sofa. Ooomph… there he was, slobber and doggy breath in my face, trying to curl himself into a comfy ball on my lap. Pinned down, I groaned and shoved … and moved nothing! He was there to stay. 😅😆 AJ had to come to the rescue.

We find ourselves ensconced in a lovely home decorated in beach-cottage style. 

Relaxing hues of blues, and shades of sand everywhere you look. Shells, painted wood ornaments in the shape of turtles, whales, pelicans, fishes and more. 

So delightfully earthy, oceany and relaxing. 

This month is a God-given gift, while we await the outcome of the claim on our insurance for the Ford Ranger. Until today, no word. It's almost 3 weeks after the fact. We were forced to use the caravan savings to buy the 20-yr old Landcruiser  that our Father provided (too many favourable facts coincided for it to be mere chance), so that we could get back on the road. AJ had spotted the 'For Sale' sign on the vehicle next door to us in Hervey Bay, just as we began our stint there. A week later, he noticed the sign had come off the vehicle, but it was still there. Four days after our accident AJ went for a chat with the owner. The rest of the story is amazing. In short, it is in mint condition, has all we need to tow the van with, including a UHF radio to chat with 'truckies', and comes with low mileage for its age. 

We are hoping for claim settlement soon. Yes, we have had a setback in confidence, and we feel nervous on the road, but we pray that, with time, the nervousness will pass as we make our way (for extremely short distances) to each stopover for a few days or to the next house-sitting. The caravan’s handover date was rolled back for yet another month and is fixed for 12 December. We can’t wait! 

S Brandt (C)

Back to Moore Park Beach – a tiny village on the shores of the Coral Sea, named after a famous cattle farmer in the region, IsaacMoore, who passed away in 1969. It is situated 90 mins north of Hervey Bay where we were last month, and 2½ hours from Gympie. It has a population of 3,000+  and by the look of it that number is rapidly increasing; on a drive to view the area we saw many new houses being built on the outskirts of the settlement.

Sadly, the Surf Lifesaving Club on the beach is in ruins and deserted. I wonder why? Nowadays, the beach is patrolled by a roving lifeguard. The beach runs the length of the designated coastline, hemmed in by the mouth of the Kolan River Conservation Park in the north, and by the mouth of the Burnett River in the south. 

At high tide the sea comes right up the beach leaving almost no space for walking, but at low tide it is just beautiful. In summer the beach is used by loggerhead turtles to nest. It would be so cool to be able to witness that, but I don’t have much hope as we are not here long enough, the summer months having just begun.

Moore Park Beach has caravan parks on the beach, B&Bs, a few convenience stores and a couple of coffee shops. The area is popular with anglers, bird watchers love the surrounding wetlands, and surfers enjoy the waves.

Here at the house mosquitos and midges are many because there is a wetland lagoon just across the road. 

We spray ourselves profusely when we are outside, but inevitably we get stung on a spot that we missed. There are many outdoor tasks, so we brave the critters and hope for the best. Our mornings begin with a walk on the beach. Then we complete a few jobs to keep our hands on the property so that things don’t run amok while the owners are away. There is a pool to enjoy on hot days. In the afternoons we tidy up around the house again, water pot plants, and play with the dogs. It is an absolute blessing to be able to stay here for a month.

As we move towards the hotter summer days we are thankful for an A/C to cool the living room. The dogs take full advantage, begging to come indoors mid-morning to mid-afternoon when the temp begins to cool again.

Once again, we will work on a bucket list of things to view/visit/explore in the greater Bundaberg area. For example, everyone knows the famous Bundaberg Ginger Beer, right? The factory offers tours, so that one is a must. The botanic garden looks interesting, and an Aviation museum is close by which AJ will revel in. Various other attractions make Bundaberg a popular tourist destination. It is a 20 min drive through sugar cane fields. We'll take the trip into town when we can to explore more.

In Hervey Bay I had begun a blog post which featured things to do in Hervey Bay for over 60s, but its progress was interrupted by the vehicle accident and events afterwards. I hope to complete it soon. And to do the same for this lovely area too.

Until next time, thanks for reading. Be blessed.

AJ and Sandy. 🌼