Thursday Farewell to Heron Island

Up at first light and more snorkelling giving us the chance to see myriads of brightly coloured fish in and around the coral outcrops. By the time we were swum out we were ready for a hearty breakfast.Sadly the swell was too strong for the semi sub again so we signed up for the guided natural history walk of the island. The ranger was most insistent that we did not feed the wildlife but Rosena ignored this instruction. After lunch it was time to taske the ferry back to the mainland. The weather was better than the way out but the sea was just as choppy.

On the way back we sailed past the queue of massive coal freighters, anchored while waiting for a berth at Gladstone, before sailing out to ground on the Barrier Reef on their way to China.The next stage of our odyssey was a 120km drive to Biloela, a small town that is benefitting from the massive coal mining boom in central Queensland. We stayed in a cabin on a caravan park on the outskirts of town, handy for the grog shop. Luckily we didn't need to swing any cats but it did have a fridge and a/c so we were happy. We had a splendid meal of sausages and cous cous - just what we needed after luxury resort cuisine.

Problems with internet . Photos to follow.