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Whale of a Time…

We don’t take too many holidays here at Granite Glen – well, we didn’t as kids but in the 16 months since we moved back here, we have managed a few days away. One of the most memorable so far has been our Hervey Bay whale adventure.
Now I’m not sure how up on Australia or how much access to whales most of you have but this was my first real encounter with whales and to have it so close to home (just 4 hours drive from here) was incredible to me.
(NB Four hours drive is close for us, if you are from England, or New Zealand or Japan, this will seem bizarre. Sometimes I feel like we single-handedly keep a small oil country in business!)
My brother, SIL and three little ones have just arrived back from a much-needed holiday at this very location. Reminded me of our sojourn with the marvellous mammals of the deep….
The day chosen as our “whale wesson” (TLW’s pronunciation here, to help with my alliteration!) was wet and grey and gloomy, but we were assured that this was perfect weather for seeing whales by our tourist guide… and so (with raincoats at the ready) we pressed ahead with our adventure…
Dash waited breathlessly for his first glimpse of a whale…

And before we had gone much past Fraser Island, we were rewarded for our determination to ignore the weather… and in the blink of an eye (and our first view of grey, barnacle-tipped tail) we weren’t even noticing that we were completely drenched. We watched two groups of humpback whales cavort and flirt with us… I was entranced! Each animals was so individual and so huge and so near!
I was literally hanging from the railings shooting my little heart out (Nikon ‘gun’ in hand).

Aren’t you a beautiful boy??

It usually takes a bit to impress this old, jaded, ex-journo… so imagine how our kids reacted when they laid their eyes on their very first gentle giants of the deep? Eyes were almost popping from their heads as they wordlessly watched the playful mammals just metres from the safely of the boat.

Slow and enormous but graceful and gentle…

These boys were flirting with some nearby females (not human) and showing us some impressive belly action (hmmm, reminds me of a group of blokes after about 20 rums at a pub in my 20s – must be a testosterone thing? Wonder if they required stitches?). Now where was I? Oh, Hervey BayIt was four hours of our lives that vanished in an instant – we communed, we gazed, we photographed (OK mostly me). It was fabulous

But all too soon it was time to wave goodbye to our whale mates (and they seemed to wave back!) … we headed back to shore and our holiday units, the kids were exhausted but still up for some bath time whale impersonations that night.

Wishing you happy splashing with an animal you love too!

Bush Babe

PS Whale season is not til later in the year, when the mating age whales head up the coast of Australia to warm waters more conducive to ‘whale dating’. It’s definitely worth including on your itinerary if you are in this corner of the world…

3 Comments

  • debby

    I saw the humpback whales migrating off the coast of Oahu. It was awesome. I never saw this close up. How lucky your children are to see this. How lucky you are to see your children getting to see this.

  • Raising Country Kids

    What an amazing opportunity. I’ve never been to the ocean. I guess that’s a pitfall of living my entire life in Montana!

  • Pencil Writer

    Great photos! Why do we love to watch whales? Because they are so large and yet so graceful? I’d love to have photo skills! And your children, pets, awesome! I enjoy visiting with you via our blogs. Thanks for the kind comments. Family is quite fun and wonderful to support us, ehhh?
    Best to you! Pencil Writer

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