Playin' in the bay...

There is something very unique about the mangroves and waters of South East Queensland. The area is a complex environment of islands, reefs and sea grasses which make it the perfect home to a huge variety of animals and marine live.

I was hoping to see one of the most interesting of animals, the Dugong. As we were ferried across the shallow waters I scanned left to right for these relatively elusive creatures. I'm told that their population in this region is somewhere between 700 and 800. Despite me thinking my chances of seeing one was good the weird creature remained elusive. Ok, sure I was disappointed, but there was a lot more there to enjoy.

My mate Mark, who is a local, and I wandered around the edge of one of the bay's islands. The water was warm and tropical. The fish life was abundant. With each step the fish around my ankles would dart away. Shell collecting became an instant hobby. The weird eroded spirals of cone shells, the pearly white hat shaped ones and the brilliant opal coloured ones were all glistening under the midday sun. We settled on a thin strip of gum tree lined beach, cracked open a bottle of water and broke apart the chook to put on the bread rolls for lunch. I could have been miles and miles away from anywhere and any care. It was an enjoyable day filled with the simple things of life.