A Whale of a Day

It was a beautiful morning in Urangan as we headed for the marina for coffee and batteries.  As is usual in tourist areas, the batteries were about twice the supermarket price.  At the entrance to the complex, we found the front half of a whale.

The coffee was slow to arrive, but this gave us a chance to watch the whale watching expeditions embark.  The front of the big boat was packed with eager travellers, sure they would not miss a thing and destined to be seriously sunburnt that night.  All the sensible people were inside. 

There are so many op-shops in Hervey Bay that it was hard to choose where to start, but we chose well.  It is called Treasure Cove and supports the Hervey Bay Disability Association.  As well as having the distinction of being one of the rare op-shops Jo has never visited, it is situated in Elizabeth Street opposite the beautiful botanic gardens, which are well worth a look. It was also having 'Dollar Day'!

Among the treasure within were a pair of gorilla slippers - sadly too small for me - and some interesting spelling.  What I first thought was a random apostrophe was another customer's question mark.

I bought two items which totalled all of $1.50, then we headed along the waterfront (much beautified since I was last in Hervey Bay) to Pialba, op-shop-central.  Here we found the bottom half of the whale.

Our first port of call was the Salvos, which is a huge shop, with so much to look at. I found a brand new pair of shoes which I wore for the next two days. One of the best things about this shop, besides the friendliness of the staff, was the soundtrack. They were playing ABBA Gold.  As a result, all the customers were singing along while they shopped.  This was in sharp contrast to the dire music we had suffered in the Salvos at Maryborough. They did have a punctuation problem, but the signs were consistent throughout.

We next visited the well hidden 'Anglican Thrift Market', also with friendly, helpful staff.  We told them about our journey, and as she was leaving, a customer said to me 'Are you on the Op Shop Road Trip?'  Yes. 'Have you been to Lavelle's? It's further down Torquay Road, on the corner of Zephyr Street'.  So off we went...