Hervey Bay

Very early start to be ready for 4am taxi pick up. Quick trip to the airport and as I'm standing in the queue for my bag drop, my first kitten arrives. This is a good sign as she is 20 minutes earlier than expected. As I get to the front of the line and hand my boarding pass over I am approached by security to scan my bag for explosives. What the???? I haven't even successfully booked in yet, but I oblige and keep telling myself that this is for my safety and I can be confident that no one who looks like me is going to get on a plane with a bomb.... sigh.... The lovely lass at the counter apologised to me, saying that there has been a terrorist threat thwarted and so they've increased security. She hadn't seen anything like it before. Shortly after, my 2nd kitty arrives and so on. But wait.... Where's my last kitten who I know was staying at the nearby airport motel? 10 minutes past the agreed time and she bursts through the doors and now there is a really long queue to check in. End result she and I are the last to board, but not before the numpty security fellow at the bag scanner queue makes me not only undo my jacket, but take it off, because clearly the terrorist alert has someone looking like me on their watch list.... More heavy sighs. But wait, there's more. I go through the hand bag scan, walk 1 1/2 metres and am stopped by the third security fellow who again has to scan my handbag for explosives, but this time I also have to open the bag, and then he waves the blasted magic wand over me! Ye gods. Am I wearing a sign that says "if you really want to piss this woman off, stop her at every possible opportunity and scan her!!!" Don't they realise that I am sleep deprived and soooo not a morning person. It's still not even 5.30 am yet..... Anyway, all crises averted and security continue with dogged determination to root out that would be threat to the skies who likes like me, but isn't me! We all get on board, the plane is not fully booked, so room to spread out and shortly after 6 am we are off to Sydney where we arrive safely, have 1 1/2 hours until our connecting flight to Hervey Bay and then 1 1/2 hours later we arrive at our destination to a balmy 24 degrees. Perfect. We are met by Chrissy our guide for the week. Suitcases all collected, onto our lovely big coach driven by Paul, and a short drive to the main shopping centre (Stockland, similar to the Westfield chain) where we have over an hour to find somewhere for lunch and a wander around. After grabbing a roll for my lunch I stumble upon a ladies clothing shop where I buy a navy print shirt dress, which is reduced from$30 to $10 and when I go to pay for it anymore told by the store assistant that I can buy a second item from the same area for half price. So I find a really nice wind heater that like and when I go to pay for it, she tells me I can have it for $5. The cotton to sew it together would have cost more than that, so I'm very happy with my purchases. Time to get back on the coach and then to our accommodation for the week at the Shelly Bay resort. Everyone is really happy with their rooms as we all have our own apartments will separate lounge, fully laid out kitchen, large balcony and laundry. Those who are sharing even have 2 separate bedrooms. Fabulous! It's time for some rest until we all meet in the lobby at 6.15 to go by coach to the RSL for dinner. There are 26 travellers in the group, and I've already determined that we are the best of the group! I'm already struggling with the older woman who wears her headband hippy style in a circle around the top of her head! What a throwback to the 60s. I'm sure she is quite nice, but really, has no one told her that flower power, caftans and psychedelic large floral prints went out with the Beatles and their sitar era? Anyway, dinner was okay, although there was no choice, we all got a huge roast dinner. I don't like pork but there were plenty of veggies so I certainly wasn't hungry. Dessert was fruit salad and as it had come pineapple in it, I didn't have that either, but again, not hungry, so not complaining. One of my kittens who I was sitting next to, wanted to know if I had seen the advertising poster for the cocktail specials. I had, but as I was getting more and more tired, didn't think any more about it. She however was undeterred and finally I caved in and told her I'd go and order a cocktail with her. So we duly ordered an after dinner mint cocktail each, and for the princely sum of $7 each we had theses fabulous drinks that had us both licking our lips and sucking up the last of it with the straws as though we had been vacuum cleaners in a previous life. But all good things apparently must come to and end, so it was time to head back via coach to our hotel. I helped one of the kittens set her alarm clock as she is very slow at getting moving if a morning and couldn't work out how to set the alarm. I then had a call from one of the other kittens to ask me to go and see another kitten to tell her the footy scores, something about the Crows being a draw at the final siren..... Care factor???? But alarms set, messages delivered and I'm all ready for bed and hopefully a good night's sleep. Off whale watching in the morning, with a bit of an early start, but that's okay, because seeing the whales was the main reason we picked this holiday. Not much chance for photos so far, but hope to have plenty from tomorrow's adventures.