Hello Hervey Bay
My mother always said things come in threes. Some might call it superstition or coincidence or the result of energy following the mind’s focus. But more often than not, things in threes seemed to happen.
And so it did when I arrived at Hervey Bay, the third stop in our road trip. Over the ten days, we’d visited the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail near Esk. Around Bargara, we’d seen the sugar cane locos shuffling around the cane fields. Then arriving at Hervey Bay where calm seas floated like pale blue silk, my bicycle gave me yet another railway encounter.
This time it was the ghost of a railway.
Stretching out into the bay waters for almost a kilometre, The Urangan Pier is a prominent feature in Hervey Bay. When it was built in 1917, the pier was even longer at 1124 metres. Steam trains carrying sugar, coal and timber would clatter along the pier delivering their load to cargo ships. This railway line remained active until the 1980s.
Now its grey hardwood boards carry people out to sea. Some stroll, some walk briskly, some run, others fish or take photos or pause to look over the stark white railing for a glimpse of passing sting-rays, dolphins, bream or tuna. And some, like me, well they ride a bike along the pier.
So I thought I’d take you for ‘a dink’ with me. Or perhaps you know it as ‘a double’. Or perhaps you have no idea what I mean. To ‘dink’ or to ‘double’ is an Australian expression for giving someone a lift on a bicycle. So click the video and hop on 🙂
It’s a five minute ride, quite beautiful but it might be a bit bumpy or a bit long (it is almost a kilometre). So hop off whenever you like 🙂
If you’d like to read more from this series of road trip stories, follow these links. The first story is about my first experience of the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail. In the second story, I write about riding the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail unsupported – you just never know who you’ll meet. The third story takes me to Bundaberg for some sugar cane cycles and my fourth story celebrates the streets of small towns.
a bike for all seasons 
Loved the ride
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Was fun doubling you 😀
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loved this. did you use a helmet camera? In this part of the world we call”doubling” a tan or a backa. We have such a wide variety of accents and words in a small area .
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I used the GoPro ‘chesty’ Brenda. It’s a harness that positions the camera at chest level so it keeps the camera fairly steady. I have the helmet mount but have never used it.
The variety of words for the same thing is fascinating. I’m always curious as to where the words stem from. Glad you enjoyed the ‘tan’ along the pier 🙂
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That might be the longest pier I’ve ever seen. I enjoyed the ride. 🙂
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Me too Bun – longest pier I’ve ever seen and I enjoyed sharing the ride with you 🙂
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That was a really weird sensation Gail. It felt a bit TOO much like a dink! I enjoyed the ride, but I am a terrible back-seat driver. ‘Look out Gail!’
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I remember the first time I watched a bicycle video made like this by someone else and it did feel a bit strange being right there at the centre. At least with riding along the pier, there’s no room for unexpected turns Pam… but the pedestrians? There were a few wild cards there from memory 😀
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Gosh Gail, that pier is endless! You need a cut lunch if you’re walking so I was glad of the dink. But oh, the scenery when you reached the end! Worth every metre of that kilometre ride. The sky was gorgeous.
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Yeah much easier being dinked 😀 It was a beautiful afternoon. At the end of the pier, one of the locals said we were lucky to visit when it was so calm and clear. Apparently that doesn’t happen often as there’s usually an afternoon sea breeze.
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Hello Gail Thanks for the memory! I see it was bumpy for you too, so it’s not just the Brompton’s little wheels 🙂 It’s great that you could be there with the tide being up, though each scene has its charm – lots more sand at low tide. And you’re right, so calm! Jen
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Thats right Jen. Big wheels or little wheels, it’s still bumpy 🙂
Riding the pier at high tide over calm waters and in the soft afternoon light was quite beautiful. Though, like you, I noticed how the pier and bay has many different beautiful moods.
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Dink, Dunk #amdinking. Thank you for the lovely journey across the water. I didn’t find it bumpy at all. You are a superb navigator and the bay is exquisite. Clare
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😀 glad you enjoyed the dink Clare. It was quite a lovely ride and I smile when I remember how beautiful the bay was that afternoon.
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Thanks for triggering some very pleasant memories for me! As a teenager I walked along here with a very sweet young man – my first proper boyfriend. We sat together while he fished and he showed me how to tell by the ripple patterns in the sand at the bottom of the sea floor that stone fish were lying in wait. This was before the pier was revamped and there were old buildings at the end and quite a few planks in the walkways were missing. I lived there for about 7 years. I’ve never considered riding a bike along it. The next time I visit I must give it a go. Great write up as usual and I loved the movie! Sorry I’ve been slack in the blogging world of late. Life has been super busy. Best wishes. 🙂
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Thanks Jane, that’s made my day 😀 I’m so glad to read about your times around the Urangan Pier. You’ve added a dash of romance to the timber! And now I’m thinking about all those people I saw fishing out there that afternoon and wondering whether there were fledging romances amongst them or old ones threaded through the years with fishing. Thanks for calling by. I seem to be falling behind in my online reading too. I know there’s a post of yours waiting for me to read… so apology ‘snap’ 🙂 Best wishes!
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Hi Gail, What a great experience having a dink on your bike. The pit of my stomach was fooled into believing we were actually there.
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