Australia Day

Just like in Canada, the last weekend of summer vacation before the kids go back to school is a long weekend.
We decided to celebrate Australia Day by taking a bus ride out to Baranga Beach. Although it is only ½ hour away by bus, it is a totally different world from Bundaberg. It is on the coast (unlike Bundaberg which is up a muddy river) so the waters were beautiful clean blue with some fair size waves crashing on the shore (even though Bargara is within Hervey Bay, not right on the ocean). It has a life guard patrolled surf beach and several beaches for swimming. It is a touristy place with lots of outdoor restaurants and ice cream parlours and souvenir shops.
We strolled along the boardwalk that paralleled the shore line and stopped for lunch at an outdoor restaurant shaded by palm trees. We sat for a while and watched the kids on wake boards and surf boards enjoying the waves created by the seasonal trade winds coming in from the south east at 20 knots. It was a perfect day.
The kids are back to school now and the good news is that fall is on the way so we can expect some cooler temperatures soon.