20thBefore leaving Townsville we visited the Reef HQ, this is a Study Centre and Aquarium for The Great Barrier Reef. The Aquarium has example of Marine life from the reef an easy way to see some of the life with out visiting the reef and diving or snorkelling.Then we hit The Bruce Highway to MacKay, arrival in Mackay was a nightmare all the Motels were full due to the fact that the mining industry takes up all the available accommodation from Monday to Friday. Eventually got into some Studio villas on a campsite. 21st Rob and I spent the day fishing at Mackay Breakwater on the edge of the Marina caught a lot of various small fish good sport though all went back alive. In the evening got prepared for our trip to Brampton Island. 22nd11.30 AM flight to Brampton at the Airport all the jokes going about the size and type of plane that would be taking us turned out to be true, we flew over there in a 6 seater Cessna flown by a 22 year old pilot named Jeremy. 12 minute flight over, took Jill and Sue 12 hours to get over. In the afternoon out come the snorkels and Rob and I went in the area on Brampton known as the Fish Bowl and it lived up to it the advice is only to snorkel in this area for an hour to an hour and a half after low tide due to the strong current that flows through the channel between Brampton and Carlyle Islands. The number and species were to numerous to name but the unusual was the Wooblegone shark and the Green Turtle.23rd - 27th MayNot easy to give daily reports but here is a collective. Mornings started with a fantastic buffet breakfast which was enough to keep us gone through the day. Spent a lot of time lounging on the beach, face underwater watching the fish and turtles. Rob and I learn to sail small catamarans, and took the opportunity to get out on them weather and tide permitting. Saturday 24th Rob and I went on a fishing trip for a couple of hours, which I caught a large coral trout, which was later served up for our dinner and tasted excellent. The Brampton Island resort also has a large amount of resident wild life which includes many thick kneed stone curlews which make a noise at night that sound like a woman screaming hence they are named "Murder Birds", at breakfast we are visited by the Rainbow Lorikeets who will sit on your table and drink your fruit juice stick their tongue in your honey and bite your finger if you try to take it away from them. Flight back to Mackay was in another 6 seater this time a Piper Cherokee 330, piloted by a 20 year old named James.Back in Mackay it wasn't to hard to get accommodation this time as we had booked back into the same campsite for the night.28th Off down the road towards Rockhampton and to Yeppoon on the coast this is a small seaside resort over looking the Islands of Keppel on the Capricorn Coast. The drive was very boring with little to see on route other than sugar cane and pineapple plantations. 29th Weather forecast for the next few days is not very promising forecasts of strong winds, rain and temperatures down in the low 20's Centigrade. Went to Causeway Lake between Yeppoon and Emu Park to see what we could catch not a lot but had plenty of bites.30thMoved south in the rain towards Rockhampton and Gladstone area good if you like coal and mining. Moved to the coast to the twin towns of Agnes Water and The Town of 1770. Stopped at Agnes Palms Apartments very nice 200 metre walk to the beach through natural rain forest. The sea was very wild with large breakers and high winds forecast to be around 100 KPH (a mear breeze). Visited The Agnes Tavern the local RSL, for a drink and meal, good quality grub. 31stLazy day visited The Town of 1770 this is just a estuary launch for the locals and a few sea side houses, then wanders around the few shops at Agnes Water weather still raining hard so sat in and watched TV.1st JuneOn the move again heading towards Bundaberg. Called in at Bargara but it was nothing special sea was rough and there was no beach to be seen except for miles of large rocky coast. Called into the Bundaberg Rum factory learned about the local sugar and rum industry as well as a few tasters. Travelled further south in the worst weather the region has seen for along time arriving in Hervey Bay opposite Fraser Island settled into some nice apartments call Bay Shores.2nd Ventured out to see the local sights as weather has now brightened up. All the local news is about is the amount of rain and the winds and flash flooding (make one feel at home). The area has a lovely beach a long jetty and ferry and flights to the local islands. Spent the afternoon on the jetty fishing caught my second species of shark in Australia a Shovel Nose shark. 3rdWoke to the morning over cast and showery, visited the local Botanical Gardens before spending the afternoon on the jetty only caught two small bream.