Blogs from Tin Can Bay, Queensland, Australia, Oceania

Place names in Australia are interesting - some finding their origin with the original land owners, others from European sailors from the 1770's and on. I was expecting some unusual story where a mystery message washed ashore in a tin can. Nope! It appears that this is an unusual adaption of the aboriginal land owners name - Tuncanba. Tuncan is the seam mammal we know as a dugong, and ba is 'the place of'. No, we didn't see any dugong, but there is a population of about 120 Australian Humpback Dolphins here. These dolphins never venture into the outer ocean, but live in the estuaries around Tin Can Bay and Fraser Island. They live long lives, breed very slowly, and are generally a very gentle dolphin. I say generally because should you touch their rib area, ... read more

Tin Can Bay, is off the southern edge of Queensland's Fraser Island, and is a large horseshoe shaped bay, affording natural refuge for yachties, houseboats, fisherman and a friendly pod of dolphins that call the bay home. Legend has it that a dolphin injured by a boat prop, was rescued and nursed back to health by a local villager in the 1950's, it subsequently returned with its pod every day at sunrise to thank and pay homage to the special lady that became its benefactor. Ever since, the progeny of that dolphin, swim and parade at the same very place every morning around 7 oclock. As always some enterprising entrepreneur, smells a touro attraction,when they see one, and has set up shop,with tourist paraphenalia, restaurant/coffee shop, $5 dollar fish to feed dolphins and dolphinologists, miked up ... read more