New bridge for Bundaberg ????

Where do I start ?? Firstly I apologise for the recent lack of blogging late last year - I guess I was blogged out!!!

First item for this year was the arrival, assembly and placement of a large barge which arrived in Bundaberg from Newcastle on three semi-trailers. The two barge halves were placed in the water by the ship-lift at the Port Marina, and then Stewart's largest crane assisted with the assembly and fitout of the barge.

The two barge sections with a green container mounted across them.

After I left the site, the spud poles, the excavator and a drilling rig were loaded onto the barge, before it was pushed upstream by that small tender seen in this photo.

Interestingly, the destination for the barge was the area of the cane-ferry crsssing which is one of the narrowest sections of the Burnett River. 

Now, the only information I could glean from the contractors was that they are testing the ground (taking core samples) for a possible new bridge.

Unanswered questions in my mind (at the time, I might add) -

1. Would this open up Bundaberg Port to potential coal exports?
2. Why build a bridge there when it would be more useful closer to the CBD, say just downstream from the sugar mill, where it could relieve some pressure from Quay Street?

New Creation for Bundaberg

Well - as of yesterday, Bundaberg has a New Creation - not another turtle roundabout nor another whale wall. The New Creation is a 178m ship which came from Kaohsiung Taiwan to load sugar to go to San Francisco.

The most interesting part of a ship arriving in Bundy for me is when they turn the ship around prior to it docking at the sugar terminal. In this next photo you can see the port anchor in the river as the pivot point for swinging the ship.




Swinging the "New Creation", with the Line Boat in the foreground and the tug "Ballina" pushing.

 

Eventually the ship is pointing down the Burnett River, ready to be pushed to the wharf. As I write this, the ship will be almost loaded and ready to depart for SF on the next high tide, just before midday. I believe this to be the first ship for the "Ballina" under its new captain, following the retirement in June of local icon, "Captain Steve".

Tug "SMIT Leopard", "New Creation", the Line Boat and tug "Ballina"

I wish Steve a happy and safe retirement and thank him for helping me with my shipspotting in Bundaberg.

Serious Pollution in the Burnett River

For some weeks, night-shift workers at the old Toft's site over north have experienced a pungent smell coming from the direction of the river. Yesterday fishermen in the upper reaches of the town reach saw what appears to be raw sewage floating down the river.

On Wednesday last, a large barge arrived in 2 pieces, from Sydney. On Thursday, a semi load of equipment arrived for the now assembed barge. An excavator was also loaded aboard.

Apparently there is a broken sewer pipe under the river - how do they fix that, I don't know. My guess would be to place a completely new pipe under the river bed.

Unfortunately, photographic access to that part of the river is difficult to find.

All this and a big fishing competition on this weekend at Burnett Heads.