Hervey Bay
Close-up whale watching, sheltered beaches and
Fraser Island excursions
Laid-back beachfront cafes coax you into the day with poached eggs, smashed avocado on toast and a perfect flat white. Long golden beaches lead to placid waters sheltered from the surf by Fraser Island, making them ideal for kids, swimmers and paddle boarders. Urangan Pier, where anglers cast their lines for whiting, stretches far into the bay and is a vantage point for dolphin and stingray spotting. Hervey Bay scallops and freshly caught barramundi feature prominently on the menus of stylish eateries along the bayside esplanade.
Hervey Bay deserves its reputation as Australia’s whale watching capital. Thousands of humpbacks visit the Fraser Coast between July and early November on their annual migration from Antarctica to the tropics. But the huge marine mammals are not just passing. They purposely head to the bay’s calm waters to take a well-earned break on their journey, staying up to 10 days, playing, socialising, and nurturing their calves. Curious creatures frequently come up close to whale watching cruise vessels, which offer underwater viewing spaces and hydrophones to catch the whales’ song. Get even closer and swim with the whales as part of a guided experience.
No stay in Hervey Bay is complete without a visit to Fraser Island. The world’s largest sand island is famed for panoramic viewpoints like Indian Head, the colourful Cathedrals, azure McKenzie Lake, and the dense rainforest best viewed from the boardwalk at Central Station.
The wreck of the S.S. Maheno is a stark memorial to the rough seas that pound 75 Mile Beach.
Our hotel in Hervey Bay
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