Hervey Bay is situated on the Fraser Coast, and is a popular point from which to visit nearby Fraser Island. Hervey Bay is an easily accessible holiday destination. It has a population of approximately 53,000 residents.
It was discovered by Captain James Cook in 1770 whilst travelling the east coast of Australia. The first settlement of Hervey Bay occurred in the 1850s. Hervey Bay was originally part of a cattle station, the Toogoom Run, which was settled in 1854. The first permanent white settler at Hervey Bay was Boyle Martin who, with his wife and child, arrived in 1863.
The city has a subtropical climate. Temperatures range from 14 to 23 °c in winter and 22 to 29 °c in summer.Hervey Bay is also a great place to go whale watching, during the whales migration further north and south between July and November.
Hervey Bay is an attractive place, with its many beaches backed by pretty parkland and greenery. There are several picnic areas within the parkland, making it a great place for a picnic.
There are five main areas around Hervey Bay including Pialba, Scarness, Torquay, Urangan and Urraween. Pialba is the main shopping centre in Hervey Bay, with most of the accommodation and restaurants at Scarness and Torquay as well as Shelley Beach.
You can easily get between the resorts by heading along the Esplanade. It is a pretty, but long walk, as well as a nice drive. If you follow the Esplanade north you will get to Point Vernon where you can get great views south along the coast, towards Hervey Bay.
There are a number of places to stay around Hervey Bay, with many hostels and apartmenst along the Esplanade and Torquay Road. The Esplanade is also the place to go if you are looking for food, as there are plenty of restaurants and cafes along here.
You can get to Hervey Bay on the main bus routes north and south along the coast. You can also get a train to Maryborough West, from where a bus will take you into Hervey Bay itself. Once in the town, the best way to get around is by bike, although there is a limited bus service which runs during the week and on Saturday mornings.
If you are planning to go to Fraser Island, then you can also hire a 4WD to take over, although you will need to travel south to River Heads to take the vehicle over to Fraser Island. If you fancy hopping on a boat cruise to Fraser Island or to go whale watching, then head to Urangan.
Other than joining one of the cruises, there are several other attractions around Hervey Bay. If you enjoy fishing then head to Urangan Pier which is a great spot for fishing. Hervey Bay also offers diving courses, which are a good idea if you are on your way to the Great Barrier Reef. Around the town are a number of animal museums and parks which you can visit including Hervey Bay Nature World, Neptune's Reef World, and Vic Hislop's Great White Shark Expo.
Hervey Bay also holds several festivals throughout the year:
Date
Event
Jan
Australia Day Celebrations
Jan
Hervey Bay Reef & Beef Rodeo
May
Fraser Coast Show
May
Toyota Fraser Island Fishing Expo
May
Yag'ubi Multicultural Festival
July
Bayside Handicrafts Arts & Crafts Expo
August
Hevery Bay Whale Festival
August
Wide Bay Garden Expo
August
Hervey Bay Seafood Festival
Oct
Pier to Pier Ocean Classic
Nov
Fraser Coast Game Fishing Classic
Dec
Carols by Candlelight
Featured Hervey Bay Activities
TOUR NAME
LOCATION
RATES (AUD) from
Cairns to Sydney East Coast Tour(EX2641) (Touring) Travel from Cairns to Sydney on this 12 day tour. This is a one-of-a-kind East Coast experience, highlights include: Townsville, Long Island, breakfast with the animals, Fraser Island and Byron Bay....
Island Escape Tour(EX2661) (Touring) Travel from Cairns to Brisbane on this memorable 10 day tour. See the most exciting Queensland locations such as Harvey Bay, Fraser Island, Rockhampton, Daydream Island, Great Barrier Reef and Cairns....
Queensland DVD (Queenslands South East - Land of Scenic Wonder)
Purchase the DVD that portrays Queensland's South East including footage of Fraser Island, Glass House Mountains, Blackall Range, Montville, Mount Tamborine and Springbrook's unforgettable rock bridge.
Taking you through the tree tops in Lamington where the thick, green roof shades; the mysterious underworld of the forest floor. On to Noosa, a haven of stunning national parks and brilliant waterways. Plus the amazing coloured sands of Teewah and Rainbow Beach.
PLEASE NOTE: The Queensland travel destinations outlined above are only a small selection from the tens of thousands of Australian travel information pages available on Australian Explorer. A comprehensive list of destinations for Queensland Holidays can be found on the main Queensland Holidays location guide.
