Hervey Bay is a small coastal town located off the Fraser Coast in Queensland, Australia. It is a 3 hour 24 minute drive from the heart of Brisbane. One of the major draw-cards to HerveyBay for visitors and international travellers is the promise of getting an up close and personal encounter with the gentle giants of the ocean. Is then Hervey Bay, the Holy Grail for Whale Watching?

To be honest there are many stretches along the Australian coastline that have epic viewpoints to catch a glimpse of these truly majestic creatures on their 10K northern migratory path from Antarctica. Let me share some insights on our recent travels.

Whilst it is a very popular holiday destination, you won’t find towering skyscrapers, rolling surf or a hectic level of tourists here. It is quiet, relaxing and a perfect location to spot humpback whales as they make their way into the calm, tranquil waters between Fraser Island and Hervey Bay.

It is considered the Whale Watching capital of the world, a place where these gentle creatures can be seen venturing into the bay to rest on their migration. What makes it extra special is that you often see them with young calves at their side. They swim the bay, breaching, frolicking and flipping their fins into the ocean. It is an impressive spectacle.

We headed up to Hervey Bay during the school holiday period and took us roughly around 3.5 hours by car (1hr 45 min flight from Sydney, 3 hours 30 minutes flight from Melbourne direct to Hervey Bay). At that time, it was still easy enough to be able to get accommodation last minute (and also get a great deal through booking.com). 

The official whale watching season begins in July running through to November, however if you keep an eye on social media, you can generally see footage of people spotting some on the move from as early as May.  In terms of tours though, you will see operators begin their tour operations from around Mid-July, finishing up in the latter part of October, so do check out their schedules.  

Whalesong Cruises was our choice for operator. If you head down to the Marina you will find a host of operators with different sized boats and there are some spectacular sized boats.  I have been on the larger sized cruises before and found it harder to get a vantage point due to the volume of tourists on board and the boat design, so was important for us to choose the right boat for the experience we were wanting.  We found a great deal on book.me and booked in advance. 

On Whalesong, they have wide decks and with the lower passenger numbers meant that we could get a truly up-close encounter. The friendly crew really catered for us to have a fun day.  People ask all the time whether morning or afternoon is best time for whale watching.  

The truth is – any time is wonderful to see these giant creatures! Based on our experience though, the whales seemed very active in the afternoon. Lots of breaching and slapping of their fins and tails repetitively. A wonderful sight to see calves lurching out of the waters alongside their mums. 

Whales are typically curious and playful creatures and often will approach boats on their own accord.  Whilst we saw numerous whales and their calves in close vicinity, we didn’t have any come right up to the boat. I think that it really just depends on the day, so keep in mind that not all whale watching experiences will be the same.  An absolute bucket list moment in my opinion though and would highly recommend as a must-do on your travels to Hervey Bay. 

Some tour operators do offer swim experiences with the whales.  Can you imagine that! Fuels the adrenaline just thinking about it.  Only a few select operators in the world offer this immersive opportunity and you can opt for this with specific operators at Hervey Bay.   

Sliding into the waters and waiting for these 16 metre, 29,000 kilo gentle giants to come to you, would be beyond an incredible experience. Operators do limit the number of people in the water and have strict guidelines in place to ensure both your safety and the safety of the whales.  A truly once in a lifetime experience.  

Choosing to whale watch in the afternoon meant that we also could snatch a photo of the whales frolicking set against a striking sunset in the background. The cruise was a lot rougher out on the seas than a morning cruise (so don’t forget to take your seasick tablets before you board) as got quite choppy upon our return to the Marina. 

This is one activity that is an absolutely must do in Hervey Bay.

There are plenty of accommodation choices stretched along the Bay from backpacker hostels, B&B’s, hotels to five-star resorts. Our choice was to stay at the Grand Mercure Allegra Bay (5 stars) located on the Esplanade (At Torquay) on the beachfront (opposite Shelley Beach).  Loved the hotel, loved the location. 

They upgraded us to a 2-bedroom apartment with direct pool access to the year-round heated pool. This made it all the more special and was heavenly to step off the huge balcony onto the stairs that descended right into the lagoon styled pool. They were really luxurious appointed rooms and the ambience of the apartment felt immediately relaxing.  

There are long, sandy stretches of beaches minus the pounding waves. The bay is perfectly calm and the waters warm (mostly year-round).  It is a great place for long bike rides, leisurely walks and an amazing place for all water activities like fishing, sailing, swimming, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding and jet-skiing. A great family destination. 

Include a visit to Aquavue, known for its food, fun and adventure. We got a few deals on Bookme and did up a bit of a program for our few days there. The activities at Aquavue featured in our planning of holiday fun. 

We embraced all the water activities like kayaking and stand up paddle boarding. One of the best experiences was Jet-skiing to Half Moon Bay, K’gari (formerly known as Fraser Island). If you get the opportunity to try something new then look at all the water activities and just do it!

I have never jet-skiied on my own. Tip – The faster you go, the greater control you have. Found this a crazy principle but was oddly true.  No license needed when you head out with a guide on a Jet Ski Safari. 

The guys at Aquavue were so supportive of my novice skills and coached me through my own fears, helping me to turn our few hours on the bay from a slightly fearful experience to a sheer exhilarating one. The waters, turquoise and crystal clear allowed us to see the coral below and abundant sea life, jumping off the jet ski (when guided) to swim in the warm waters and really soak up the moment. 

Jetting across the bay felt like riding across glass. It felt so exciting and surreal. Gav took Linc with him (no extra cost to take a pillion passenger). An absolute must do if wanting something a little different. 

There are some fabulous little restaurants and dining options. My very favourite restaurant and bar is ‘Coast’.  Such great food, inviting atmosphere, sumptuous seafood and fabulous wine selection. This just happened to be right in front of where we stayed so made it more than a perfect way to end the day!

 Many people stop in at Hervey Bay as a transition point onto their next destination such as heading to K’gari.  We didn’t have much time at Hervey Bay and upon reflection, would have liked more time. We also didn’t make our way over to K’gari at the time either and wished we had. (we have booked to go back though – future blog coming!). 

People are searching for more travel experiences in the domestic market. Hervey Bay is a truly unique location and is most definitely the holy grail for whale watching.

I hope you found this inspiring, for future travels, for future plans, for dreams. Our beautiful creatures will be waiting for you, be sure to put Hervey Bay onto that list. 

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