Hervey Bay is known as the whale watching capital of Australia and a cruise during whale watching season (July to October) should not be missed. But when you’re not busy locking eyes with giant humpback whales, there’s plenty more to do around the Bay and the Fraser Coast.
Read on to discover the best things to see and do in Hervey Bay with kids – plus the top family hotels and restaurants for your coastal getaway.
Whale watching tours in Hervey Bay, QLD
Protected by K’gari (Fraser Island), Hervey Bay’s warm shallow waters are the perfect stopover point for humpbacks during their annual migration from their feeding grounds in Antarctica to breeding grounds in tropical waters to the north.
Why is it Australia’s best whale watching destination? The bay acts as a temporary whale nursery where newborn calves practice behaviours such as breaching, spy hopping and tail slapping, with some staying for up to two weeks.
Numerous tour operators offer whale watching tours between July and November, with mother humpbacks known to lead their calves close to boats, seemingly to introduce their inquisitive offspring.
Here are some great Hervey Bay whale watching cruise options:
Hervey Bay Whale Watch
Hervey Bay Whale Watch vessels offer decks with 360-degree views, underwater viewing rooms, hydrophones to listen to the whales and underwater cameras to ensure incredible, interactive encounters.
Freedom Whale Watch Tours
Freedom Whale Watch Tours offers fabulous whale spotting opportunities, backed up with luxurious surroundings, sumptuous home-cooked goodies for morning and afternoon tea and a delicious tropical lunchtime buffet.
8 more things to do in Hervey Bay with kids
Take a day trip to K'gari
You can also do day trips to K’gari (formerly known as Fraser Island) to see pristine Lake McKenzie, UNESCO World Heritage-listed rainforest, and the Maheno Shipwreck. Boat cruises depart from the marina to K’gari or to the smaller uninhabited islands of the Great Sandy Straits. Pelicans, birdlife and marine life is plentiful, with dolphin sightings common.
Small and intimate Fraser Experience Tours are perfect for families, such as the one-day 4WD tours which include national park fees, ferry transfers, food and beverages. Scenic flights are also available with Air Fraser Island, taking off and landing from the famous beach highway.
Enjoy The Esplanade waterfront parklands
Walk or ride bikes along The Esplanade, a waterfront pathway which winds through parklands and fitness stations, past beaches bookended by rock walls and small timber piers, along with cafes, restaurants and shops. The long, calm bay has a white sand beach that is great for kids.
Stroll along or fish from Urangan Pier
Along The Esplanade you’ll find historic Urangan Pier, which is one of Australia’s longest, stretching for almost 1km over the ocean. The wide pier is popular with fishermen, walkers and joggers, and its surface has been updated, making it suitable for prams and strollers. Keep an eye out for birds of prey perched atop the light poles, before they swoop into the sea to pluck unsuspecting fish with their talons.
Picnic in the Hervey Bay Botanic Gardens
You can walk to Hervey Bay Botanic Gardens, which is spread over 10ha and includes formal gardens, rainforest, an orchid conservatory and wetlands inhabited by ducks, with plenty of shady grass areas to spread out a picnic blanket.
Cruise out to Lady Elliot Island
Step off Lady Elliot Island and straight into the waters of the world famous Great Barrier Reef, just a 40-minute scenic flight from Hervey Bay. As the largest and most southern coral cay on the reef, Lady Elliot Island is internationally recognised as having some of the highest water visibility and some of the best coral gardens on the Great Barrier Reef. Flights depart from Hervey Bay/Fraser Coast Airport for a day tour or overnight stay.
Visit Hervey Bay Historical Village and Museum
Step back in time at Hervey Bay Historical Village and Museum, where exhibits include a furnished 1890s cottage, a blacksmith shop and a school.
Splash and play at WetSide Water Park
Located on the foreshore, WetSide Water Park has waterslides and water play areas for young kids. Entry is free, however, there is a cost for the waterslides. There’s a coffee shop and fish and chip shop on site and a colourful Water Fountain Show each Saturday night.
Explore the Reefworld Aquarium
See turtles, sharks and other marine life at the all-natural Reefworld Aquarium, which uses sand-filtered sea water and sunlight instead of artificial light.
Kid-friendly restaurants in Hervey Bay
Bayswater Bar and Grill
569 Esplanade, Urangan
Bayswater Bar and Grill occupies an elevated waterfront position overlooking the bay. With an alfresco deck and an indoor air-conditioned option, it’s a restaurant that is equally popular with locals and visitors. It has a bistro-style menu featuring burgers, salads and favourites from the grill. Kids meals include a child-sized 150gm steak along with perennial favourite, the cheeseburger.
Whale Bay Marina
Buccaneer Drive, Urangan
Whale Bay Marina is home to Truly Asia Urangan and the eclectic Bella’s Chit Chat Cafe, where the décor includes pictures of turtles, fishing nets, and fairy lights hanging from the roof. It is open for breakfast and lunch.
EAT in the Bay
Shop 1B/449 Esplanade, Torquay
At family-owned EAT in the Bay kids can colour in on the menus and their meals are always a priority. The restaurant was originally opened by Dan and Steph, the couple who won season four of hit show My Kitchen Rules.
Café Balaena
17 Buccaneer Dr, Urangan
In the Great Sandy Straits Marina, at the northern end of Urangan Harbour, you’ll find Café Balaena. The waterfront eatery has great views over the marina, and a few kids’ meals.
Enzo's on the Beach
351a Esplanade, Scarness
Enzo’s on the Beach is also in a great location next to an awesome playground. It has live music in the afternoon on weekends and a great ‘mini me’s’ menu for kids, including a pancake stack for breakfast and a ‘happy pop’ ice-cream with topping and hundreds and thousands.
Planet 72 Icecreamery
3/401 Esplanade, Torquay
Planet 72 Icecreamery is another excellent option for sweet treats, serving both ice-cream and gelato on the esplanade opposite Nielsens Park.
Family accommodation in Hervey Bay, QLD
Mantra Hervey Bay
Overlooking Great Sandy Straits Marina, where boat tours depart, Mantra Hervey Bay makes a convenient, comfortable and aesthetically pleasing base. It has both hotel rooms and one, two and three-bedroom apartments which are ideal for families as they have all the mod cons of home.
Think kitchen with microwave and dishwasher, and washing machine and dryer in the bathroom – as well as the all-important bathtub for those with little kids! All have balconies, many with views over Urangan Harbour, and some have spa baths.
The hotel also has a heated outdoor pool and a children’s pool, a gym and sauna.There’s a small playground across the road and a larger, more colourful one at Dayman Point, a few minutes’ walk along the coast. Everything you need is just next door at Whale Bay Marina, including a chemist, tour agency and several eateries.
Oaks Hervey Bay Resort & Spa
Oaks Hervey Bay Resort & Spa occupies an enviable location on the waterfront esplanade in the heart of Hervey Bay. The modern, apartment-style, U-shaped hotel is centred around two pools, with many rooms enjoying ocean views.
One, two and three-bedroom air-conditioned suites come fully equipped with kitchen and laundry facilities along with balconies or patios. One and two-bedroom ground floor Pool View Suites have easy access to a heated pool with a child-friendly water play area and a separate lap pool. Suites on upper levels, including the three-bedroom Penthouse, have expansive ocean views.
The resort is centred around two pools surrounded by market umbrellas, sun lounges and tropical gardens. Multi-award-winning Mineral Earth Wellness Spa specialises in therapeutic relaxion and holistic health and is a must visit for weary parents.
Opening image: A girl and her dad spot whales on a tour in Hervey Bay. © Tourism and Events Queensland – Vince Valitutti
Content contributors: Angela Saurine, Fiona Harper, Elisa Elwin
The writers were guests of Mantra Hervey Bay and Oaks Hervey Bay Resort & Spa.
