Hervey Bay

Hervey Bay was officially declared the world's first Whale Heritage Site in 2019. From July to November, humpback whales pause in the sheltered waters of Platypus Bay between K'gari (Fraser Island) and the mainland, sometimes for several days, to rest, socialise and teach their young calves before continuing their migration south to Antarctic feeding grounds. The bay is one of the only places where you can reliably see breaching, tail slapping, and curious 'mugging' behaviour where whales approach boats.

The city itself is built around a 14 kilometre stretch of calm beachfront from Point Vernon in the west to Urangan Pier in the east. The pier was originally built in 1917 to ship sugar from local plantations and is the longest restored timber pier in the southern hemisphere at over 800 metres.

Hervey Bay is the closest mainland point to K'gari (Fraser Island), and the River Heads ferry terminal at the southern end of town runs car ferries across to the island year-round.

The city is around three and a half hours by car from Brisbane via the Bruce Highway. Direct flights from Sydney and Brisbane go to Hervey Bay Airport.