It’s not said how you think either.
Hervey Bay causes much confusion for those that aren’t from the area. Not because it’s a hard place to find (its not) or because it’s hard to get around once you’re there (it’s easy). It’s because you pronounce the name Hervey Bay like “Harvey” Bay. As in, swap the “e” for an “a” and that’s how you say it. Weird, right?!?
Anyway, we travelled here from Rainbow Beach/Tin Can Bay (you can read about those places here) along the back roads (avoiding the nightmare that is the Bruce Highway) and it was a really nice trip. The roads were not too steep, not too narrow and there was some great scenery to look through the windscreen. A quick trip through the town of Maryborough (the town is nice, but there’s no beach there so it didn’t interest us to stay) and a few clicks away from there is Hervey Bay.
About Hervey Bay
A long, long time ago (probably), Hervey Bay might have been a sleepy, cute little beach town like Rainbow Beach. However, this is no longer the case. Hervey Bay has the feel of somewhere that is growing up and out. That’s not saying it’s a busy, bustling place like certain places in the Sunshine Coast; it isn’t. While we were there we heard the phrase: “It’s a town for the newlyweds and nearly-deads”. As in, it a perfect place for a couple looking to start a family, and the lucky folks looking to settle down and retire there. It’s a town that has a bit of everything. It has the touristy shopping, it has major shop, services and hardware stores, it has an airport and has a nice stretch of beach.
Where you can stay
Hervey bay has a few options: if you’re loaded with disposable income and don’t mind spending a little bit more to be a little bit more comfortable, there are a range of hotels, motels, houses and cottages to rent out and stay. The prices for these range from a few hundred to a few thousand a week, depending on where and how long you stay, and if you stay in peak season (school holidays, public holidays, Easter, Christmas etc.).
If you’re travelling around in a bus, tiny home, or caravan, Hervey Bay has several caravan parks/RV parks scattered throughout the town, and some directly on the beach front (just drive along the esplanade and you can’t miss them). There are options for powered and non-powered sites, beachfront and non-beachfront sites, and the prices of these will vary depending on what you want. For example, if you want a powered site directly on the beachfront, you’ll pay more than if you want a non-powered, non-beachfront site. Prices for these sites range from around $30 to around $50-60 per night.
Or if you’re on a budget (like us) and want to save some coin, the Hervey Bay Visitor Information Centre offers a 48 hr stay in a large carpark around the back, free of charge. There’s an RV dump point for grey and black water there (ask me what they are, go on, I dare you), toilets and bins for your rubbish. However, there’s no shower facility there and the toilets get locked a 5pm every night and don’t get reopened until 9am – and they’re not available on the weekend. So, to stay here, you must be self-contained and have your own toilet and shower. But on the plus side, there was plenty of room for the bus.
What to do there
While visiting Hervey Bay, there are a few places to visit and things to see. Apart from the esplanade, which includes a small (free though) water park for the kids, you could visit the beach, and take a stroll along the Urangan Pier. The pier is an 800m long wooden structure that was built originally to enable the freight of supplies (coal, timber, sugar etc.), but now it’s used mostly as a tourist attraction and popular fishing spot. Sadly you’re not allowed to take your dog along for the walk, but the locals along the pier are friendly and fishing can be good there (or so we were told).
Another really nice spot we visited while there was the Hervey Bay Botanical Gardens. It’s only a short drive (or walk if you’re really keen) from the Urangan Pier, so it fits in nicely if you choose to visit both sites on the same day. The Gardens are 26 acres of beautifully maintained paths and gardens featuring endemic plant species from the Wide Bay and Sunshine Coast regions. If you’re into orchids, there an orchid house that features a collection of thousands of orchids. It’s truly a magic spot, and if you want to see (rather than read about it) you can check out our video we did here.
Hervey Bay is also famous for another natural attraction: whale watching. If you come to Hervey Bay at the right time of year (July – September), you can jump on a guided boat and go check out humpback whales as they stop in the area along their yearly migration.
And if wildlife is your thing, you can also visit Fraser Island, via a ferry from River Heads – about 20min from Hervey Bay.
Check out our Tin Can Bay and Hervey Bay video on YouTube
Final thoughts…
For us, Hervey Bay was a good stopping point along the journey north. It’s a large enough town to have the essential supplies and services, and there is enough to see and do there to keep us from being bored. Ultimately, Hervey Bay has some significant attractions to it, and we can see why people choose to live there. All in all, a tidy town, worth a visit.
Until next time,
Stay Wild and Free.
-Aaron, Chiara and the Wild dog.
