THE JOEYS WORLD CUP MINI Hervey Bay 2018 Welcome to the Fraser Coast
Whether you want to relax, kick your shoes off and take barefoot walks along the beach or pack your days with stacks of action, the Fraser Coast has an abundance of options. From natural wonders and incredible encounters with wildlife to adventure playgrounds and marvellous heritage, the region is bound to engage, entertain and delight the whole family. Getting here Self-drive: Maryborough is a bit more than three hours drive (259km) north of Queensland s capital city, Brisbane, along the Bruce Highway (A1). Hervey Bay gateway to Fraser Island and access point for Lady Elliot Island on the Great Barrier Reef is a further 30km north-east of Maryborough. Travelling by Air: QantasLink offers multiple daily 40-minute flights between Brisbane and Hervey Bay Airport. Virgin Australia operates daily direct 90-minute jet services from Sydney to Hervey Bay.
Major Attractions The Fraser Coast has a fantastic mix of islands, seasonal humpback whales, beaches, fishing and heritage dating back before Queensland became a separate colony to New South Wales in 1859. Watch this video to see more of the Fraser Coast: https://youtu.be/cuoiygwi2si Fraser Island Unforgettable Fraser Island is the region s must-see attraction. The planet s biggest sand island can be explored on foot, by bus, in a four-wheel drive or even on a Segway! Discover for yourself why the traditional inhabitants named it K gari which means paradise. It is accessible from Hervey Bay via a barge service from River Heads which runs six times a day. This natural wonder recently marked 25 years of World Heritage listing and has been named Australia s best family camping spot in Out and About With Kids magazine s 2017 Best of Family Travel Awards. Swim in the stunning fresh waters of Lake McKenzie or the Champagne Pools, walk up the boardwalk by Eli Creek and float back down, gaze up at the massive trees growing out of sand in the Valley of the Giants, marvel at the crystal clear stream running through Central Station, see the rusting skeleton of the wrecked former wartime hospital ship Maheno, zoom along the gazetted highway of Seventy-Five Mile Beach on the eastern side of the island or get a bird s eye view of the island from a plane. Watch this video to see more of Fraser Island: https://youtu.be/s61ssqojb5u
Humpback Whales From late July to early November, there s no place like Hervey Bay for breathtaking, up close and personal encounters with majestic humpback whales. Your rendezvous with these gentle giants will leave you with amazing memories you can t capture anywhere else. Whale watching in Hervey Bay is so special it draws visitors back day after day and year after year. The humpbacks are not merely passing by, they are playing and socialising in the calm waters on the mainland side of Fraser Island so they re relaxed and curious. They love watching people as much as we love watching them. As well as delighting in the inspiring sightings, you ll also benefit from the experience and knowledge of crew members and the high-quality whale watching fleet. Take your pick of tours from full and half-day options on a variety of vessels. Early in the season you can even enter the water and swim with these giant mammals which is a truly mind-blowing experience! Watch this video to see people swimming with whales in Hervey Bay: https://youtu.be/yl97vqregvw
Hervey Bay The Bay is known Australia-wide for its amazing, safe, sandy beaches on a foreshore strip covering about 15km. The drop-off from the beach is gradual and the protection of Fraser Island means calm seas for most of the year. To get out on the water, you can jump aboard a luxury catamaran, a glass-bottomed vessel, motorboat, stand up paddle board or kayak. Alternatively, you could bait a hook and try to catch a fish from the beach, off the 868m pier and other jetties or head offshore in a boat. From coastal villages along the Bay and Great Sandy Strait look out for dolphins playing, turtles surfacing and dugongs grazing. Make a splash at WetSide Water Park on Hervey Bay s foreshore which has just opened two new waterslides and also has a board rider. If you d rather not get your feet wet, test your mettle by climbing up the nets or ladder to the 7.3m-high sky towers and slipping down the slides at the new Pialba Adventure Playground, head to the aquarium at Urangan to feed the turtles or take a picnic to the beautiful Hervey Bay Botanical Gardens. See Nala, a life-sized whale sculpture, outside the Fraser Coast Discovery Sphere and step inside to find out about her many journeys to Hervey Bay waters, along with learning about the local Butchulla people, Mary River, marine animals and other flora and fauna on the Fraser Coast. Lady Elliot Island If you re happy for some more air time, hop on a flight to Lady Elliot Island on the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef. Snorkel with turtles, manta rays, dolphins and reef fish while checking out the mix of hard and soft corals. Seair Pacific offers daily 40-minute scenic flights between the Fraser Coast and Lady Elliot Island. The island is known as home of the manta ray with more than 1000 resident manta rays recorded in the vicinity. Divers can enjoy the reef with a fascinating mix of hard and soft corals and more than 18 different dive sites, including wreck dives and a blow hole.
Maryborough A visit to Maryborough is worth the 30-mintue drive to unlock the Heritage City s quirky character through its magnificent historic buildings, street art including the magic of Mary Poppins. Cross the road at the special pedestrian lights with the green and red Mary Poppins silhouettes, take a selfie with the Mary Poppins statue outside the author s birthplace and pose for a photo holding metal cut-outs of her umbrella and carpet bag. Thursday is market day in the central business district when the streets are bustling with staff and visitors can hop aboard the Mary Ann a replica of Queensland s first steam engine built in Maryborough in 1873 to ride alongside the river. To learn more about the city s rich history, take a free guided walk from the City Hall at 9am each day (except Sunday) or step into a time warp at Brennan and Geraghty s Store Museum. You can also head to Wharf Street and grab a Portside Pass to explore the rich military history at the Maryborough Military and Colonial Museum, see fascinating displays inside the city s original Bond Store and hear stories of immigrants inside Customs House and Residence all in beautiful historic buildings. Climb through one of Australia s oldest and largest Banyan Figs in Maryborough s Queens Park on the banks of the Mary River. Head to the wildlife sanctuary on the outskirts of Maryborough to feed kangaroos and wallabies, interact with dingoes, wander in the aviary and wrap Muscles, the diamond python, around your neck if you dare or let your children s imaginations run wild at Wook-Koo Park, which features a lagoon and lots of statues of pioneers and animals. Hinterland A little further off the beaten path, visitors can find bushwalking and mountain biking trails, wander through towering bamboo parklands, enjoy the tranquillity of a picnic by the river or waterholes fringed by paperbark trees and fish for freshwater barramundi and bass. Shopping and dining For shoppers, the region offers locally made souvenirs, market days and fashion and homewares boutiques. Foodies can sample the spectrum of cuisine available, ranging from relaxed eating options in clubs and pubs with playrooms for children to first-rate fine dining experiences featuring fresh local seafood and produce. And there s more This is just a taste of what the region has to offer. For more information: visitfrasercoast.com Visit Fraser Coast Visit Fraser Island Fraser Coast Events VisitFraserCoast