Whale Watching in Hervey Bay
When most Australians hear the name of the town ‘Hervey Bay’ (pronounced ‘Harvey Bay’), they think of whales. This seaside town has gained a reputation for being a great base for whale watching. Humpback whales migrate down the east coast of Australia, and they often come into the bay around Fraser Island on their journey. The bay is relatively calm, making it the perfect spot to cruise out and observe the whales up close.
The whale watching season in Hervey Bay starts in July and runs through to the end of October. By the time we arrived in late September, the majority of the whales left in the bay were mothers with calves, lingering a little longer in the warm waters while the calves fattened up.
Day 10 of our trip had lovely weather and relatively calm waters. It was a good day for whale watching. We had been told that the whale watching tour company would call us if the water was choppy, as they like to give guests the option to reschedule if the risk of seasickness is high. (I’m sure this is considered a win/win for both the passengers and the business!)
We booked with Spirit of Hervey Bay and found them excellent. The service included transfers from the bus stop across the road from our motel, along with a half-day cruise, with morning tea on board included.
The boat had three levels and was fairly crowded, but we were able to get seats together. Once we got out into the bay, most people went outside to get a better view and the sense of being crowded reduced significantly. The captain moved the boat around at any sign of whale activity and we did see several whales and their calves.
Heading out towards the end of the season, we knew there was a risk that we would not see a lot of whales, but we felt like we got our money’s worth. We didn’t see anything amazing like the promotional photos of male whales breaching, but we saw plenty of interesting whale behaviour (particularly from the calves) and heard some interesting commentary about the way whales’ brains can be partially asleep while they float – a particularly useful skill for the mothers, who can rest while their calves play around them. I related to one of the whales we saw, who was clearly trying to rest by floating near the surface, while her calf kept batting her with a fin and trying to wake her up. Finally, she woke up completely and submerged herself, the calf following closely. I could almost imagine her resignation, “Okay, you win…”
There was running commentary about the Hervey Bay and Fraser Island area as the cruise went on. This helped keep everyone’s interest levels up and meant there were two equally good options for guests – stay out on the deck to enjoy the water or take a break inside and enjoy the information. We did a bit of both, taking turns to supervise the children in different places.
Morning tea consisted of a muffin and a juice or hot drink. We headed down to the lower deck to get this at the announced time. Our kids made a few purchases at the gift shop, too. All in all, it was a really nice morning which ticked an item off our bucket list!
A couple of tips: Bring motion sickness medication if you need it. We weren’t sure about our kids, as it had been a number of years since they had been on a boat. We stocked up at a pharmacy, just in case. As it turned out, we were all good, but it gave me a sense of confidence to be prepared.
Our other tip is to HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS, literally! Better yet, wear hats with a drawstring and toggle. The nature of this tour means that a lot of time is spent out on deck, looking at the water. Hats are necessary. The combination of breezes and the boat’s movement also means that air movement is likely. Our third daughter lost a special souvenir cap, which flew off her head and into the ocean as the boat was moving. She was momentarily devastated, but we turned the situation around by buying her a souvenir hat from the boat, which remains one of her favourites. We still joke about the Stockman’s Hall of Fame hat which probably washed up on a Fraser Island beach!
Lunch at Enzo’s on the Beach
Our accommodation at Sunseeker Motel was directly across the road from the well-known eatery Enzo’s on the Beach. I booked online in advance for our group. Enzo’s is right on the water, offering spectacular views, but we were seated inside, which meant that the people on one side of our table didn’t get to enjoy the views at all. This seating was understandable, given that we had a group of ten, but it would have been nice if every guest could have enjoyed the view. The food was nice. The menu options for the children included pancakes and waffles, which we know aren’t really lunch food – unless you’re on holidays! The staff members who served us were pleasant, but the venue was busy and we felt a bit of pressure to get through our lunch quickly to make room for guests lining up outside. Our kids didn’t eat a huge amount, and this was one place where we felt a bit like they were seen as taking up valuable seats where higher-paying guests could have been seated.
Having given it some thought, I think we would recommend Enzo’s to other families, with a couple of extra suggestions. Be sure to book ahead and arrive on time, because it gets busy. Consider calling if possible, so you can request a table on the deck, close to the water. If you do end up inside, as we did, try to seat the children facing the interior of the building (assuming your children are like ours, and don’t really appreciate things like views when ice-cream is in front of them!).
I suspect we might have enjoyed Enzo’s just as much if we had gone at a quieter time and just had a coffee or an ice-cream while we enjoyed the view. It is certainly situated in a beautiful and unique location. Perhaps we’ll have to test this theory with a coffee the next time we are in town!
Beach and Urangan Pier
Staying on the Esplanade meant we could walk to nearby beaches. There is a popular ice-creamery in Hervey Bay called Planet 72 Icecreamery, which famously has 72 different flavours of icecream on offer. We ended up driving to the shop, but walked across the road and enjoyed our icecreams in a park beside the beach.
From the beach, we could see two piers – a shorter one close to our location and a longer one in the distance. We made plans with our friends to drive to the pier, but there was a slight miscommunication and they ended up at the short one and we ended up at the long one!
We have to say, the Urangan Pier is not to be missed if you are visiting Hervey Bay. The pier is almost a kilometre long (868 m) and has been restored with steel pylons, making it a very safe and stable, and very impressive. We walked all the way to the end. Some fishermen quite close to the far end of the pier mentioned to us that there was a dugong (sea cow) in the water nearby, and we were able to catch a glimpse of it! The fishermen were very welcoming, so don’t feel like you need to avoid the end of the pier to stay out of their way.
We headed back to our motel and picked up some takeaway dinner from a nearby Italian restaurant for a quiet night in, getting ready for our last big day.
Day 10 Outback Queensland Family Road Trip Summary
Start:
Hervey Bay
End:
Hervey Bay
Driving:
None
(Tiny drive up to the Urangan Pier,
could have walked!)
Accommodation:
Sunseeker Motel, Hervey Bay
Notable Stops:
Hervey Bay Wharf
Enzo’s on the Beach
Planet 72 Icecreamery
Urangan Pier
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