On the coast 160 km north of Brisbane, opposite Fraser Island. Hervey Bay doesn’t exist – at least, not on the road signs. To get here, follow the signs for Torquay, Pialba, Urangan or Scarness – the rather ordinary beach suburbs which have now joined up along the shore to form Hervey Bay. The best beach is at Torquay, but there’s no surf anywhere on the bay. Despite this, there are two excellent reasons for coming here. The first is to catch the ferry across to Fraser Island. At Urangan you can catch the car ferry or a passenger catamaran. The other reason for coming here is to see the whales.

Hervey Bay is home from home for humpbacked whales. Each winter (between May and September) humpbacked whales from the Antarctic migrate to the sheltered waters of Hervey Bay. Around the time of the annual Whale Festival in August, you can take a day trip out to see the whales. Set out on one of these from the Esplanade at Torquay. (Get there around 8 am, and expect to pay almost a lot or book in advance online www.whalewatchingherveybay.com.au.) At other times of year these boats organize daylong fishing expeditions for a similar price.