When it comes to cooking up a family holiday, there are a couple of key ingredients: there should be lots to do and cost not-too-much to do it all.
Enter the Fraser Coast. It’s about 250 kilometres north of Brisbane, stretching from heritage-listed Fraser Island to Hervey Bay and down to Maryborough.
The region is famous for its whale-watching, but even outside of the season, there’s plenty to see… and of course the best way to see marine life is below the surface.
Hervey Bay Eco Marine Tours runs a range of tours departing from the Great Sandy Straits Marina. Its vessel, Milbi, has a custom-designed glass panel allowing a super clear view of the coral and marine life.
Wil and Jacqui Hikuwai own and operate the tour company, and their love of the ocean is matched only by their passion for showing tour-goers its beauty.
The best bit about the glass bottom is the smaller kids don’t miss out on the underwater viewing, and you don’t have to get wet if you don’t want to –in the winter months, for example.
Back on dry land, you’ll be ready for sustenance after a morning on the water, and the Hervey Bay Boat Club is just next door.
Here, the deck is the spot to be and you cannot go past the seafood platter… it’s one of the biggest you’ll come across. You won’t find much fresher!
On to where to stay, just across the road from the boat club is Akama Resort. It’s self-catered, super family-friendly with a great pool, and the rooms are the largest in Hervey Bay. The views are worth a mention, too, as they take in the marina all the way over to Fraser Island.
