Top 5 Hervey Bay Car Tours: Your Ultimate Guide

So, Hervey Bay, that rather gorgeous spot on Queensland’s Fraser Coast, is almost just the thing for those who fancy a good road trip. That’s right, this place isn’t just beaches and whale watching, as it also offers some pretty awesome car tours that get your where you want to be at your own speed. Yet the thing is, with heaps of different options available, deciding on the right one can be a bit tricky. That’s why we’ve created this very helpful guide to the top five Hervey Bay car tours, to help you see what you could enjoy. In fact, we aim to provide you, very helpfully, with recommendations to match diverse tastes and make seeing this iconic area a little easier.

1. Fraser Island Adventure Tour

Very, very high up on the bucket list for most visitors is the World Heritage-listed Fraser Island, too, so its iconic status makes a Fraser Island Adventure Tour something that must be done, really. Often, a 4×4 is needed, due to the island’s sandy terrain, and yet this tour really gives you that. That’s right, the Fraser Island tours commonly kick off from River Heads near Hervey Bay and typically are day trips. In fact, it allows you see lots, while returning to Hervey Bay. Often you will travel on a ferry with your 4×4 vehicle, ready to see all sorts of iconic spots.

Actually, the itinerary normally includes exploring Seventy-Five Mile Beach, a vast sandy highway where planes sometimes even land. Too, driving here, with the waves crashing beside you, is rather thrilling, even exciting you might say. Furthermore, visits to Eli Creek are common, with its clear waters to allow you to take a relaxed swim as well as admire the shipwreck of the Maheno, and the colored sands are sights to behold, so some iconic photo opps await.

So, these tours can either be self-drive convoys, where you follow an experienced guide in your car, or guided tours in a tour operator’s 4×4, so that’s up to you. Still, guided tours typically cover the commentary and also lunch, while the self-drive option grants more freedom. Either way, really expect a memorable adventure filled with exceptional beauty and unique landscape qualities.

2. Burrum Coast Discovery Tour

Well, if you are interested in something slightly more laid-back but similarly scenic, you might just want to consider the Burrum Coast Discovery Tour, as well. That’s right, you’ll experience quiet coastal villages, too, with lots of local charm for an off the beaten track trip. After that, it’s plain sailing (or, er, plain driving). The journey typically commences in Hervey Bay and leads toward the Burrum Heads, so it can easily be reached. With many places that have little in the way of visitor numbers, so you are in for a more unique and personal visit.

Often, the route takes you through places like Toogoom and along the Woodgate Beach Esplanade, so you can have beautiful seaside vistas aplenty, too. Apparently, Woodgate Beach extends over sixteen kilometers, offering a calm and pristine environment where you can, perhaps, stretch your legs and just breathe it all in for an hour or two. Very often you will get to have that small village feel too, and in fact there are photo ops along the way and great opportunities for quiet picnics. Also you may be tempted by the amazing local seafood.

Anyway, this tour could be just what you need for those who fancy a relaxing exploration of the Fraser Coast’s hidden coastal spots. Still, make sure to bring your camera. Or maybe several cameras! That’s right, there are abundant opportunities to capture some stunning natural views. Oh, and this tour can typically be done in most vehicles, and that’s really good, although checking weather conditions and road accessibility is usually advised before you set off.

3. Hervey Bay City Highlights Tour

Too, it is arguably quite worth checking out the actual urban heart of the area with a Hervey Bay City Highlights Tour, because although natural sights get many of the headlines, there’s more than this. You’ll likely have the chance to become very well-acquainted with the important parts of the local story, and therefore can feel more informed and at home in this spot, as well. Right, the tour often commences in the heart of Hervey Bay and aims to showcase the key landmarks, and you might want to grab a tourist information guide from a visitor information center for your travels.

Anyway, a typical route often features a stop at the iconic Urangan Pier, an old structure with fantastic panoramic views of the coastline, because it’s a good one. So, you can take a leisurely stroll along the pier. Then, perhaps see if you can spot dolphins and other marine animals, since that’s very pleasing indeed. Often, the tour involves the Hervey Bay Botanic Gardens, really perfect for a relaxing stroll, and yes these gardens showcase the diversity of local flora.

Actually, many operators supply maps, self-guided pamphlets, and audio guides to those going on these routes, and that’s also good. Too, with this freedom, visitors can spend their time how they like. Right, some also like to include spots such as the local marina to look at the boats, various public art spots, and pretty bits along the Esplanade, so it could really keep you busy if you are on a fact-finding and experiencing tour of discovery.

4. Whale Watching Scenic Drive (Seasonal)

Well, if you’re in town during the whale watching season (typically from July to November), you may wish to consider a Whale Watching Scenic Drive as well. So, that is if you feel inspired to catch some whales in all their majesty. Anyway this actually connects several vantage points for possible land-based whale spotting as well as very attractive viewpoints to stop at for their own value, and really what’s not to love? Too, these routes actually depend on up-to-date local whale activity, yet visitor centers generally update their whale-watching advice every season.

Clearly, this drive incorporates the best land-based whale viewing spots, very often including places along the Esplanade. Really, these viewing locations frequently give unobstructed panoramic views of the waters. Very, very great views might also come from high spots in places such as Shelly Beach and Point Vernon, due to their geographical value.

So, this seasonal tour not only enhances your odds of seeing majestic whales but it also introduces visitors to hidden corners. Apparently the Esplanade allows casual parking and access, too, but some more distant, quieter spots do have very rugged and possibly pot-holed tracks that are possibly suited only for larger SUVs or 4×4 vehicles, just to be aware.

5. Maryborough Historical Trail

Usually, only around 30 minutes drive southwest of Hervey Bay you’ll find the city of Maryborough, but also with the Maryborough Historical Trail as another interesting car-based opportunity as well. Too, it can supply a great look back into the past of this part of Queensland. Right, with its beautiful historical places you can actually feel how life must have been in prior generations. You will likely drive from spot to spot. That’s right, the town allows those driving to do it with relative ease too.

Usually, the Customs House Museum will be very near to the first stop, plus, for all fans of “Mary Poppins,” this really will need to be the spot for that famous selfie! Typically you will then want to park the car somewhere quite central, and often maps of the trail will mark places to do this as well. That way, you can easily access Queens Park with ease from where you will enjoy some lovely views as you relax and take it all in.

Actually, for lovers of local yarns and architecture of old, Maryborough is great and will be much enjoyed, so this can supply a real taste of what it means to be “Queenslander,” as they say.