Palms Caravan Park

Hervey Bay is a year-around destination with calm waters for swimming and family activities. To up the adrenaline levels further, you can also sail catamarans and hire jet skis or kayaks at Torquay Beach (10 minutes’ walk) as well as take sunset cruises or book scenic flights along the Fraser Coast. There are waterslides and smash pools at Wetside Water Park, and kids can get up close to local marine life at Reef World Aquarium (both five minutes’ drive). The town is also known as the Whale Watch Capital of Australia, and you might get to see humpback whales swimming and playing around near cruise boats between July and November. Tour operators leaving from Urangan Pier (five minutes) offer all manner of cruises to see these gentle giants, with budgets for all pocket sizes. Another popular day cruise Hervey Bay is to Fraser Island, the largest island composed entirely of sand in the world, with pristine beaches and rare flora and fauna, Catch the ferry at River Heads (15 minutes) to swim in Lake McKenzie, infused with the healing properties of tea-tree oil, go off-roading among the sand dunes or try tubing down Eli Creek.