Hervey Bay is a popular winter destination to watch the humpback whale migration. But once you’ve been out on the bay and you’ve explored the famous Urangan Pier, you may look for other things to do in Hervey Bay. How about kayaking? We had a fun day kayaking in Hervey Bay.
What can you see when kayaking in Hervey Bay?
Don’t expect to see whales while kayaking in Hervey Bay. Although Hervey Bay is one of the best places to spot whales in Queensland and even Australia, they rarely come to this part of the bay. But keep your eyes open for dolphins. You can often see them from the shore of the marina or from the pier, so they’re cruising around. Dugongs and turtles also live in the bay, but you’ll need some luck to spot them.
Remember to look up. You can spot many different types of birds in Hervey Bay. Cormorants, pelicans, boobies, kites, sterns, herons, martins… and this is a non-exhaustive list.
If you kayak in Hervey Bay at low tide, have a look on the sandbanks. You’ll see zillions of blue soldier crabs moving. If the tide is rising, you could even spot beautiful small sea stars going out of the sand.
How to kayak in Hervey Bay
Kayak on your own
Are you thinking of buying an inflatable kayak? We love how we can now explore more places easily since we got one. Check out my tips on how to choose an inflatable kayak and the most important questions to answer first.
Going on your own rather than booking a tour is the cheapest way to kayak in Hervey Bay. However, you’ll need to bring your own kayaks if you want to go for a small adventure. The kayak rental from Aquavue will only allow you to stick to the coast between the pier and Point Vernon. It’s great for beginners, but experienced kayakers may want a bigger adventure.
We were lucky to meet someone who lent us a double kayak for the day. We first paddled to Round Island. It doesn’t take long to walk around the island unless you like bird watching as much as we do! If you have your snorkelling gear with you, you may be tempted to have a look at the reef on the northwest of Round Island. I cannot tell you if it’s worth it; it was too cold for us to go in!
Experienced kayakers up for a long adventure may want to consider going to have a closer look at Woody Island. We chose to go back to the pier and then paddled towards Point Vernon. We couldn’t go all the way to Point Vernon before the tide changed. It was time to head back.
Hire a kayak from Aquavue
You can hire a kayak from Aquavue to explore the coastline between Point Vernon and Shelly Beach (in Torquay, hence before the Urangan Pier). It’s a good playground for those discovering kayaking for a couple of hours.
But if you’re an experienced kayaker looking for a longer adventure, you may find it too limited.
Kayak tour from Hervey Bay Dive Centre
If you are visiting Hervey Bay outside the whale watching season, you should be able to book an exciting kayaking adventure with Hervey Bay Dive Centre. Using their boat, they will drop you and pick you up at the best location according to the tide, currents and weather forecast so you can make the most of your kayaking tour.
Have you done some kayaking in Hervey Bay? Share your experience in the comments below!
Where to stay in Hervey Bay
Hervey Bay is about 3.5 hrs north of Brisbane, so we’d go up there for a weekend (or, more often, a long weekend). It’s always nice to visit a seaside town, and we’d try to make the most out of it by looking for accommodation with sea views.
The Mantra* offers a spa room with views of the marina – and we were able to find a good online deal for it. It is only 15 minutes away from the town centre and the Pier, and a couple of minutes’ walk from the beach and the marina.
Not far from the Mantra, the views from BreakFree Great Sandy Straits*, right on the beach, are hard to beat.
The Oaks Resort and Spa* and Santalina* are closer to town and offer fantastic views too.
Map of our kayaking trip in Hervey Bay
The map below is an illustration of where we went and some places mentioned in this article. Please note that pins and lines are an estimation and not a correct location that should be used for navigation.
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