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Hervey Bay ( HAR-vee) is a city on the coast of the Fraser Coast Region of Queensland, Australia. The city is situated approximately 290 kilometres (180 mi) or 3½ hours' highway drive north of the state capital, Brisbane. It is located on the bay of the same name open to the Coral Sea between the Queensland mainland and nearby K'gari (also known as Fraser Island). The local economy relies on tourism which is based primarily around whale watching in Platypus Bay to the north, ferry access to K'gari, accessible recreational fishing and boating and the natural north facing, calm beaches with wide undeveloped foreshore zones. In October 2019, Hervey Bay was named the First Whale Heritage Site in the world by the World Cetacean Alliance, for its commitment to and practices of sustainable whale and dolphin watching.
In the 2021 census, Hervey Bay had a population of 57,722 people. A 2010 study by Deakin University showed that people on the Fraser Coast area including Hervey Bay, were the happiest in Australia.
The area that became Hervey Bay is on the traditional lands of the Butchulla people. The city takes its name from Hervey Bay, named by James Cook in 1770 in honour of Augustus Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol. Several small townships developed along the bayside, the earliest being Pialba in 1863. From 1863 to 1906, the Wide Bay region became a central part of the Pacific Slave trade, with more than 12 thousand South Sea Islanders brought to the cotton and sugarcane plantations in Maryborough and Hervey Bay. During World War II, the region operated a training school for the Z Special Unit special forces. Hervey Bay boomed from the 1980s on and was proclaimed a city in 1984.
Background information about Hervey Bay adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Next 7 days at Hervey Bay
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Updated each time the page loads.
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Best time to visit Hervey Bay
Based on 30 years of weather data. Sweet spot: Jul, Aug, Sep — mild temperatures, low rainfall and plenty of sun. Avoid Feb, Mar if you can — typically the wettest or hottest stretch of the year.
Jan
33°
21° low
160mm
Feb
33°
18° low
179mm
Mar
33°
19° low
160mm
Apr
30°
15° low
81mm
May
28°
11° low
76mm
Jun
26°
10° low
81mm
Jul
25°
10° low
41mm
Aug
29°
10° low
50mm
Sep
31°
12° low
38mm
Oct
32°
13° low
87mm
Nov
33°
16° low
68mm
Dec
34°
19° low
147mm
Daytime high (large) · overnight low (small) · monthly rainfall (blue bar). Climate normals: 1991–2020 from Open-Meteo's ERA5 reanalysis.
Beach & ocean conditions at Hervey Bay
Typical wave height around 0.3 m over the next two weeks. a wetsuit makes winter swims much more pleasant.
Avg wave height
0.3 m
Sea-surface temperatures from Open-Meteo's ERA5 reanalysis. Wave forecast from the GFS Wave model — check official sources before swimming, paddling or boating.
What else is around Hervey Bay
Points of interest within 25 km, pulled from OpenStreetMap. Distances are straight-line; check road access before heading out.
🎡 Attractions (7)
- 14.0 km
- 23.7 km
- 24.2 km
- 24.2 km
- 24.9 km
- 9.2 km
🔭 Lookouts & viewpoints (1)
- 9.1 km
🏰 Historic sites (11)
- 2.0 km
- 2.2 km
- 2.3 km
- 23.6 km
- 23.6 km
- 23.8 km
🏛️ Museums & galleries (1)
- 3.0 km
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Drive times to and from Hervey Bay
Real road distance and driving time to other destinations in the state. Click through for fuel estimates, suggested overnight stops, and tours along the way.
Frequently asked about Hervey Bay
- Where is Hervey Bay?
- Hervey Bay is in Wide Bay-Burnett, Queensland, Australia.
- When is the best time to visit Hervey Bay?
- Based on 30 years of weather data, the most pleasant months at Hervey Bay are typically July, September, August — mild temperatures and lower rainfall. School holiday periods can also fit if you don't mind the crowds.
- What's the weather like in Hervey Bay?
- Summer daytime highs average around 34°C and winter overnight lows can drop to about 10°C. See the climate panel above for the month-by-month breakdown.
