This section is dedicated to take away all your "I wish someone had told me that before I went!" experiences. This way, you can spend less time settling in, and more time making new friends in your chosen hostel.
Hervey Bay is mainly a backpacker town on the coast, in between travel to or from Cairns and Sydney. It is a short, but not to be missed, stopover in East coast travel.
If you have rented a car or camper van, it is easy to find a Hervey Bay hostel. But if you are taking a bus, it may be harder to reach some of the scattered hostels around the town. If you arrange in advance, several of the hostels offer pick-up from bus stops. The Esplanade is the main beach area along the water, and Torquay is in town. Hervey Bay is the place to stay in if you want to go to the magnificently beautiful sand island, Fraser Island. The other place is Rainbow Island, but Hervey Bay offers a lot more in shops, gorgeous beaches, and good hostels. Your Hervey Bay hostel can organize a trip for you to Fraser Island. A organized tour is recommended as it is required to to have an all-terrain vehicle with 4-wheel drive. Day tours, or 2-3 day tours where you stay on the island in resorts or campsites, are also offered.
Fraser Island is a unique place, and a must see in Australia, as it is the only place where rainforest trees grow out of sand. Also, the purest dingos in Australia run along its shores and rainforests, and they aren't shy, most visitors catch a quick glimpse. Rainbow sands, beautiful lakes with pure silica sand, and an ancient shipwreck are some of the other sights you will see on an organized tour.
Written by local expertz for Hervey Bay
Shannon Neuber
