Fraser Coast accessible travel guide

Home to the world’s first Whale Heritage Site and the world’s largest sand island, the Fraser Coast is packed with adventure. And these are adventures that everyone can experience.  

If you’re looking to get away from it all, there’s no better place than here; where the beaches are relaxed, the restaurants dish up seafood pulled straight from the trawlers, and charming country towns are waiting to be explored.

Planning a trip? Use this Fraser Coast accessible travel guide to discover a spot you’ll return to for years to come.

Getting to the Fraser Coast

If you're coming to the Fraser Coast, there's no doubt the sands of Hervey Bay are calling your name. If that's the case, you can fly into Hervey Bay Airport which is well-equipped for those travellers with accessibility needs. Find out more here.

Driving? It takes a little under 4 hours to reach Hervey Bay from Brisbane by car, around 290km. 

Where to stay: accessible accommodation on the Fraser Coast

There’s plenty of accessible accommodation on the Fraser Coast, from beachside caravan parks to resorts you’ll never want to leave. Most of this accommodation is located in Hervey Bay, the region’s beating heart.

Escape to the tropical landscaped gardens and lagoon pools of Oaks Resort and Spa, just moments from Urangan Pier. There’s disability access throughout the resort, plus three accessible rooms available.  

Kick back and relax at eco-friendly Emeraldene Inn & Eco-Lodge; home to two fully accredited accessible rooms with ensuites and connecting carer rooms. Family favourite Ingenia Holidays Hervey Bay offers fully compliant one bedroom and three bedroom cabins, as well as an accessible bathroom facility for campers and caravanners. And if you want to be in the thick of the action, Mantra and Ramada hotels offer accessible options too.

A little out of town, Fraser Coast RV Park is set on 75 acres of bushland at River Heads. The sprawling grounds accommodate RVs, caravans and camping – but it’s also home to the fully-accessible one-bedroom Mango Lodge. Complete with a ramp, wide doors, electric hoist and roll in shower, accessible kitchen and laundry, the timber lodge stands under a 100 year old mango tree, and the back deck is perfect for watching kangaroos of an afternoon.

Basing yourself in Maryborough? Blue Shades Motel offers several accessible executive rooms and two bedroom units. Further south, Poona Palms Holiday Park offers a slice of the quiet life, overlooking K'gari (formerly Fraser Island). Between fishing and exploring, you can enjoy all the usual amenities of a caravan park including wheelchair friendly cabin accommodation designed specifically for wheeled access with ramp, wheel in shower room complete with grab rails and hand held shower head.

It’s recommended to contact your preferred accommodation prior to booking to ensure they meet your specific needs.

Whale watch and learn

There’s nothing quite like watching a 40 tonne humpback splash like thunder into the ocean in front of you. Hervey Bay is the world’s whale watching capital, and there’s accessible whale watching tour options too.

Jump on board Advanced Eco Tourism-accredited Whalesong Cruises to meet these gentle giants. Rebecca, Doug and their crew are true leaders in accessible tourism. The boat has been designed specifically for wheelchair access, with spacious access to the lower deck, saloon, accessible toilet and unobstructed viewing platforms for the best views of humpbacks as they breach and dive below. There's a designated low-sensory space should it be needed, the crew can ensure low-vision travellers have a safe and informative trip out, and those with allergies or dietary requirements are well catered for as well.

Whalesong takes accessible opportunities to the next level with a dedicated Crew for a Day program, where NDIS participants and their carer/s can come on board to learn skills and experience what it's like to work on a whale watching cruise.

Hervey Bay Whale Watch Quick Cat II is another great accessible whale watching tour, with ramps running around the main deck and fore deck to allow wheelchairs and less-mobile passengers a safe front row seat to the action.

To learn about the annual whale migration on dry land, head to Fraser Coast Discovery Sphere. This interpretive educational centre explores the unique flora and fauna of the Great Sandy Strait biosphere, with lots of interactive challenges and activities for the kids.

Soak up the sea air

Do as the locals do - and travel on the Esplanade which winds its way along Hervey Bay’s shorefront for over 15km. Catch some sunshine and stop along the way for a picnic – there are BBQs and picnic areas dotted throughout the precinct, including wheelchair accessible tables and toilets. Come sunset, Urangan Pier is the spot to be. It's one of the longest piers in Australia and stretches for almost one kilometre into the ocean - best enjoyed with an ice cream.

And if you want to see the waves a little closer, get onto to the sand at Hervey Bay Beach, which offers accessible beach matting and a floating beach wheelchair. Fraser Coast Council has beach wheelchairs available for free hire too.

Splash and play

You don’t have to be at the beach to get wet in Hervey Bay. Wetside Water Park offers a zero depth water feature playground, with ramped access allowing roll in (plus two waterproof wheelchairs available for hire). Spend the morning splashing around, then grab a bite to eat at the on-site accessible café, fish and chip shop or Italian restaurant. The water park is open September through to the end of April each year.

The whole family will love Seafront All Abilities Playground on the esplanade in Pialba. The playground features a wide variety of accessible, inclusive play equipment and experiences, including a custom-built shipwreck, a swirling maze, swings to suit all abilities and sensory installations like the metal tubular bells. It also offers a sheltered barbecue, accessible toilet facilities (including a Changing Places facility), a car park with disabled bays, with decorative pathways and gardens throughout.

Nearby, you'll also find the NEOS Playground. NEOS electronic playground systems are designed to help children improve their strength and stamina via competitive, fun games that promote peripheral, auditory and spatial awareness with its design, LED lights and sound effects. The playground has the same rubberised surface as the All Abilities Playground allowing children of all abilities to participate.

Down the garden path

Hervey Bay’s Fraser Coast Botanic Gardens is the perfect spot for an accessible outdoor adventure. Follow the paths to the Orchid House, Chinese Garden, Bush Chapel, remnant rainforest, and waterways full of turtles and ducks.

Escape to the country

Looking for country charm? A visit to Maryborough feels like opening a storybook; and for good reason – it’s the literary birthplace of Mary Poppins’. In fact, you can visit the actual birthplace of author P L Travers at heritage-listed Australian Joint Stock Bank. It’s now The Story Bank; a bank that trades in stories. And it’s wheelchair accessible.

Meet the region’s coolest creative minds at Gatakers Artspace; a hub of restored portside warehouses is now home to four galleries of rotating art exhibitions. Or catch a show at Brolga Theatre.

Soak up history in the Portside Heritage Precinct. Discover a time when opium was a legal import and the rum trade flourished at The Bond Store, and take a Tipples and Tales Tour to learn its history dating back to 1864 while sampling regional ports, liqueurs and platters. Admire colonial architecture while touring Customs House, or delve into military history at Maryborough Military and Colonial Museum (accessible on the ground floor only and nearby heritage walk).

You can also explore the lagoon and gardens of Anzac Park, which will soon have its own all abilities water play area and sensory wall, perfect for families.

Discover local marine life

Discover the Fraser Coast and Great Sandy Strait through the eyes of the Butchulla people with Hervey Bay Eco Marine Tours.

From on board their wheelchair-accessible vessel, you’ll have the opportunity to visit the local islands, search for marine wildlife, and hear the stories of the Dreamtime from a local Indigenous guide. Although some tours have the option of snorkelling, tour formats are flexible, so if you want to stay onboard and watch for wildlife through the vessel’s glass bottom, you can do so without getting wet.

Travellers also have the opportunity to peer into the underwater world without getting wet at Reefworld Aquarium. Rather uniquely, Reefworld is an 'all natural' aquarium, using only sand filtered sea water and natural sunlight - but here you can spot green Sea Turtles, colourful tropical fish, and penty of large reef fish. Participate in daily marine feeding, or experience first-hand what sea creatures feel like in the touch tank - which has a height suitable for children and wheelchair users.

Dine Out

Hungry? Hervey Bay is packed with accessible dining options for breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between.

If you’re out exploring along the Esplanade, stop in for a bite at Aquavue Café, Bayaroma, or popular Enzo’s on the Beach, an icon of Hervey Bay’s beachside culture with unbeatable views.

Watch the buzzing Great Sandy Strait marina and take in views of K'gari while you eat at Café Balaena and The Dock. For an affordable family meal, Hervey Bay RSL has a bistro and a lounge café, plus a fun-packed childrens’ centre.

Further out of Hervey Bay, explore Arkarra Lagoon before a visit to the accessible Arkarra Tea Gardens.

Has your Fraser Coast escape sparked your travel bug? Discover these incredible accessible experiences across Queensland.