Accessible Holiday Destination Guide

Hervey Bay has over 14 kilometres of coastline to the bay dotted with numerous beaches, parks, playgrounds and jetties.

ESA Park
ESA Park is situated on the Esplanade between Aplin and Flinders Streets, Point Vernon. It contains designated disabled parking, a playground, picnic shelters with accessible picnic tables and an accessible toilet. Access to the beach is via a short but sandy pathway. This area of the coast is rocky with numerous rock pools.

Black Stump Park
Black Stump Park is located on the Hervey Bay Esplanade in Point Vernon. The undercover picnic shelter is situated overlooking the beach. It contains an accessible picnic table on a concrete base and is complimented by onsite barbecue facilities, an accessible public toilet, an accessible shower with a fold‑down seat, and a playground. Paved or concrete paths lead through the park. The playground contains cognitive play elements.

WetSide Water Park
WetSide Water Park is located on the foreshore at the junction of Main Street and the Esplanade, Pialba, Hervey Bay and is an ideal location for family fun. The park contains waterslides, a water play area and TotSide for under fives. A coffee shop, fish and chip shop and restaurant are on-site. The park is entered via a gently sloping ramp from the car park. The main water play area has level entry from the surrounds and is suitable for people of all abilities. There is a short ramp leading down into the TotSide area.

Seafront All Abilities Playground
The Seafront All Abilities Playground is situated on the edge of Pialba Beach. The Seafront All Abilities Playground is one of 16 developed as part of the state government’s Queensland All Abilities Playground Project – enabling participation in play. The playground features a wide variety of accessible, inclusive play equipment and experiences including a custom‑built shipwreck, a swirling maze, and swings to suit all abilities. The park has seven designated disabled parking bays, an accessible toilet and an accessible shower with a fold‑down seat. A full Changing Places adult change facility is on-site accessed with an MLAK key. The surface throughout the park is rubberised with no raised borders or steps. The park includes
shaded accessible picnic tables and accessible drinking fountains.

NEOS Playground
Between the Seafront All Abilities Playground and the adventure hub is the NEOS Playground. NEOS electronic playground systems are designed to help children improve their strength and stamina via games that are both competitive and fun. Each playground system promotes 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.

Scarness Park

Scarness Park is located in the heart of Scarness. It enjoys great uninterrupted views of Hervey Bay. Facilities provided within the park include a pavilion with ramped access, shade shelters with accessible picnic tables, an accessible BBQ, an observation deck with level access from the park and a nautical themed playground with a level rubberised surface and cognitive play panels. A pier extends out into the bay from the middle of the park, making it a perfect place to wet a line. The pier has two platforms at its midpoint and a larger area at the end. The pier has level access from the park.
A paved access ramp to the beach is located on the southern side of Enzo’s café.

Urangan Pier
One of the Fraser Coast’s landmark attractions is the famous and historic Urangan Pier. Stretching almost a kilometre into the bay, it is one of Australia’s longest piers. A walk to the end will reward with spectacular views of Hervey Bay and the chance to see schools of fish, stingrays or pods of dolphins just metres off the jetty. It is another great place to fish. The Urangan precinct contains a number of cafés and boutique shops, as well as a coastal boardwalk and picnic facilities. Level access is provided throughout the park with a ramp from the boardwalk down to the street at the northern end. Accessible picnic tables are available in the park. Accessible toilets are also available. Designated disabled parking is located in front of the toilet block.

Dayman Park

Located at the end of Dayman Street, Urangan, Dayman Park offers BBQ and picnic facilities, a playground which contains a variety of musical activities, and accessible toilet facilities, however, the tables do not have accessible seating. Designated disabled parking is provided. On the southern side of Reef World is a concrete path to the beach. A gently sloping path leads to the upper section of the park which contains the Matthew Flinders and Krait Memorials and the Matthew Flinders Lookout which affords great views across the Great Sandy Strait to K’gari. Embedded into the paving of the upper level is an Indigenous interpretative trail.

Enzo’s on the Beach
Located at 351A The Charlton Esplanade, in Scarness Park, Enzo’s is situated right on the beach. It is open for breakfast and lunch every day and dinner Thursday to Sunday. There is level entry from Scarness Park on the northern side of the building. The menu includes vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options.

Aquavue Café
Aquavue Café is located right on the beach in Torquay. The café is open for breakfast and lunch every day and dinner from Friday to Sunday. The menu includes vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. Level entry is provided on the northern side of the building with good seating options both inside and on the front terrace.

Migaloo’s Seafood
Migaloo’s is located in Urangan, just up from the jetty. It offers great seafood either to dine in or take away. Access is level and food can be pre‑ordered if collecting for takeaway. Disabled parking is available almost directly in front. Access is via level entry and
wide doors.

Bayswater Bar and Grill
The Bayswater Bar and Grill is located on the Esplanade, Urangan, just north of the jetty and directly opposite the end of the boardwalk. A curved ramp leads from the footpath to the upper concourse. The restaurant has great views across the Sandy Strait to K’gari and offers a wide choice of eating options. It has vegan and gluten-free choices.

Salt Café
Located in the same complex as the Bayswater Bar and Grill, Salt Café has equally stunning views of the Great Sandy Strait. It is open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week. Access is via the curved ramp in front of the Bayswater Bar and Grill. Gluten-free and vegetarian options are available.

The Boat Club
Located in the Hervey Bay Marina, the Boat Club has stunning views across the marina and the Great Sandy Bay Marine Park. The restaurant boasts a
comprehensive menu to suit all tastes, including the freshest local seafood, tender meat dishes and quality vegetarian and vegan options. Disabled parking is available in the main marina car park. Entry is level from the footpath.

Whale Bay Asian Cuisine
The Whale Bay Asian Cuisine is a fusion of Asian culinary delights with a mixture of Malaysian, Thai, Singaporean and Chinese dishes. In addition to dining in, the restaurant offers a takeaway alternative. Both menus offer gluten-free and vegetarian options. Entry is level via the main marina concourse.

Bella’s Chit Chat Café
Located on the edge of the harbour, Bella’s offers both indoor and alfresco dining overlooking the marina. Access is from the main marina concourse with level, wide entry to both the indoor and outdoor dining sections. The restaurant is open daily for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea.

Café Balena
Located on the northern edge of the marina, in the tourist terminal, Café Balena offers great views over the harbour. Its menu is comprehensive and includes vegetarian and gluten-free options. Entry is from the main walkway to the charter boat wharf. Accessible toilets are located in the terminal building.

Hervey Bay was recognised as a Whale Heritage Site by the World Cetacean Alliance at the World Whale Conference in 2019. The sheltered waters around K’gari act as a nursery for humpback calves on their migration from Antarctica. There are a number of options available to view these magnificent creatures, all of which operate from the Hervey Bay Marina.

Lying just across the Great Sandy Strait and dominating the coastal views from Hervey Bay is K’gari. K’gari is the largest sand island in the world and has a UNESCO World Heritage Listing. The island is 122 kilometers in length and is covered in remnant tall rainforest and half of the world’s perched freshwater dune lakes are found on the island. It is the combination of shifting sand dunes, tropical rainforests and lakes that earned K’gari its World Heritage Listing.

Getting there
To fully explore the island, a 4WD and sand driving experience are required. Visitors can take a day trip to the Kingfisher resort without a vehicle. There are three ferry/barge services that operate to K’gari.

Driving on K’gari
All vehicles driving on K’gari, other than within the limits of the Kingfisher Bay Resort, must purchase and display a permit from the Queensland Department of Environment and Science. 75 Mile Beach, on the eastern side of the island, is regarded as a highway. Normal road rules apply. Tides play a big part in driving on 75 Mile Beach and it is best to avoid the two hours either side of the high tide.

K’gari sights
It must be remembered that K’gari is a sand island and most locations are surrounded by soft sand, however, many sights can be enjoyed from a 4WD vehicle including the wreck of the SS Maheno, The Pinnacles and Red Canyon, all located on 75 Mile Beach. At low tide, the sand is hard and can be enjoyed by wheelchair users, especially with the aid of a ‘FreeWheel’ attachment or with a beach wheelchair.

Accessible facilities
Kingfisher Bay Resort and K’gari Beach (formerly Eurong) on 75 Mile Beach are the only two locations where there are accessible facilities and paved parking and path areas. Both have accessible toilets, cafés and shops.