Hervey Bay
Hervey Bay city lies on the coast of a natural bay between the Queensland mainland and close to Fraser Island. The two main beaches are all attractive to tourists from all over the world. Especially, the beaches of Hervey Bay are famous for whale watching. Due to the prosperous touristic business, Hervey Bay is one of the fastest growing cities in Australia.
Hervey Bay (pronounced 'Harvey bay') was discovered by Captain James Cook in 1770 whilst travelling the east coast of Australia. He wrongly assumed that Fraser Island was joined to the Australian mainland and the sheltered waters behind it were a bay. The waters of the Great Sandy Strait are very shallow and he did not proceed far enough south to find the passage between Fraser Island and the coast. He named the bay "Hervey's Bay" after Lord Augustus Hervey an admiral of the Blue, the Earl of Bristol and Captain Cook's boss.
The area has a mild, sub-tropical climate with an average 30 °C (86 °F) in summer and 23 °C (73 °F) in winter. The coast is predominantly affected by the south east trade winds which keep a cool breeze throughout the summer.
Cyclones are a threat at times. In March 2009, Cyclone Hamish threatened the area, however it did not cross the coast. Fraser Island protects Hervey Bay from such extreme weather. Average rainfall for the year is 1,100 millimetres (43 in) with an average of 300 sunny days.
Hervey Bay offers a great range of whale watching tours for you to enjoy the whales are gentle giants of the sea they migrate between their feeding grounds which include Antarctica and the Great Barrier Reef where they mate and breed.
Hervey Bay whale watching tours are a must see for all the family the humpback whales that frolic in these waters seem to love the attention and swim right up to the boat with some of these boats having glass bottom viewing you will be mesmerized as you watch them swim under the boat you could nearly touch them. With some of these tours offering you a buffet lunch you wont go hungry either these playful giants are best seen from mid July till late November.
Accommodation in Hervey Bay City has developed to the point where we can offer many types of places to stay to the visitor. We have quality resorts and motels, self contained units, apartments, flats, holiday homes, caravan parks, bed and breakfast establishments and backpacker hostels to suit all visitors.
Hervey Bay has a wide range of dining facilities for all to enjoy, with great menus for adults and children you wont be disappointed at the vast range of different styles of food whether your on a budget or want to splurge the bay has it all .
With some 30 restaurants, and friendly clubs that you can sit back and relax whether it be to have a quiet drink or just don't feel like cooking you will find it here there are also many other eating establishments that you will find, Hervey Bay is a gourmet's delight.
By Emma
2. Surfers Paradise
Surfers Paradise is a large commercial centre set on the Gold Coast. Huge skyscrapers tower above the wonderful beaches, and make up part of the lively and modern town. There are plenty of wonderful shopping arcades around Surfers Paradise, as well as a fantastic nightlife and some fun attractions. Surfers Paradise offers an attractive beachfront which is lined by a number of cafes and restaurants, and plenty of accommodation. The beach stretches all along the Gold Coast and beyond, with many of the beaches patrolled.
From Surfers Paradise Main Beach you can also hire water equipment, if you want some excitement in the sea. Options available include surf boards, wake boards, and body boards, with jet ski hire available on the Broadwater.
There are plenty of things to do around the Surfers Paradise area. Other than relaxing on the fabulous beaches and experiencing a range of exhilarating watersports, you can also play a few games of the ever popular beach volleyball. Beach volleyball is also often played during the day on the Central Surfers Paradise Beach. Head along to watch some great players, or have a go yourself.
If you prefer the water action but don't want to get wet then you can join one of the fishing charters or whale watching cruises. On dry land the excitement continues with bungy jumping, mini golf and even a few swings at one of the stylish and professional golf courses.
Surfers Paradise is also conveniently close to the many theme parks in Queensland, so you can continue to have fun all day long. (One good reason to slow down on the drinks the night before.) Surfers Paradise is also the venue of the Gold Coast "Super GP" Motorsport Event, which is held every year during late October.
Although surf is good at Surfers Paradise, another popular attraction is its many nightclubs and bars. Most of the bars and clubs are situated along Orchid Avenue, with Cavill Avenue being the heart of the towns shopping district, surrounded by numerous shopping arcades.
Many of the backpackers offer discounted entrance into the bars or free drink vouchers, which is great. Even once you get there the partying doesn't stop, with night long theme and just plain party nights.
During the evening you may often see balloon artistry, buskers, circus acts, living statues and street artists in Cavill Mall, Surfers Paradise. All of the live performances are unique and well worth watching.
If clubs and pubs aren't really your scene or you just want a night off, then there are plenty of other options. You can enjoy mini golf, ten pin bowling and video arcades, as well as one of the live performances in the Gold Coast theatres or cabaret restaurants. There are also free magic shows in the Paradise Centre on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
There are plenty of places to eat out in Surfers Paradise, both within the shopping area and club area. There are also a selection of places at the Paradise Centre, which was Surfers original hotel in 1936. Accommodation also isn't a problem with plenty of backpackers accommodation, as well as a number of apartments, and hotels.
Featured Surfers Paradise Tours
Jet Boat & Jet Ski Adventure (EX212) (Jet Boating)- Gold Coast Kayaking and Snorkeling Tour
30 Minute Gold Coast Seaplane Scenic Flight
By--Angela
Byron Bay is a beachside town in the north of the state of New South Wales in Australia. It is located 759 kilometres north of Sydney and 140 kilometres south of Brisbane. Cape Byron, a headland adjacent to the town, is the easternmost point of mainland Australia. The town has a population of about 5,600 people and is the nucleus of Byron Shire, which has in excess of 28,000 residents.Captain James Cook named Cape Byron after circumnavigator of the world John Byron, grandfather of the poet, Lord Byron.
Byron Bay is part of the erosion caldera of an ancient shield volcano, the Tweed Volcano, which erupted 23 million years ago. The volcano formed as a result of the Indo-Australian Plate moving over the East Australia hotspot.
Byron Bay LighthouseThe town has several beaches which are popular for surfing. It is a resort popular with both domestic and international tourists, including backpackers, who travel along the Australian coast, and the scenery attracts sky divers. The area is also noted for its wildlife, with the whale watching industry a significant contributor to the local economy.
An oceanway runs from the centre of town to the Cape Byron lighthouse. Visitors are encouraged to use sustainable options for moving around town like walking and cycling.
Temperate and tropical waters merge at Byron Bay, making it a popular area for scuba diving and snorkelling. Most diving is done at Julian Rocks which is part of the recently established Cape Byron Marine Park and only a few minutes boat ride from Main Beach.
Constructed of prefabricated concrete blocks in 1901, the Cape Byron Lighthouse stands on the most eastery point of the Australian mainland and is Australia’s most easterly lighthouse.
It is built in the James Barnet style, by his successor, Charles Harding. James Barnet, the New South Wales colonial architect, was renown for his towers having large ornate crowns and are easily distinguished.
The first-order optical lens, which weighs 8 tons, was made by the French company, Societe des Establishment, Henry Lepante, Paris. It contains 760 pieces of highly polished prismatic glass.
The original concentric six wick burner was 145,000 cd. This was replaced in 1922 by a vapourised kerosene mantle burner gave an of 500,000 cd.
In 1956 the light became Australia’s most powerful, at 2,200,00 cd when it was converted to mains electricity. At the same time the clock mechanism was replaced by an electric motor.
An auxiliary fixed red light is also exhibited from the tower to cover Juan and Julian Rocks to the north east.
A great banquet was arranged for the opening in 1901 and many dignitaries, including the NSW Premier of the day John See, were invited. However due to adverse weather conditions the premiers ship was delayed by till the following day and the banquet was held without him. The opening by the Premier took place a day late on the Sunday.
It is interesting to note that Cape Byron was named by Captain Cook after John Byron, grandfather of the famous poet. note: see original land ownership info.
In partnership with Global Accommodation Search, byronbay.org has collated the best accommodation apartments, units, luxury property for short term holiday accomodation in and around Byron bay. Please note: All bookings and payments are made direct with the accommodation provider or their nominated representative - Global Accommodation Search seeks to offer the best rate of the day, however cannot guarantee this.
There are plenty of activities for visitors to do in and around Byron Bay such as; nature walks, day spas, surf schools, sea kayaking, (sky & scuba) diving, yoga, day trips massage and more...
To help you find the type of activity you are interested in, we have divided our tour & activities advertisers into the following categories;
Earth Based Activities A guide to 'Earth' based activities including nature walks, day trips, golf and more...
Sea Based Activities A guide to 'Sea' based activities including scuba diving, surfing, kayaking, fishing and more...
Air Based Activities A guide to 'Air' based activities including sky diving, gliding, ballooning and more...
Mind & Body Activities A guide to Mind & Body activities including yoga, retreats, day spas, massage and more...
Arts & Crafts Activities A guide to Arts & Crafts activities including painting, drawing and more...
Travell Language Tips:
Byron Shire: Byron Shire includes the towns of Byron Bay, Mullumbimby, Ocean Shores , Suffolk Park, Brunswick Heads, South Golden Beach, Bangalow, Billinudgel and Yelgun.
the James Barnet style: James Johnstone Barnet (1827–1904) was the Colonial Architect for New South Wales from 1862 - 1890. His work was significantly influenced by the Italian Renaissance. He had little time for the new styles of architecture becoming fashionable in Sydney at the end of the nineteenth century, particularly those that followed American trends.
A sea kayaking: A Sea kayak or touring kayak is a kayak developed for the sport of paddling on open waters of lakes, bays, and the ocean.
By Emma
