OAKS HERVEY BAY RESORT & SPA
FIONA HARPER discovers a modern apartment-style hotel overlooking Hervey Bay's beaches and pier
THE LOWDOWN
Oaks Hervey Bay Resort & Spa occupies an enviable location on the waterfront esplanade in the heart of Hervey Bay. The modern, apartment-style, U-shaped hotel is centred around two pools, with many rooms enjoying ocean views.
LOCATION
With nothing more than a quiet road between the resort's front steps and the sheltered waters of Hervey Bay, Oaks is in prime position to access the best of town. It's a short walk from the historic Urangan Pier, which is one of Australia's longest, stretching for almost 1km over the ocean. The wide pier is popular with fishermen, walkers and joggers, and its surface has recently been updated, making it suitable for prams and strollers. A waterfront pathway branches off in either direction from the resort, winding through parklands and fitness stations, past beaches bookended by rock walls and small timber piers, along with cafes, restaurants and shops.
ACCOMMODATION
One, two and three-bedroom air conditioned suites come fully equipped with kitchen and laundry facilities along with balconies or patios. One and two-bedroom ground floor
Pool View Suites have easy access to a heated pool with a child-friendly water play area and a separate lap pool. Suites on upper levels, including the threebedroom Penthouse, have expansive ocean views.
ACTIVITIES
The resort is centred around two pools surrounded by market umbrellas, sun lounges and tropical gardens. Multi-award-winning Spa Botanica specialises in therapeutic relaxion and holistic health and is a must visit for weary parents. Across the road, you'll find a long, calm bay with a white sand beach that is great for kids. Hire a scooter to explore the waterfront parklands or drop a fishing line from historic Urangan Pier to see what's biting. Keep an eye out for birds of prey perched atop the light poles, before they swoop into the sea to pluck unsuspecting fish with their talons.
FOOD AND DRINK
In-house restaurant Bayswater Bar and Grill occupies an elevated waterfront position overlooking the bay. With an alfresco deck and an indoor air-conditioned option, it's a restaurant that is equally popular with locals and visitors. It has a bistro-style menu featuring burgers, salads and favourites from the grill. Kids meals include a child-sized 150gm steak along with perennial favourite, the cheeseburger.
EXPLORE
You can walk to Hervey Bay Botanic Gardens, which is spread over 10 hectares and includes formal gardens, rainforest, an orchid conservatory and wetlands inhabited by ducks, with plenty of shady grass areas to spread out a picnic blanket. Located on the foreshore, WetSide Water Park has waterslides and water play areas for young kids. Entry is free, however, there is a cost for the waterslides. There's a coffee shop and fish and chip shop on site and a colourful Water Fountain Show each Saturday night. Boat cruises depart from the marina, with day trips to Fraser Island or to the smaller uninhabited islands of the Great Sandy Straits. Pelicans, birdlife and marine life is plentiful, with dolphin sightings common. Hervey Bay is known as the whale watching capital of Australia and a cruise during whale watching season (July to October) should not be missed.