Urangan Pier, Hervey Bay: Length, market, fishing & whale-watching

Originally built for rail freight between 1913 and 1917, the 868 metre-long Urangan Pier is famed for whiting fishing and land-based whale-watching.

Urangan Pier in Hervey Bay is one of the Fraser Island gateway town’s most recognisable attractions. It is also one of the longest piers in Queensland.

Urangan Pier length

As it currently stands, Urangan Pier is 868 metres long. It was originally longer than that. When it was built as an extension of the Pialba railway line between 1913 and 1917, this Hervey Bay pier was 1,107 metres long. However, the end chunk was demolished when the pier was closed in 1985. Local outcry spared the rest from the same fate.

Urangan Pier was initially used for freight transfer purposes. Freight would be transferred from trains onto waiting ships. Now, however, it is purely a tourist attraction. The walk to the end of the pier takes about ten to 12 minutes.

Book these 8 Hervey Bay experiences now

1. Great Sandy Strait wildlife cruise – with a great chance of spotting dingos or dugongs.
2. All-inclusive Fraser Island day tour – with pick-up at your accommodation.
3. Fraser Island two day tour – see much more.
4. Fun cruise – get close to dolphins and turtles while lounging in the boom netting.
5. Sunset cruise.
6. Dolphin sailing adventure.
7. Whale-watching – this is arguably the best place in Australia to spot humpback whales.
8. Fraser Island west coast cruise – with lunch & kayaking.

Fishing at Urangan Pier

Urangan Pier is an incredibly popular fishing spot, too. It is an excellent place to catch whiting.

If you want to eat fish rather than catch them, then Migaloos Seafood Market in the park at the end of the pier is the best place to get fish and chips.

Pier Park follows the old railway line. There’s a landscaped walk and cycle path running through it, and there are public barbecues at the top end.

Urangan Pier Park Market

On Wednesday and Saturday mornings, a community market takes place in Pier Park.

The Urangan Pier Park Market opening hours are 07.00 to 12.00.

Whale-watching from Urangan Pier

Perhaps the best reason to visit Urangan Pier, however, is to see wildlife. You’ll often see fish, stingrays and dolphins here, while during the cooler months, this is arguably the best place in Hervey Bay for land-based whale-watching.

Of course, if you really want to see the migrating humpbacks, the best way to whale-watching cruise. Four hour whale-watching cruises leave the Great Sandy Straits Marina in Urangan between July and October. Tickets can be booked online.

Other things to do in Hervey Bay include sunset cruises, a Fraser Island day tour and a Sandy Straits scenic and wildlife cruise.

Strong Hervey Bay accommodation picks include the family-friendly Discovery Parks holiday park, the apartment-style Mantra Hervey Bay, and the highly-regarded Akama Resort.