Hervey Bay to Airlie Beach road trip: Distance & best stops
Attractions between Hervey Bay and Airlie Beach: Agnes Water and 1770
The next genuinely enticing detour comes at Miriam Vale. Twin towns Agnes Water and 1770 have the wildlife-packed Eurimbula National Park on their doorstep. Agnes Water Main Beach is Queensland’s most northerly surf beach, and Great Barrier Reef trips are available from 1770.
Experiences in Agnes Water and 1770 include amphibious vehicle tours, scooter tours, sunset cruises and bike rentals.
What to book in 1770/ Agnes Water before you arrive
- See the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef – on a Lady Musgrave Island day tour.
- Hire a scooter – and pootle around the back lanes looking for kangaroos.
- Kick back with sparkling wine on a sunset cruise.
- (Highly recommended ✅) Travel on land and water, and try sandboarding – on a quirky full day amphibious vehicle tour.
- Or take a shorter wildlife-spotting coastline tour, with lunch.
- Get the best deals on your accommodation.
For Agnes Water and 1770 accommodation, try the pool-centric 1770 Lagoons Central Apartment Resort or the kid-friendly NRMA Agnes Water Holiday Park.
Gladstone and Tannum Sands
You’ll probably have more joy there than industrial Gladstone to the north. Beach suburb Tannum Sands is much nicer than the city itself.
Things to do in Gladstone include visiting the Maritime Museum and taking the ferry to Curtis Island. But the main drawcard is taking the Heron Island ferry to Heron Island and Wilson Island on the Great Barrier Reef.
For Gladstone accommodation, try the budget-friendly Aaron Motel, the well-regarded Harbour Sails Motor Inn and the apartment-style Oaks Gladstone Grand Hotel.
Click through for the next section: Rockhampton and Yeppoon.