Hervey (pronounced Har-vey) Bay is the main gateway to the island. Take the Bruce Highway to Maryborough, then the 34km (21-mile) road to Hervey Bay. From the north, turn off the highway at Torbanlea, north of Maryborough, and cut across to Hervey Bay. Allow 3 hours from the Sunshine Coast, a good 5 hours from Brisbane.
QantasLink (tel. 13 13 13 in Australia) flies from Brisbane to Hervey Bay. Virgin Blue (tel. 13 67 89 in Australia) and Jetstar (tel. 13 15 38 in Australia) both fly direct from Sydney.
Greyhound Australia (tel. 1300/473 946 in Australia) coaches stop in Hervey Bay on the Brisbane-Cairns-Brisbane routes. The 5 1/2-hour trip from Brisbane costs A$74. From Cairns, the fare is A$281 and the trip is around 24 hours. Tory's Tours (tel. 07/4128 6500; www.torystours.com.au) runs a transfer service from Brisbane that connects with the Kingfisher Bay ferry twice a day for A$65 adults and A$53 children aged 2-13.
The nearest train station is in Maryborough West, 34km (20 miles) from Hervey Bay. Passengers on the high-speed Tilt Train (Sun-Fri) can book connecting bus service to Pialba (a suburb of Hervey Bay) through Queensland Rail (tel. 1300/131 722 in Queensland; www.queenslandrail.com.au). The fare from Brisbane for the 3 1/2-hour Tilt Train trip is A$74 in economy class and A$103 in business class, including the bus fare.
Guests at Kingfisher Bay Resort can get to the resort aboard the Kingfisher Ferry, which makes the trip from the mainland six times a day. Round-trip fare for the 50-minute crossing is A$50 adults and A$25 kids 4 to 14. The resort runs a shuttle from Hervey Bay's airport and coach terminal to the harbor; the cost is A$7 adults, half-price for kids. You can park free at the Fastcat terminal. Drive to the terminal first to unload your luggage at the Kingfisher Bay reception desk, and then return to the parking lot and walk back (only 100m/328 ft.). Helicopter transfers are also available.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
