Frolic in Australia's whale highway only three hours north of Brisbane

It's not yet summer, but there are children paddling in the shallows or building sand forts just out of reach of the small waves. On the boardwalk near the pier, older kids with fishing rods tucked into backpacks weave bikes or scooters confidently through the joggers and strollers.

Hervey Bay, about three hours north of Brisbane, is a low-fi kind of holiday destination, with heaps to draw kids' (and adults') attention away from their devices.

We're staying at the Oaks Hervey Bay Resort and Spa, where the terrace of our apartment looks over the bay and Urangan pier, the green canopy of K'gari (formerly Fraser Island) just visible beyond the rippled sandbanks. It's a small-screen-TV kind of apartment, perfectly comfortable for a family beach holiday, with a kitchenette and laundry. The resort has two pools, a heated one for grown-ups and a shaded paddling pool with water fountains for kids. There's also a gym and spa, neither of which we find time to use.

We do, however, have dinner at the resort's family-friendly restaurant, sharing a seafood platter and a few games on the free Pac-Man machine.

Across the road, the boardwalk follows the curve of the bay, the water permanently becalmed by the bulwark of K'gari. Well-patronised parks along the 12-kilometre walk to Point Vernon include the free Wetside, with slides, fountains and other aquatic activities, and next to it, Adventureside, with an all-abilities playground, rope climbing frame and swing bridge, as well as a skate park and parkour course for older kids.

Unusually for a beach resort, winter/spring in Hervey Bay is peak tourist season and not just for human visitors. Between July and October humpbacks "holiday" here, stopping for a break on their 10,000-kilometre return migration from the Antarctic to the warmer waters of the north.

Hervey Bay's status as Australia's whale-watching capital means it attracts not only locals but loads of international tourists and our full-day bay cruise has Dutch, Americans, Germans, Canadians, British and an entire multi-generational French family.

We are incredibly lucky, the crew, a team of enthusiastic young marine biologists, tell us, as it's "a glamour day" - when the water is unusually glassy, creating perfect conditions for spotting whales. They keep up a running commentary on whale behaviour and the bloody history of whaling as we sail along the Great Sandy Strait. Before the ban on commercial whaling in the 1960s, it was estimated there were possibly as few as 100 humpbacks left on the east coast, but fortuitously, the population has recovered and today around 40,000 of the mighty mammals travel this route, earning it the nickname "the whale highway".

At Platypus Bay, on the placid western side of K'gari, we see our first whales, watching, enthralled, as a pair of massive male juveniles play around the boat, calling out to each other in deep, elephantine-sounding cries, swimming beneath us, tail-slapping and spy-hopping their huge barnacled heads above the water.

Following a briefing, where the very strict and immutable protocols are impressed upon us (including absolutely no touching), those who want to don wetsuits, goggles and snorkels and climb off a platform at the end of the boat. Only a handful of people are allowed in at one time, remaining within a tiny area designated by floating ropes. It is of course entirely up to the whales if they want to interact and there are no guarantees, but it appears these giants are as curious about us as we are about them. Joyful squeals reverberate through our snorkels as a trio of whales approach, barely an arm's length away. They swim by multiple times, eyeballing us and rolling onto their backs in majestic slow-mo, showing off their distinctive white bellies. Climbing back on deck, we are all wearing ear-to-ear grins.

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Our trip back to port is punctuated with frequent whale sightings. We sit sipping beers and let the salt water dry on our skin in the warm winter sun while marvelling over their dramatic acrobatics. We also encounter pods of dolphins and a huge turtle paddles past.

There is lots more to do here, simple, old-school holiday activities like wandering the 800-metre long pier with an ice cream and watching the sunset from Point Vernon, but factor in enough time, because Hervey Bay really does deserve to be appreciated at a slow-travel pace.

TRIP NOTES

Getting there: Hervey Bay is a three-hour drive north of Brisbane. Jetstar has direct flights from Melbourne to Hervey Bay. Flights in September start at around $169 one-way.

Staying there: Oaks Hervey Bay Resort and Spa have two-bedroom pool-view apartments sleeping four, from $567 per night. oakshotels.com

Whale Watching: Tasman Venture's full-day Remote K'gari and Whale Experience tour is $249 per adult and $159 per child. tasmanventure.com.au

Where to eat: Enzo's on the Beach - Insta-worthy breakfasts or afternoon cocktails at this cafe literally on the beach. enzosonthebeach.com.au

Odyssey Bistro - a sophisticated casual fine diner showcasing the great local produce. odysseybistro.com.au

Bayswater Bar & Grill - casual and family-oriented. thebayswater.com.au

Paolo's Pizza Bar - woodfired, Naples-style pizza. paolospizzabar.com.au

Explore more: visitfrasercoast.com

The writer was a guest of Oaks Hervey Bay Resort and Spa.