Awesome Adventure - Half Day Whale Watching
Urangan, Hervey Bay
Hervey Bay Whale Watch, the original whale watch operator in Queensland, is proud to announce the introduction of an exciting new vessel to the Hervey Bay Whale Watching Fleet, "that's Awesome" offering whale watching adventures alternative to the current Trips offered by operators in the Whale Watch Capital of Australia, Hervey Bay.
Awesome Adventure went into service mid July 2007 offering a choice of three departure times daily.
The alternative for Whale Watching trips in Hervey Bay offered by Hervey Bay Whale Watch is the multi award winning high speed catamaran, Quick Cat II which departs from Urangan Boat Harbour twice daily during the Whale Watching season.
The Trips
Dawn Patrol: Be out there first with the whales. Enjoy the early morning cruise across the bay as the sunrise highlights its rays on Fraser Island's west coast.
Enjoy the wildlife, birds, dugongs and dolphins as they wake up and make their way to their feeding grounds.
Enjoy the whales as they prepare for another day in Hervey Bay's pristine waters, usually without another vessel in sight.
Enjoy the beauty of Fraser Island as you head home, within feet of the beaches and coloured sand cliffs. Remembering the cruise on "that's Awesome" is half the fun.
Day Patrol: Spend some time looking for dingoes and other wildlife as you depart midmorning and head up along Fraser Island.
This trip is designed to have you in the whale watching area as other vessels are just leaving the harbour and some of the slower vessels that left hours before are still making their way out.
"that's Awesome" has the speed that can take you to areas where other vessels would not go so you can nearly always have "whales on your own". Enjoy the whales in remote areas such as Wathumba Creek and Rooney's Point. On the way home stop off at a few pods of whales that you passed on the way up and check out the many creeks that flow into the bay off Fraser Island. Now "that's Awesome"
Dusk Patrol: Setting off mid afternoon while other vessels are making the long journey back, "that's Awesome" will have you in the whale area in very quick time.
Again, "whales on your own" is the guideline, but you're not going to go past a whale that is leaping out of the water. While we can't guarantee it, whales are known to become a little more active late in the day. As the afternoon progresses you may see sea birds heading for their nests or dolphins looking for their last feed of the day. On the way home is usually very special, as the sun lowers over the Bay waters in the west and "that's Awesome" has you cruising within metres of the beach of Fraser Island as the sun brings out the best of the coloured sand cliffs, maybe even a Dingo patrolling the beach. "that's Awesome
Whale Watch Prices 2009
Adult - $110.00
Child - $70.00
Family - (2X2)(4-14years) $330.00
"that's Awesome" Departs Great Sandy Straits Marina
Three trips per day:
Dawn Patrol Departs 7.00am Return 10.00am
Day Patrol Departs 10.30am Returns 1.30pm
Dusk Patrol Departs 2.30pm Returns 5.30pm
Boarding 15 minutes before departure
The Vessel
Why "that's Awesome":
Brian and Jill Perry along with daughter Sarah who will be working on "that's Awesome" have spent many years setting up trips that give their passengers a very unique experience. Not only did the Perry's invent whale watching from vessels in Australia back in 1987, they have introduced every different type of trip that Hervey Bay has to offer. Dawn and Dusk trips are not new. The Perry's were running them in the early nineties. The biggest drawback was the speed of the vessels that were used then.
"that's Awesome" is capable of reducing travel time when compared to some of the fastest day vessels by up to an hour per trip. So the bulk of your whale-watching trip is with the whales, not getting there and back.
Other advantages include:
Low passenger numbers 35 Max.
Lowest deck level to the water. At rest the vessel sits low in the water resting on its inflatable pontoons making it super stable even in rough conditions.
Full walk round decks mean you are virtually at the whales level. So the term "up close and personal" takes on a whole new meaning.
Safety standards on this type of vessel are second to none. That's why you see them used as life saving/rescue craft, used by the Army, Navy and wildlife companies including whale watching around the world.
"that's Awesome":
Length: 12.5 metre rigid hull inflatable (RIB).
Beam: 4.3 metres
Draft: 0.5 metre
Power: 4 x 300hp 4 stroke Suzuki
Speeds: Cruise 30 to 40 knots (60 to 80 klm)
Maximum: 50knots+ (100 klm)
Fuel consumption: 120/130 litres per hour at cruise settings
At maximum speed: you don't want to know
Toilet Facilities: Full size walk in toilet with waste treatment on board
Passenger numbers: 35 maximum
Seating: High back Techno Membrane Series with full walk round-carpeted decks
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