Location:
Hervey Bay, Australia
Duration: 11th September – 11th November 2020
Cost: Variable depending on size of berth required and length of stay.
We leased a berth on a monthly basis + live aboard supplement, total cost $1,153 per month including power, water and amenities.
The Marina
Great Sandy Straits Marina (GSSM) is one of three marinas within cooee of each other.
Entering the channel from Hervey Bay, GSSM is immediately starboard, next up is The Boat Club Marina, then Fisherman’s Wharf.
Hervey Bay is a tourist hot spot, and GSSM is home to several large and smaller tourist boats which are particularly active during the whale season. The tourist boats have a habit of dominating the channel, so it’s best to organise your marina departure and arrival times around their schedules. Just to add to the mix, a jet ski school also operates from this marina. Fishing trawlers line the channel breakwater and together with a range of other power and sailing craft, and dragon boats, it’s very busy.
Also busy are the eateries, retail outlets and booking agencies that surround the marina. Here you’ll find three restaurants, hairdresser, pharmacy, art gallery, and local handcraft shop. Next door, The Boat Club has a large restaurant and bar area, karaoke, pokies, and also a movie theatre.
Hard stand and haul out facilities for monohulls and catamarans, and a limited range of marine maintenance and retail businesses are within walking distance of the marina.
Marina Staff
The marina is managed by Bob and Debbie who are both friendly and incredibly helpful, nothing is too much trouble. They also have great knowledge of the best local spots for whale-watching, sailing and anchoring along the Hervey Bay and Fraser Island coastlines.
Docking assistance is available at this marina.
Marina Security
There are no dedicated onsite security staff.
Some dock areas are gated and are controlled via electronic access. A, B H and I dock are open to the public and paying passengers alike from early morning to late evening. So if you are berthed in these docks, it is not uncommon for people to be strolling by checking out the boats and taking some piccies particularly when the tourist boats are in full swing.
The main gate to the marina closes each evening and reopens early morning, electronic access is required during these times.
Secure parking: Yes, via keypad code.
Marina Amenities
Bathrooms: There are two gender segregated toilet/shower blocks located near the marina office. Depending on where a berth is located will determine how far you have to walk to access the facilities. Toilet/shower blocks are well maintained and cleaned twice daily.
Laundry: Located next to the shower/toilet blocks, use of washing machines and dryers requires specific tokens which can be purchased from the marina office. $4.00 per token, or $20.00 for 6 tokens.
Fuel Dock: Petrol and diesel available at The Boat Club fuel dock, payment via credit card. (Discount rates available to Boat Club members).
Gas: Refill facilities are not available onsite, Bunnings is your best bet.
Pump out: No.
Wifi: Free wifi is not available.
Chandlery – A short walk from the marina there are a couple of marine businesses offering maintenance and repair services. We had no need to use their services so we can’t provide any recommendations.
Noise: Generally, no problem though occasionally The Boat Club can get noisy on Friday and Saturday nights.
Eateries: Lots of options here with breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks and snacks available every day at onsite restaurants and cafes. An Asian restaurant is also onsite offering both dine in and take away options.
If you are looking for a Fish and Chip shop you can’t go passed Hendo’s, about a 10 minute drive on Boat Harbour Drive. Has all the usual fish and chip shop staples at great prices, Yummy! You’ll also get a good feed at the Urangan Hotel, which backs onto Hervey Bay Botanical Gardens. Just watch out for the ibis if you choose to eat out on the deck overlooking the lake.
Transport: Public bus transport operates near this marina, with a bus stop just outside The Boat Club. You will need a ‘travel card’ to which you add a $ credit amount. Travel cards are free.
A real bonus is the opportunity to rent a ute at GSS Marina. Cost is $20.00 for 3 hours, book at the marina office. Other transport options include taxi, car hire or Uber.
Shopping: The Urangan Shopping Centre is a 10 – 15 minute drive from the marina and has all your staples including Aldi and Woolworths supermarkets, Australia Post, butcher, newsagent, pharmacy, booze outlet, discount store, hair and beauty salon. A much larger shopping centre (Stockland) and Bunnings is a 20 – 30 minute drive, easy to get to just keep heading along Boat Harbour Drive and you can’t miss them.
There are also a couple of food and handicraft markets which operate nearby, the Urangan Pier market and Koala Markets, check their websites for current opening times.
Located on the shores of the gorgeous Hervey Bay, Great Sandy Straits Marina provided an excellent base to explore the bay and Fraser Island. On land, the esplanade walk from the marina area to the pier then along the pier itself, whether for relaxation or fitness is great. If you have children, they will love the Whale Park, make sure they have their bathers and sun cream on as they play amongst the many water spouts.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time here, Bob and Debbie are great hosts, people are friendly and helpful, and the Urangan area has everything we needed to easily get out and about and support our live aboard lifestyle. If you are headed north or south we would recommend a stop here, you won’t be disappointed.
Overall we rated this marina 9.5/10.