The perfect winter weekend whale getaway

Tourism Minister Margaret Keech today invited Queenslanders to spend a winter weekend with the whales at Hervey Bay.

Mrs Keech said a new television commercial would spearhead the $250,000 Fraser Coast Whale Watch campaign.

“Hervey Bay is Australia’s premier whale watching region and this campaign is particularly aimed at the southern Queensland market,” Mrs Keech said.

“Fraser Coast’s proximity to the south-east corner makes it the perfect destination for a weekend getaway and offers the best opportunities to get up close and personal with migrating whales at play over the next four months.

“In the past year 70,000 international and domestic visitors experienced whale watching in the Fraser Coast region and that number is sure to grow with this campaign aiming to ensure a bumper season.

“In addition to the television commercial, the campaign will also see 200,000 brochures distributed through The Sunday Mail and a further 30,000 available through visitor information centres.

“A campaign website, www.whalesherveybay.com.au, has also been developed to make the information readily available to online users, no matter where they are.”

Mrs Keech said the winter migration of humpback whales was a spectacular and captivating event that attracts enormous public attention.

“Campaigns like this send a strong message to Queenslanders of just how convenient it is to reach the best vantage point in the world for witnessing the whales first hand,” she said.

“The campaign is cooperatively funded with support from Tourism Queensland, Fraser Coast South Burnett Tourism, the Hervey Bay City Council and locally-based businesses including whale watch companies, tour and accommodation operators, Queensland Rail and QANTASLink.

“The cooperative nature of this campaign goes right to the heart of the Queensland Tourism Strategy.

“Through partnerships of this kind, regional tourism has the opportunity to strengthen and grow delivering strong economic benefits to the local community.”

Media contact: Minister’s office 3224 2007