Fraser Coast Tourist Drive 12 is a 95-kilometre drive, starting from the Maryborough exit heading north on the Bruce Highway. The tourist drive follows through Maryborough before heading north to Hervey Bay. From Hervey Bay, the drive heads west towards Toogoom before heading back towards the Bruce Highway to finish in the township of Howard.
The tourist drive signs at the different ends shows different distances. In Maryborough the brown sign states 105 kilometres, while in Howard the brown sign states 73 kilometres. It seems that it is neither and the distance is somewhere in between, around 95 kilometres. However, the earlier sign may be the more accurate after taking in all the detours off the main drive along the way.
There are quite a few brown signs through Maryborough that are not on the main tourist route. You would miss Cherry Tree Lane with the Mary Poppins Museum for example. Hervey Bay have some that are off the tourist route, however, there are a lot along the foreshore the route follows through it.
From Maryborough To Howard
Start of Tourist Drive
The Bruce Highway has a brown sign for the tourist drive approaching the Maryborough Exit not long after passing Tinana South Visitor Information (Lychee Divine). The start of the Fraser Coast Tourist Drive 12 is found along Gympie Road, Maryborough Exit.
From the start of the Maryborough exit follow Gympie Road for approximately 2 kms and Big Ned Kelly stands proud in front of Ned Kelly’s Motel and Ned’s Service Station.
Big Ned Kelly
If you are looking for big things, the first stop is Big Ned Kelly.
The seven-metre tall ‘big thing’ is an oddity in Maryborough. The Kelly Gang were killed in a fiery shootout in Victoria, with the exception of the wounded and captured Ned Kelly. Queensland was never a part of the Kelly Gang history, or was it?
Continue on Tourist Drive
From Big Ned Kelly continue following Gympie Road for 1.4 kms, turn right at McGregor Street then immediate left at Sunrise Drive. Drive to the end and you will reach Pioneer Park.
Pioneer Park
Pioneer Park is a reserve on the south side of the Mary River in Tinana of Maryborough. It is one of two brown signs leading to two different entrances of the reserve.
The quickest way to get to Pioneer Park is from Sunrise Drive 
, the other way to Pioneer Park is from Serenity Drive .
Continue on Tourist Drive
From McGregor Street continue north on Gympie Road over the Mary River, Gympie Road then becomes Ferry Street. Continue along Ferry Street for 600 metres and turn left into Ann Street. There will be a brown sign for the Fraser Coast Tourist Drive on the left just before Ann Street.
Follow Ann Street for 650 metres to the end where you will reach Ululah Lagoon Water Bird Sanctuary.
Ululah Lagoon Water Bird Sanctuary
Following Fraser Coast Tourist Drive 12, you will miss the brown sign for Ululah Lagoon Water Bird Sanctuary but you will drive right to it all the same.
Ululah Lagoon is a key feature of Anzac Park in Maryborough, abundant with wildlife that make the lagoon their home. The lagoon was an important freshwater billabong for the local Aboriginal people. For those who love to participate in Parkrun on a Saturday morning the Maryborough Parkrun takes place in the vicinity of Ululah Lagoon.
Continue on Tourist Drive
Left Lions Drive
Right Queen Street
Right Neptune Street
Right Alice Street
Left Pallas Street
Right Kent Street
Elizabeth Rose Gardens
Drive right by the Elizabeth Park Rose Gardens , named Elizabeth Park for Queen Elizabeth II visiting in 1961.
Left Lennox Street
Cherry Tree Lane
Detour off the tourist drive to visit Cherry Tree Lane , named from the Mary Poppins book and the location of the Mary Poppins Museum where PL Travers was born.
Point Lookout
Left Woodstock Street
Right Saltwater Creek Road
Cross Mary River Straight Maryborough-Hervey Bay Road
Susan River Homestead Adventure Resort
Susan River Homestead Adventure Resort
Right Roundabout Booral Road
Straight Elizabeth Street
Right Boat Harbour Drive
Left Charlton Esplanade
Left Miller Street
Right Pulgul Street
Left Kent Street
Veer Right King Street
Right Elizabeth Street
Left The Esplanade
Hervey Bay Foreshore Parks
Adventure Side
Large playground with 7.3 metre high sky towers and giant spider web.
Skate Side
Skate park designed to cater for beginners to advanced enthusiasts.
Wetside Water Park
Waterpark with slides and a wave machine
Big Fighting Whiting
There are a few big things in Maryborough. The Big Fighting Whiting is one that has been around for a while.
The Big Whale
The Big Whale is a newer addition to the big things in Maryborough.
Left Martin Street
Left Tooth Street
Right Old Maryborough Road
Straight roundabout Maryborough-Hervey Bay Road
Right Pialba-Burrum Heads Road
Left Burrum Heads Road
Right Burgowan Road
Steley Street
Brooklyn House
Left William St
Historic Howard
The end of the Fraser Coast Tourist Drive brings you to Historic Howard .
