Bundaberg
Sitting on the Burnett River about 15km inland from the coast, Bundaberg is often referred to as the southern gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. There are plenty of day tours heading out from Bundaberg so you can see the wonders of the largest coral reef in the world.
You’ll find plenty of popular beaches and National Parks that allow camping so you can enjoy a proper outdoor, Queensland holiday. Spend your days swimming, exploring the dunes and bushwalking up to breathtaking views.
The most iconic attraction of the town would have to be the Bundaberg Rum Distillery, which is open for tours of the facility and museum of our national spirit’s history.
Attractions & Things To Do
Beaches
Slow down and relax on one of the sandy beaches close to Bundaberg. Swim at Oaks Beach, Mon Repos, Nielsen Park, Bargara Beach, Kelly’s Beach, Innes Park or Elliott Heads. Or visit the beach known as Moore Park to the north where you’re bound to find a secluded spot somewhere along the 20km stretch of sand. From November to March Mon Repos beach is where loggerhead turtles come to lay their eggs. Bookings can be made for you to visit at night and watch these ancient creatures drag themselves ashore.
Burnett River
The Burnett River flowing through the city is the source of great entertainment for boating locals and tourists alike. Whether you’re into fishing, boating, rowing, skiing or sailing the river is an endless source of recreation with parks on the river banks perfect for picnics in the afternoon before heading back out on the water.
Great Barrier Reef
Bundaberg offers easy access to the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. Tourism centres in the area can sell day trips out to the reef and several of the little coral islands in the area. During migration periods there are also several boats that leave from Bundaberg for whale watching tours.
National Parks
Not far from the city are a number of National Parks popular for bush walking and camping. Eurimbula National Park is rather rugged and you’ll need 4WDs to access the camping areas. Cania Gorge is home to a number of sandstone cliffs with Aboriginal cave paintings while Deepwater National Park is a coastal forest on an area of sand dunes. While not a National Park, South Kolan has a collection of over 30 unexplained, water-filled craters, possibly caused by meteors millions of years ago.
Bundaberg Rum Distillery
And of course, there is the Distillery. The facility offers guided tours explaining the process and history of Queensland’s favourite spirit, along with its own museum and tastings at the end of the tour.
Bundaberg boasts a subtropical climate with hot summers and mild winters. The temperature reaches an average high of about 30 Celsius in the summer and low of 10 Celsius in the winters. Rain in the area is pretty steady with it raining about 10 days of the month in the summer months and about 3 to 5 days in the winter months.
Getting There
As a major regional city centre, Bundaberg is easily accessible by most forms of transport. There are regular flights from Brisbane to Bundaberg Airport, and there are several Queensland Rail passenger trains that stop on their way through.
For those driving the city is located at the end of the Isis Highway (State Route 3), about 50km east of its junction with Bruce Highway. There are also several long-distance bus services travelling to and through Bundaberg.