Bundaberg

Bundaberg is a small, beautiful Australian city on the Queensland coast, approximately a 4-hour’s drive north from Brisbane. It is the Southern Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and offers many possibilities for outdoor activities. You can go snorkelling and diving, whale- or dolphin watching, camping, take a boat ride to the Lady Elliot or Lady Musgrave...

Bundaberg is a small, beautiful Australian city on the Queensland coast, approximately a 4-hour’s drive north from Brisbane. It is the Southern Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and offers many possibilities for outdoor activities. You can go snorkelling and diving, whale- or dolphin watching, camping, take a boat ride to the Lady Elliot or Lady Musgrave Islands or just relax on one of Bundaberg’s many (secluded) beaches.

A personal favourite is the Mon Repos Beach in Burnett Heads with its Turtle Rookery, white sands, rockpools and a beautiful stroller-friendly boardwalk through the forested area leading up to the beach. Other beaches worth visiting are Elliot Heads beach with its beautiful flat waters, Woodgate Beach, Kelly’s Beach and Moor Park Beach, to name but a few.

Bundaberg is popular among bush- and camping lovers and you can find many camping grounds in the region. The scenery is most beautiful, but the many locations can only be accessed with 4x4 drives and are often not equipped with changing tables etc; it is hence worthwhile to look up camping grounds online beforehand to see what facilities are available on the grounds to avoid disappointment.

The main attraction in Bundaberg for grownups is the Bundaberg Rum Distillery where you can stroll through the rum museum, see how the world-famous rum is manufactured and at the end of the tour teste a selection of the local product. Of more interest when traveling with children will be the Bundaberg Ginger Beer (non-alcoholic) manufactory, the Hinkler Aviation Museum, the Bundaberg Botanical Gardens, the Alexandra Park Zoo, the Australian Sugarcane Railway and the Woongarra Marine Park.

The city itself is very baby- and child friendly housing many families. The walkways are in good condition and most cafes and restaurants are well-prepared for family visits offering children’s meals and usually being equipped with baby chairs, however it must be mentioned that changing tables are not always found at all locations. Throughout the city you can find many parks with playgrounds.

The Bundaberg public transportation system is operated by bus; however I would recommend renting a car for easier and more convenient access and movability. In addition to car Bundaberg can be reached by airplane coming from Brisbane.