Bundaberg
Population 54,800
Bundaberg is situated on the Burnett River, 378km (235 Êmiles) north of
Brisbane. Strictly speaking, it is not part of the Great Barrier Reef and
in fact sits on the southern side of the designated boundary. If you are
travelling along the coast in either direction, there are a number of factors
which may encourage you to stop here.
Climate
Average temperatures: Jan max 30C (86F) - min 21C (70F); July max 21C (70F)
- min 11C (52F). Average annual rainfall: 1149mm (45 ins); heaviest rainfall
falls December-March.
Characteristics
The Bundaberg district grows approximately one-fifth of Australia's sugar
crop, and in recent years has become a virtual salad bowl, growing large
supplies of tomatoes, avocados, pineapples, beans and more. And, of course,
the Famous Aussie Spirit, Bundaberg Rum, is produced here in this Sugar
City.
How to Get There By Air
Sunstate Airlines, 13 1313, operate several flights daily to/from Cairns,
Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville and Gladstone.
Flight West, 1300 130 092, operate a Brisbane to Bundaberg service 3 times
a day.
By Bus
Greyhound Pioneer, 13 2030, and McCafferty's, 13 1499, stop at Bundaberg
on their Brisbane/Cairns route.
By Rail
Bundaberg is on the main Brisbane/Cairns line. The Sunlander, Queens-lander
and Spirit of Capricorn all stop at Bundaberg, 13 2235.
By Road
From Brisbane, Bundaberg is a 368km, four-and-a-half hour drive. Follow
the Bruce Highway north to the turn-off at Childers.
It is 170km south of Gladstone, and the turn-off is at Gin Gin.
Visitor Information
Bundaberg District Tourism and Development Board is at the Hinkler Glider
Museum, 271 Bourbong Street, next to the Base Hospital, 4152 2333. Opening
hours are Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm, Sat-Sun 9am-5pm.
Accommodation
There are over 30 motels in Bundaberg as well as hotels, caravan parks
and backpacker accommodation. Here is a selection, with prices for a
double room per night, which should be used as a guide only. The telephone
area code is 07.
City
Bert Hinkler Motor Inn, cnr Takalvan & Warrell Streets, 4152 6400.
32 units, licensed restaurant, swimming pool, spa, sauna, half-court tennis
- $85-130.
Sugar Country Motor Inn, 220 Bourbong Street, 4153 1166. 33 units, licensed
restaurant, swimming pool - $90-95.
Bundaberg City Motor Inn, 246 Bourbong Street, 4152 5011. 17 units, swimming
pool, spa, barbecue - $85-95.
Acacia Motor Inn, 248 Bourbong Street, 4152 3411. 26 units, undercover
parking, swimming pool - $80.
Alexandra Park Motor Inn, 66 Quay Street, 4152 7255. 19 units, licensed
restaurant, swimming pool - $50-110.
Bundaberg Spanish Motor Inn, cnr Woongarra & Mulgrave Streets, 4152
5444. 16 units, swimming pool, undercover parking, barbecue - $75.
Butterfly Checkmate, 240 Bour-bong Street, 4152 2700. 18 units, unlicensed
restaurant (closed Sun), swimming pool, barbecue - $70.
Chalet Motor Inn, 242 Bourbong Street, 4152 9922. 14 units, swimming pool,
spa - $70-100.
Bourbong Street Motel, 265 Bourbong Street, 4151 3089. 17 units - $55.
Lyelta Lodge & Motel, 8 Maryborough Street, 4151 3344. 20 rooms, undercover
parking - $35-40.
Caravan Parks
Oakwood Caravan Park, Gin Gin Road, 4159 9332. 86 sites, pool, barbecue,
kiosk - powered sites $15 for two, on-site vans $25-30 for two, cabins
$40-45 for two.
Finemore Tourist Park, 33 Quay Street, 4151 3663. (No pets) 66 sites, barbecue,
pool - powered sites $14 for two, cabins $38 for two.
Cane Village Holiday Park, Twyford Street, 4155 1022. 84 sites, playground,
barbecue, pool - powered sites $17-16 for two, cabins $35-38 for two.
Coastal
Don Pancho Beach Resort, 62 Miller Street, Bargara, 4159 2146. 42 units,
licensed restaurant, swimming pool, spa, barbecue, half-court tennis,
gym - $90-160.
Nieuport 54, 54 Miller Street, Bargara, 4159 2164. 6 units, sauna, spa
- $85-105.
Dunelm House Bed & Breakfast, 540 Bargara Road, Bargara, 4159 0909.
3 rooms, undercover parking, pool, spa - $70-80.
Bargara Beach Motor Inn, 7 Bauer Street, Bargara, 4159 2395. 6 units, barbecue,
undercover parking - $55-95.
Pacific Sun Motor Inn, 11 Bauer Street, Bargara, 4159 2350. 10 units -
$50-65.
Caravan Parks
Absolute Ocean Front Tourist Park, 117 Woongarra Scenic Drive, Bargara,
4159 2436. 42 sites, barbecue, kiosk, spa, pool - powered sites $14 for
two, on-site vans $30-38 for two, cabins $40-47 for two.
Bargara Beach Caravan Park, Nielson Park, The Esplanade, Bargara, 4159
2228. (Pets on application) 300 sites, barbecue, playground, 2 tennis courts,
kiosk - powered sites $16 for two, on-site vans $28 for two, cabins $38-46
for two.
Eating Out
Bundaberg has an abundance of licensed and BYO restaurants, licensed clubs
and hotels, and plenty of coffee lounges, takeaways and snack bars. If
you wish, get in touch with the Tourist Information Centre, 4152 2333,
for a list of culinary establishments and local advice on the best places
to dine. If you're not in an adventurous mood, the major fast-food chains
have branches in Bundaberg.
Beaches, at the Reef Gateway Motor Inn, 11 Takalvan Street, 4153 2255.
Licensed a-la-carte dining, large seafood selection, cocktail bar. Open
6pm-10pm every day except Sunday (closed).
Spinnaker Stonegrill & Bar, 1a Quay Street, 4152 8033. Seafood and
stonegrill selections, a-la-carte dining. Open midday to midnight 7 days,
closed Public Holidays.
Rendezvous, 220 Bourbong Street, 4153 1747. Licensed, open 24 hours.
New China Dragon Restaurant, 32 Targo Street, 4151 1955. Seafood cuisine,
BYO. Open 5am-9pm seven days and 11am-2.30pm Mon-Fri, closed Public Holidays.
The Strand, 55 Woongarra Street, 4151 2099. Curry a speciality on Sunday
nights. Open 8am-midnight every day except Public Holidays (closed).
Codiannis, 66 Woongarra Street, 4153 0930.
Mexican Border, 27 Elliots Head Road, 4152 1675. Licensed, Mexican dishes.
Oriental Pearl Chinese Restaurant, 69 Takalvan Street, 4152 8655.
Zulus, 61 Targo Street, 4152 4691.
Numero Uno, 167a Bourbong Street, 4151 3666.
You will find KFC at 263 Bourbong Street, McDonalds on the corner of Woongarra
and Targo Streets and Pizza Hut on the corner of Bourbong and Branyon Streets,
13 6611.
Local Transport
There are weekly bus services to North Bundaberg, South Bundaberg, Norville,
West Bundaberg, Sugarland Shoppingtown, Bargara and Burnett Heads, Elliott
Heads, South Kolan/Bingera, Kepnock, Moore Park and Gin Gin - contact
the Tourist Information Centre for details and timetables.
Points of Interest
A trip to the reef aboard the MV Lady Musgrave takes just over two hours
from Bundaberg. The office is located in Shop 1 Moffat Street, Bundaberg
Port Marina, 4159 4519 or 4152 9011. Lady Musgrave Island, 49km (30 miles)
from the coast, is a truly unspoiled, uninhabited coral atoll where you
can stroll through the pisonia and casuarina trees and view the nesting
seabirds. The launch trip includes morning and afternoon tea, smorgasbord
luncheon, snorkelling gear and glass-bottomed boat rides. A fun day is
assured. (See separate listing.)
Bundaberg has several memorials to its most famous son, Herbert John Louis
Hinkler (Bert Hinkler) - locally he was known as 'Hustling Hinkler'. He
was the first aviator to fly solo from England to Australia, in 1928. Hinkler
House, Mt Perry Road, was transported brick by brick from Southampton,
England, to Bundaberg in 1983, by a team of dedicated workers. Hinkler
designed the house and lived in it from 1926-1933. It is now an aviation
museum open daily 10am- 4pm, 4152 0222.
There are memorials to Hinkler in Buss Park beside the Civic Centre, at
the southern end of the traffic bridge, and on the Hummock, 10km east of
the city. The Hinkler Glider Museum contains a replica of Hinkler's glider
which he successfully flew 35m from the sand dunes of Mon Repos Beach in
1912. The historical museum is in the same complex and contains a fascinating
collection of domestic items and farm equipment. The Botanical Gardens
and steam railway are also in the Hinkler Rose Garden Tourist Complex,
along with the Hinkler Rose Garden Restaurant, 4153 1477.
Bundaberg Rum Distillery, Whitred Street, 4150 8686, has five conducted
tours every weekday, which run for approximately one hour. You can see
the rum being processed from raw sugar through to the bottled product -
the 'Famous Aussie Spirit', although you will not get to sample the end
product for free!
Schmeiders Cooperage & Craft Centre, 5 Alexandra Street, East Bundaberg,
4151 8233 or 1800 222 440, sells small handcrafted American Oak Casks.
You can see the coopers at work making these casks in their workshops.
Also in the Craft Centre are potters, a blacksmith, woodturner, artists
and many more. There is a cafe as well, where you can grab a bite to eat.
Alexandra Park Zoo, is on the banks of the Burnett River, west of the main
railway line. It is open Mon-Fri 6.30am-3.30pm and admission is free.
The House of Dolls, Douglas Road, 4159 7252, has a wonderful display of
dressed dolls, in national and period costumes, and a display of the Royal
Wedding.
Boyd's Antiquatorium, 295 Bourbong Street, 4152 2576, has a collection
of classic racing motorcycles, vintage cars, early cameras, farm machinery,
a coin collection, and a great musical instrument display. The display
is directed at all ages.
Take a stroll through the fragrant Pennyroyal Herb Farm which is a delightful
place to visit. The display gardens are set in native Australian bush.
Avocado Grove, Douglas Road, 4159 7367, has something for everyone. Exotic
and sociable peacocks roam the grounds whilst many native birds live happily
in aviaries amid the lush, sub-tropical gardens.
Ê
What caused those strange craters just north of Bundaberg? The Mystery
Craters are said to be 25 million years old, and their origin remains unexplained.
The fascinating area has a garden setting, observation tower, kiosk, rocks,
souvenirs, currency display and playground. The area, in Lines Road, South
Kolan, is open 8am-5pm. The admission fee is $5 adults and $3 children,
4157 7291.
For an unusual treat, stop and buy some tropical fruit wine at Bun-daberg's
unique Winery at 78 Mt Perry Road, 4151 5993. Owners, Carole and John Gianduzzo,
will explain the merits of the various wines. Another unusual facet is
the large range of soft drinks now produced on the premises. It is open
Mon-Sat 9am-5.30pm and 9am-midday on Sundays. Admission is free.
Bargara Beach is the aquatic playground for the sun and sea aficionados
of Bundaberg. Just a 15 minute drive from Bundaberg, it offers safe surfing
at Neilson Park. A very modern shopping centre known as 'Bargara Centrepoint'
caters for everyone's needs. The town is serviced by a modern hotel/motel,
motel and unit accommodation, caravan parks, TAB, convenience store, takeaway
food outlets and fine restaurants. Kelly's Beach has a natural still-water
tidal swimming pool and is a patrolled beach.
Mon Repos Beach, with magnificent sand dunes, is the largest and most accessible
mainland turtle rookery in Australia. It is an environmental park and contains
a magnificent Kanaka stone wall. It was the site of Bert Hinkler's first
flights. The conservation park hopens from 7pm onwards between November
and March, and the Information Centre is open 8am-4pm March-October. Admission
is $5 for adults and $3 for children.
Burnett Heads, with Oaks Beach, is 18km (11 miles) from Bundaberg at the
mouth of the Burnett River and Êhas ample shops, a hotel and a couple of
caravan parks. The lighthouse is located next to the hall and was taken
out of service in 1972.
Moore Park, 21km (13 miles) north of Bundaberg, is an excellent seaside
beach with 16km (10 miles) of firm sandy shores. Lifesavers patrol this
beach throughout the surfing season. There is a motel and a caravan park.
The Town of 1770 (and Agnes Water to the south of Round Hill) was visited
by Queensland's first tourist, Captain James Cook, in the Endeavour in
May 1770. The small town takes its name from this event. Day trips to Lady
Mus-grave Island depart from the Town of 1770, and a bus pick-up operates
from Bundaberg.
Outlying Attractions Eidsvold
Situated on the Burnett Highway 250km (155 miles) west of Bundaberg, via
Gayndah, Eidsvold was established as a gold mining town in 1888 and is
now a major producer of beef cattle. The town's past can be seen in the
slab homestead 'Knockbreak' which is part of the Eidsvold Historical Museum.
Eidsvold has a unique museum housing the George Schaffer bottle, rock and
gemstone collection - a display of unusual items gathered over one man's
lifetime. The Eidsvold Motel & ÊGeneral Store, 51 Moreton Street, can
provide you with tourist information. (07) 4165 1209.
Mundubbera
Mundubbera is situated on the banks of the Burnett River, 35km south-east
of Eidsvold on the Burnett Highway. The River passes through the small
sub-tropical valley of the Central Burnett. One-third of Queensland's
citrus is produced here and the area is surrounded by orchards, and has
the Enormous Ellendale (Big Mandarin). The Golden Mile Orchard has an
extensive packing facility. The Auburn Falls National Park is 35km (22
miles) west, and has beautiful rock pools and formations. Tourist Information
can be obtained from the Big Mandarin complex in Durong Road, (07) 4165
4549.
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Gayndah
Found 166km (103 miles) south-west of Bundaberg on the Burnett Highway,
Gayndah is Queensland's oldest town, and was in the running with Ipswich
and Brisbane for the title of State capital. In the 1840s Gayndah was
originally settled as sheep country, and it wasn't until 1892 that William
Seeney planted the first orchard, for which Gayndah is now famous. Even
if you weren't aware of it before, you could hardly miss the Big Orange
complex.
The Golden Orange Hotel-Motel, Maltby Place, is the supplier of regional
information for tourists, (07) 4161 1107.
Biggenden
Craggy, blue mountain ranges are the backdrop for Biggenden, 100km (62
miles) south-west of Bundaberg. Along with agricultural pursuits - beef,
grain crops, dairying, citrus, piggeries, peanuts and timber - the area
is rich in minerals.
Established in the goldrush of 1889, attractions include the historic Chowey
Bridge, the old Mt Shamrock Gold Mine, the operational open-cut magnetite
mine, the Coalstoun Lakes, Mt Walsh National Park and Mt Woowoonga Forest
Reserve.
You will find tourist information at the Biggenden Shire Council, Edward
Street, (07) 4127 1177.
Childers
Located 50km (31 miles) south of Bundaberg, Childers has rich red soil, and
is famous for its avenue of leopard trees, colonial buildings, the Olde Butcher
Shoppe and the Hall of Memories. It is on the Bruce Highway. Less than half
an hour's drive away is Woodgate Beach and Woodgate National Park, which
has many boardwalks allowing access to the swampy areas. There is also a
special bird-watching shed. The beach is popular and stretches for about
16km (10 miles).
