Long Weekend in Bundaberg, Queensland. Australia.
Many Queenslanders,
like us, love a good road trip. Whether it’s heading to the beach for a long
weekend, booking a resort holiday for a family getaway or exploring somewhere
off the beaten track in a 4WD, Queensland families are drawn to the outdoors. With
Queensland being the second largest state in Australia, and road-tripping being
so popular, we took the opportunity to hit the highway to Bundaberg for the
long weekend. Bundaberg is located on the Burnett River 14 metres above
sea-level, 20 km from the coast and 371 km north of Brisbane. It is impossible
not to be impressed by Queensland's great and gracious coastal cities that have
charming late-nineteenth century elegance about them. Tropical parks and
gardens, lazy green-brown tropical rivers, handsome Classical Revival buildings
with solid Doric and Corinthian columns, wide streets, the sight of palm and
fig trees, the heady scent of bougainvillea and jasmine, these are the memories which filter to the
surface when one looks back. Of course each city has its own idiosyncracies. In
the case of Bundaberg, images of the famous Bundaberg Rum Distillery, the
incongruity of Bert Hinkler's stucco-and-brick English home in the middle of
luxuriant sub-tropical botanical gardens, and the Lutheran Church with its huge
Biblical text facade - all of these linger long after memories of the old
Commercial Bank and the post office buildings have faded from memory.
Just
before we hit Bundaberg we took a leisurely drive to the seaside town of Elliot
Heads. You can take in nearly every picturesque vista imaginable on your
journey to Elliott Heads - small crops, sugarcane, rural settings with cows and
paper-bark trees all feature along the road to the beachside destination.
Located at the mouth of the Elliott River, Elliott Heads offers both surf and
beach swimming and the calmer waters of the river mouth. A popular destination
for locals this picturesque beach offers sweeping white sand, effervescent blue
waters and is a haven for kite surfers and jet skiers.
The
town is also home to a shady, landscaped caravan park adjacent to the patrolled
beach, a cafe and several picnic spots with BBQ and toilet facilities. You can
easily spend a day, week or month at Elliott Heads. We took a walk down to the
river mouth with Shari (pup) to stretch our legs and get a little wet. Dogs are
allowed only on a lead.
From Elliott Heads we headed 10 minutes north to Bargara. When in Bundaberg, Bargara is one of our first stops with scenic waterfront walks, farm fresh produce, temperate beaches, bars, cafés and a selection of surf and souvenir shops to ponder. You can even swim and snorkel the entire length of Kelly’s Beach, from the tidal lagoon at the southern end to the northern basin sheltered by a manmade rock wall. From Bargara we headed to our accommodation at the Coral Villa Motel.
We picked this Pet Friendly Motel due to the location and a courtyard surrounded by beautiful gardens which was perfect for relaxing. The Coral Villa Motel is operated by the Rout family who love Bundaberg and Australia who work hard, have attention to detail, ensuring your stay is relaxed, comfortable. The Motel is close to everything you need, want and like. The first thing you see arriving is the bright red Telephone Booth, one of only 450 in the world, the booth was found in a terrible condition, repaired and restored to its former glory and Roxy the Dinosaur, which came from the Blue Mountains. Later in the day we headed to the undercover BBQ area which a few coldies, and a swim.
Shari (pup) was given permission to have a swim in the pool, so she took full advantage and lapped up her first time swimming in a pool.
The BBQ area is stocked with all the utensils you will need to cook and free for guests to use and the hosts clean up when you’re finished.
The next morning we headed early for breakfast at Oodies Café. A retro double garage on the edge of Bundaberg's city centre, which is the unlikely venue for Bundaberg's most cosmopolitan, cozy atmosphere, great vibes, and great food café. The Café has art-spangled walls, bric-a-brac, to check out while you’re expertly made coffee and breakfast is delivered. The stream of takeaway is constant, as is the relaxed buzz inside.
Oodies Café is Pet Friendly and we both enjoyed the big breakfast, which was delicious and generous in size.
From the café we headed to Alexandra Park, which offers a playground for all ages under the shade of large trees. Nestled on the banks of the Burnett River on Quay Street, Alexandra Park is also home to Bundaberg’s council operated zoo. The zoo was established in 1911 and is one of Queensland’s oldest continuously running zoological facilities. Today, the zoo is home to a compact menagerie featuring exhibits with pint-size monkeys, dingos, lizards, birds and more. While you are there, keep an eye out as the wildlife keeper may just bring the dingoes out for their daily stroll through the park. Kim went in to check out the little critters while I took Shari (pup) down the Riverside Walk.
After the Zoo we walked the CBD checking out the shops. Kim took a beeline to Cha Cha Chocolate, which specialises in Handmade Fudges, local Bundaberg Products, European Chocolates, Gourmet Gift Hampers, Specialty Chocolates and Vegan & Dairy Free Products. From the CBD it was a short walk for lunch at River Cruz Café.
River Cruz Cafe has homely well priced filling foods in one of the best locations in Bundaberg sitting under the large trees with a cool breeze from the river.
Tummy’s full we headed to Bundaberg’s biggest claim to fame, the iconic Bundaberg Rum Distillery. The Visitor Experience offers three tours; the Bundaberg Rum Museum Experience, the Bundaberg Rum Distillery Experience and a Blend Your Own Rum Experience. There is also a Retail Store, where visitors can purchase exclusive and limited edition products, and the Bear Garden Cafe & Bar area.
The
Museum Experience is a self-guided tour, where guests walk through six 75,000
litre oak vats in a unique sensory experience that showcases the proud and rich
history behind the iconic Australian rum. As part of the Distillery Experience,
guests join one of the expert guides on a journey deep into the heart of the
fully operational distillery. For those that want to try their hand at becoming
a Master Blender, the premium Blend Your Own Rum Experience allows guests to
learn the art of blending their very own rum straight from the barrel.
Bundaberg is a decent place to live, but is lacking that something to make it a thriving tourist destination you talk about long after you visit. There’s no shortage of things to do in Queensland, let alone Australia, but the Bundaberg Council only promotes Bundaberg as the Southern Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, with day trips to Lady Elliot Island and Lady Musgrave Island.
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