Bundaberg sits on the Burnett River in southern Queensland, best known to the world for its dark rum — the Bundaberg Rum Distillery has been producing it here since 1888, and the famous polar bear still graces every bottle. The city itself is a working agricultural hub, surrounded by sugarcane fields and macadamia orchards, with a relaxed pace that suits a day or two of exploration. The central Bourbong Street, lined with late-nineteenth-century brick buildings and a row of heritage weeping figs, is the heart of the old town.
The real draw is what lies just offshore. Mon Repos Beach, about 15 kilometres east of the city centre, is one of Australia's most significant marine turtle nesting sites. Between November and March, loggerhead turtles haul themselves up the beach after dark to lay eggs, and rangers run nightly tours that get you up close without disturbing the animals. It is one of the most affecting wildlife experiences in Australia.
The Bundaberg Region also serves as a launching point for Lady Musgrave and Lady Elliot Islands, the southernmost coral cays of the Great Barrier Reef. Day trips by light aircraft or high-speed catamaran are available from the local airport and port. For the reef without the boat, the coastal town of Bargara offers accessible snorkelling and diving along the Coral Sea coast.
The city's other unexpected drawcard is the Hinkler Hall of Aviation in the Botanic Gardens — a serious museum to local aviator Bert Hinkler, the first man to fly solo from England to Australia, in 1928.