The subtropical town of Bundaberg is the gateway to Australia's Southern Great Barrier Reef, close to pristine beaches and subtropical rainforests, and surrounded by sugarcane fields. Coral reefs ring the shoreline and migrating humpback whales and their calves frolic in the sheltered waters of Hervey Bay on their way to Antarctica.
Perfectly positioned at the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef, Bundaberg is a tranquil Coral Coast destination that draws ecotourists, reef explorers, sun worshippers and families looking for beaches, watersports and rainforests.
Water babes
Enjoy swimming in the crystal-clear waters of the Great Barrier Reef. Snorkelling off Lady Elliot and Lady Musgrove islands is a must, while shore diving in Bundaberg's Woongarra Marine Park will leave you spell-bound.
Animal crackers
Watch the hundreds of green, flatback and loggerhead turtles return to charming Mon Repos Beach to lay eggs and raise their young in one of the largest turtle rookeries in the South Pacific. Keep an eye out for migrating humpback whales that pass offshore from August to October, frolicking in the protected waters of Hervey Bay and Fraser Island.
Enjoy a tipple
Most visitors book a tour of the Bundaberg Rum Distillery, birthplace of the famous Bundy Rum, made from the sugarcane by-product molasses. If you have more sophisticated tastes, visit the Tropical Winery for non-grape wines made from pineapple, passion fruit, guava and mango.
Pure shores
Wild and beautiful Fraser Island is the world's largest sand island and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, mostly explored by four-wheel drives. Ochre cliffs flank wide sandy beaches, and tropical vegetation mingles with towering hardwoods, pristine rainforest, crystal-clear lakes and coloured desert sands.
