Bundaberg, Queensland

22. Jul, 2011

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Bundaberg

Bert Hinkler is memorialised in many places throughout Bundaberg

Is a city in Queensland, Australia. It is part of the Local Government Area (LGA) of the Bundaberg Region and is a major centre within Queensland’s broader Wide Bay-Burnett geographical region. The city lies on the Burnett River, approximately 385 kilometres (239 mi) north of the state capital, Brisbane and 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) inland from the coast.

Etymology

The city name is thought to be an artificial combination of bunda, the Kabi Aboriginal word denoting important man and the German suffix berg indicating mountain. The city is colloquially known as “Bundy”.

History

The local Aboriginal group is the Dundu:ra/Doondora people the inhabitants of the Hervey Bay (Dundu:ra Bay) region which stretched from the Mary River to the Burnett River who was part of the Wahr Language Group of the Kabi nation (Edward Curr 1886). Bundaberg as a European township was founded by timbergetters Bob and George Stewart and Lachlan Tripp in 1867. The first farmers in the area arrived soon after. It was local resident and District Surveyor John Charlton Thompson who received the directive to survey a plot an area on the South side of the river. The city was surveyed, laid out and named Bundaberg in 1870. It was gazetted a town in 1902 and a city in 1913. Timber was the first established industry in Bundaberg. In 1868 a sawmill was erected on the Burnett River downstream from the Steuart and Watson holdings. The Burnett Sawmill operated for over 100 years at its East Bundaberg location. It was the oldest operating sawmill in the Bundaberg area until it ceased operating on 26 May 2010.

Experimental sugar cane growing in the district followed and a successful industry grew. The first sugar mill was opened in 1882. The early sugar industry in Bundaberg was the result of the semi-slave labour carried out by Kanakas. The naming of Bundaberg’s streets was a job for its surveyors, of which there were three. Thompson was assisted by unregistered surveyor assistants James Ellwood and Alfred Dale Edwards. Edwards preferred using aboriginal names. It is a common misconception that the main street was incorrectly gazetted in the Bundaberg Mail as “Bourbong” instead of “Bourbon” street and the name persisted. However, Rackemann conducted a survey of letterheads printed between 1904 and 1957. Up until 1940 the count for both names was near enough to equal, with in some cases companies carrying both spelling variations in successive years. However, by 1941 there is no reference to “Bourbon” street. It is thought more likely that Edwards named it after ‘Boorbong’, the local name given to a series of waterholes near the Rubyanna area.

Timber workers

(Now East Bundaberg) This is borne out by farmer Robert Strathdee’s farming selection in the vicinity of the watering holes being recorded on early survey maps as ‘Boorbung’. The Bourbong was referred to (Howitt 1904) as the name of one of the initiation ceremonies. Harry Aldridge stated that the scars of initiated men differed from that of Fraser Island in that men on Fraser Island had 5 vertical scars on their chest whereas in Bundaberg the Dundu:ra people had 3 scars across the chest. n December 2010, Bundaberg experienced its worst floods in 60 years with floodwaters from the Burnett River inundating hundreds of homes.

Industry

Subtropical Bundaberg is dependent to a large extent on the local sugar industry. Extensive sugar cane fields are found throughout the district and value-adding operations, such as the milling and refinement of sugar, and its packaging and distribution, are located around the city. A local factory that manufactured sugar-cane harvesters was closed down after it was taken over by the US multinational corporation Case New Holland. Most of the raw sugar is exported. A bulk terminal for the export of sugar is located on the Burnett River east of Bundaberg. Another of the city’s exports is Bundaberg Rum, made from the sugar cane by-product molasses. Bundaberg is also home to beverage producer Bundaberg Brewed Drinks. Commercial fruit and vegetable production is also significant: tomatoes, zucchinis, capsicums, legumes, Sweet Potatos and watermelons are grown in abundant quantities.

Tourism

Cane workers

Tourism is an important industry in Queensland, and Bundaberg is known as the ‘Southern Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef’. The city lies near the southern end of the reef in proximity to Lady Elliot and Lady Musgrave Islands. The nearby town of Bargara is an increasingly popular holiday and retirement destination. The Mon Repos turtle rookery is located on the coast just east of Bundaberg. The northern bank of the Burnett River between the Don Tallon and Burnett bridges is home to a colony of flying foxes. Nearby beaches are popular with both locals and tourists. Moore Park, to the city’s north, boasts 20 km of golden sandy beach. Beaches on the southern side of the Burnett River are (from north to south) the Oaks Beach, Mon Repos, Nielsen Park, Bargara Beach, Kellys Beach, Innes Park and Elliott Heads.

Cania Gorge National Park, Deepwater National Park, Eurimbula National Park and Kinkuna National Park, located in the Bundaberg region are popular with campers and bush-lovers. Tours of the famous Bundaberg Rum distillery and attractions at the Botanic Gardens are also popular with tourists. The Mystery Craters, 35 un-explained water-filled holes in the ground, discovered in 1971 at South Kolan, are also a tourist attraction. Opened in December 2008, the Hinkler Hall of Aviation is an historical aviation tourist attraction that celebrates pioneer solo aviator Bert Hinkler. It includes an exhibition hall, featuring multi-media exhibits, a flight simulator, a theatre, five aircraft and the historic Hinkler House.

Culture

Arts and entertainment

Bundaberg has two cinemas. The Reading Cinemas are on Johanna Dr, and the Moncrieff Theatre is on Bourbong St. The Moncrieff Theatre also has live musical and theatrical performances. The Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery (BRAG) is a large multi-purpose visual arts facility located at Barolin Street Corner Quay Street in Bundaberg City. The gallery showcases exhibitions drawn from local, state, national and international artists, and includes a gift shop, artist-in-residence apartment, workshop areas and an art resource library (The Green Room).

Media

Bundaberg from space

The newspaper in Bundaberg is called the Bundaberg NewsMail and it is published from Monday to Saturday.

ABC Local Radio: Wide Bay 855 AM/100.1 FM – Due to the terrain of the area, both AM and FM frequencies are used.
4BU 1332 AM (commercial)
Sea FM 93.1 (commercial) – Part of the SEA FM network, owned by Macquarie Media .
Hitz FM 93.9 (commercial)
4DoubleB 96.3 FM (community)
4BCR 94.7 FM (community)
95.5 FM (narrowcast)
97.1 FM (narrowcast)
ABC Classic FM 98.5 FM
Triple J 99.3 FM
ABC Radio National 100.9 FM
Rebel FM 106.7 FM (Wide Bay) Australia’s largest independent commercial FM radio network

Bundaberg is served by three commercial television stations (Seven Queensland, WIN Television and Southern Cross Ten) and publicly owned services (ABC TV) and (SBS). Each broadcasts television services in both analogue and digital formats, with analogue transmissions to be deactivated in the second half of 2011. Seven Queensland and WIN Television both produce half-hour long local news bulletins. Seven Local News screens from Monday to Friday at 6pm. WIN NEWS screens Monday to Friday at 6.30pm, with a late news bulletin screening at approximately 12 midnight.

SBS offers digital high-definition simulcasts of their main channel, SBS ONE on SBS HD. Ten digital-only channels are also available: ABC2, ABC3, ABC News 24, SBS Two, One HD, Eleven, 7Two, 7mate, GEM and GO!. Austar Limited provides subscription satellite television services. The city has been the location for two film sets, including the 1989 film, The Delinquents, starring Kylie Minogue and the 1977 film, The Mango Tree. Both films were set in and around Bundaberg.

Sport

Bundaberg town centre with Bundaberg General Post Office to the right.

Most major Australian sporting codes are played in Bundaberg, including; Rowing, Basketball, Cricket, Golf, Lawn bowls, Netball, Tennis, Rugby league, Football, Hockey, Australian Rules Football, and Softball. The Bundaberg & District Tennis Senior Association operates eleven floodlit clay courts in Drinan Park, Bundaberg West at the corner of George & Powers Streets. Competition tennis is played all year round. The Bundaberg & District Junior Tennis Association operates five artificial grass courts, and two granite courts, at 69B George Street in Bundaberg South.

Bucca Weir, west of Bundaberg, is home to the state rowing Championships every three years. Bundaberg has two current clubs playing in the AFL Wide Bay competition.

Across The Waves Bundaberg Eagles (merger of North Bundaberg and Souths/ATW Magpies)
Brothers Bulldogs (formerly West Bundaberg)

The other clubs in the competition are:

Hervey Bay Bombers
Maryborough Bears
Bay Power

Bundaberg is home to the Bundaberg Spirit Football Club. They participate in the Queensland State League against other teams across Queensland.

Education

Primary

There are many public and private primary schools in Bundaberg, e.g. St. Marys Catholic Primary school.

Secondary

Young woman riding on the back of a turtle at Mon Repos Beach, near Bundaberg, ca. 1930.

Bundaberg has three public high schools, Bundaberg North State High School, Bundaberg State High School (the second-oldest high school in Queensland that is still open) and Kepnock State High School. There are also three main private secondary schools: Shalom Catholic College, St. Luke’s Anglican School, and Bundaberg Christian College.

Tertiary

There is a campus of the Wide Bay Institute of TAFE on Walker St and a campus of Central Queensland University, located adjacent to the airport.

Climate

Bundaberg has a subtropical climate with hot summers and mild winters. The climate is the most equable of any Australian town or city and ranked 5th on a worldwide comparison. The mean daily maximum temperature is highest in January at 30.3 Celsius, and the mean daily minimum is lowest in July at 9.9 degrees Celsius. The coldest temperature recorded in Bundaberg is 0.8 degrees Celsius, and some inland areas of Bundaberg sometimes experience frosts. The mean annual rainfall is 1141.0 millimetres.

Infrastructure

Road

Bundaberg is situated at the end of the Isis Highway (State Route 3), approximately 50 km east of its junction with the Bruce Highway. Many long-distance bus services also pass through the city.

Bundaberg railway station

Is a railway station on the North Coast railway line, Queensland. Bundaberg is serviced by several Queensland Rail passenger trains, including the Tilt Train and is approximately four and a half hours north of Brisbane by rail, a vast improvement on days gone by when Bundaberg was an overnight journey away. Bundaberg’s first railway station, on the Mount Perry railway line, was built in 1881 as a transfer station to the Bundaberg docks for shipping coal from nearby mines. It is now in use as a museum.

Air

View of Bundaberg town centre from the Burnett River bridge.

Bundaberg is also served by Bundaberg Airport, with flights to Brisbane and Lady Elliot Island. The city is home to the Jabiru Aircraft Company, which designs and manufactures a range of small civil utility aircraft.

Water

Bundaberg Port is located 20 kilometres northeast of the city, at the mouth of the Burnett River. The port is a destination for ships from Australia and overseas. It is predominantly used for shipping raw sugar and other goods related to that industry such as Bundaberg Rum.

Health

Hospitals

Bundaberg is served by one public hospital, the Bundaberg Hospital on Bourbong St.

Diptheria Vaccine

Central Bundaberg

Bundaberg was also the location of another health-related disaster in January 1928, when 12 children died shortly after receiving injections of diphtheria vaccine. At the time, the vaccine was created by the toxin-antitoxin, or TAT process, where diphtheria toxin was combined with antibodies from horses, which served to eliminate the toxicity of the toxin while leaving it intact enough to stimulate a long-lasting immunological response in the recipient. The vaccine, produced by the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories in Melbourne – world renowned for the quality of its work and products – was dispensed to many of the city’s children from late 1927 without incident. However, because of fears that the preservative usually included in the TAT preparation might render the vaccine ineffective, it had been left out of the batch supplied to Bundaberg. Unfortunately, the associated warning did not reach the local Medical Officer of Health, Dr Ewing Thomson, and he continued to re-use the batch of vaccine over a period of weeks, including immunising his own son. On 27 January 1928 Thomson inoculated 21 children aged from one to nine years old; over the following 36 hours 18 became very ill and 12 died. One family lost all three of their children in the disaster, and two more families watched two of their children die. Not surprisingly, the ‘Bundaberg tragedy’ or ‘serum tragedy’ – as it became known – created a media sensation both in Australia and around the world, causing a halt in diphtheria immunisation programs as far afield as New Zealand and Cape Town. Given the precarious nature of mass immunisation programs at the time, the Bundaberg tragedy also potentially compromised the careers of the Minister of Health, Dr Sir Neville Howse, and the Director General of Health, Dr (John) Howard Cumpston.

Initial fears that the TAT process had failed to neutralize the diphtheria toxin in this instance were allayed by an Australian Royal Commission. This Commission, headed by the director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Charles Kellaway, found that the vaccine had become contaminated by Staphylococcus aureus, probably from Thomson’s imperfect sterilisation technique. In the Bundaberg heat, these bacteria had multiplied in the vaccine, contaminating the serum with a massive quantity of a different toxin (see toxic shock syndrome). As a

Bundaberg Railway Museum

result of this finding, the Royal Commission issued a strong recommendation, adopted by all major manufacturers, that all vaccines packaged for administration of multiple doses should incorporate an antibacterial preservative. After testing of various compounds for toxicity and compatibility with the vaccine, the optimal preservative was determined to be thiomersal, which, ironically, has now become controversial due to questions of its own toxicity. By 1931, CSL had replaced the TAT formulation with diphtheria anatoxin (or toxoid), which was claimed to be a safer product.

The Bundaberg tragedy set back the cause of mass immunisation in Australia by several years, and its consequences were remembered for decades in the town. Ewing Thomson stayed in Bundaberg for several years but then left, claiming that the fault lay with CSL’s inadequate labelling rather than his procedures. However, in addition to improving manufacturing of vaccines, the Royal Commission helped raise the profile of medical research in Australia and provided an important intellectual impetus for the future Nobel Prize winning immunologist Macfarlane Burnet, who had conducted key bacteriological work during the investigation.

“Doctor Death”

Bundaberg attracted national media attention in 2005 due to the alleged incompetence of Bundaberg Base Hospital surgical director Jayant Patel (also known as “Doctor Death”), who was implicated in the deaths of up to 87 patients.

Barolin Rocks Dive Site

Cochrane Artificial Reef Dive Site

Woongarra Marine Park in the Bundaberg region offers some of Queenslands most accessible shore diving including this site at Barolin Rocks. The rocky coastline provides you with plenty of colourful hard and soft corals to explore only a few metres from the shore. Small to medium size species of reef fish, rays and some pelagics abound on the reef’s edge. You also have a very good chance of seeing nudibranchs, moray eels, turtles, sea snakes and wobbegong sharks on this dive.

Bondstore The Home of Bundaberg Rum

See, smell, taste Australia’s favourite Rum being made. Come to the home of Australia’s favourite rum, Bundaberg. Set only a few hours drive from Brisbane, Bundaberg is a great regional city set in sugar cane country. Friendly people and great architecture in a relaxed Queensland setting, they even have their own seaside resort at Bargara. The Bondstore is the Home of Bundaberg rum. Here you can find out exactly how this iconic product is made. From molasses through to the final product being bottled on site. Enjoy two tastings at the end of the tour; you can buy your own personalised bottle of Bundaberg Rum, as well as a great range of Bundaberg Rum labelled gifts and merchandise.

Two great tour options let you make the most of your stay in Bundaberg. The Bundy Story is an indoor interactive experience that uses touch panels and displays to bring 120 years of rum making experience to life. The Bondstore experience combines the Bundy Story with a full walk around the distillery site, where you can see, smell and taste Australia’s favour rum being made. Come to Bundaberg and experience Queensland as it used to be.

Fairymead House Sugar Museum

Open from 0930 to 1700 Monday to Thursday, weekends and public holidays 0930 to 1600. Closed Good Friday and Christmas Day. Call to pre-book Bondstore Experience Tour, no bookings needed for the Bundy Story. Children are welcome. Access is available for guests with a disability.

Bundaberg Railway Museum

Bundaberg’s first railway station, built in 1881 as an outlet for the Mt Perry railway bringing copper from the mines, is now preserved as a proper museum. Located some 500 metres from its original site, the museum houses a wide variety of railway items past and present. The museum is a haven for train buffs. It include photos, uniforms and catering items from dining rooms to the Tilt Train. Books, including office records, engine driver’s manuals, timetables and rule books. Tools of various types: locomotive spanners, heavy jacks and track work tools, Interlocked signal cabin recovered from Lowmead station, the last CTC panel from Bundaberg, and modern day transponders, A 1921 guard’s van (originally a sleeping car) and a butter car insulated with cow’s hair which stays cool even without the ice blocks.

Hinkler Hall of Aviation

Static displays outside include a diamond crossing for cane trams to cross the government lines and various couplings, buffers, drawhooks and air hoses used on older rolling stock. Open Tuesday and Friday 0900 to 1500 and Saturday 0800 to 1600, other times by appointment. The museum caters for children with a variety of hands-on display and exhibits. Wheelchair access is available to the platform area, the museum part is not accessible via wheelchair as there is only steps, there are no wheelchair accessible toilets.

Cochrane Artificial Reef Dive Site

Cochrane Artificial Reef in Woongarra Marine Park offers a variety of sites just off the coast from Bargara, Elliot Heads or Riverview in the Bundaberg region. Explore the 33 metre wreck ‘Ceratadus II’ (Sand Dredge), two Mohawk aircraft, King Air aircraft, water tower and a huge concrete modules, pipes and other structures. There are manta rays, dolphins, pelagics, friendly estuary cod, family of grouper, coral trout, red emporer, mackeral, tuskfish, leopard sharks rays and numerous coral reef species.

Fairymead House Sugar Museum

Hoffman's Rocks Dive Site

Fairymead house, built in 1890 to an Indian bungalow plan, was originally the home of the Young family, owners of Fairymead Sugar Mill and Plantation. During 1984, Bundaberg Sugar Company donated the home to the City of Bundaberg as an Australian Bicentennial gift. Relocated to Bundaberg Botanical Gardens, the homestead is now a sugar industry museum, housing photographs and memorabilia exploring the development of the sugar industry, technology and the history of milling over two levels.

Open 1000 to 1600 seven days a week, closed Good Friday, Anzac Day, Christmas and Bundaberg Show Holiday.

Hinkler Hall of Aviation

Opened in December 2008, the Hinkler Hall of Aviation is Australia’s newest tourist attraction and aviation adventure experience. More than a museum, the Hinkler Hall of Aviation celebrates pioneer solo aviator Bert Hinkler and the wonders of innovation, spirit and adventure. Comprising a soaring exhibition hall, featuring various multi-media exhibits, a flight simulator, the spectacular ‘Globe Theatre’, five aircraft and the historic Hinkler House, the Hinkler Hall of Aviation, in the tropical surrounds of the Bundaberg Botanic Gardens, provides you with an enjoyable and interesting adventure, where you and your family become part of the story.

Search for the perfect memento to take home at The Aviator’s Store near Reception, or relax and indulge in their sophisticated on-site coffee and food experience, Cafe 1928. Visit the Hinkler Hall of Aviation and experience the dream for yourself.

Lady Musgrave Island Dive Sites

Open 0900 until 1600 daily. Reduced hours on public holidays – contact operator for details. Closed Christmas Day, Good Friday and Anzac Day. Contact operator for details. Children are welcome. Please contact operator for details on access for guests with a disability.

Hoffman’s Rocks Dive Site

Hoffman’s Rocks is a colourful dive in Woongarra Marine Park which can be accessed from Bargara. A feature of the dive is split bommie – two large submerged rocks with a swim through and small cave. Diver’s will be treated to seeing resting turtles, bull rays, groupers and wobbegong sharks. There is a vast array of soft corals (gorgonia sea fans and ‘trees’ of ‘pom poms’) and scattered hard corals. Many varieties of nudibranchs are unique to this location. Schools of barracuda and trevally, lionfish, cuttlefish and even Olive sea snakes are attracted to this area.

Lady Musgrave Island Dive Sites

Mon Repos Conservation Park

Lady Musgrave Island on the Great Barrier Reef is accessible from either Bundaberg or the Town of 1770. This 44 acre coral cay sits in a lagoon of approximately 3,000 acres with 14 world class dive sites: Manta Ray and Entrance Bombies, Napoleon’s Wall and The Drop-off to name a few. Snorkel the shallows or dive coral gardens on the northern side and the extensive drop-off on the southern side. Divers and snorkellers may come face to face with manta rays, turtles, schooling fish, reef sharks, colourful reef fish, stingrays, and even sea snakes.

Mon Repos Conservation Park

Mon Repos Conservation Park is world famous for its marine turtles. Loggerhead, Flatback and Green turtles nest on an accessible mainland beach. The park is also home to Woongarra Rainforest remnants, mangroves, a tidal lagoon and historic sites. In winter and spring, take quiet beach walks, watch birds or explore rock pools. From November to March, take a night tour for a close encounter with turtles on the beach. You may see turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs; or witness hatchlings emerging from their nests and heading for the sea. Turtle watching is very popular, so bookings are essential and fees apply. Visit the information centre to learn about Mon Repos, turtles and the nearby Great Sandy Marine Park.

Moncrieff Theatre

Open 1900 to midnight from November 7 to March 31 (dates vary per season). Children are catered for with games and activities. Disabled access is available via ramps to all parts of the Information Centre and the beach. A beach wheelchair is available for use, but must be booked prior to arrival. Disabled toilets are also available.

Moncrieff Theatre

The Moncrieff Theatre is named after ‘Our Glad’ Gladys Moncrieff, world famous musical comedy star who was born in Bundaberg. Originally the Olympia Airdome, an open air theatre built in 1920, it was enclosed as the Olympia Theatre in 1955; refurbished as the Crest Theatre in 1973; and reconstructed as the Moncrieff Theatre during 1985 to 1987. The Moncrieff has state of the art cinema equipment with Dolby Digital Surround Sound and offers recent cinema releases and live performances throughout the year. The theatre has wheelchair access and amenities for the mobility impaired – capable of servicing 17 wheelchairs at one time for any stage attraction or movie.

Open Monday to Saturday from 0900 to 2200, closed Suday and Public Holidays. The theatre has wheel chair access and amenities for the mobility impaired capable of servicing 17 wheelchairs at one time for any stage attraction or movie.

Mystery Craters

Visiting the Mystery Craters is a journey of discovery! Halfway between Bundaberg and Gin Gin is Australia’s most baffling phenomenon. Since their discovery in 1971, the origins of the 35 oddly shaped craters have remained the subject of controversy. The mottled mixture of sandstone and ochre stain have been the subject of many investigations and various theories have been offered. Mystery Craters have been featured on many documentaries including Unsolved Mysteries of the World, Getaway, Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, Great South East, Creek to Coast, Caravan and Motor Home magazine, and more!

A giant mural greets you and as you enter the kiosk some wonderful gifts, souvenirs, and rock samples are on display. Light snacks, coffee, tea, cold drinks, and ice creams are available for your pleasure. Through the archway you will find original photographs of the property and how the craters were discovered. Walk over the covered verandah, down the path, past the fairy garden, and you will come to the fantastic formation. A viewing tower is complimented by an informative commentary at the touch of a button. To complete your tour, visit the collection of pioneer memorabilia and fascinating rock and fossil display. See it, love it!

0900 until 1700 daily. Closed Christmas Day and Good Friday. Children are catered for. Please contact operator for details. Dogs are allowed on leads. Toilet facilities are available. Wheelchair access around formation (the area is quite level).

The Bundaberg Barrel

Next time you’re in the Bundaberg area, add a little interest to your trip with a visit to The Bundaberg Barrel. From the unique spilled ginger beer flooring to bubbles in the entrance door of the tour, the barrel showcases Bundaberg Brewed Drink’s most famous product – Bundaberg Ginger Beer. The interactive tour tells visitors of its origins, ingredients, bottling and packaging through a unique range of activities and touch screens. Doug and Vince’s “Promised Land” holographic three dimensional adventure is not to be missed as is the free sampling of products.

Bundaberg Brewed Drinks makes a range of beverages and visitors to the Barrel are often surprised at the number of deliciously different flavours. Visitors may also browse the selection of interesting and unusual gifts and souvenirs in the Barrel’s gift shop or purchase six of the best from the Barrel’s six pack dispenser. Car enthusiasts will enjoy “Old Cliffy”, a fully restored 1929 Chevrolet Truck, housed in a garage outside the Barrel. The Barrel offers an entertaining experience for all age groups. You’ll find them on Bargara Road, just out of town – look for the Giant Barrel – you can’t miss it!

Open Monday to Saturday from 0900 until 1630. Open Sunday and on Public Holidays from 1000 until 1500. Closed on Good Friday, Anzac Day and Christmas Day. Tours close one hour prior to closing time. Interactive tour, activities and sampling of products for the children. Tour and building on one level, wide doorways, pathways and toilets for guests with a disability.

Burrum Coast National Park

Bondstore The Home of Bundaberg Rum

Burrum Coast National Park is a showcase of protected coastal lowland vegetation types: cabbage palms (especially in the Woodgate section), paperbark swamps and mangroves. The Kinkuna section features a narrow picturesque beach, low coastal dunes, tea-coloured waterways and flat sandy plains. Explore the Woodgate section on a wheelchair-accessible boardwalk across a melaleuca swamp or along walking tracks to viewing and fishing platforms, and a bird hide. Enjoy camping at Burrum Point (four wheel drive access only) or behind the dunes at Kinkuna. In late winter and spring, delight in the wallum heath natural wildflower show. Children are welcome.

Good Night Scrub National Park

Hoop pines, bottle trees and dry rainforest provide a wildlife haven in Goodnight Scrub National Park bounded by the Burnett River. The river is also one of the known habitats of the unique ‘living dinosaur’ Australian lungfish. With 165 species of birds and 60 butterfly species, Goodnight Scrub is a brilliant place to watch wildlife. While no formal walking tracks exist, firebreaks are accessible by foot. Walk or drive to the top of One Tree Hill for spectacular views.

Kinkuna National Park

Barolin Rocks Dive Site

Kinkuna National Park preserves a wilderness area of coastal vegetation and wide, unspoilt beaches, just 30 kilometres south of Bundaberg. Part of the Burrum Coast National Park which also incorporates both Woodgate and Burrum River National Park, Kinkuna is part of the Great Sandy Region, of which Fraser Island is best known. Kinkuna offers a true coastal wilderness experience for Four Wheel Driving or hiking. Sand tracks lead through the predominantly flat landscape dense with vegetation and along the oceanfront and the beach is also suitable for Four Wheel Driving. Kinkuna National Park is renown for its springtime wildflower displays. The vegetation of coastal heath and banksias grows in poor, sandy soils either swampy or very dry and as is often the case, these type of areas put on a spectacular wildflower show – where it seems every bush and tree is covered in pale blossoms of white, pink and yellow hues. August to October is the peak time to view these wildflowers here, in Woodgate National Park and also just to the north at the Coonarr Wildflower Reserve. Kangaroos and wallabies, emus and abundant birdlife are features of the park.

Wilderness camping is permitted in two designated areas atop the dunes and shaded by she-oak casuarinas. Campers must be fully self sufficient as there are no facilities at all in the park. Nearest water, food and fuel supplies are at Woodgate Beach or back towards Bundaberg itself. Please check with the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service contact listed for park and track conditions and camping permits. Access into the park for day visits is free, camping requires a permit – available at self registration desks located at either the Bundaberg/Coonarr or Woodgate entrances to the park. Bookings during school holidays and at Christmas are required. Open all year however access may be limited after local, heavy rains.