Feast your way through locals flavours with this Bundaberg foodie itinerary

Start your day just as it should in Queensland: by the beach.

Windmill Café in Bargara is one of the region’s most awarded eateries and it’s a true paddock to plate experience, with a side of excellent coffee. The menu’s mouth-watering ingredients are pulled from local farms, with avocados, dragonfruit, eggs and macadamia nuts adding punch to classics like smoothie bowls, benedicts, French toast and more. The result? Flavours you’ll be dreaming of for days to come.

Stretch your legs with a walk along Bargara’s esplanade or a swim at the beach – you’ll need space for what’s on today’s agenda.  

Views continue a few minutes’ drive up the road at Hummock Lookout, where the coast is left behind for a patchwork of paddocks and fertile farmland – the result of a volcano that burst and left behind the rich soil responsible for Bundaberg’s iconic flavours.

10am: Feast on local strawberries at Tinaberries

Another ten minutes of peaceful driving along country roads will lead you to one of Bundaberg’s sweetest spots: Tinaberries.

This strawberry farm is open year-round for scoops of delightfully creamy, vibrant ice cream – made using their own strawberries along with other local ingredients like blueberries, passionfruit and dragonfruit. And when strawberries are in season (usually sometime between June – October), wander the farm to pick your own or grab a juicy punnet from the farm shop.

This neck of the woods has plenty of roadside produce stands along the way, set up by farmers selling everything from sweet potatoes to avocadoes and garlic. Keep your eyes peeled and pull over at anything that takes your fancy – you might end up with a car load of fresh local produce before you leave.

Stalls mostly operate on an honesty system, so it’s a good idea to have some spare change on you.

11am: Sip on the spoils of sugarcane 

While it’s perhaps one of the region’s most famous exports and the iconic yellow-label stocks every bar in the country, there’s something special about visiting Bundaberg Rum Distillery for yourself. This is Australia’s largest craft distillery after all, founded in Bundaberg’s sugarcane fields. And whether you’re a drinker or not, the tour that takes visitors behind-the-scenes from cane to cup opens your eyes to the fascinating and detailed distilling process. And it finishes with the opportunity to try several of the rums made right here.

Real rum connoisseurs should book the Blend Your Own experience, a hands-on workshop where you’ll be introduced to Bundaberg’s premium rum profiles, then blend your own bottle of liquid gold to take home.

If you’re really not into rum or you have kids in tow who want a taste of the action, you might instead prefer to visit The Bundaberg Barrel, home of the iconic ginger beer. Take a self-guided tour to learn the secrets of how they’ve been brewing premium soft drinks since the 1960s, then pick and mix your favourite flavours to go – there are 15 flavours brewed onsite.

2pm: Late lunch by the water

There’s nothing better than fresh seafood straight from the trawlers. If you’re a fan of wild caught prawns, scallops and mud crabs, Grunske’s by the River is the place to go for a casual but unique dining experience – where local fishing vessels unload their catch before your eyes.  Part restaurant, part seafood market, roll up your sleeves and peel fresh river prawns while you linger over sweeping Burnett River views.

4pm: Shop local and stock your pantry

Bundaberg’s downtown area offers plenty more for foodies too. Full from lunch, this is the best time to wander between gourmet stores and pick up a few souvenirs to take the taste of Bundy home with you.

Stop for coffee and produce hampers at One Little Farm; pick up old-fashioned favourites like polly waffles, rocky road and fudge at Cha Cha Chocolate; and peruse the shelves of gourmet smallgoods at Nana’s Pantry, where you can also grab a scoop of homemade macadamia and ginger gelato if you still have room left.

6:30pm: Grab dinner at the brewery

Do as the locals do and spend a relaxed evening at Bundaberg’s brewery, Ballistic Bargara. There’s something for every beer drinker to enjoy, from classic lagers and red ales to special releases like hazy IPA, Mexican hot chocolate stout and watermelon gose.

The team brews many of the beers onsite here, alongside offerings from Ballistic’s Brisbane outpost. Between a tasting paddle and the pizza menu, you can’t go wrong.

Day 2

9am: Get a little nutty

You’ll no doubt roll slowly out of bed this morning, but there’s a lot more to see and eat on this Bundaberg foodie itinerary. Grab a cuppa to start the day: Street Bean Coffee Car and Grindstone Coffee House are among two local favourites for excellent espresso, with cabinets of baked goodies if you can’t help yourself.

Save room for breakfast at your destination, Macadamias Australia. More than a farm, this business has evolved from a small roadside shop to an interactive visitor experience that’s even home to its own café, The Orchard Table. Grab a table and tuck into the menu with a macadamia twist. After breakfast, take the tour to learn all about the process of getting the nut from tree to taste, from cracking macadamia nuts in the orchard rows to peeking into the chocolate room. This should give you just enough time to make room for a scoop of divine macadamia gelato before you leave. It’s worth every bite.

10.30am: Stock up on picnic supplies

A short drive down the road is Alloway Farm Market, home of Redridge Produce. Depending on the time of year you visit, you’ll find shelves stocked with all kinds of fruits and veggies, as well as locally made chutney, relish, baked goods and deli-style snacks. All the fixins’ you need for a DIY picnic lunch later on.

11.30am: Raise a glass at cellar doors

Get a few more miles on your tires, as 30 minutes down the road are two wineries nestled into Childers’ hillside. Vintners Secret Vineyard has a range of estate-grown and blended varieties including shiraz, merlot and marsanne - and if you’re so tempted, add a cheese platter or picnic basket to your experience and bliss out in the courtyard for a while. Nearby at Hill of Promise, locals Mary and Terry offer what they call a ‘grape to glass’ experience, with drops like grenache, muscat and sparkling wine on offer.

If tastings leave you with an appetite, now’s a great time to take your picnic to nearby parklands or Woodgate Beach, before steering your way back into Bundaberg.

3pm: Get in the spirit at Kalki Moon Distillery

When it’s time to sample a stronger sip, make your way to Bundaberg’s international award-winning artisan distillery, Kalki Moon. Run by Bundaberg locals, the spirits here use locally-sourced ingredients like lemon and cinnamon myrtle and ginger.

Kalki Moon is known for their range of gin, including the special edition Solstice gin which is aged in Tasmanian pinot noir barrels, but a tasting session will also introduce you to rum, vodka and liqueurs. Be sure to take a bottle of your favourite home.  

6pm: Feast at Water St Kitchen

You simply can’t come to Bundaberg without a meal at Water St Kitchen – no matter how much room is left in your stomach after two days of feasting through this Bundaberg foodie itinerary. Just the aroma as you walk in will have you magically freeing up the space for two or three more courses.

This cosy café and restaurant is one of the best fine-dining experiences in Bundaberg, with dishes sourced from and inspired by the bounty of the region, including ingredients hand-picked by the chef himself. The ever-rotating menu always has something new and in-season to try, favourites being ricotta-stuffed zucchini flowers in ragu, sand crab lasagne and Queensland Darling Downs Angus steak. Room for dessert? How about a ginger panna cotta with mandarin, puffed quinoa and lemon snow. Alongside inventive cocktails and fine wines, Water St Kitchen is the perfect end to a flavour-filled Bundaberg adventure.

Where to now? Why not discover the Southern Great Barrier Reef, just a short hop away.