Accessible travel guide to Bundaberg

Rum might have made this place famous, but there’s a whole lot more to discover in Bundaberg. No one-hit-wonder, this flourishing region on the edge of the Southern Great Barrier Reef is a vibrant food bowl, home to pristine beaches and national parks, and one of the best places in the world to see turtles nest and hatch. And the rum’s pretty great too.

Just a five hour drive from Brisbane and connected by flights from most major cities, this is a destination worth adding to your bucket list if you travel with accessibility needs.

Ready to start planning?

Where to stay: accessible accommodation in Bundaberg

Bundaberg boasts a range of accessible accommodations from seaside holiday parks to inner-city hotels.

One of Bundaberg’s finest hotels in the heart of the CBD, Burnett Riverside Hotel, has accessible ground floor rooms for guests with mobility needs. It’s perched right on the river, and you can enjoy some of the region’s best flavours at onsite restaurant H20. Nearby, Acacia Motor Inn offers wheelchair friendly ground floor accommodation with the best eateries a short walk away, while Villa Mirasol has a fully equipped accessible room.

Prefer to base yourself by the beach? Bargara is the place with its refreshing ocean breeze and close proximity to Mon Repos. There’s lots to choose from here: BIG4 Breeze Holiday Parks has an easy access cabin accommodation that features wide entrances, ramps and a roll-in shower, while C Bargara Resort has lift facilities and accessible fully self-contained apartments right on the esplanade. Get a taste of luxury at oceanfront Manta Bargara, or check into Koola Beach Apartments.

For an even quieter beach experience, make your way to Woodgate Beach Holiday Park. Nestled between a spectacular white-sand beach and national park, this place will let you unwind and recharge like no other.

Play: accessible acivities in and around Bundaberg

Sip the region’s most famous exports

Drive outside the city limits and you’ll soon see this is sugarcane country. And where there’s sugar, there’s drinks.

Take a tour before you take a sip: the self-paced Bundaberg Rum Museum Experience is a fascinating glimpse into the history of Bundaberg Rum located within the retired bondstore that has aged some of their finest drops. Or, join one of the wheelchair and pram-friendly distillery tours, with most of the route being accessible as you touch and smell your way through the distilling process, before sampling from the wide rum selection. Tour scripts are available in printed format in a range of languages, including English, while tour guides use a personal microphone to amplify their commentary throughout the experience.

Prefer ginger beer? Take the True Brew tour at the Bundaberg Barrel then taste your way through all of the yummy flavours.  

Get to know a local icon

Born in Bundaberg, Bert Hinkler became Australia’s famous solo aviator, renowned for the pioneering solo flight from England to Australia in 1928. Visit the Hinkler Hall of Aviation to discover his story, adventures and achievements through interactive displays – including a replica Avro Baby aircraft. The museum is wheelchair and pram accessible, with accessible amenities.

Wander the gardens

The Hinkler Hall is located within Bundaberg’s Botanic Gardens, so it pays to stick around and explore while you’re here. Covering over 27 hectares of land, make your way through the Chinese Garden, Japanese Garden, rare fruit tree orchard, Australian rainforest and lakes home to 114 bird species, among much more. Pathways are sealed and unsealed, and assistance dogs are welcome.

Travelling with kids? The Nature Playground here is all-abilities, with a wheelchair accessible swing and carousel. Another all-abilities playground is located at nearby Boreham Park, complete with a custom double swing, all abilities spinner and inclusive in-ground trampoline.

Discover the Mystery Craters

How they formed is an unsolved scientific puzzle, but the Mystery Craters are well worth a look. Located halfway between Bundaberg and Gin Gin, 35 oddly shaped craters were discovered in 1971. Wheelchair and pram-friendly, come to see it for yourself and create your own theory as to how they appeared.

Explore the beaches

Bundaberg’s beachside is the place to go to soak up that salty air. Start at the coastal pathways along Bargara Beach which are perfect for wheelchairs, prams and adaptive cycles. Those who want beach access or to cool off in the water can now do so, thanks to beach matting at Bargara's Nielsen Park, with a floating beach wheelchair available from the Surf Life Saving Club. 

You can also head to the accessible paths along The Banksia Track in Burrum Coast National Park, a boardwalk through tea-tree wetland where birds and kangaroos abound.

Meet some curious looking locals

Learn all about the turtles that draw thousands of visitors to Bundaberg each year at the state-of-the-art Mon Repos Turtle Centre,  a resource dedicated to marine turtle research, protection and education. The centre and activities within it has wheelchair access, including the theatre, while the Turtle Trail is suitable for assisted wheelchair access. (Due to the sandy beach, wheelchair access isn’t possible for turtle encounter tours).

Get on the wild side at Alexandra Park Zoo, Bundaberg’s free zoo home to dingoes, lizards, birds and more. There’s wheelchair and pram access throughout the zoo, with accessible toilets close by.

Cruise out to the Southern Great Barrier Reef

The Reef is within reach for Bundaberg travellers thanks to Lady Musgrave Experience and their solar and wind-powered multi-level pontoon on the Southern Great Barrier Reef.

Those with mobility needs will have a comfortable and exciting day out, with a wheelchair accessible vessel to transport you to the pontoon, trained staff to assist you between levels on the pontoon, and an accessible glass-bottom boat for exploring.

Guided tours on Lady Musgrave Island are also possible for those with an all-terrain wheelchair and it is hoped there will be portable beach matting available in the future.

Eat & Drink

Getting a taste of the region’s bountiful produce is easy in Bundaberg, with some local favourite restaurants and cafes being wheelchair friendly and catering to access needs.

Start your day with classic breakfasts and great coffee at Alowishus, or stop in for a burger at lunch. The friendly crew also work hard to reduce their waste and eco-footprint, with initiatives like sending food waste to local Splitter’s Farm and collecting coffee grounds for Endeavour Foundation’s worm farm.

To lunch among the trees, make your way to Macadamias Australia, where onsite cafe The Orchard Table offers seasonal, locally sourced bites with a macadamia twist. The accessible visitors centre offers all guests the opportunity to learn more, sample, and pick up locally grown nuts and products for souvenirs. 

Dine amongst 4-acres of peaceful gardens at HSG at the Gardens. The focus here is on locally-sourced produce full of heart and soul – and there’s indoor and alfresco dining with a dog-friendly courtyard too.   

Come evening, head to a riverside restaurant. H20 Restaurant and Bar boasts a contemporary menu that’ll satisfy from entrée to desserts, with daily chef’s specials. Or dine on trawler to table seafood at Grunske's by the River: a local institution that is also one of only a handful of seafood processors that sell directly to the public.

Want to immerse yourself in the sounds and stories of the Bundaberg region? Download and discover the Vacayit app which is designed to support blind and low vision-impaired visitors access the best experiences on offer.