The best day trips from Bundaberg

Take to the water with Lady Musgrave Experience for an unforgettable day exploring the Southern Great Barrier Reef.

Travel to Lady Musgrave Island on a luxury catamaran; you’ll get an educational reef presentation en route. Look up for birdlife on your guided tour of the world-heritage island, then look down to see coral, fish, rays, turtles and sharks on a glass bottomed boat tour through the lagoon. The lagoon’s calm, clear waters offers perfect conditions for snorkelling, so dive in for a closer look.

For something truly special, become a marine biologist for a day. Suitable for all ages, you’ll learn all about the diverse species found here on the reef, before you jump in for a private, guided water session and put your skills to work to help collect reef data.

Let your stomach guide the way

If you’re always thinking of your next meal, why not spend an entire day devouring produce from around Bundaberg? The region’s food philosophy is simple: grow local, eat local. So taste the best of its food bowl on a self-guided food trail.

This food itinerary will get you started. Taste your way through family-owned macadamia farms; fields of strawberries (where you can pick your own – or better yet, grab a scoop of fresh made strawberry ice cream); and grab fresh produce, flowers and coffee from farm stores like Alloway Farm Market and One Little Farm. To experience a local winery, head to Hill of Promise Winery and Cellar Door.

Want to leave it to the experts? Bundy Food Tours runs half day tours on Thursdays and Saturdays that will introduce you to the hidden gems of Bundaberg’s food scene. Visit and sample from local farms, seafood markets, butchers, bakers and distillers. Finish it off with a tasting board at Bargara Brewing back in town, and it’ll be a day trip you wish you could repeat every day.

Or sip your way through Bundaberg’s growing boutique beverage scene with Off The Wagon. The full day tour visits four local creators: tastings and morning tea at Ohana Ciderhouse, wine tasting at Brierley Wines, lunch and a tasting at Vintners Secret Vineyard, and tastings and a tour at Kalki Moon Distillery.

Meet the Great Barrier Reef island leading the charge in sustainability

See one of the world’s natural wonders from the air, land and water in one action-packed day for the books. Lady Elliot Island is a great day trip from Bundaberg. More than just a pretty face, here you’ll learn all about reef conservation at the state-of-the-art research centre, and see how the island has achieved 100% sustainability under the custodianship of passionate environmentalist Peter Gash OAM.

Day trips include return scenic flights from Bundaberg and an orientation tour, before you’ll explore the vibrant offshore reefs by glass bottom boat and guided snorkelling tours.

Uncover a new side of the city

There’s more than meets the eye to Bundaberg, and this day trip will show you a new side without having to venture too far at all.

Begin your day at Alowishus, which serves up breakfast all day alongside organic coffee. The sweet potato, corn and zucchini fritters are legendary. Then take a morning stroll to the Hummock Lookout, a volcanic remnant which offers views of Bundaberg city, patch-worked farmland, sugarcane fields and even the ocean in the distance. 

Discover the colourful history of the mighty Burnett River on board Bundy Belle River Cruise, before long-lunching at Grunskes Seafood Restaurant. In the afternoon, embrace Bundaberg’s most famous export and visit the Rum Distillery for a tour and tasting.

Wreck-dive

Descend 30 metres below the surface and you’ll meet a scuttled ship teeming with marine life. One of the newest diving attractions in Australia, you’ll have the unique opportunity to dive ex-HMAS Tobruk as a day trip from Bundaberg. Explore 127 metres of nooks, crannies and naval history, and come face to face with manta rays, groupers, turtles, cod and Spanish mackerel who all call the Tobruk home.

Dive from Bundaberg with Lady Musgrave Experience or Bundaberg Aqua Scuba.

Watch turtles hatch

This is one day trip where you’ll have to wait until night falls, because watching newly hatched baby turtles crawl out of their shells and make their first steps to the ocean is an experience that will leave you speechless. Mon Repos Turtle Encounter is a must-do experience while you’re in Bundaberg.  

Here’s everything you need to know about hatching season, and a few other spots you can see turtles on the Southern Great Barrier Reef.

Take flight with an aviation pioneer

In 1912, 19 year old Bert Hinkler made his first successful flight over Mon Repos Beach, in a glider he designed and built himself in his parent’s backyard. He went on to become one the world’s aviation pioneers, achieving the first solo flight from England to Australia. Delve into his history at the Hinkler Hall of Aviation and you’re sure to learn a thing or two.

A piece of one of Hinkler’s handmade gliders was flown on NASA’s ill-fated Challenger mission. It was recovered from the sea after the crash, and returned to Australia where it’s now on display at the museum.

Wander through Bundaberg Botanic Gardens and Hinkler Park to end your day.

Take a hike

If you’re looking for landscapes that will make you want to lace up your hiking boots and explore, check out these national parks which you can visit as a day trip from Bundaberg.

Head to Mount Walsh National Park to climb giant granite outcrops, where your hike can be rewarded with a swim in the tranquil Utopia Rockpools. Discover the diverse coastal habitats and tea-tree wetlands of Burrum Coast National Park. Coalstoun Lakes rises 200 metres above a valley, within an extinct volcano; while you’ll come across fascinating indigenous rock art, towering cliffs and ancient caves on the short walking trails of Cania Gorge.