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Bundaberg is a city in Queensland, Australia. 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. Bundaberg is a major centre within
Queensland's Wide Bay-Burnett region.
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".
The local Aboriginal group is the Gurang Gurang
(goo-rang goo-rang) people.
Bundaberg has sister city agreements with Nanning,
China and Settsu City, Japan.
Industry
Subtropical Bundaberg is dependent to a large extent
on the local sugar industry. Extensive sugar cane
fields are present 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 better-known
exports is Bundaberg Rum, which is 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
prominent throughout the district, most notably
tomatoes, zucchinis, capsicums, legumes and
watermelons are grown in abundant quantities.
Tourism
Tourism is an important industry to Queensland and
Bundaberg is known as the '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 world famous Mon Repos turtle
rookery is located on the coast just east of
Bundaberg, as is the town of Bargara, an
increasingly popular holiday and retirement
destination.
The northern bank of the Burnett River between the
Don Tallon and Burnett bridges is home to a colony
of flying foxes. The bats leave the river at dusk
and fan out all over the city to look for food.
Tours of the famous Bundaberg Rum distillery are
also popular with tourists. The Mystery Craters —
mysterious water filled holes in the ground at South
Kolan are also a tourist attraction.
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.
Mon Repos attracts tourists. Kellys Beach is popular
with families, particularly in summer months.
Transport
Bundaberg is situated at the end of the Isis Highway
(State Route 3), approximately 50 km east of its
junction with the Bruce Highway. 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. Many
long-distance bus services also pass through the
city. Bundaberg is also served by Bundaberg Airport,
with flights to Brisbane and Lady Elliot Island.
Adjacent to the airport is a campus of Central
Queensland University. The city is home to the
Jabiru Aircraft Company, which designs and
manufactures a range of small civil utility
aircraft. 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. |
