Bundaberg, Queensland - Australia

Our next destination after Airlie beach was going to be Bundaberg but we decided we needed to stop overnight somewhere to break up the journey. We chose to stay in Rockhampton.  Unfortunately we did not have enough time to see much of the town but the campsite kept us entertained. We camped next to signs warning that we shared the river bank with crocodiles. Having seen many crocs in the wild on the Daintree River we did not question these signs and opted for a fairly early night.

Our stay in Bundaberg was again fairly brief however we did find time to squeeze in a trip to the Bundaberg Rum Distillery. Being the rum fan that Jonny is, it was something he had been looking forward to since we touched down in Australia back in December. The tour did not disappoint. Our tour guide was the most enthusiastic person about rum I have ever met; her energy levels were incredible considering it was only 10am on a Saturday morning. The tour involved taking us through every step and process right from farming the ingredients to the bottling process, branding and marketing of the rum. The best part for Jonny was the favourite part for most people - the tasting. Being the good girlfriend, I decided to drive. I realised it is in my best interest as when we get to South Australia and go on many wine tasting tours, it will be turn to drink and his turn to drive. Anyway as I was driving it meant Jonny not only got his 2 free rums but he also got my 2 and at 11am in the morning it is a nice wake up call. I did manage a sip of one drink that the knowledgeable staff recommended; it is one they called a girl’s best friend. Liquor with dark rum, chocolate, cream, vanilla and coffee. They served this over ice with a splash of milk and it was delicious, like a grown up milk shake with a kick. Unfortunately it is exclusive to their Bundaberg store which was rather disappointing but I am hopeful come Christmas time when in the UK we may be able to find this gorgeous Bundaberg liquor on Ebay????

After the tour in Bundaberg I drove us to Hervey Bay, the small town where I lived for a short time, nine years ago. I was not surprised to see that the town had hardly changed at all. Our old house still looked the same, the front garden just looked greener and the school I went to was exactly the same. One difference to the bay was the new addition of a rather nice bar and bistro by the pier where we spent a lovely evening with an old friend of mine and his partner. The main reason tourist visit Hervey Bay is because it is the best place in the world to see the Humpback Whales migrate. However we had sadly miss timed our visit and were at least 2 weeks too early to spot any passing by. Hervey Bay does have a second purpose for its tourists and that is because they are a gateway to Fraser Island. This is a tour we booked ourselves on to and will tell you about soon.