Brisbane to Bundaberg Road Trip

Post

Subscribe

Posted 2022-12-15 by T. A. Rose ⇒ follow

Given rising living costs, high priced in-demand airplane tickets, and the need for a holiday, for those in Brisbane , it's a chance to try a road trip to some nearer destinations. The catch is wear on the car and crowded highways but the benefits are many as can be seen in the following:

I took this self-drive tour from Brisbane to Bundaberg recently but couldn't believe the usefulness in terms of writing that contrasting the Bruce Highway and the inland highways via Biggenden would have. I gained perspective - it's good to be aware of this difference. Although given I didn't effectively stopwatch the break times, I'll never know which way is quicker but going home we were home at 3PM leaving Biggenden at 8AM but had a three hour stop in Blackbutt from 10.15AM to 1PM and went home via the spectacular road over the Brisbane River dam walls, yet had we gone via Kilcoy after Blackbutt, we (me and the other extended family helping drive) would have been home by 14.15.

Incredibly after a quick stop at Yandina , lunch at Traveston outside Gympie, a quick drive through historic Maryborough instead of bypassing (please watch out for the unpainted speed bumps on Kent Street - pure deception and bad for the vehicle but super deterring ), and a walk on Woodgate Beach - we got to Bundaberg nine hours after departing Brisbane. Although I went via Aspley to 'warm up' but personally, nine hours was still very high and I think that's due to constant stopping or slowing for roadwork on the Bruce Highway - especially in Gympie.

Basically I realised the inland route is better but probably wears the car down more due to potholes. It is scenic, mountainous and has a great choice of driver reviver stops. Regarding potholes, the trip is scenic, and you'll have the entire road to yourself - if wear on the vehicle is a priority, just cruise at 90-95 kilometres per hour - it's certainly legal to do so, if trucks ever tail you - just let them past at opportunities to do so. The Bruce Highway had more attractions but it's also hard to tell which route is safer. Effectively, the inland route is Dáguilar, Burnett and Isis Highways to Childers instead of Bruce Highway, and from Childers, it's possible to use the Isis Highway, so from Childers to Bundaberg should be in less than one hour.

My extended family were keen to try the Bundaberg Rum Distillery guided tours. I saw that they definitely get tourists to compulsorily lock electrical items in secure lockers - that was no rumour. A very safe reason to add mystique to the tour - as a dedicated non-drinker, I really liked that tour because it had Queensland pride and fight (from the story about lives being lost and saved during the Burnett River's major flooding) and engineering in a manufacturer that has such a story to tell. The after tour tasting had such a fun range of quality rums, hence the tour is universally enjoyable - except for people who medically or mentally need to go dry. In that case, one could leave upon commencement of after tour rum tasting, or try a different one of Bundy's awesome range of tours!

For such different touring options, prior to touring the rum distillery, we drove from motel to each Bundaberg beach. We drove to Elliott Heads , Coral Cove, Bargara, Mon Repos and Burnett Heads, but we, unfortunately, missed Moore Park Beach due to its northern location. Some places were only visited by driving through and looking at the scenery, others were short leg stretches, yet others were stop-offs for meals and coffees. But such a self-drive tour shows that there is a range of beaches yet each one has unique charm and character.

That range of coastal resorts and beaches means one can read this and realise a pleasant holiday could be possible. WeekendNotes has sections on all destinations from Brisbane to Bundaberg, so it's a great chance to consider a holiday with a bit of variety but
with that all important lower stress and higher relaxation involved. Not all is lost as I found out - like many people I find the cost of plane tickets very demoralising on one level yet feel good that at least people can get out and about more often in the last six months. For myself, my road trip to Bundaberg was a chance to get out of comfort, to see places and many of them all in one holiday for the first visit, and still get to relax a bit and try and compare the inland route with the Bruce Highway - thus a satisfying way to end the year.

Of course - this review doesn't give all options away. In fact it aims to help others design their own value getaway. It's possible to include: Southern Barrier Reef touring, and, inland route quaint villages which are cooler yet mainly out of citrus picking season - hence a better chance of an accommodation vacancy existing but it's also turtle watching season and as stated before - my trip is just typical but with researching and planning, one could try Kin Kin, Pomona, Cooran, Cooloola Coast, Hervey Bay area up to Burrum Heads, Woodgate Beach, Moore Park Beach, Biggenden, Gayndah, Maryborough or even up to Rodds Bay and Agnes Water, onto Rockhampton and Yeppoon. Hopefully my road trip is effectively food for thought for those who feel doomed to a warming summer of unrealistically driven higher costs and stresses - and can find a chance to make friends and get a much needed swim and scenic drive in.

Photos courtesy of author 2022.