As the Southern gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, Bundaberg is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the whole world! Those beaches are home to 50% of the South Pacific’s nesting loggerhead turtles. So it’s no surprise that each year 30,000 people flock to Mon Repos to have an up close and personal experience with these amazing sea creatures.

For as long as visitors have been coming to the Great Barrier Reef, they have been faced with a huge dilemma at the end of their visit: They simply don’t want to leave! It’s a problem that Brett Lakey, founder and Managing Director of the Lady Musgrave Experience, was happy to solve with a new pontoon where visitors can stay overnight on – and even in – the reef itself. It’s a unique way to experience the beauty and wonder of the Southern Great Barrier Reef.

The pristine waters of the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef are a haven for over 1,200 species of fish, turtles, reef sharks and manta rays. This abundance of awe-inspiring sea life is also a drawcard for snorkelers and divers who love swimming in the presence of such majestic animals. And when they do, there’s no better place to stay than the Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort. It’s the perfect place for eco-minded adventurers to come for their R and R.

Kellys Beach Resort is all about connecting – to each other and to the natural beauty of the Bundaberg region. It’s a delightful place for families, who can relax in one of the 40 self-contained eco-villas set on lush resort grounds. Each villa can sleep between five and seven in an immediate family, making the resort a great-value option for parents of larger tribes looking for a relaxed beach escape. The wide range of facilities including pools, a tennis court, games room and restaurant can keep families entertained onsite. However, they’re likely to be drawn out for a short stroll along bushland paths by the stunning surf and sand of nearby Bargara.

If you’ve bought a sweet potato from an Australian supermarket recently, there’s a fair chance it will be a proud product of Bundaberg. Our region grows over 70% of Australia’s sweet potato supply. Always in season and harvested 52 weeks of the year, sweet potatoes are a hardworking crop so growers are always on the lookout for innovative ways to replenish the soils they grow in. One of the country’s biggest growers, Greensill Farming, has opened a new composting facility that turns your takeaway coffee cup into rich compost that helps grow their sweet potato crop.