From international journalists and content creators to industry peers and production crews – Team BT are busy turning up the heat behind the scenes, curating bespoke itineraries, envious media famils and detailed production schedules, so the region’s stories, experiences and people can be shared with the world!
Team BT works with you, our tourism industry to strike whilst the irons hot to get holidays in the Bundaberg Region selling like hotcakes and letting the world know about the newest experiences that are hot off the press! (Hot enough for you?? Get ready for a regular dose of puns!)
Check out our monthly lowdown on Who’s Hot In Region, and how you can get a slice of the action!
Jeanne Cooper & Jen Cooper
As the eyes of the world focused on Australia and New Zealand for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the sunshine state once again shone brightly - welcoming a mass of international journalists and media to dip their toes into the world-class experiences on offer in Queensland.
So when TEQ shared the opportunity to welcome freelance travel writer Jeanne Cooper and her sister, FOX Sports researcher and reporter, Jen Cooper to the Southern Great Barrier Reef – we jumped at the chance!
A Hawaii local, Jeanne has over 26 years at the San Fran Chronicle and a number of guidebooks under her belt, currently freelancing for the likes of United Airline’s Hemispheres and Air Canada’s En Route magazines. With Jeanne's focus on uncovering new Indigenous experiences in close proximity to Brisbane and Jen already in Brisbane covering the Women’s World Cup – this was a perfect opportunity to showcase the region to an international audience.
Fresh off the plane after a few days exploring Brisbane and Minjerribah, they were welcomed to the region by BT's Grace Boothman. The trio made their way to Water St Kitchen for an evening of cocktails, sharing cat pictures and Sand Crab Lasagna (Grace is the ultimate fan girl for this dish – and you can guarantee almost everyone at the table will order it after she preaches about it!) Shout out to Alex Cameron for surprising the seafood lovers with a little something he whipped up for the occasion! Little acts like this always add that extra sparkle to our media famils and prove that we really are where great care begins.
After a blissful night's sleep at C Bargara, and a whistle-stop visit to One Little Farm for a grab-and-go breakfast, the group hopped onto a scenic flight to Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort, for a day filled with magical marine life encounters and even a spot of whale watching from the window seat. How do you top a day like that? Well, with cult-favorite cocktails and savoring share plates at Berts of course!
The best way to start the day in Bargara is always with a feast on local produce at The Windmill Cafe, where they were joined by owner Joey Caruana and Bec Domaille from Taribelang Bunda Cultural Tours, before heading to the Mon Repos Turtle Centre for a guided talk with a QPWS Ranger to share a glimpse of the conservation work that goes on within the National Park.
A perfect synergy between the sisters’ interests in Indigenous experiences and Women’s Soccer was to invite local sisters and First Nations artists Chern’ee and Brooke Sutton to join us for Lemon Myrtle Iced Tea and Wattle Seed Scones at the Milbi Café and share the stories behind their artworks that are on display in the Turtle Centre. Oh and did we mention Chern’ee’s stunning designs were used throughout the FIFA Women’s World Cup? Jen was even wearing the merch as we met!
Check out a few snaps from the famil below.
Jessica Wynne Lockhart | Wanderlust UK
At the Australian Tourism Exchange back in April, Jess met with Grace in one of the many back-to-back speed date style appointments at TravMedia’s International Media Marketplace, where the pair talked all things citizen science, reef health, oh and about renting the entire of Pumpkin Island for a mega 40th birthday celebration.
So, when TEQ and Wanderlust UK asked Jess to pitch an angle for a story on the Great Barrier Reef, Jess felt this was the perfect opportunity to showcase Bundaberg and the Southern Great Barrier Reef citizen science programs, coral farms and underwater experiences without the crowds.
Following an early morning drive up from her Sunshine Coast base, Jess met Grace at the Bundaberg Regional Airport for an overnight getaway to Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort, where their days were filled with swimming alongside turtles, bird watching and a ridiculous amount of sea cucumbers, and the evening was spent sipping prosecco at sunset, before a slam—dunk victory at the island’s trivia night!
Master Reef Guide, Marine Biologist and all-round reef rockstar Jacinta Shackleton took some time out from guided snorkels and island tours, to share the island's eco-initiatives, sustainable practices, and the reality of reef health – which led us to the big question - how can visitors Travel For Good? and what role do we play in this? It’s a question we are constantly asking ourselves as guardians of the region's awe-inspiring natural surroundings.
Grace shares "For me, whenever I spend time on the islands, I leave feeling compelled to do more, to do better. Yes, being up close and personal with magnificent marine life definitely plays a part in that – but I think it’s the energy, passion, and dedication of the staff that really inspires me. Down-to-earth delivery and genuine conversations about the reality of everyday life in these precious ecosystems – that’s transformative travel. Plus, with Eco-Certified operators like Lady Elliot Island partnering with GreenFleet to offset 100% of carbon emissions from flights to and from the island, and Kellys Beach Resort sharing their THINK GREEN program with guests, it’s never been easier to support travellers in making the right choice".
For Jess’s final morning in Bundaberg, they were joined at The Windmill Café by Lady Musgrave Experience’s Melissa Tree, to dive into the business’s sustainability stories (hello Lady Musgrave HQ!), Citizen Science programs, and their big plans for the future. Monsoon Aquatics was the next must-do to be ticked off the bucket list, where Aquarist Juno shared a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes of Australia’s largest coral farm with Jess before the famil finished up on tour with the ever-engaging and enthusiastic Ranger Shane O’Connor at Mon Repos.
The issue of Wanderlust UK is still in production, so keep your eyes peeled for when we share that across our socials, however Jess also managed to squeeze in a bit of Bundy to her latest piece in TravelAge West – click here to check it out.
Channel 7 | WEEKENDER
Over a jam-packed 3 days in early October, the Weekender Crew captured the magic and meaning of Milbi Festival, the love and legacy behind Macadamias Australia, and the unspoiled coral reef and unbelievable wildlife encounters at Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort.
Presenter Chris Parsons and cameraman Brendan Busby hopped over to Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort, to chat with eco-legend Peter Gash, paddle on a glass bottom boat tour with Amy Gash and soak up the Southern Great Barrier Reef sunshine.
With their time in paradise coming to a close, they headed back to the mainland to capture the state-of-the-art Visitor Experience and family values of Macadamias Australia with Janelle Gerry and daughter Rachel McCauley.
A bright and early start for the final morning, meant a coffee stop at The Windmill Cafe before diving into the Bundaberg Region’s rich cultural heritage, great care for the environment and vibrant arts scene, shooting at Mon Repos for Milbi Festival.
Whilst in region, the crew were hosted by Marketing Co-ordinator Grace Boothman, and as always, Grace was so proud of how our tourism businesses share that Bundaberg magic so naturally with visiting media. In fact, so naturally that there was no need for any retakes, and the team wrapped early enough to squeeze in a visit to the iconic Bundaberg Rum Distillery – so shout out to Scott Merrick for giving the team a whistle stop tour!
Weekender is all about sharing the very best of coastal, country and urban destinations with great characters, fabulous food and memorable experiences to a total of 1,634,000 viewers every week!
After airing in Queensland, the stories will be televised nationally the following week, giving Australia a glimpse into some of the joyful and authentic experiences on offer in the Bundaberg Region, and in turn staying front of mind when they are planning their next holiday.
Tune into Channel 7 on the below dates:
🐢Milbi Festival – Sunday 22nd October | 5:30pm
🌳Macadamias Australia – Sunday 29th October | 5:30pm
🏝️Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort – Sunday 10th December | 5:30pm
International Travel Agents – G’Day Australia
Hot off the tail from educating in-market front-line agents on what makes the Southern Great Barrier Reef so great at G’day Australia in Cairns, BT’s Trade & Development Executive Loni Hammond jumped straight into hosting 11 travel agents from our key international markets across UK and Europe, for a smoking hot famil of the Southern Great Barrier Reef.
From Caves to Coral Cays, the group ventured from Capricorn Caves and Great Keppel Island, through the Gladstone Region with Gladstone Regional Tours and aboard 1770 LARC! Tours, before wrapping up with a day trip to Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort and a sunset picnic along the Bargara shoreline. Here they were joined by some of the region's trade-ready operators to connect over dinner.
As always, Loni’s rapid-fire industry knowledge, paired with her sizzling wit, allowed the guests to build a connection to our little slice of paradise, and well, to put it simply – they all got on like a house on fire.
Famil visits just like this are so important, as they allow agents to experience first-hand the high-level tourism products on offer, and the region's points of difference - enhancing their ability to turn up the heat, in hot pursuit of promoting and selling Australia to the world!
Want to get involved?
Let's talk!
Media and influencers are usually looking for new products or experiences, so if you have something new coming up, let us know with as much notice as possible so we can consider it within our PR and famil program.
If you are interested in being part of a famil itinerary, reach out to our This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to discuss what this may look like.
Learn more about Bundaberg Tourism's Destination PR strategy and famil program here.
