You know those feel good, heart warming, stay a bit longer, play a bit harder kind of events?
From foodie feasts hero-ing the salt of the earth farmers feeding the nation, to fist pumping music festivals, where you make lifelong friends in the crowd and sing almost as loud as the headliners. Our regions passionate locals are bringing regional communities together for everything from family fun days to transformational experiences connecting with culture in spectacular bucket list surrounds.
Ready to RSVP?
MARCH & APRIL
Easter in the Gardens | Sunday 17 March – Sunday 14 April 2024
Hop on over to the Bundaberg Botanic Gardens and celebrate the magic of Easter over 30 wonderous days! The ultimate hunt for hidden bunnies and larger than life easter eggs that have been lovingly designed by local artists and community groups.
Let the little ones skip and giggle down winding trails and through whimsical gardens, with egg-citing games and puzzles to solve along the way. Spend your morning soaking up the sunshine and shade of the Bundaberg Botanic Gardens, hop on the Australian Sugar Cane Railway and explore the iconic Hinkler Hall of Aviation whilst you’re there.
If you’d prefer to savour the aircon and cruise along with a podcast, then the legends at Wide Bay Kids have you covered too – with their new Self Drive Tour! Eight giant Easter eggs have been ‘hidden’ across the Bundaberg Region, from Gin Gin to Burnett Heads. So seatbelts on and hit the open road for an eggcelent eggventure 😉
As far as community connectors go, no bunny compares to Wide Bay Kids! and this event is their Easter gift to you, bringing together locals and visitors alike, and sharing some serious don’t worry be hoppy vibes. Just a little insight into the creative, passionate and welcoming good eggs that call our region home.
So download the map and hop to it!
Auswide Bank Sprint Triathlon Bargara | Sunday 28 April 2024
If your holiday prep includes training to swim, bike and run in the sun, then this might just be the event for you. Whilst traditionally in Bundy, we like to swap the run for world-class rum, the Bargara Triathlon is an exception.
Working hard and playing harder has never been easier with the Southern Great Barrier Reef ready and waiting as you cross the finish line. Whether you’re biking or beachin’, swimming or sipping, it’s the perfect reason to stay a bit longer and explore this eco-certified paradise. Relax in the mermaid pools at Elliott Heads, recharge with a mid-morning snooze at Kellys Beach, refuel with plates piled high with locally produced goodness at The Windmill Café Bargara, and reward yourself with a farm fresh strawberry ice cream at Tinaberries.
MAY
Lighthouse Country | Saturday 4 May 2024
Hands in the air and Akubra’s at the ready, it’s time to soak up the sunshine and dance late into the night at Lighthouse Country!
Boot scoot up a storm with headline acts such as Lee Kernaghan, John Williamson & Kasey Chambers taking to the stage, then spend the next day swimming alongside turtles on the Southern Great Barrier Reef with Lady Musgrave Experience – what a weekend!
Festival Director Gavin Hales (see legend pictured below), is a bundy boy through and through, so its no wonder him and his team work hard to ensure their festivals give something back to the town the call home. From raising funds for local volunteer legends Sea Turtle Alliance to having the regions most refreshing bevs flowing (Kalki Moon we’re looking at you!), so you get a little taste of the products our people are so proud of.
Tickets to Lighthouse Country = Long Weekend Sorted!
Lady Musgrave Experience Wellness & Yoga Retreat | Friday 10 May – Sunday 12 May 2024
Where better to find your inner Zen than surrounded by the glistening turquoise waters of the Southern Great Barrier Reef! Feel your energy flow and you inner balance restore, as you are guided through moments of meditation, yoga and Pilates with nothing but the lagoon to distract you.
Amongst the beauty of Lady Musgrave Island, connect with nature on glass bottom boat tours, guided island walks through the shade of the Pisonia trees and snorkeling alongside the friendly marine life of the lagoon. When you’re at a Lady Musgrave Experience Wellness & Yoga Retreat, you’re on island time – here your mornings are filled with flow sessions, breathwork, medicine drums and a cacao ceremony, whilst your evenings are spent on sunset cruises, turtle tours and dancing under the stars on Lady Musgrave HQ.
So next time you take a moment to reflect, or stretch into a downward dog, you’ll remember your retreat to the paradise of Lady Musgrave Island, and the memories made with like-minded souls. Now that is feel good!
If you’d like to dive into a deeper connection, then be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the next dates of the Taribelang Overnight Experience, brought to you from the teams at Lady Musgrave Experience and Taribelang Bunda Cultural Tours.
The perfect combination of coral and culture, snorkel alongside majestic marine animals, encounter abundant wildlife on island walks and be captivated by rich Aboriginal storytelling and Dreamtime, before spending your evening feasting on a tantalisting three-course dinner of native flavour and authentic bush tucker, and calling Lady Musgrave HQ home for the night.
Childers Heritage Weekend | Saturday 11 May – Sunday 12 May 2024
Soak up the best of the region’s hinterland with detailed heritage and insightful history in Childers, as part of the nation-wide Australian Heritage Festival.
Join local historians on discovery walking tours, wander through the historical complex, cast your eyes over military memorabilia, and immerse yourself in interesting museum displays and local craft showcases, celebrating the rich cultural roots of this charming storybook town. (Oh and wash all that down with Billy Tea & Damper!)
This quintessential Queensland town isn’t just about the years gone by, these days the town also pours a pretty good tipple, with a number of wineries to sip and swirl your way through. A glass or two over dinner, under the stars and fairy lights at The Rusty Gate Winery is always a picture-perfect way to finish up your day in Childers.
You’ll leave with an appreciation for local culture, a wealth of knowledge on the areas history, and a bottle of red to drink when you get home and reminisce over your trip.
JULY
Childers Festival | Thursday 25 July – Sunday 28 July 2024
Whilst Melbourne may have the event that stops the nation, we have the event that stops the Bruce Highway!
Childers Festival is a celebration of all things uniquely Childers, from the spectacle of Cane Field Fires, to behind the curtains peeks at the heritage listed Paragon Theatre and even long luncheons in the hinterlands wineries. Before it all wraps up with the last hoorah at the Childers Festival Day - where people from all walks of life come together to celebrate that beautiful Childers spirit with market stalls filled with artisan creations, vintage treasures and local feeds.
Our hot pick? An afternoon sipping local wines, listening to the sweet symphonies of live opera, whilst taking in the stunning surrounds of Lake Redbrook – yes please!
AUGUST & SEPTEMBER
Bulldogs vs. Dolphins NRL Game | Saturday 17 August 2024
Calling all footy fans! The Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs will return to their home-away-from-home for round 24 of the 2024 NRL season, as they once again take on the Redcliffe Dolphins at Salter Oval!
With all the action kicking off at 3pm, there’s plenty of time for you to grab a feed at The Old Bundy Tavern and swig a flight of craft cold ones at Ballistic Bargara beforehand!
Taste Bundaberg Festival | Friday 30 August - Sunday 8 September 2024
If your love language is a plate piled high, or the way to your heart is a home cooked meal, then this festival is sure to get your mouth watering. 10 days of fresh food feasting, dedicated to hero-ing the rockstars putting their heart and souls into feeding the nation, producing 25% of Australia’s fruit and veg.
From the fan favourite Macadamias Australia picnic in the orchards and long luncheons at Water St Kitchen, to kid-approved Candyland picnics at The Garden Mill and the tour-de-divine of dessert trails, there’s something to whet everyone’s appetite. Meet the makers at the Taste Farmers Market, where you come face-to-face with the legends growing, brewing, distilling and creating 365 days of the year. Genuine, down to earth people (seriously, they’re elbow deep in soil most days) who are more than happy to have a yarn and share the local must-do’s.
Taste Bundaberg Festival is the kinda good time that leaves you with your heart just as full as your bellies (and with the dishes you’ll be dreaming of returning for!)
Mundubbera Blueberry Festival | Friday 27 September - Saturday 28 September 2024
Nestled in the North Burnett, the quaint quintessential Queensland town of Mundubbera is rolling out the blue carpet for travellers and locals, with the second ever Mundubbera Blueberry Festival!
As home to the largest covered blueberry farm in the southern hemisphere, it’s only right that Mundubbera celebrate this with 2 days jam packed with live music, great food and everything blueberries.
Spend your Friday feasting on local produce with a fine dining flair, weave your way through vibrant Artisan markets on Saturday Morning, before dancing the night away to the rock beats of Aussie legends The Angels at the Blueberry Jam Sesh to finish up the weekend! and of course, spend a few days explorig the rest of the beautiful North Burnett to truely make a trip out of it. Click here for some inspo.
OCTOBER & NOVEMBER
Lighthouse Rock | Saturday 19 October 2024
If you like your rock music with a little bit of reef, then say hello to Lighthouse Rock!
The sort of event that gets your heart pumping just as much as your fists. Where you spend the night singing along to those Aussie rock anthems at the top of your lungs, dance like Peter Garrett and make lifelong friends in the crowd.
Whilst tickets and details are yet to be released, with last years headline acts including the likes of Icehouse, The Living End and The Screaming Jets, we are sure it’s gonna be an absolute cracker of a line up! So be sure to keep an eye across their socials for the big announcement.
Milbi Festival | Thursday 25 October – Sunday 3 November 2024
Before the sandy shore of Mon Repos starts to fizz and bubble with the circle of life, the region becomes a hive of excitement and energy for Milbi Festival! I mean, how else would you kickstart Turtle Season than with an immersive 10 days of events celebrating these incredible testudines and our connection to Country.
Cultural experiences, dinners with a dash of bush tucker, events to bring out your inner eco warrior and a showcase of Indigenous storytelling and Dreamtime. Arts, Culture and County combined, in the town the turtles call home (no seriously, we’re home to the largest concentration of nesting loggerheads in the South Pacific!)
Looking for a turtle-y immersive getaway? Look no further – Milbi Festival 2024