Bundaberg by boat

Sharon Smallwood enjoys one of Queensland's friendliest ports - Bundaberg.

Brilliant II sailed into Bundaberg on her second visit. We had called in briefly during the summer of the same year while southwardbound for Sydney. Onboard that August afternoon were myself, my husband Julian, and our two cats, Pepe and Carlos. We were planning to stay for about six weeks. Julian had a place at the Maritime TAFE (based at Port Bundaberg) to study for his Master V. When the course finished in October we would head north to the Whitsundays. Or so we thought.

Brilliant II sailed out of Bundaberg almost two years later. Why did we stay for so long? Quite simply, Bundaberg is an exceptionally boat-friendly base.

Arrival

One of the first things that sets Bundaberg apart from other destinations on the east coast is its easy access. An all-weather, all-tidal entrance allows for arrival at any time of day or night and in any conditions. Much to the tired skipper’s relief, there are no shifting sandbars, rocks or coral reefs to avoid.

Boat traffic approaching Bundaberg follows a well-defined path along a dredged and beaconed channel. At night this is lit up like a nautical runway, with all but the two outer beacons flashing simultaneously. The lighthouse at Burnett Heads is visible from 18nm offshore, ensuring the safety of night arrivals. Conversely daytime travellers will find little in the way of noticeable landmarks on approach. Bundaberg is entirely flat with the exception of the Sloping Hummock — its one hill. This ancient volcanic plug rises a mere 96m above sea level. It is the only platform in the area from which to gain an elevated view.

International cruisers enjoy a stress-free landfall with full customs, quarantine and immigration clearance on site. This is a well known fact, hence more foreign-flagged vessels have cleared into Bundaberg over the past four successive years than any other port on the eastAustralian seaboard. Bundaberg is a convenient destination to aim for at the end of the South Pacific cruising season because it is statistically below the official cyclone belt; a noteworthy factor for many skippers and their insurance companies these days.

Berths and anchorages

Cruisers are spoilt for choice when it comes to berthing in Bundaberg. There are three marinas and numerous anchorages, all with their individual merits.

Closest to the river mouth is the marina at Burnett Heads, located within the ‘Boat Harbour’. Access is via an opening in the southern rock wall, clearly defined by port and starboard markers. The marina supplies fuel and ice, has a slipway, chandlery and facilities for marine repairs and engineering. At the time of writing berths were reasonably scarce, but this could change if planned expansions go ahead.

Anchorage is possible inside the Boat Harbour, although depths are quite shallow and again space is pretty tight. Dinghies can be landed on the beach, boat ramp, or at the Blue Water Sports Club. Within walking distance are all the facilities of the township of Burnett Heads, a small suburban centre with minor shopping amenities, a hotel/motel, caravan parks and plenty of unspoiled seashore to explore.

Just one mile further upstream is the internationally acclaimed Bundaberg Port Marina; a well maintained establishment with 160 floating berths to suit various size vessels. The marina provides a courtesy bus to visit the Sunday markets and ply the 20km stretch of road into the CBD and back. A 70-tonne travellift and ample hardstand space sees the Port Marina utilised just as much for haul-out and repairs as it is for a pit-stop by those cruising the Queensland coast. There are boat-builders, shipwrights, metal fabricators, diesel mechanics, chandlers, canvas specialists, electronics experts, yacht brokers and more, all based in the vicinity (see CH March 2009).

For those who wish to be closer to the CBD, Midtown Marina is the venue of choice. Now also known as Bundaberg City Marina, this friendly facility is located in the Town Reach of the Burnett River on Targo Street, one of the main thoroughfares of the Bundaberg shopping district. Here cafes, pubs, supermarkets and shops of all descriptions will be found, just a short walk away. The marina has 50 midriver moorings for rent as well as its 80 floating berths. Chandlery items and fresh seafood are available on site. There is a maintenance wharf but no hardstand. Those wishing to haul out upstream can use the Bundaberg Slipways, based on the opposite bank. This is one of the few facilities capable of lifting catamarans. It is generally recommended to ride the rising tide when heading from the river mouth to the CBD.

The Burnett River is a working waterway, which must be born in mind when seeking anchorage. Ships regularly call in to the port, trawlers ply both the river and surrounding seas, and while sugar is harvested from May to November, a cane ferry operates near the sailing club at Long Reach.

In early 2007 it was possible to anchor just to seaward of the Port Marina in the quarantine anchorage. For a daily fee the crew could use the marina facilities including showers and dinghy dock. Unfortunately by the time we returned that August this system had been significantly abused. Consequently the marina management had been forced to review its policy on anchoring out.

Since we needed to be based at the port and wanted to make use of the facilities ashore we were faced with the unthinkable — for the first time in Australia Brilliant II would be tied to a dock!

Cat capers

Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against marinas. We just usually avoid them, one reason being our cats. Thankfully the Port Marina is pet-friendly, subject to certain conditions. Our cats had never been in a marina before. Pepe was utterly terrified, refusing to go any further than the cockpit coamings for the first 24 hours. He gradually became more bold and eventually made friends with select members of the human race, although he retained his habit of hissing at whoever came down to our dock.

By contrast Carlos was ecstatic, particularly with the piece of dry land beside the boat that he could cavort around on. The first time he heard people say, “Oh look at that beautiful cat” — well, that set the tone for his entire stay. Carlos set about perfecting the art of being ‘cute’. Even the toughest of the local yard crew was heard to say, “I don’t usually like cats but that one’s cool”.

Bonding with ‘Bundy’

Julian completed his Master V and was offered a place on the MED II (engineers course). We decided to take the opportunity but our plans to head to the Whitsundays would have to be postponed. The course finished in December, which is not the time to sail north into head-winds and the start of the cyclone season. An executive decision was made to stay put, at least until we could re-evaluate the situation. The cruising kitty was dwindling, so after Christmas Julian set himself up in what would become a successful shipwright’s business. I found work with a local newspaper group and soon began to learn more about ‘Bundy’, its people, industries and the attractions that draw visitors here. Part of my job involved working on promotions for the Bundaberg Region in state wide papers as well as contributing to the ‘Bundy Book’, which remains the definitive guide to the area for newcomers and visitors.

Bundy icons

You cannot help but notice the seas of swaying sugarcane that form much of the surrounding landscape. The Bundaberg region produces one-fifth of Queensland’s sugar crop. It is the only place in Australia where all facets of sugar production occur — from growth to milling and finally to distillation.

Perhaps the most famous of Bundaberg’s products is its rum, manufactured locally since 1888 when a consortium of sugar millers decided to create the Bundaberg Distilling Company. Today Bundaberg Rum has the distinction of being Australia’s best-selling spirit and the region’s most notable export. The Bundaberg Bond store i s currently the only place where special variations can be purchased, along with a range of branded merchandise. Crews of visiting yachts who have taken the distillery tour generally report it a highlight of their trip.

Aviation

Julian was particularly interested in Bundaberg’s links to aviation, having previously studied for his private pilot’s licence. Bundaberg was the birthplace of Bert Hinkler, who in 1928 made the first solo flight from England to Australia, breaking no less than five aviation records. Though Bert lived most of his life in England and now lies buried in Italy, he remains Bundaberg’s most celebrated son. His life and achievements have been more recently immortalised in the new Hinkler Hall of Aviation. Bundaberg’s latest tourist attraction features multi-media exhibits, five aircraft and the painstakingly reconstructed Hinkler House, transported brick by brick from the UK.

Following in Bert’s footsteps today are the Bundaberg-based light-aircraft manufacturers Jabiru. From humble beginnings as engineers in the sugar cane harvesting equipment industry, Jabiru’s managing directors are now exporting Australian technology to the rest of the world. There are arguably few more significant places in Queensland to take to the skies, so in a feather-light Jabiru J160 piloted by my husband Julian, I took off from Bundaberg’s Hinkler Airport to follow the river from above, gaining a different perspective on its journey from the city to the port and to the ocean beyond.

Local cruising

Despite our flurry of activity on land and in the air, we were determined that Brilliant II should not totally lose her momentum. Work permitting, we got away from the dock whenever we could, making several trips to Fraser Island and Lady Musgrave lagoon.

For cruisers who are not tied to jobs Bundaberg is a fantastic base from which to await a suitable weather window for visiting these wonderful destinations, both within a day’s sail away. For us the winds at Christmas, Easter or public holidays rarely seemed to be favourable, although the weather would be glorious when I was back at my desk!

Nonetheless, we made some memorable trips, seeing turtles laying their eggs on the island of Lady Musgrave and enjoying a close encounter with humpback whales in Platypus Bay.

Back in port our weekends were spent socialising with them any new friends we made during our stay. October is a particularly sociable month when the Port to Port rally arrives. The Bundaberg Cruising Yacht Club sponsors several events during which participants, locals and resident cruisers can meet.

Cruisers and locals can also get together at a weekly happy hour held on Friday evenings at Baltimore, the Port Marina’s resident restaurant, bar and café. For us happy hour was always a great way to unwind after a week’s work, but in retrospect there was rarely a dull moment throughout our stay.