Tag: restaurants

Best of Bundaberg

We stopped into the Bundaberg Port Marina thinking it would only be for a weekend. We had work to do, which took so long, we spent over a week in Bundaberg. The good news is we got important boat jobs done, and experienced the best of Bundaberg, Australia.

About Bundaberg

Bundaberg, or “Bundy” for short, is an industrial town of about 100,000 people. Located up the Burnett River, north of Hervey Bay, it was our stop after K’Gari. Upon arriving, we noticed a lot of smokestacks and water tanks. Famous for making rum, the land is primarily sugar cane farms, with little trains moving the supplies between.

iconic Bundaberg scenery, smokestacks and sugar train
Bundaberg smokestacks and sugar train

The downtown is surprising, though, with boarded up buildings interspersed with lovely churches and heritage architecture. It’s nowhere near as exciting as Brisbane, but we had some fun finding the best of Bundaberg.

Bundy CBD buildings
The CBD has some heritage architecture
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A Weekend in Brisbane

Brisbane is not nearly as famous as Sydney or Melbourne, but we loved Australia’s third largest city. Known as Brissie for short (Aussies love nicknames), it has a great climate and lots to do. With amazing outdoor spaces, and a huge selection of restaurants, we thoroughly enjoyed our weekend in Brisbane. We want to go back!

About Brisbane

The capital of Queensland, Brisbane is the third most populous city in Australia. It’s the biggest city we’ve sailed to in our five plus years living aboard, and we loved being anchored in such a cosmopolitan place. The population is more than 2.5 million, way more than Auckland’s 1.6m, our previous biggest port.

Brisbane city sign, weekend in Brisbane
The Brisbane City sign along the park filled South bank

Brisbane has everything a city should have. It’s got tall buildings and bridges, lots of public art, great dining, and outdoor parks. The population is big, but compared to North American cities, didn’t feel crowded. In fact, everything feels spacious and spread out. Even the bars and restaurants have loads of space.

Felons Brewery
Felons Brewery, a huge brewery on the river in Brisbane
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Visiting Australia’s Gold Coast

After the eight day sail from New Zealand, I was happy just to get ashore in Australia. But it was even better than hugging earth, because of where we landed in Australia, Gold Coast. Our time visiting Australia’s Gold Coast was divided between exploring the area and prepping to sail north.

About Australia’s Gold Coast

Gold Coast is a region on the Tasman Sea in the south of Queensland, Australia. Comprised of hundreds of lakes and canals, with barrier islands and an intra-coastal waterway, it’s possible to travel by boat or bike, which is great for us! Plus, there’s an extensive transit system of trams and buses.

Gold Coast encompasses several coastal towns. We were based in the northern part of the region, concentrated in Southport, Main Beach, and Surfers Paradise, surrounded by vacationers and beaches.

Main Beach, Gold Coast, Australia
Main Beach in Gold Coast Australia
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