Getting Here
Road I Rail I Air I Island Connections
An easy four and a bit hour drive or quick 45 minute flight from Brisbane, Bundaberg is well situated to begin your journey into the Southern Great Barrier Reef.
Don't like flying and not a fan of driving? Sit back and relax as you take in the scenic countryside, all while enjoying the rustic, old-school charm of rail travel with QLD Rail.
Once you land or arrive in Bundaberg, we recommend hiring your vehicle from Budget Car and Truck Rental located on Johanna Boulevard. Alternatively, if you're in need of transfers to and from your accommodation, you can also reach out to Bundaberg Shuttle Services.
By Road
| Location | Distance | Drive Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bundaberg to Brisbane | 362 kms | 4 hours 18mins |
| Bundaberg to Cairns | 1354 kms | 15 hours 18mins |
| Bundaberg to Gladstone | 187 kms | 2 hours 14mins |
| Bundaberg to Hervey Bay | 109 kms | 1 hour 24mins |
| Bundaberg to Rockhampton | 288 kms | 3 hours 20 mins |
| Bundaberg to Whitsundays: Airlie Beach | 768 kms | 8 hours 41 mins |
Useful links on road conditions
Rail
Queensland Rail (Phone 13 16 17), offers daily departures from Bundaberg. These services go both north and south. Queensland Rail Travel also offer a number of accessibility features on the Bundaberg Tilt Train and Spirit of Queensland service to Bundaberg. For more information about accessible travel with Queensland Rail please contact their team directly or visit queenslandrailtravel.com.au/Planyourtrip/accessibility.
Air
Bundaberg Regional Airport is located to the south-west of Bundaberg, just 15 minutes from the CBD.
Qantas offers daily services between Brisbane and Bundaberg, with national and international connections from Brisbane.
Link Airways offer regular services between Brisbane and Bundabearg, with connections to Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney and regional destinations in New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania.
Bonza will commence direct flights between Bundaberg and Melbourne in 2023.
Island Connections
Lady Elliot Island: A mere 25 minute scenic flight from the Bundaberg Airport and you are landing on the first island of the Great Barrier Reef. The waters around Lady Elliot Island teem with marine life. A coral cay, Lady Elliot Island is world renown as home of the Manta Ray, with research identifying over 7000 individual manta rays in the surrounding waters. (That makes for pretty good odds of spotting one as you are flying to/from the island, or while you are snorkelling, diving or in the glass bottom boat). Visitors can enjoy a day trip to this Southern Great Barrier Reef gem, or stay as long as you like in the islands' 41 room eco resort.
Lady Musgrave Island: A day cruise away from Bundaberg Port Marina and Town of 1770/Agnes Water, Lady Musgrave Island is unique as it is the only coral island on the Southern Great Barrier Reef with a navigable lagoon. The island and lagoon is a pristine coral cay with 1,192 hectares of spectacular fringing reef ready to be explored.
Heron Island: In the north lies Heron Island, ribboned by sugar white sands, crystal waters and acres of coral gardens ripe for exploring. With no day trippers, the 4 star resort island is made for doing as little or as much as you like, a boat ride from Gladstone Harbour.