Bundy but no Rum.

Though we were in Bundaberg for a couple days, we really didn't do an awful lot there, at least not as much as we'd hoped, but what we did do was fun. The marina is lovely, with good facilities but is fairly out of the way from everything, and so we hired their car for while. We had intended to buy a heap of fresh fruit and veg from the markets but the problem is, when you get there fairly late in the day, there's not a lot left, in fact where food is concerned, there's none, so we had to make a contingency plan to go to the Shalom Market on the Sunday morning. The Market is held at the Shalom Catholic School (is it just me or is there something kind of ironic in that name?)

Sugar cane fields. Ah that sweet, sweeeeeet sugar!

The Burnet River that flows through Bundaberg. Following record floods here in 2013, the popular Midtown Marina closed when the banks collapsed beneath it and washed a section of it down the river.

In the meantime, we took a diversionary trip to a swamp, which is nowhere near as dire as it sounds although, with all good swamp stories, there were HEAPS of bats! Mwahahahahahahaaaa! Granted, they were fruit bats (or flying foxes for the pedantic) but bats none the less. Awesome!!

Bats, bats and more bats. So cute I could just give them all a cuddle!

The Baldwin Swamp Environmental Park isn't strictly the true swamp it may have begun its life as as it is surrounded by well maintained paths and large expanses of mown lawn, but it is still a large and beautiful area with some of the waterways thickly covered with matted water plants. Towering gums harboured more bird life and the birdy sounds around us were glorious, but the little buggers making the sounds were elusive and camera shy. Even the light rain we had that afternoon only added to the atmosphere and, for a change, we'd remembered to bring the umbrella.

Raindrops on the water.  So beautiful!

A lovely Purple Swamp Hen

Not grass, it's a type of water lilly I think.

Peace, quiet, beauty and tranquility right in the middle of suburbia!

Hopping Goose!

A Leeeetle Theeestle (Barb will understand!)

Hungry Honey-eater

After a good couple of hours wandering the swamplands, we made our way back through the sugar cane fields to the marina where, that night, we caught up for sundowners with our friends Peter and Cathy on their boat 'Acropora'.  For the uninitiated, sundowners is where you get together on someone's boat, or a beach, or pretty much anywhere and have a drink and nibbles, and usually another couple of drinks as the sun goes down. It has been known for sundowners to end in the wee small hours of the following morning. :)

Cathy and Peter. We first met Peter in Port Fairy and once again met up down the line. Small world.

Unfortunately the one thing we didn't end up doing in Bundaberg, was to visit the distillery where the famous Bundaberg Rum is made. Perhaps next time.

Tomorrow we get up early (again??!... double ugh!!) to head for Pancake Creek.

Location: Burnett Heads QLD 4670, Australia
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