The Great Barrier Reef covers enough area to find a nicer base than Bundaberg, particularly one by the sea.
I passed through Bundaberg travelling to the North and although the city did not seem unpleasant to me, with several well preserved historical houses and a certain old-fashioned charm, I wasn't taken in by this industrial centre which is quite well known in Australia.
It's actually in Bundaberg that one of the biggest sugar cane producers is based (and so the rum of the same name), which made this city famous throughout the whole country. It's therefore a city which remains quite industrialised and for those looking to discover the Great Barrier Reef, be aware that the coast is still 15 km away. So don't hesitate to push on a bit further along the coast which makes the region's reputation for a more pleasant holiday spot.
If you've had enough of roaming Queensland's beaches and want to get back to civilisation, Bundaberg will be right up your street. Though for us coming here was just a chance to take a break and have a coffee, the city does contain some unusual places to visit, e.g. the Bundaberg Barrel, the brewery where Bundaberg Ginger Beer is made. The one-to-two hour tour of this facility is conducted by means of a series of humorous interactive displays detailing the history of non-alcoholic fermented beverages and describing the manufacturing process involved in their production, and you also get the chance to sample the product for free.
For a different attraction involving a different kind of drink, how about the Bundaberg Rum Distillery, where the product known locally as "concentrated hate in a can" has been made since 1888? On the tour of the facility you get to learn the 120-year history of this "fighting juice" as well as that of the distillery itself, at which you can also sample this very distinctive rum … in moderation of course, as its reputation suggests!
And finally, there is also Hinkler House Memorial Museum to visit, where you can learn all about the aviation pioneer born in Bundaberg and who in 1928 became the first person to fly solo from England to Australia. Later, in 1931, he also became the first person to fly across the South Atlantic. And if you are not particularly interested in the history of aviation or rum, I recommend heading south to explore Fraser Island instead.