Bundaberg is not only the home of Bundy Rum, but also the iconic Bundaberg Barrel Brewed Drinks. Most Australians are aware of the famous Bundaberg Ginger Beer, but did you know that there are another 17 soft drink flavours?
You can’t pass through Bundaberg without doing at least one brewery tour! For spirit drinkers and over 18s, the Bundaberg Rum Distillery Tour is popular. However, for those who are looking for a more affordable factory tour, which even the kids can go on, the Bundaberg Brewed Drinks Tour is perfect.
Inside the Bundaberg Barrel you’ll find a colourful and interactive self-guided gallery tour, which includes taste testing and a FREE 6-pack at the end (for each adult paying ticket).
Here’s the full guide to the Bundaberg Ginger Beer & Brewed Drinks Tour.
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Bundaberg Ginger Beer Factory History
The Company was Born
The original Bundaberg Barrel Soft Drinks company was established.
Electra Breweries was Purchased
Neville and Gladys Flemming bought Electra Breweries (a bottling and fermenting business) with their son Cliff and daughter-in-law Lee.
Moved to Current Location
From 1968 to 1973 they operated from the Electra Street premises, before moving to its current location at 147 Bargara Road.
Hit the Supermarket Shelves
It was in the 1980s that production really kicked off as the company secured a slot throughout Australian and New Zealand supermarkets.
Original Owners Retired
Neville and Gladys retired in 1985, handing the business down to Cliff and Lee.
“Bundaberg Brewed Drinks”
It wasn’t until 1995 that the Bundaberg Brewed Drinks name, which we’ve all gown up to know and love, was developed.
First TV Ad
The year of their first television advertising campaign.
First Ginger Crops
Started growing their own ginger crops to ensure high quality and steady supply.
The Barrel was Built
The Bundaberg Barrel was built next to the ginger beer factory to attract tourists.
Claiming the International Market
Now exporting to over 30 countries worldwide.
Record Sales!
Highest recorded sales to date.
Hitting Costco Shelves
Now selling in Costco stores in the US.
Iconic Stubbies
All flavours now available in the iconic Bundaberg Brewed Drinks stubbie bottles.
Bundaberg Barrel Brewed Drinks Tour
Visitors can enjoy a fully interactive self-guided tour through the barrel. Enjoy taste testing at the end with a free 6-pack to take home.
Bundaberg Barrel Brewed Drinks Tour
Book Your Tour
The first step is to book your Bundaberg Barrel Brewed Drinks Tour.
As it’s a self-guided tour with only a small amount of space in the gallery, bookings are required to ensure that visitors are spread out with allocated time slots.
Here’s where you can book your Bundaberg soft drink tour.
What’s Included in the Bundaberg Brewed Drinks Tour?
The Bundaberg Brewed Drinks Tour offers a very interactive, fun and colourful experience for all ages.
Bundaberg Brewed Drinks Tour INCLUSIONS:
- Self-guided Gallery Tour
- Smellography Wall – play ‘Guess the flavour’
- Touch screens with a live feed of the warehouse next door – shows different parts of the bottling & packing process
- Lots of information behind the flavours, history & creation process
- Conveyor belt transporting bottles
- Machine demonstration
- Viewfinder window into a vat to watch the brew passing through
- Taste Testing Bar with 18 flavours
- 6-pack of Bundaberg soft drinks of your choice to take home
- Huge selection of drinks available for purchase
Self-guided Gallery Tour
Be sure to arrive 10 minutes before your Bundaberg Brewed Drinks Tour and check in with the staff.
You will be shown to the entry door of the Self-guided Gallery Tour. From there, you can spend the next half an hour or so wandering through at your own leisure.
See if you can guess the different Bundaberg soft drink flavours at the smellography wall.
Use the touchscreens to swap between 8 different cameras throughout the soft drink factory next door, giving a 360º view of the packing and distribution process.
Watch the production line of bottles as they pass you by along the conveyor belt, ready for boxing and delivery.
Learn about the step-by-step process, from grinding the ginger to brewing the soft drinks. Have a look at the vats and machines used along the way to create the various flavours.
Taste Testing Bar
Once you’ve wandered through and finished the Self-guided Gallery Tour, you will exit through a door which will land you at the Taste Testing Bar.
You’ll find a friendly staff member behind the bar with the entire range of Bundaberg Brewed Drinks flavours lined up and ready to go.
Everyone will get the chance to sample all 18 Bundaberg Brewed Drinks flavours!
Once all visitors have gathered around the Taste Testing Bar, the staff member will take everyone through each soft drink flavour, one by one. Along the way, guests are encouraged to try a sample of each flavour to see if you like it or not.
At the end of the taste testing, an empty 6-pack box is handed out to each adult who paid for the tour. You will be shown to the fridge filled with Bundaberg Brewed Drinks where you can mix your own complementary 6-pack of flavours to take home with you.
You can also purchase as many soft drinks as you like from the store, as well as pick up some merchandise (key rings, bar runners, stubby coolers etc.)
Bundaberg Brewed Drinks Tour Prices
| BUNDABERG BREWED DRINKS TOUR | |
|---|---|
| Entry Prices | ADULT – $18 (including a mixed 6-pack) CHILD (under 18) – $6 (excludes 6-pack) |
| Time | • Allow 45 mins to 1 hour • Arrive 10 mins prior to booking time |
| Opening Hours | Monday to Saturday: 9.00 am – 4.30 pm Sunday: 10.00 am – 3.00 pm |
Getting to the Bundaberg Barrel
From the Bruce Highway:
- Take the Bundaberg Gin Gin Road exit & follow for 49.5 km
- At the roundabout turn left onto Bourbong Street and follow for 1 km
- Turn left onto Princess Street (which becomes Bargara Road)
- Drive for 1.6 km and look for the Big Barrel on the left
| BUNDABERG BARREL | |
|---|---|
| Address | 147 Bargara Road, Bundaberg East QLD 4670 |
Parking at Bundaberg Barrel
There is some parking on-site for visitors to the Bundaberg Barrel.
For those who are towing a trailer or caravan, there is one long spot to cater for that. However, all other parking is along the street.
More Things to do in Bundaberg
BIG Bundaberg Rum Bottle
While you’re visiting Bundaberg, you must head over to the famous Bundaberg Rum Distillery and get the obligatory photo of/ with the BIG Bundy Rum Bottle.
As a tribe, we love to see how many Aussie BIG Things we can tick off as we travel the country. It’s lots of fun and feels like the biggest treasure hunt we’ve ever been on!
HINT: There are 3 Big Things in the Bundaberg area to tick off the list! Download yours below.
QLD Big Things Checklist
With over 150 Big Things to find around Queensland!
- 17-page checklist
- Pre-filled with 150+ items
- Categorised into 6 regions
- QLD Regional Map
- Full street addresses
- Record finds & dates
- DIGITAL & PRINTABLE
Bundaberg Rum Distillery
The Bundaberg Rum Distillery is Australia’s most awarded distillery and is world famous for its flavour and polar bear logo. The brand has been around for 135 years and is completely home grown using local ingredients.
It all started in 1888 when seven Bundaberg locals came up with a brilliant way of using a by-product of the sugar cane industry and opened a rum distillery.
Visit the distillery and take a tour to discover the entire history and how this world-famous rum is made.
| RUM DISTILLERY TOURS | PRICE |
|---|---|
| Museum Experience (self-guided) | • Adult – $20 • Senior – $15 • Child – $10 • Family (2A + 3C) – $50 Time: 30 mins Includes: 2 Rum Tastings (18+ only) |
| Museum & Distillery Experience | • Adult – $30 • Senior – $25 • Child – $15 • Family (2A + 3C) – $75 Time: 1 hour Includes: Top Shelf Rum Tastings (18+ only) |
| Blend Your Own Rum Experience | • Adult – $250 Time: 2 hours Includes: 2 x 700 mL bottles of your blend + 2 tastings |
Go here to book Bundaberg Rum Distillery tours.
Mon Repos Turtle Encounter
Mon Repos is home to the largest concentration of nesting turtles on the Australian East Coast. Here you will find the only Ranger-guided tour of its kind on this side of the country.
Watch as majestic sea turtles make their journey to the shore to lay their eggs. Then see their young, hatching weeks later and making the dangerous journey down the beach and into the ocean.
| MON REPOS TURTLE ENCOUNTER | |
|---|---|
| Season | – Runs from November to March – Bookings open in September – Allowed on the beach from 6 pm |
| Prices | • Adult (over 15) – $28.60 • Child (under 15) – $14.80 • Concession – $14.80 • Family (2A + 2C) – $68.95 |
Go here to book a Mon Repos Turtle Encounter.
Lady Musgrave Experience
Take a full-day cruise from Bundaberg to Lady Musgrave Island and explore the Great Barrier Reef. Enjoy snorkelling, a glass-bottom boat tour, fish feeding and a guided walking tour of the island.
| LADY MUSGRAVE DAY CRUISE | |
|---|---|
| Departs from Bundaberg | Leaves: 7.15 am Returns: 5.30 pm |
| Inclusions | • Morning & afternoon tea • Buffet seafood & salad lunch • Snorkel equipment, floating vests & pool noodles • Lady Musgrave HQ Pontoon with licenced bar & facilities • Underwater observatory • Glass bottom boat tour • Guided island walk |
| Prices | Adult – $250 Concession – $230 Child – $170 Infant – $33 Family – $710 |
Go here to book Lady Musgrave Day Cruises.
Free Camping in Bundaberg
While in Bundaberg we stayed at Hinkler Lions Park in Branyan, which offers Free Camping for 24 hours.
The rest area is in a great location, just 11 km from the Bundaberg Barrel and close to shops, which is handy for restocking your supplies.
Hinkler Lions Park Features:
💲 Cost – FREE
⏰ 24 hour stay limit
🐶 Pet friendly
🚽 Flushing toilets
💧 Drinking water
⬇️ Dump point
🍞 Covered picnic shelters
⚽️ Playground
📶 Telstra reception
🚗 2WD access
⛺️ Campers, Caravans, Motorhomes, Big Rigs
❌ NO: tents or generators allowed
Click below to see the full review with photos and a video walk-around tour.
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