Moving to Bundaberg

by Gayle Reynolds · Published January 30, 2022 · Updated May 9, 2023

Are you new here? Have you recently made Bundaberg home?

First of all, Welcome to Bundaberg! You have made a great decision.

If you’re considering moving to Bundaberg, you’ll need to do a lot of research. The Wide Bay covers a large area - south to Gympie, north to Moore Park and west past Munduberra, a huge amount of land. There are 95,000 people that call Bundy, as it is affectionately known by locals, home. However, more than 144, 000 people live in the greater Wide Bay region.

The climate and geographical features of Bundaberg is described as one of the best in the world. Sitting along latitude 25 Bundaberg region includes tropical rainforests, mountain ranges and coral reefs. Bundaberg offers a laid-back, outdoor lifestyle, combining some of the best beaches with a gorgeous country feel. There’s an abundance of choice and options for families when moving to Bundaberg who just want to put the hustle and bustle of Metropolitan behind them.

Bundaberg at a glance

Queensland is the second largest state in Australia, sitting in the country’s northeastern corner. As of 2021, there are 5.2 million people living in Queensland, with 50% of these living in the state’s fastest growing region in the southeast. The state is known for its beautiful coastline, stunning ancient rainforests, the celebrated Great Barrier Reef, the enviable weather, and the laidback, outdoor lifestyle.

When you live in Bundaberg, you’re blessed with almost 2,800 hours of sunshine every year. What’s more, Bundaberg seems to have dodged most of the pandemic’s worst ramifications, so it can definitely seem like paradise compared with what’s been happening with its neighbours to the south.

Bundaberg is big in the agricultural industry, as well as health care, construction, and tourism.

Living in Bundaberg with kids

Life in Bundy may be a bit of a culture shock – particularly if you’re used to the busy-ness of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. No matter where you live in the Wide Bay region, the lifestyle is at a slower pace. Not only will you and your family enjoy the beauty of Bundaberg beaches but all the gorgeous nature parks, bike trails, playgrounds, rock pools and swimming holes. Bundaberg is also more affordable than other towns in Queensland and has plenty of lifestyle options to suit all family types.

Available Housing in Bundaberg for families

Low interest rates have seen the real estate market doing very well, particularly in the southeast, in major tourist centres including the Bundaberg and Wide Bay region.

The median home price for Queensland overall is $550,000, which is very affordable compared with Sydney (median $1.4 million) and Melbourne (median $1.022 million). The Queensland Market Monitor showed an impressive 6.1% growth across almost every region of Queensland in the final three months of 2020, and 2021 has shown broader increases in value across the market.

Now is the perfect time to buy in Queensland, particularly in southeast Queensland. The Queensland State Government also has more in-depth advice here on buying a home in Queensland and everything you need to know about various taxes, laws, and dos and don’ts.

Many families moving to Bundaberg are finding it hard to find housing. Our advice, make sure you have a long term solution before relocating to the Wide Bay region. Homelessness is increasing particularly with the increase of interstate buyers and the turnover of rental market. If you are in the market to purchase a home or if you are looking for a home to rent talk to Elisa and Justin at First National Bundaberg, they will try to look after your needs. Looking for a local bank? Talk to Trudy at BOQ Bundaberg to help finance your new home or business in Bundaberg.

Employment

Skilled workers are in short supply in regional areas of Queensland, and Bundaberg is no different. In the 2021 September quarter, the unemployment rate in Bundaberg Regional Council was 7.6%. The lowest it has been for a long time. Source. The largest employers in Bundaberg is the health care and social assistance sector, followed by agriculture, construction, education and training, and tourism.

Schools

In Queensland there are almost 1,300 state schools and over 450 independent and Private schools. No wonder as parents and carers, we struggle to find a school that is best for our children.

Our local school guide provides contact details including location, for all State, Independent and Private schools in the Bundaberg, Fraser Coast, North Burnett, Childers and Gin Gin area. When it comes to school, parents want to make sure they choose the right school for their kids. Check out our article we have written about choosing the best school in Bundaberg for your kids.

Child Care

Finding and choosing an early childhood service for your family can be a stressful time. You can read our article written to help parents and carers choose the right child care for their family. While you can expect national or state approved services to meet minimum standards, try to visit a number of services, check what they offer and compare them before making a decision. We have put together a list of all the local day care and child care centres in Bundaberg, including those providing approved kindergarten programs, family day care, before and after school care and vacation care. Download your copy of the Bundaberg Child Care Guide here.

Playgroups

Playgroups are an exciting place for children 5 years and under and their families to come together to play and learn. They’re are fun, safe and stimulating environments for children, families and communities. We’ve compiled a list of Bundaberg, Childers and, Gin Gin Playgroups to help you find the perfect playgroup near you. You can download the list of local playgroups here.

In addition to this long list of awesome playgroups Bundaberg Regional Libraries hold weekly sessions for children from birth to 5 years and their families.

Sports

Sports for kids Bundaberg, Fraser Coast, North Burnett we've got it covered! It's proven that playing a sport has a whole bunch of positives, particularly for kids. Overall, sports for kids can lead to healthy bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons, better balance and coordination, improve the posture and vastly improved sleep. Kids who play sport often are more relaxed, comfortable in social situations, and able to work as part of a team. Read more about sports in Bundaberg for Kids here and download the Wide Bay Kids Sports Guide here.

Disability support in Bundaberg

If you are moving to Bundaberg and looking for a disability support organisation to help you or someone in your family we recommend you connect with IWC or BUSHKids, these two organisations are the local NDIS partners. In addition, if you are looking for a support organisation to assist with plan management, short term accommodation, assistance with daily living, community access support and activities talk with the team at Access Recreation. STEPS Group Australia can assist you with disability employment support. You can find more disability support services in Bundaberg here.

Getting to Bundaberg

Queensland road rules differ slightly compared to other states. It definitely pays to check out the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads page before you go, but here are a few of the big differences. View the article we wrote on School Safety Zones in Bundaberg here.

Queensland has some of the toughest penalties in the world for using a mobile phone while driving. You could find yourself paying a $1000 fine and getting 4 demerit points.
In Queensland, any alcohol in your car must be unopened and away from any of the occupants – unlike in NSW and Victoria, where it isn’t illegal, and drink driving only applies to the driver.
You cannot sleep in your car unless you are parked in a designated camping ground.
In Queensland, unattended cars cannot have their windows open more than 5 cm.
Bundaberg has no current road or bridge tolls.

Drive south on the Bruce Highway from Brisbane for 4 hours or so, depending on road works, and you will reach Bundaberg, but not before driving through the quirky town of Childers. If approaching from the North you will find yourself in Gin Gin, 45 minutes before entering Bundaberg. You'l drive through South Kolan and North Bundaberg before heading across the iconic Burnett River via the Burnett Traffic Bridge.

Public transport

Bundaberg has very simple public network system, operated by Kinetic Busses formally Duffy Busses, a taxi service and urber. Queensland Rail operates train services from Brisbane right along the east coast, through Bundaberg, up to Cairns, and out west to Charleville, Longreach, and Mount Isa.

Getting the bus to school in Bundaberg

Under the School Transport Assistance Scheme (STAS), eligible students can receive support from the Queensland Government when travelling to and from school. This assistance is available for travel on all Translink including Kinetic Busses or qconnect bus, ferry, train, and tram services, as well as for private vehicle travel. To qualify for STAS assistance, students must meet certain criteria. Learn more about catching the bus to school in Bundaberg here.

Things to see and do in Bundaberg with your kids

With so many different natural environments, lovely small towns, Wide Bay offers an abundance of activities for all ages. Wide Bay Kids Website is dedicated to finding things to do, events, products and services for families living in Bundaberg to do with their kids.

Welcome to Bundaberg Pack

If you are new to Bundaberg sign up using the form below and we will get your Welcome to Bundaberg pack out to you. It contains lots of exciting secret information, discounts and freebees of you to enjoy right here in the Wide Bay!