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Beautiful Bargara Beach
Wayne Kampe

THIS IS a 'must see' destination for travelling anglers having a look at the South Queensland coastal strip. Bargara Beach is just a 10-minute drive east of Bundaberg, and features clean beaches that benefit from Fraser Island's northern tip to the east. The way to Bargara township is well signed in Bundaberg, and the welcome signs are plentiful once you arrive.

Bargara Beach caters for a fairly wide range of outdoor activities. Besides the local fishing, there are two first-class 18 hole golf courses, and three bowling greens. There are also diving and excursions to the Great Barrier Reef where Lady Musgrave cruises depart from the Bundaberg Port Marina (Burnett Heads) for Lady Musgrave Island. Whale-watching cruises also operate out to Platypus Bay off Fraser Island from mid-August to mid-October. To find out more about these attractions, call 1800 072 110.

The Burnett Shire Council caters well for visitors, providing plenty of recreation areas with picnic tables, and gas and electric barbecues. Bundaberg offers a huge range of facilities for visitors that require more than those available at Bargara.

BARGARA BEACH CARAVAN PARK

The Bargara Beach Caravan Park (ph. (07) 4159 2228) has 300 camp sites, and all sorts are catered for - from caravans to tents to cabins, with or without en suite. There is a generous-sized camp kitchen and BBQs, and visitors will be impressed with the fact that many of the sites are shaded, which is important in a semi-tropical climate like this one.

Besides being very clean and well laid-out, the caravan park is adjacent to a patrolled surf beach, a big attraction for visitors with smaller children. A boat ramp is nearby, and a range of tackle and bait is available at the caravan park's kiosk. The kiosk offers more than just basic food, bait, and tackle - there are bottled gas re-filling facilities, and ice on hand as well.

Bargara Beach Caravan Park offers a fair bit more than just a place to set camp that is handy to some fishing. Two full-sized tennis courts with hire equipment are handy, and there is a roller skating rink, skate bowl, and children's playground.

While in Bargara, visit the Bargara Coffee Mill - a large Dutch windmill sitting atop a restaurant. I guarantee a top cup of coffee.

OCEAN FRONT CARAVAN PARK

Another notable caravan park at Bargara is the Ocean Front Caravan Park (ph. (07) 4159 2436). This is located on the Esplanade (Woongarra Scenic Drive) south of the main shopping centre at Bargara, and is highly visible. Self-contained villas at budget rates, self-contained cabins, tourist caravans, and powered caravan sites are all available here. There are also tent sites, and all visitors are welcome to enjoy the BBQ, pool and spa, camp kitchen, and laundry. Again, in keeping with the Bargara image, this is a very well set-out and neat caravan park.

Attractions include the restaurant, kiosk with sub newsagency, snorkelling gear for hire, swimming at nearby Kelly's Beach (very popular thanks to the large lagoon) and Money's Creek. This caravan park is also right on the waterfront, and anglers can fish from the retaining wall.

BARGARA ATTRACTIONS

The Bargara area offers many opportunities for the beach angler, with a fair mix of golden sand interspersed with rock outcrops. Bream and flathead are taken around the beaches and the rocks, and the beaches are noted for whiting as well.

Offshore fishing is what will attract many of the visitors, and those without a boat can take a trip with Bundaberg area charters such as PJ's (ph. (07) 4153 3062) or Salty's (ph. (07) 4153 4747). The boat ramp on the Esplanade mainly suits smaller craft, so owners of larger offshore boats would be advised to launch at Burnett Heads. Visiting divers can arrange dive trips with Bargara Beach Dive by phoning (07) 4159 2663.

A notable tourist drawcard to the area is the Mon Repos turtle rookery (ph. (07) 4159 1652), connected by a walking track to the Bargara Beach Caravan Park. Turtles come ashore on quite a few of the nearby beaches to lay their eggs, but Mon Repos rookery is one of the better-known ones.

November to February is turtle time, and the evening tide is one to follow to watch these lumbering giants struggle up the beach to scoop out nesting holes and lay their eggs. Or, when the wheel has turned full circle, you can watch the baby turtles making the hazardous journey to the ocean. At Mon Repos a board outlines suggested best times to observe this timeless routine, and a ranger is on hand to help visitors during the nesting season.

Last but not least is The Hummock. This extinct volcano is the only hill in the area, a mere 4km from the Bargara Road. On a clear day the 360 degree view takes in Fraser Island, and it's well worth the effort.