Year 2, Week 4 – Rum Tours, Repairs & R&R by the Sea

We kicked off Week 4 of Year 2 in the beautiful little coastal town of Woodgate — and wow, what a place. It’s small, peaceful, and still holds onto that classic coastal charm that so many places have lost. We instantly wished we could stay longer, but with our melted power point situation still unresolved, we figured we’d better move on and get it sorted!

Before we hit the road, we managed to get up early one morning and caught the sunrise over the ocean — absolutely spectacular. One of those moments that makes you stop and really take it all in.

Woodgate Beach

From Woodgate to Bundy

Next stop was Riverview Ranch in Bundaberg, a quiet WikiCamps find set along a tidal creek. We spent the afternoon catching up on work (with a not-so-bad view!), before heading out the next day to explore the region a bit more.

We took a drive down to Elliott Heads, hoping to check out the famous rock pools — but it was high tide, so no rock pools in sight! Still, the beach was beautiful, and it quickly turned into a fish and chips lunch kind of day. Not mad about it.

After lunch, it was time to get the van sorted — we dropped it off at Dempsters Caravan and RV Repairs (massive thanks to them for squeezing us in!). With a few hours to kill, we did what any good Aussie tourist should do in Bundaberg…

Rum, Repairs & the Dentist

…we visited the Bundaberg Rum Distillery!

The BIG Bundy Rum!

We explored the museum and jumped on the factory tour, which gave us a peek into their process and history.
Fun fact: The distillery was originally founded in 1888 as a way to use excess molasses from the local sugar industry — waste not, want not!

After the tour, we had to race across town for Ryan’s dentist appointment (van life isn't all campfires and beaches, folks), but we weren’t about to miss our two free tastings, so we made our way back to the distillery afterwards.

Rachael tried the Spiced Rum and the Coffee & Chocolate Liqueur, while Ryan sampled the Solera and the Banana & Toffee Liqueur. While neither of us are big Bundy Rum drinkers these days (18-year-old Rach and Ryan might disagree), we were very impressed with the liqueurs… so impressed that we left with a bottle of the Banana & Toffee to take with us.

Coastal Vibes at Elliott Heads

After picking up the van, we checked into a peaceful farm stay just outside Bundaberg for a couple of nights — the perfect spot to unwind and reset. But when it came time to move on, we found ourselves craving salty swims and coastal vibes, so back to Elliott Heads we went, this time for a proper stay.

We booked in for three nights, and it was everything we needed: relaxed energy, ocean breezes, swims, and space to breathe. A much-needed bit of R&R to finish off the week.

Now the van’s fixed, the rum’s restocked, and we’re ready to keep rolling.

Hit the road 🎵 — we’ve got places to be. – R&R