Hi all.

Have continued our climb up the Queensland coast and have decided to spend a few days in Bundaberg, which is after all home of the famous Bundaberg Rum and Ginger Beer companies.

Being the responsible parents that we are, we decided to visit the Ginger Beer factory as soon as we got there (and that way we could leave a full day for the rum distillery!). The Ginger Beer factory is bigger than expected as well as their range of soft drinks, which we all got to taste each and every one!

As part of the tour we were able to incorporate some school work as the boys got the chance to make ginger beer based on what they had learnt. Unfortunately, pass makes were hard to give. Seems both boys minds were more on the upcoming tastings as Cooper's ginger beer was undrinkable (sour!) and Hunter's exploded in the bottle (although Hunter assures me it would have been good!)

Also, finally found something that I like which Cooper will not take away from me. Sarsaparilla!

The rum distrillery tour is excellent and we had a great day. Got all the info on the history as well as how they make the rum. Additionally, as part of the tour they provide two free tasting of any of their products. Thought I would struggle as I don't really like rum, but mixed with Ginger Beer, it is yum! It is also good mixed in a liquer with chocolate and coffee. Brought a bottle, will give all a taste if it makes it home, although to be honest, the odds are unlikely)

Bit of trivia - At any one time, there is over two billion dollars worth of rum sitting in the barrels on site!

Over the rest of our stay we had a bit of a look at the town, and it's surrounds. Overall, another place we would easily return to.

Please see below the boys thoughts of Bundaberg.

Cooper - We arrived at Bundaberg and stayed a couple of days. Bundaberg is famous for Bundaberg Barrel and the rum factory. The Bundaberg Barrel makes many different soft drinks the most famous is ginger beer plus many more. We went on a tour of how to make ginger beer and got a chance to make it on the computer. Mine turned out sour. After the tour we got to taste all the soft drink flavours that they make and my favourite was Guava.

The next day we went to the rum distillery, where we had our photo with the big polar bear and then got to go on a tour through the rum factory. We learnt why they started making rum was because they had a overflow amount of molasses from the sugar mill so they came up with the idea that we will turn the molasses into rum. They then showed us where the rum was made and how it was bottled. They also told us stories on the history of the rum factory and about the time they had a big fire and the rum leaked into the river and all the fish in the river where found on the banks of the river drunk from the rum.

The rum stays in the barrels for over two years. They currently have over 390 barrels and each barrel holds 6 million dollars of rum.

At the end of the tour Mum and Dad got to taste some of the rum but we just had soft drinks and I did get to buy a cool hat.

PS. We also got to see our first of many cane toads.

Hunter - When we arrived at Bundaberg, we went to the big barrel. At the barrel they made soft drinks, including Ginger Beer. We got to taste them all, and my favourite flavour was lime. We went to the rum factory and they made rum and they told us that the factory had burnt down and that people were coming from everywhere and filling up buckets with the rum which was escaping in the river. I also liked watching the bottles getting filled up.... it was cool, unlike the cane toads which were blocking our way to the toilets.