A busy, busy day! The Bundaberg Rum Distillery was our first stop. On getting out of the car the smell of molasses wafted through the air. A guided tour explained the process involved with turning molasses into rum. This was interesting but there was more to come. Our tour price included two “free” drinks so mum and I opted for a Bundy & Cola. Expecting to get thimble-sized samples we were amazed to find that we were given full size glasses. As a result one drink was all we could manage. Two and we would have been walking or taking a taxi. Bit of a bugger because one free drink ticket went unused, perhaps we could go back tomorrow.
The restrictions before taking part in the tour were a bit overwhelming – nothing with a battery (no mobile phone, no watch, no hearing aids etc). Pockets had to be emptied of wallets, keys, coins etc. Free lockers were provided for storage so it wasn’t too big a drama. The whole set-up was very much safety conscious.
How valuable was the rum? We were shown a Bond Store with 30 vats of rum, each worth six million dollars. The rum has to be kept in the wooden vats/kegs for two years to mature. The vats are made from an American timber and the Bond Stores surrounded by a two metre high electric fence.
The guides who took us around had a good sense of humour and made the whole thing very entertaining. My only complete was that they were pushing the joys and delights of drinking Bundaberg Rum too much – part of the sales pitch I suppose! We did however contribute a fair bit to Bundaberg Rum’s profits with the clothing and souvenirs we bought. Mum also bought a bottle of Bundaberg Rum liqueur which can only be purchased from the Distillery. We might let people have a taste for mum’s 60th birthday.
Just down the road was a cooperage where kegs were made. As it was lunch time when we arrived we missed out on seeing the actual process.
Next stop was the Bundaberg Keg. This is the place where Bundaberg Ginger Beer is brewed. Our admission price here included a tasting of all their drinks – a little larger than a thimble in size but quite adequate. We left here with some more samples – not ginger beer, because we can get that from Woolies, but some of the other drinks which were very nice. Be good, and there may be a tasting down the track.
The forecast for the next couple of days is possible showers so we decided to go and gave a look at the Mystery Craters which were about 30 km out on the Gin Gin road. They were interesting as there are a total of 35 craters which were uncovered some years ago when a farmer wanted to extend his horticulture area. Scientists have apparently not been able to provide an explanation for them. Some contain water of different colours, some don’t hold any, some have mystery markings on them, most are not connected. They were certainly worth a look!
After returning to Bundaberg we flitted around and took a few photos and visited Sugarland Shopping Centre. Mackay had a shopping centre called Caneland – certainly topical.
To finish the day off mum went to the local pool used by the AUSSI Bundaberg Rum club for a training session. No free samples, bugger!
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