📍Mundubbera, QLD Visitors Guide To The 13 Best Things To Do From A Road Trip Enthusiast. (2024.)

WANT TO KNOW THE BEST THINGS TO DO IN MUNDUBBERA, AUSTRALIA?

Mundubbera is a tiny country town located about halfway between the Queensland capital of Brisbane and the gorgeous coastal destination of Rockhampton in the naturally beautiful North Burnett region.

As a waypoint on one of the nation’s renowned inland tourist drives, Australia’s Country Way, connecting the latter city with Sydney, this Citrus Capital and geographical meeting point of three rivers, the Burnett, Boyne and Auburn, is more than just a place to pick up supplies. As I found out touring the region, it is home to one of the country’s most underrated national parks you’ve likely never heard of, making it well worth visiting.

👉 My top 3 picks for what to do in Mundubbera, Queensland:

Enjoy a picnic or watersports at the Apex Ski Area.
Take a fun family photo at the Big Mandarin.
Spend a couple of days exploring the breathtaking Auburn River National Park.

Planning Your Trip? Use My Favourite Resources!

Tours/Experiences: I recommend Viator.
Accommodation: I recommend Booking.com.
Flights: I recommend Aviasales.
Car Rental: I recommend economybookings.

Best Things To Do In Mundubbera, QLD.

1. Explore A Gorgeous Rugged River Landscape.
Auburn River National Park.

The highlight of visiting Munduberra is, unquestionably, Auburn River National Park. Located 40km southwest of town, this spectacular place is home to one of the best river landscapes I’ve ever seen, but never heard about. The place is renowned for its strikingly rugged terrain that uniquely consists of giant weatherworn boulders of pastel pink granodiorite that were pushed to the surface and eroded over time by the river’s swirling waters to create the magnificent landscape it is today.

The national park has three walks that showcase this place’s unrivalled beauty. The easiest to access is the Gorge Lookout Walk, a gentle 600m return walk to a lovely viewpoint giving visitors a sneak peek of the geography below, while the longer, but also grade 3, 3.2km return, Gorge Top Walk provides a more widespread and detailed view of the river and its impressive rock formations. But my favourite is the short, but challenging 1.5km return Riverbed & Rockpool Walk, which takes hikers into the gorge to see this breathtaking boulder-strewn place up close in all its breathtaking beauty.

The spectacular rocky landscape of Auburn River National Park.

2. Spend A Peaceful Night Under The Stars.
Auburn River Camping Area. – $.

While Auburn River National Park’s three walking trails are doable in a day, I recommend making an overnight adventure out of it and staying at the rustic campground for a night or two. Not only is it a lovely place to spend a quiet evening in nature on a road trip throughout the region, but it also provides a great opportunity to take things at a slower pace, enjoy a campfire under the stars, search for nocturnal animals and start one of the walking trails first thing in the morning before anyone else arrives, enhancing your connection with this unforgettable place.

Camping at the national park is a beautiful way to spend time in nature.

3. Make Photo Memories With An Australian Big Thing.
Big Mandarin.

Agriculturally, Mundubbera is a prolific citrus-growing area. It is in friendly competition with neighbouring Gayndah to reign as the country’s Citrus Capital. To symbolise this, the town has its own quintessentially Australian “Big Thing”: the Big Mandarin to rival Gayndah’s Big Orange.

However, unlike many of the country’s iconic local industry-showcasing Big Thing tourist attractions, this one is not along the main road in an unmissable location. It formerly used to be, but is now what makes the Citrus Country Caravan Village one of the most unique accommodations as it’s now their reception! But you don’t need to stay there to capture a classic family photo with it as it’s out the front of the establishment, so get the gang together and use the quirky Big Mandarin to make a fun photographic memory of this quaint town.

4. Buy Locally Grown Citrus Fruits.

Speaking of its citrus-producing status as one of the nation’s heavyweights, you can’t come to the competing Citrus Capital Of Australia without buying and trying some of the local fruit of the land. Mandarins and oranges are the most notable ones, however, the information board in town says the district also cultivates grapes, mangoes, avocados, peanuts, pecans and blueberries, while online it states they also grow peaches, lychees, nectarines, watermelons and rockmelons. But, of course, what is available depends on the season. I travelled in mid-May and got some locally-produced mandarins from the local IGA. One was a bit dry, but the other was juicy and delicious.

5. Enjoy A Picnic & A Walk Around At The Local Park.
Bicentennial Park.

One of the must-stop places in town in Mundubbera is Bicentennial Park. Located on the northern side of the Burnett River next to Strathdee Road, the main road in and out of town, this is because the recreational area has the Information Centre, which makes it a fantastic first pitstop, however, that’s not why it’s worth spending time visiting.

The lovely park has numerous sheltered picnic tables that overlook the picturesque river, a historic steam train and sculpture art trail that depicts that town’s natural and cultural heritage, a sensory vegetable garden filled with delightfully scented plants that the community can use for their personal cooking endeavours, and a tree grown from the seed obtained from Lone Pine on the Gallipoli Peninsula as a poignant reminder of Australia’s sacrifice in the World Wars, making stopping to stretch the legs and have a walk around well worthwhile.

6. Spot All The Animals On The Water Tank Mural.
Meeting Place of the Waters Mural.

Speaking of art, one of the most unmissable parts of visiting Mundubeera is seeing the Meeting Place Of The Waters Mural. It’s impossible to miss as the beautifully decorated artwork wraps around a water tank on a plot of its own land next to Strathdee Road, the town’s main thoroughfare.

It’s a stunning piece that depicts the region’s unique geography wherein the three prominent rivers of the Burnett, Boyne and Auburn naturally merge not far away from town and feature the plants prominent along the banks and is populated with the gorgeous animals that call these places home, such as pelicans, platypus, lorikeets, kangaroos monitor lizards, eels, turtles and the unique lungfish, a fish has the extremely rare ability to live out of the water for several days, and are only native to the Burnett and Mary Rivers.

Note: A few other beautiful artworks in town worth visiting are in the business centre in Pioneer Park and on the back of the town signs.

7. Spend A Few Hours On The Water.
Apex Ski Park.

If you have a boat, kayak, jet ski or just want to spend peaceful time by the water one of the best things to do in Mundubbera is head a few kilometres out of town to the Apex Ski Park. This gorgeous hidden gem 4.5km outside of town at the end of Kerles Road on the northern bank of the dammed Burnett River is an excellent place for having a picnic or BBQ under the shelter in a picturesque natural setting or launch watercraft from the boat ramp and enjoy peaceful activities like paddling or sailing, or adrenaline-pumping undertakings such as wakeboarding, waterskiing and tubing!

Plus, like all rivers and lakes, it’s a great place to do birdwatching, so bring binoculars and keep your eyes peeled to the sky as wedge-tailed eagles like to fly around overhead too.

7. Mundubbera Museum. – $.

For those who like to explore historical structures and artefacts, the Mundubbera Museum provides an insight into the town’s architectural heritage with its eight preserved buildings from the Cattle Creek Valley School House, machinery sheds and a display showcasing the citrus industry along with a collection of items from yesterday helping depict an image of what life was like in the years gone by.

Opening Hours: 8.30 am-10.30 am Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday or by appointment.

8. The Black Stump
Jaycee Park.

North along the Burnett Highway just east of the Mundubeera-Durong Road turnoff for town lies The Black Stump. Listed as the Gateway to Mundubbera, this place, also known as Jaycee Park, has the proverbial Black Stump in an odd place behind a garden bed of bushes that can’t be seen from in front.

Nowhere is there a sign to stipulate what it symbolises, but for those unaware, a quick Google search points out it is the shortened version of the saying, “Beyond the Black Stump”. It is generally understood to mean ‘beyond the limits of civilisation,’ which does feel relevant as the towns get increasingly further apart and the population dwindles the more inland the roads go. However, I can’t say for sure if that also applies to this tree remnant.

More interesting is the Aboriginal artwork on the back of the town sign and the stump of the nodular Poplar Tree that does have information about it, although it still seems pretty random as to why it’s there. But the best thing about this place is it’s a free overnight rest area, making it the perfect base for road trippers visiting the town and travelling through the region to have a safe and legal place to lay their weary heads between long drives.

Mundubbera Attractions Map.

Accommodation: Where To Stay In Mundubbera.

Budget: Jaycee Park (Free.) or Auburn River Camping Area.
Mid Range: Mundubbera Motel.

Conclusion: What To Do In Mundubbera Visitor Guide.

As one of Australia’s most prolific citrus regions and home to the geographically striking Auburn River National Park, Mundubbera is well worth dedicating a day or two to enjoy its delicious agricultural produce and explore its attractions and spectacular landscapes.