BURDEKIN VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE

Welcome to the Centre

Welcome to the Burdekin Shire, or as locals and tourists alike know it, the sugarcane capital of Australia.

Here at the Burdekin Visitor Information Centre, you’ll experience first-class hospitality and gain a wealth of knowledge about this incredible region of our country. The Burdekin Visitor Information Centre is situated in the lush, leafy surrounds of Plantation Park in the town of Ayr. Parking is available adjacent to the Visitor Information Centre building. You’ll be greeted warmly by our friendly tourism volunteers, who typically sit outside the centre on the homely and inviting deck, just waiting to show you around! The Visitor Information Centre is housed in a large mobile trailer which opens to the aforementioned deck, where you will also find plenty of seating. The trailer is decorated with captivating photos of the Burdekin region including the beaches, cane fires, local community events, artworks and much more!

The Burdekin Visitor Information Centre also serves as a ‘driver reviver’ site, with volunteers offering free coffee, tea and snacks to help you feel rested and restored before continuing your journey.

So, pop in, grab a cuppa and have a chat with our friendly team who can help you discover the hidden gems of the beautiful Burdekin Shire.

Take A Centre Tour

Once you have been acquainted with our friendly volunteers, you will be shown through to the inside of the centre through a sliding door. At the entrance of the centre, there are A1 size signs on the wall directly ahead of you, which promote current events, fishing and shopping in the Burdekin, and the famous Sweet Days Hot Nights Festival. Further to the right, there is another long wall displaying a variety of tantalising tourism brochures organised in sections. From left to right there is: the Burdekin, travelling North, travelling South, travelling West and Fishing and Boating zone maps. If you’re after a brochure on something specific, just ask your tourism volunteer. On the opposite wall, you’ll find a bench with a small range of local souvenirs available for purchase, like magnets, hat pins, stickers and stubby coolers.

Finally, the most wonderfully unique thing about our visitor centre is our virtual reality audio and visual presentation. It’s available to you to watch and listen to in seated comfort, free of charge. The Yongala Dive Virtual Reality experience is not to be missed and includes a set of virtual reality goggles which provides a 360-degree view of the experience, if you find them helpful. Otherwise, just opt for the headphones and hear the story of the SS Yongala that sank over 100 years ago off the coast of the Burdekin, which is now a popular dive site for experienced divers. This virtual reality production is an incredible way to learn of the Yongala shipwreck as the wreck is only accessible to divers with an open water licence. When watching and/or listening to the presentation, you’ll be taken on a dive with Matt from Yongala Dive, who shows and talks through the current aquatic life around the shipwreck and what a diver would experience firsthand.

History and Fun Facts

In the Burdekin, we have so many claims to fame that it’s difficult to know where to start. How does 300 days of uninterrupted sunshine sound? Or at least 30 kilometres of untouched beaches just waiting to be explored? Sound too good to be true? Visit the Burdekin and you’ll find all of this, and more! Ever wondered where most of the sugar cane is produced in Australia? Yes, right here in the Burdekin. We even have a festival dedicated to our sugar cane. The Sweet Days Hot Nights Festival is held every two years, and we recommend coinciding your visit to the Burdekin with the festival. The festival features the burning of the first sugar cane paddock of the harvesting season, which is an impressive sight to behold and a multi-sensory experience. Patrons can hear the fire roaring through the cane paddock and smell the sweet sugar cane burning. The festival also features live music, dance performances and cultural food offerings. If you can’t make it here for the Sweet Days Hot Nights Festival, the Burdekin boasts a buzzing calendar of other events including street festivals, theatre performances, sports carnivals, and much more.

Local Highlights

The Burdekin, located along the North Queensland coastline between the regions of Townsville and the Whitsundays, is a thriving rural metropolis, and is right on the doorstep of the Great Barrier Reef. It’s famous for its wealth of water, sun-soaked days, and diverse agriculture. Water is definitely the way in the Burdekin, with several boat ramps positioned around the district providing access to creeks, rivers and estuaries as well as shoals and reefs. Exploring by boat is the way to live like a local. Feel the wind in your hair, breathe in the fresh salt air and be lulled into a state of serenity by the gently lapping water in your wake.

For experienced divers, the SS Yongala shipwreck is located just 22 kilometres from Lynch’s Beach at Alva. Rated one of the top dive sites in the world, it is one of the only places along the east coast of Australia where reef and estuary fish can be seen together, along with numerous species of rays, turtles and corals. Not an experienced diver? Not to worry. Folk above the ground can explore the spectacular wetlands offering birdlife that rival Kakadu National Park! Fun fact: the Burdekin is home to over 26 percent of bird species found in Australia.

You’ll be glad to know that we also offer great boutique shopping with specialty stores offering fashion, homewares, gift wares and more. The quaint cafes serve up great coffee and treats while the many restaurants, hotels and eateries provide a range of cuisine to suit everyone. When it comes time to find a place to lay your head, there are several accommodation options. For those who are self-contained and just passing through, the Home Hill Comfort Stop offers a maximum of two nights’ free stay.

Accessibility

The Burdekin Shire is located just one hour’s drive south of Townsville. The Burdekin Shire comprises of the neighbouring towns of Ayr and Home Hill, which are connected by the Burdekin Bridge. The Burdekin Bridge is longer than the Sydney Harbour Bridge and is the only bridge in Australia without a solid footing. Both Greyhound and Premier bus services drop off and pick up passengers in Ayr and Home Hill. Once you have arrived in the Burdekin Shire, there is a local taxi service available. There are no local bus services or other public transport options available.

If you are not self-driving, you will need to utilise the Burdekin local taxi service to travel to the Burdekin Visitor Information Centre. Once you have arrived, you can be dropped off in the car park, which has accessible parking bays and easy access via a concrete path to the wheelchair accessible deck. The sliding door into the centre itself is quite narrow and may not be accessible to wheelchairs and mobility aids. However, our friendly team of volunteers are here to help, and are happy to bring brochures, merchandise, driver reviver refreshments and even the SS Yongala virtual reality experience out to you while you relax and enjoy the ambience outdoors.

The information centre is located on the Bruce Highway, within Plantation Park in Ayr, which means there are several grassy areas close by suitable for toileting service animals. The centre’s opening hours at the time of publishing this audio guide are 9am to 4pm weekdays and 9am to 1pm weekends. To confirm these hours or for any other enquiries, please visit the centre website or give the friendly team a call on 07 4783 5988.