The day I arrived at Splitters Farm a litter of four piglets had just been born.

Just 15 minutes from Bundaberg’s CBD, the 24ha farm and RV park is home to more than 300 rescue animals including pigs, cattle, horses, goats, alpacas, sheep, guinea pigs and geese, turkeys and various other poultry.

We checked in to our spacious glamping tent, one of eight available alongside powered and unpowered campsites, and met Farmer Carly and a newborn piglet at the camp kitchen for a site orientation briefing.

It was hard to contain my excitement when Carly revealed that each camper would need to take turns snuggling the piglet to keep it warm as it couldn’t maintain its body temperature in the rainy weather.

As a city girl, I’d never spent time up close with a pig and marvelled at its tiny trotters and velvety snout as it nuzzled into my arms for a nap.

Bundaberg (Taribelang Country) is home to many once-in-a-lifetime animal experiences, including the Mon Repos Nightly Turtle Encounter.

A turtle lays eggs at Mon Repos.

Mon Repos is a globally significant marine turtle nesting site and successful breeding at the beach is vital to the survival of the loggerhead turtle.

After waiting several hours in the Turtle Education Centre for a turtle to appear (bring a book and snacks to pass the time), we joined park rangers just before midnight to watch an endangered female loggerhead make her way up the beach and build a nest in the sand dunes.

Watching the turtle’s dexterous rear flippers scoop out the sand as she prepared to deposit more than 100 eggs was an unforgettable experience. It was easy to see why the First Nations people of the region have such respect for turtles.

After waking to the sounds of farm life and watching ducklings parade across the lawn in front of our glamping tent to the lake, we set out to explore Bundaberg city.

The strong coffee served at Indulge Bistro Cafe was the perfect way to start the day.

Owner and chef Mitchell White is passionate about local produce and has created a European-inspired cafe atmosphere and an Instagram-worthy menu that would not seem out of place in a Melbourne laneway.

Another must-visit restaurant is the Windmill Cafe. Just a block from the popular Bargara beach, the iconic blue windmill is home to delicious cafe fare that showcases local produce.

You’ll often find owner Joey Caruna working the floor and he’s only too happy to share the secrets to his delectable dishes.

Bundaberg’s reputation as one of the country’s premier food bowls is well deserved with about 25 percent of Australia’s fresh produce grown in the region.

One of its most successful crops is macadamia nuts and nowhere is this more apparent than at Macadamias Australia’s new visitor centre.

Interactive displays capture the Steinhardt family’s multi-generational journey from a small patch of land to a sustainable farm with state-of-the-art facilities.

After a free guided macadamia tasting and stocking up on our favourites at the shop (I highly recommend the salty-sweet lemon myrtle), we enjoyed a relaxing lunch at the French-inspired Orchard Table Cafe, overlooking a lush macadamia grove.

A trip to the region would not be complete without visiting the southern Great Barrier Reef.

The two-hour boat trip to the new Lady Musgrave HQ (LMHQ) pontoon aboard the luxury catamaran, Reef Empress, passed quickly (be sure to bring sea sickness tablets). Before I knew it, we were walking under the dense tree canopy of Lady Musgrave Island as noddy terns flitted above.

After spotting coral bommies, giant clams and other marine life from the glass-bottomed boat, it was time for the main event: snorkelling the reef.

I have been lucky enough to snorkel with turtles in several places around the world, including New Caledonia and the Cook Islands, but snorkelling in the pristine Lady Musgrave Island lagoon tops them all.

Turtles appeared almost as soon as we entered the water from the LMHQ snorkel deck to munch on the tiny, harmless jellyfish that swarmed around the pontoon.

It was a feeling of sheer joy to have a green turtle turn seemingly to look me in the eye as it swam towards me, so close I could feel the underwater ripples made by its powerful flippers as it glided by, its carapace just centimetres from my chest.

Keen divers and snorkelers can stay overnight on LMHQ’s upper deck glamping tents or the bunks of the underwater observatory.

Whether you’re a foodie or animal lover, there’s a lot more to Bundaberg than meets the eye.

Writer travelled as a guest of Bundaberg Tourism.

Contact RACQ Travel to plan your next holiday