Moore Park Beach Holiday Park (north of the Bundaberg) is one of those tucked away holiday destinations that don’t seem to have a lot of fuss or fanfare about them, but once there the charm surfaces immediately.

Word of mouth from repeat business keeps these sorts of places humming. With its golden sands stretching as far as the eye can see and only 18km from the city of Bundaberg, the park is now well and truly back in business after the floods of January.

This Bundaberg Council-owned park is easily found. Take the road to Gin Gin on Bundaberg’s northside and follow the signs. The park is prominent just after crossing the bridge, when heading north, or prior to the bridge if entering the City from Gin Gin.

The Moore Park shopping centre, which will cater for most visitors’ needs, will be on the left as the holiday park on Park Drive (with its office and handy kiosk on the eastern side of the grounds) comes into view.

To avoid confusion, the Holiday Park was formerly known as Golden Sands Holiday Park but is now known as Moore Park Beach Holiday Park.

Its absolute beach side location, and pet friendly attitude, this neat holiday destination caters for all comers. There’s plenty of room for tents, camper trailers or caravans; with sites both powered and unpowered easily accessed.

Some tent sites are on the waterside by the beach or, alternatively, right next to the large pond on the southern end of the Park.

The pond plays host to a multitude of wild ducks and other interesting waterfowl. Ever seen a grass whistle duck? There are hundreds of these pink-footed birds with their buff breasts, elegant necks, prominent white wing feathers and curiously high pitched whistling call (they don’t quack!) around the park’s lagoon.

For visitors travelling light yet wanting to enjoy everything that this camping/holiday destination offers, whether it’s simply time relaxing by the water, fishing, or enjoying a walk along the gentle beach out front, there are refurbished cabins complete with air conditioning and ensuites available for hire.

There are two washing machine equipped amenity blocks at the park, situated diagonally opposite each other at northeastern and southwestern corners. In the southern corner there’s also an easily accessed dump point for motor home owners.

For people staying within the park there’s a really large BBQ equipped shelter shed to enjoy. On the beach side area opposite the park there’s a children’s playground with a surf lifesaver patrolled beach close by.

That huge expanse of golden sand is open to 4WD travel on its northern end. The beach is also a nesting place for loggerhead turtles during the summer breeding season.

At Moore Park proper, there’s fuel on hand plus various retail outlets including a liquor outlet. There’s also a swimming pool within the park for those brave enough to enter the water at this time of year.

Fishing is a very attractive pastime at this destination. A gently sloping beach leads away from the wide expanse of Moore Park sand and begs for a worm-baited rig to be used in pursuit of whiting.

As is always the case when fishing for whiting from a beach it will be the rod left set and without any movement of bait that catches the largest fish. Even though you might get more enquiries from fish if the bait is moving (this is handy to remember when fishing with youngsters who need to catch fish to keep their attention span locked in), the biggest and fattest whiting will usually gently take an unmoving bait and hook themselves. A rod holder or two will be an asset here with baited rigs set in waiting while another rod is set up with a strip of squid or worm that’s gently retrieved.

Other likely contenders for a bait of white pillies or perhaps a cunningly worked plastic, are flathead and bream.

Further north from the Holiday Park, 4WD owners can travel on the beach to the Kolan River mouth, which offers fishing for trevally, flathead, barra or jack around snags with grunter or bream also on the cards. I’m advised that beach travel is strictly a low tide business as there can be obstacles making high tide travel difficult.

A creek mouth just south of the township of Moore Park is also a handy place to obtain a meal of flathead or bream.

All in all, there’s a fair range of easily accessed fishing on offer at Moore Park suited to young and old alike.

For people who like to diversify from fishing pursuits, they can enjoy local attractions including the Bundaberg Botanic Gardens, the Rum Distillery, Bert Hinkler Aviation centre and many other really interesting venues around and in Bundaberg. Dining out is also a great attraction in this city with its many restaurants and hospitality outlets.

Contact details for Moore Park Holiday Park are phone (07) 4154 8388 or at --e-mail address hidden--