While the Covid pandemic headlined international news for most of 2021, there were still plenty of positive stories to be found right across the Bundaberg Region.
Bundaberg Now published more than 2000 articles throughout the year.
The stats are in and the most popular stories among readers were those about local businesses, success and fortune.
Bundaberg Now's top 5 most-viewed stories of 2021
Gin Gin Bakery wins 11 awards for pies and pasties – 14,285 views
The number one most-read article of 2021 had all the ingredients to make a great story: local business, success and family.
The Gin Gin Bakery won a swag of awards at Australia’s Best Pie and Pastie Competition earlier in the year, with 11 of their delicious baked goods taking out a spot in the national contest.
From cheese and bacon to curry, mushroom and the delicious meat and veggie pastie, flavours of every variety from the local bakery were showcased at the awards event and Bundaberg Now readers ate up the news!
Maree Baker took over the business with her daughter and three sons in 2019 and said creating tasty, savoury treats was their specialty.
Read the full story here.
Bundaberg couple wins million dollars in Gold Lotto – 13,990 views
In second place was the story of a local couple who took out a top prize in Gold Lotto, pocketing a cool $1 million.
The couple said they had been playing for years using their favourite numbers and were over the moon with the win.
Plans to pay off the mortgage was high on the list as well as the opportunity to put some money aside for the family.
Read the full version of this top 5 most-viewed story here.
E-scooters available to rent in time for Easter – 7,110 views
The news of E-scooters coming to town was a hot topic for Bundaberg Now readers in 2021, with thousands of people engaging with a story about the launch of Neuron Mobility in the region.
The story, published in April, detailed how 250 e-scooters would be available within the Bundaberg CBD in an area bounded by the hospital, Botanic Gardens and the East Bundaberg tourism precinct, as well as the Bargara foreshore.
The areas were among the first regional locations to be targeted by Neuron Mobility which is undertaking a 12-month trial in Bundaberg.
Read more here.
‘Local hands and local pride' build luxury yachts – 6,753 views
Stretching a massive 23.5 metres the impressive luxury catamaran, the ‘Catalina’, was the largest build for Bundaberg Port based company Coral Coast Marine Constructions.
The story of the build was published in April and was the first time that the owners of Coral Coast Marine Constructions had ever taken part in any media.
The couple established their business 17 years ago in Bundaberg after many years of boat building in Brisbane.
They celebrated their biggest project ever with the launching of the custom-built luxury motor yacht Catalina, at the Bundaberg Port.
Read the full story here.
New bakery owners add crocodile to menu – 6,645 views
The fifth most-viewed story for 2021 introduced us to the new Paradise Bakehouse owners who are getting creative with their pie recipes.
Huyen Nguyen and Lam Khong say they are living in “paradise” after moving to Moore Park Beach from Western Australia earlier this year.
The big move gave the husband-and-wife team the opportunity to create new pie flavours like kangaroo red wine or crocodile pie.
The community has welcomed the new owners warmly who have also recently won a number of awards.
Read this top 5 most-viewed story here.
