Bus of Hoppiness hits the road to highlight Illawarra’s craft breweries

Lovers of a cheeky tipple can indulge their taste buds tomorrow on a bus-based tour of some of the Illawarra’s finest craft beer breweries.

The Bus of Hoppiness, organised by the Wollongong Brewers Association, will run between 12pm and 6pm tomorrow, taking ticket-holders to Unanderra’s Seeker Brewing, Wollongong’s Five Barrel Brewing and Dusty Lizard Brewing, Coniston’s First Light Brewing, and Principle Brewing in Fairy Meadow. The "Hop-On, Hop-Off" bus will run on a loop between the venues about every 45 to 60 minutes.

Earlier this week, Alison Byrnes, Federal Member for Cunningham, threw her support behind the Illawarra initiative during a speech to parliament expressing her support for parliament’s Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025, which accompanies the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025. Both amendments would help take financial pressure off hospitality venues (of which about 75 percent are small businesses), including craft beer brewers.

“Local brewers are focusing on shifting attitudes to drinking from drink-to-drink culture to drink-to-enjoy culture, by educating patrons on what craft beer is all about,” Ms Byrnes said.

The Bus of Hoppiness will “shepherd beer lovers and novices alike around the Illawarra's exciting craft beer culture … craft beer is actually about doing beer differently – doing it responsibly and doing it for enjoyment,” Ms Byrnes said.

“They are a community helping and supporting each other to give the Illawarra just one more reason to be the best region in Australia.”

A long-time supporter of the Illawarra businesses and co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Brewing, Ms Byrnes said the government’s move was “one more piece of cost-of-living support”.

“This is what these bills are about – a targeted, measured change to pause indexation on draught beer excise and excise-equivalent customs duties for two years. For 40 years, beer excise indexation hasn't changed, with two annual excise increases in line with CPI each year. The pressure on small businesses has been growing.”

Ms Byrnes said that, as well as supporting hospitality venues, the bills “support Australian brewers, particularly those small and independent producers supplying draught beer to local venues. 

“The government has announced tax relief for Australia's distillers, brewers and wine producers. Currently, brewers and distillers get a full remission of any excise paid, up to $350,000 each year. We will increase the excise remission cap to $400,000 for all eligible manufacturers, and we will also increase the wine equalisation tax producer rebate cap to $400,000 from 1 July 2026. 

“The Illawarra has a bustling and ever-expanding craft beer industry growing our tourism industry, delighting locals and visitors alike and working together to support the growing network of local brewers. But one of the big reasons is that this is a win for regional communities like mine in the Illawarra.

“In my electorate in the Illawarra, I know this is going to make a huge difference, because this local industry is absolutely booming. Independent breweries alone contribute $1.18 million to the Australian economy every year.”

The Bus of Hoppiness will be run on a loop from 12pm to 6pm tomorrow (Saturday, November 8). Tickets $43.30 via Eventbrite.