One by one they come — a frenzy of tiny flippers making their way over the grassy dune towards a torch a volunteer guide holds, directing them towards the ocean. Some accidentally flip over, and either right themselves or get picked up by a guide and set back on their path. Others veer slightly off course, before correcting themselves and heading towards the light. Whispered cries of, “oh they’re so cute!” can be heard from people around us. I couldn’t agree more.
Opening image: A turtle hatchling at Mon Repos near Bundaberg © Tourism Australia
Image above: Angela and Oliver on the Lady Musgrave Island Experience from Bundaberg
Image below: Turtle hatchlings at Mon Repos near Bundaberg © Tourism Australia
Image above: Oliver enjoying the interactive exhibits at Mon Repos Turtle Centre
Images below: The Lady Musgave Experience off the coast of Bundaberg © Tourism Australia, Angela and Oliver in their snorkel gear
We’d arrived at Mon Repos Turtle Centre, around 20 minutes’ drive north of Bundaberg, a couple of hours’ earlier for our Turtle Encounter tour. As this is nature, the exact timing of hatchings cannot be predicted. Fortunately, we were placed in the first group, and the state-of-the-art Centre offers plenty of immersive experiences to keep us entertained while we wait. My five-year-old son Oliver is chomping at the bit for his turn at each of the interactive exhibits. He excitedly dons a kid-sized researcher hat to measure a fake turtle egg and touches various screens to learn how far different species of turtle travel and see injuries they suffer from such things as boat strikes and ingesting fishing hooks. We learn that Mon Repos has the largest concentration of nesting marine turtles on the mainland of Australia’s east coast, and that female turtles have the ability to store sperm, so hatchlings coming from the same nest can have different fathers. We are just settling in for a talk in the outdoor theatre when a guide interrupts to say there has been some activity, and group one is asked to assemble on the boardwalk. “We’ve been told to get there quickly,” our guide Caroline enthuses.
Image above: Turtle hatchlings at Mon Repos
Images below: The Lady Musgave Experience off the coast of Bundaberg, See turtles swimming © Appleton Studios-Tourism Australia
When we arrive on the beach the first loggerhead turtle hatchlings are already emerging from their nest, which had been laid by their mother a couple of months earlier on the same beach on which she was born. They are placed in a cage until all hatchlings are out. We are instructed to stand in a circle while a volunteer brings two hatchlings around for us to see close-up. For once, my little chatterbox is speechless. Next, a few of us are asked to form a line with our legs apart, a bit like we are playing tunnel ball, and guide the turtles towards the ocean with a torch. They are then released from their cage. It’s a thrill to catch a glimpse of the first hatchling heading in our direction, covered in sand. Soon there are dozens coming towards us. They crawl over my sandals and tickle my toes. Once they are all through, we turn to watch them as they are swept away by a wave and start their life in the great big ocean. It’s sad to think only one in 1,000 hatchlings make it to adulthood as they face threats ranging from predators and boat strikes to ingesting plastic.
Mon Repos isn’t the only place to see turtles in these parts. The next day we embark on a journey with Lady Musgrave Experience, in the hope of seeing more of the reptiles and other wildlife. It takes around two hours to reach Lady Musgrave Island, which lies 50 nautical miles north-east in the Bunker group on the Southern Great Barrier Reef, but the time passes quickly as we sit back in comfortable seats with fold-out tray tables watching David Attenborough documentaries on a big screen.
Image above: Oliver in front of Lady Musgrave Island
Image below: Tinaberries near Bundaberg © Mark Lehn-Tourism Australia
Lady Musgrave is the only island on the Great Barrier Reef with a fringing reef that boats can access via a channel. During a glass bottom boat tour, we see two turtles gliding beneath us at a turtle cleaning station, where they congregate to have their shells nibbled by small fish. Butterflyfish, parrotfish and blue-green chromis are also abundant. The boat connects seamlessly with a pontoon, from which Oliver attempts to snorkel on the Reef for the first time. But he struggles with the mask and snorkel, so we swap them for his swimming goggles and with the help of a foam noodle swim out to the reef, where he sticks his head in long enough to see some coral and a few fish. I figure it’s a good start. On the way back, I sip a glass of champagne and snack on an antipasti platter offered to guests who choose the VIP Premium option, while Oliver naps in my lap. I’ve done a few day trips to the Great Barrier Reef in my time, and this is definitely one of the most comfortable.
Images above: Oliver smashing macadamia nuts open at Macadamias Australia, Lunch at Macadamias
Image below: Fresh strawberries from Tinaberries near Bundaberg © Mark Lehn-Tourism Australia
Bundaberg is a destination that punches above its weight when it comes to family-friendly dining experiences. At Macadamias Australia’s The Orchard Table restaurant, we sit on the terrace sipping rosé as we watch the kids crack open nuts on logs and frolic amongst the trees nearby. The venue has the look and feel of a winery, but offers a macadamia-inspired menu, with dishes such as as mango macadamia salad, a farmhouse quiche with house made macadamia short crust pastry and a steak sandwich with macadamia mayonnaise. We also enjoy a complimentary macadamia tasting, trying nuts roasted with local honey, salted and coated in chocolate.
Windmill Cafe in Bargara is a must, not just for the novelty factor, but also for fantastic food and service in pleasant surroundings. The windmill in which the award-winning eatery is housed was built by a Dutch couple and has served as a restaurant, store and artist’s studio over the years. The café’s owner Joey Caruana, a trained chef who has worked at top restaurants in the UK, has a passion for using local ingredients, with farmers often dropping produce off at the gate. Trees with overhanging branches, hanging plants and twinkling lights decorate the garden, and there’s a hive with native bees, a swinging chair and colourful foam blocks for kids to play. The menu has an international twist, with offerings such as poke, nasi goreng and banh mi, as well as waffles for breakfast and rainbow and bubble gum-flavoured gelato.
Tinaberries strawberry farm also offers delicious ice-cream, served in a rustic old timber cabin, with the chance to pick your own berries in early spring. Named after the farm’s co-owner Tina McPherson — because Bruce’s Berries didn’t sound as good — the venue is eclectically decorated with wine barrels, old farm equipment, lanterns and saddles, and pink petunias in hanging baskets. Oliver loves meeting the galah in the aviary, and playing games including pétanque, giant Jenga and checkers.
Kelly’s Beach Resort at Bargara has more than 40 self-contained and stand-alone holiday units a block back from the beach, with pools, a games room, tennis court, barbecue areas, a licensed restaurant, kiosk and tour booking desk.
Manta Bargara Resort has one, two and three-bedroom apartments with ocean or garden views. There’s also a fully-equipped gym, pool, jacuzzi, a tennis court and secure undercover parking. Complimentary high-speed WiFi and Foxtel are also available.
Turtle Sands is opening in September 2024 after a major makeover by its new owners, NRMA Parks & Resorts. It will offer guided nature tours of Mon Repos Conservation Park next door, glamping tents, eco-cabins, studio rooms and campsites, plus a new kiosk.
Bundaberg travel tips
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February to March is the best time to see turtle hatchlings at Mon Repos. It’s also the hottest time of the year, with the mercury oscillating between around 20 to 30C. You can also see turtles nesting from November to January. Winter and early spring is a great time for whale watching, with September and early October also best for strawberry picking.
Bundaberg is just over four hours’ drive north of Brisbane and three hours’ north of the Sunshine Coast. Qantas and Link Airways fly to Bundaberg Regional Airport.
Bookings for turtle encounter tours at Mon Repos Turtle Centre open in September and the earlier you book the more chance you have of getting the first time slot of 6.30pm.
