© TOURISM AND EVENTS QUEENSLAND

I held my hand out in anticipation and the little turtle hatchling, held by its shell in the ranger's hands, gave me multiple high fives in quick succession as it paddled its flippers in the air. My son also held his hand out, quickly followed by a lady visiting with her grandkids.

It might seem a bit cruel to pick the hatchlings but, in this case, the rangers had good reason. The nest had been laid unusually high in the dunes, and transferring the hatchlings to a bucket and releasing them closer to the water's edge gave them a better chance at survival. Given that only about one in a thousand marine turtles makes it to maturity, they need all the help they can get. 

We were taking part in a ranger-led turtle encounter tour at Mon Repos near Bundaberg in sunny Queensland. It was our third time doing the tour in as many years. On our earlier visits, we witnessed female turtles lay their eggs under the cover of darkness – and even helped relocate a clutch of eggs further up the beach, where they would be protected from tidal flooding and predators, behind a mesh fence.

Each night tour begins at the award-winning Mon Repos Turtle Centre, where you are given a group number and patiently wait your turn. While you wait, you can explore the interactive displays. Meanwhile, rangers patrol the beach, which is closed to the public at night during nesting and hatching season, and quickly radio in when there is any turtle activity. As soon as something is spotted, the first group is led down for the tour; other groups follow as more turtle activity emerges.

This time around, we were group number two, and we only had to wait about 10 minutes before being ushered along the sandy path to the beach. Our eyes adjusted to the dark, and we were reminded not to use torches until instructed. Most hatchlings emerge at night, and they use the moonlight on the horizon to orient themselves toward the ocean. Artificial light can confuse them, leading them away from the water. If they don't make it to the ocean the night they hatch, their chances of survival are slim, and they either perish from exhaustion or fall easy prey to a bird's beak when the sun rises.

Usually, more than 100 hatchlings will emerge from a nest in one go and attempt to flip-flop their way down to the water. On this night, only about 10 appeared. The ranger assured us that although uncommon, this wasn't unheard of, with the rest most likely to make an appearance later that night or the next. After our quick high-five with the hatchling, the beautiful little creatures were placed safely in a bucket, and we all made our way down a sandy path that cut through the small dunes to the beachfront. Making a wide tunnel, a few select lucky people stood legs apart in a line and used their torches to create a glowing path for the turtles to follow to the ocean. The ranger carefully released the hatchlings, and off they pattered towards the ocean under the watchful eye of their human escorts, keeping eyes peeled for any stragglers. Given that only a fraction emerged from the sand, it was all over very quickly, with both the kids and I feeling disappointed at how fast it happened.

Then a squawk came over the ranger's walkie-talkie. Another nest was erupting, and these little guys needed help. We hurried 30 metres up the beach and formed another tunnel. This time, more than 100 hatchlings poured out in a frenzy of flapping flippers. As they hit the water, the moonlight lit their path and suddenly their clumsiness disappeared. They moved gracefully, slicing through the water like seasoned pros. They were born for this and it was beautiful to witness their homecoming. My 10-year-old daughter, the sensitive one in the family, had tears in her eyes. She waved goodbye to the hatchlings and walked back slowly, sullen that they were gone. 

© NRMA TURTLE SANDS

And then another miracle. As we trudged back slowly in the dark, I felt something nudge my foot. Looking down, I saw a tiny turtle climbing over my crocs as it made its way to the ocean.

Luckily, I didn't kick my foot in panic. Someone yelled "stop!" and called the ranger – yet another clutch had emerged, this one unmonitored. More than 100 hatchlings were making their way to the sea, this time spreading across a wide swathe of beach in the absence of a human tunnel. We all stood completely still and watched as they flapped toward their moonlit home. It was magic.

Back at the turtle centre, we made the short walk to our home for the night, Turtle Sands, a thoughtfully designed, eco-conscious holiday park tucked safely behind the dunes just behind one of the most important turtle nesting beaches in the South Pacific. It's the only place in mainland Australia where you can camp, stay and play within metres of where these threatened marine turtles nest.

The park itself is part of a wider conservation success story. Because the three marine turtle species that nest at Mon Repos – loggerhead, flatback and green turtles – are nationally threatened species, the Turtle Sands development needed federal environmental approval before it could go ahead. Strict conditions were applied to its design, construction and operation to ensure it had minimal impact on the turtles and their habitat.

That's why every guest is asked to sign the Turtle Protection Promise when booking. It's a simple but powerful commitment to follow a few turtle-friendly guidelines during your stay: reduce light pollution at night, respect beach closures, stay well back from nesting areas, and reduce waste.

These conservation values are reinforced throughout the resort via signs and guest information, gently educating all who stay about how to travel responsibly. 

By day, Turtle Sands is just as fun as it is at night.There's a huge 440,000-litre turtle-shaped accessible swimming pool, e-bikes to hire, and even a rotating roster of food vans. The powered sites are some of the largest I've seen, and if you're lucky, you'll nab one of the 31 beachfront spots.

Our time here passed too quickly. The wider Bundaberg region has plenty to offer, and we know we'll be back next season because witnessing that first flipflop to the sea is a once-in-a-lifetime moment… even if, like us, you're lucky enough to experience it three times in one night.

JOURNEY PLANNER

Mon Repos is near Bundaberg, about 375 kilometres north of Brisbane. Turtle season runs from November to

March.

• turtlesands.com.au

• bundabergregion.org

Category: Features
Written: Wed 01 Oct 2025
Printed: October, 2025
Published By: