Get set for three months of turtle time this January as hundreds of tiny hatchlings muscle their way out of their sandy nests and make a nightly dash for the warm waters off Mon Repos beach, east of Bundaberg in Queensland. Just three hours drive south of Gladstone, the turtle encounter which has mesmerised thousands of visitors over the forty years since Mon Repos was classified as the most significant Loggerhead rookery in the South Pacific.
Nightly ranger-guided turtle tours are priced at $10:20 for adults and $5.40 for children (five to 17 years).
According to General Manager of Bundaberg North Burnett Tourism, James Corvan, January is the best time for turtle watchers thanks to the crossover between nesting season, when mature female loggerheads lay eggs and hatching season, when the first baby turtles emerge from their six to eight week incubation period and comically scurry down the beach.
"January offers a double dose of nature with both nesting and hatching a possibility," said Mr Corvan.
"By the end of 2011, around 150 mature loggerhead females had made their way to shore to nest.
"January promises the arrival of even more nesting turtles and at the same time the nightly emergence of hatchlings.
"On one hand, visitors will be able to get within inches of the giant females and watch them lay between 100 and 150 eggs each night. On the other, they will be asked by rangers to form a line-up and shine torches between onto the beach to create a path that will guide the 5 cm hatchlings to the ocean."
The hatching season continues through to the end of March.
Bookings are essential for the nightly Turtle Experience Tours. Please call Bundaberg Visitor Information Centre on (07) 4153 8888, email bookeasy@bundabergregion.org or visit www.bookbundabergregion.com.au.
Hatch Yourself Some Turtle Time - Turtles Queensland
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