Mon Repos Conservation Park Bundaberg

4.1

Google reviews (28 total)

Google reviews for Mon Repos Conservation Park

4.1 Write a review

  • 5 Lynette Faragher
    2 months ago

    Wonderful volunteers, lots of information provided. My husband walks with crutches, we had a volunteer assigned to us who ensured we got the full experience. The Centre itself is world class with displays and images to maintain interest while waiting to head for the beach. Good compromise between turtle conservation and public information and propaganda. Money well spent. I would come again.

  • 5 Kathleen Sanders
    a month ago

    Wonderful time here today, we watched a cinematic tour of turtles, hatchlings, and how we can all do our bit to help these creatures. Starting one man at a time to becoming a world wide cause. The cafe offered plenty of choices to eat and drink and the artwork on display was totally stunning, no photography allowed so I cannot add a photo. Go see for yourself, you won't be disapointed. Very helpful staff too. Thank you.

  • 5 Kylie Wood
    4 months ago

    5 stars for the magnificent girl laying eggs for her first season. What an amazing thing to experience. It was nature at its best and truly appreciated the opportunity to see it. Just wondering though about the appropriateness of the human contact especially moving the eggs. Was this just part of the tourist show or is it really necessary? Will those eggs survive human interference? Does it happen anywhere else? A little disappointed with how much information the volunteers could offer compared to the marine biologist who took us on a tour with Lady Musgrave tours the day before.

  • 1 Mermaid Bella
    3 weeks ago

    As a volunteer and Marine scientist who has worked with the turtles at Mon Repos I can tell you I am disgusted with the way the turtles are treated. Hatchings are killed if someone tags them incorrectly, I was told to gouge the mother turtles eyes to stop her from going back in the water. Not when tourists were around of course. They care more about their research data than the actual well being of turtles.

  • 1 Mullins Family
    2 months ago

    We are now leaving with sad kids and broken hearts! We are a family that travelled across the world for this experience from the United States to Australia with four kiddos hoping to experience this, we attempted to buy tickets and spoke with the representative at the front desk and she was kind and agreed to allow us to watch the turtles hatch! However when she talked to the man in charge, he was the most rude Australian we have met! He made my five year old cry because he said we couldn’t see the turtles. He was extremely stand off ish with his hands on his hips and yelled at my husband twice to leave. And when everyone wanted to allow us to wothness the turtles hatching he came out and said he would not allow it! We may never be back in Australia and I hope this man remembers how he impacted our holiday in Australia. I wish I had his name. But he was on shift on Thursday March 16th,2023 Black hair, thin, tall and oh SOO mean.

  • More info and reviews

Loggerhead turtle nesting on the Turtle Encounter Tour. Photo credit: Lise Pedersen © Queensland Government

The success of nesting and hatchling turtles at Mon Repos is critical for the survival of loggerhead turtles. Photo credit: Robert Ashdown © Queensland Government

Be inspired: Turtles, history and a whole lot more: Mon Repos has plenty to offer!

Mon Repos is all about turtles, right? Yes and no. It is home to some of the most amazing turtle experiences on offer, but it also boasts great ‘beachy’ outdoor fun with a dash of intriguing history thrown in. Photo credit: © Queensland Government

About Mon Repos

    Park features

    Mon Repos supports the largest concentration of nesting marine turtles on the eastern Australian mainland. This is the most significant loggerhead turtle nesting population in the South Pacific Ocean region. Successful breeding here is critical for the survival of this endangered species.

    At this globally-significant site you can learn all about these extraordinary animals and the conservation and research programs that are protecting them—visit the Mon Repos Turtle Centre (the centre does not display captive, live turtles); discover the Turtle Tales Immersive Experience (including interactive displays and theatre) and have a Turtle Encounter tour for a chance to see living turtles on the beach—a tour like very few others in the world. During the day you can explore on a Turtle Tracks and Tales Ranger-guided walk and learn about turtle conservation and research, turtle tracks and nesting sites.

    The park is culturally significant for the four identified First Nations groups—Taribelang Bunda, Gooreng Gooreng, Gurang, and Byellee peoples.

    Still standing today, is a heritage-listed basalt stone wall built around 1884 by South Sea Islanders as they cleared rocks to prepare the land for sugarcane crops.

    The park's natural features include dune plant communities, Woongarra rainforest scrub remnants, mangroves, a tidal lagoon and rock pools.

    The beach and dunes were the launch site for Bert Hinkler's first glider flights in 1912.

    Nearby, the basalt slabs and reefs that form much of this coastline provide an ideal canvas for colourful displays of corals, sponges, barnacles and shellfish. This stunning diversity of sea life so close to shore has made the Woongarra Coast area of Great Sandy Marine Park, one of the most popular shore-diving areas in Australia.

    Looking after the park

    • Help protect fragile sand dunes from erosion and protect turtle eggs during the marine turtle breeding season (15 October to 30 April) by staying off the sand dunes.
    • Follow seasonal closures for night access during turtle nesting and hatching season. These closures are in place to protect marine turtles:
    • Smoking is not permitted at the Mon Repos Turtle Centre and surrounds or on the beach.
    • Please take your rubbish with you.
    • Leave your pets at home—domestic animals are not permitted in Mon Repos Conservation Park.
    • Nesting and hatchling marine turtles are disoriented by bright lights. Artificial lights interfere with their natural habits and instincts, resulting in negative impact on their population. Hatchlings that are attracted to town lights, exhaust themselves and become stranded before they even make it to the ocean. The sky glow from townships interferes with nesting turtles as they prefer dark beaches to lay their eggs. Marine turtles are in trouble—they need our help to survive. For light reducing tips visit the Cut the Glow to Help Turtles Go campaign page.

    To report marine animal strandings call the Queensland Government Wildlife Hotline on 1300 130 372.

    See the guidelines on caring for parks for more information about protecting our environment and heritage in parks.

    Park management

    Mon Repos Conservation Park is managed by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) under the Nature Conservation Act 1992, to preserve and present its remarkable natural and cultural values in perpetuity.

    Mon Repos Conservation Park was first declared an Environmental Park under the Land Act in 1990. In 1994 it was re-gazetted as a Conservation Park under the Nature Conservation Act 1992, including 45ha of beach and coastal vegetation that is vital for marine turtle conservation.

    Park Rangers, Researchers, volunteers and First Nations people make significant contributions to park management.

    A long-term marine turtle research program that has international significance has been running at Mon Repos since 1968. At Mon Repos Conservation Park, staff protect turtle nests during the nesting season, carry out research and monitoring, and raise public awareness through guided tours where visitors can have the unique experience of watching turtles lay their eggs or hatchlings emerging from their sandy nests.

    For over 50 years Mon Repos has been supported by many of community volunteers—they actively fought to have the area protected and since that time have been an integral part of the programs focused on turtle conservation, ecotourism and revegetation.

    Future planning for Mon Repos Conservation Park will be developed under the Values Based Management Framework.

    Tourism information links

    Bundaberg Visitor Information Centre
    36 Avenue Street, Bundaberg
    PO Box 930
    Bundaberg Qld 4670
    Ph (07) 4153 8888
    Fax (07) 4151 2527

    For tourism information for all regions in Queensland see Queensland Holidays.

    Further information

    Mon Repos Turtle Centre
    Open 7 days-a-week 9am–2pm (closed 25 December and 25 April).

    From November to late March the centre is open at night for Turtle Encounter tour ticket holders only—from 6.30pm till late (closed 24, 25 and 31 December).

    • Book your Mon Repos Turtle Encounters tour through Bundaberg Visitor Information Centre.
    • Book your day ticket for Turtle Tales Immersive Experience (includes interactive displays and theatre areas within the Turtle Centre) through Eventbrite
    • Book your Turtle Tracks and Tales Ranger-guided walk through Eventbrite
    • For school group and people with mobility disability access enquiries contact monrepos@des.qld.gov.au

    • Cut the Glow to help Turtles Go

      The majority of both nesting and hatching turtle activity occurs at night; disturbances and danger from predators, both on land and at sea, is lowest under the cover of darkness. This makes turtles vulnerable to disturbance and disorientation from artificial lights.

    • There are currently no park alerts for this park.

    View all park alerts