Turtle power your way to the hottest tickets in town

Visitors to the famous Mon Repos turtle-education and conservation centre will soon be able to book tickets to get up close to the ocean’s ‘heroes in a half shell’.

Following the announcement earlier this year of 446 new solar panels to power the popular tourism destination, supporting 14 jobs as part of Queensland’s COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan, Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon said tickets for the popular nightly Mon Repos Turtle Encounter go on sale at 10am on September 1.

“The Mon Repos Turtle Encounter is the only ranger-guided turtle encounter on the east coast and is a turtle-y amazing way to see these majestic animals up close,” Minister Scanlon said.

“Mon Repos is home to the largest population of nesting marine loggerhead turtles in the South Pacific and is critical to the survival of the endangered species.

“Hundreds of loggerheads return to Mon Repos to lay their eggs every year.

“The tours are enormously popular with over 12,000 visitors participating in the nightly Turtle Encounter.

“We’ve purchased an additional 42 hectares of land to double the size of this important conservation area, and we’re installing new renewable energy as part of a record $1.4 billion investment to protect our environment, promote tourism and create jobs at a time when we need them most.

Those planning on heading to Mon Repos over Summer are encouraged to book early with ticket numbers limited due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“If you miss out on tickets to the nightly Turtle Encounters, visitors can plan a day visit to the Mon Repos Turtle Centre which has been fully redeveloped to provide an immersive and interactive turtle experience.”

Bundaberg MP Tom Smith said the centre is one of the best nature-based tourism experiences in Queensland.

“The nightly encounter is a vitally important opportunity for rangers and our volunteers to educate visitors about the importance of our conservation efforts and how we can all contribute to the survival of the species,” Mr Smith said.

“Last year around 365 loggerheads, 9 flatbacks and 1 green turtle visited the Wongarra Coast during the turtle season.

“Approximately 150,000 eggs were laid last season and we saw a successful hatchling rate of around 80%, which was an improvement on the last four turtle hatching seasons.”

The Mon Repos Turtle Encounter tours run seven nights-a-week throughout turtle season which runs from early November to late March.

Bookings can be made online through at Bundaberg Region Tourism.

More information on the Mon Repos Turtle Centre is available on the QPWS website.

ENDS

Media contact: Francis Dela Cruz - 0420 592 078