Time pressure for some, tide times, ongoing blustery conditions, a dodgy rudder and the opportunity to see the turtles come ashore later that night ashore made the decision to end the trip at Mon Repos rather than continue on up the Burnett River to Bundaberg the following day. A taxi to collect the cars from Bundaberg turned out to be a maxi taxi so everyone piled in. The cars had been left outside Ann's friend's house for security. Then it was off to the supermarket for fresh and luxurious provisions. In no time there a feast at the camp ground before joining the crowds in an organised procession to watch the turtles come ashore to lay their clutch.
We had hoped that we may have seen hatchlings as well, and while that could have been the case, it was anticipated (correctly) that colder weather would delay the emergence of the hatchlings
by a week or two. The best time to see both egg laying and the hatchlings is mid January to early February.
Woodgate to Mon Repos is a very pretty section of the coast. Plenty of great camping amongst the cassurinas along the foreshore. The surf was an experience and I was pleased that I managed to come in the right way up. However, landing on the high tide tends to bring a dumping finish. Having access to a supermarket made for a great last banquet.
Tip: If you have a Raider you may want to replace the rivets which hold the straps to the pedals with screws, washers and nylock nuts so that you can effect a proper repair if you need too
|