Mon Repos, Queensland

"Surfacing" a story told by Taribelang Bunda elder Charlie Broom to artist James Chapman

In the evening we took a trip out to Mon Repos Turtle Conservation Centre, and learnt more about the life of a sea turtle. These animals are amazing, once hatched out of an egg 60 Centimetres into the sand, they climb there way out and find their way straight into the ocean and journey as far as South America and back, which could take them as long as 15 years. The largest recorded lifespan has known to be as long as 67 years old, while on average they weigh in at 130 kilograms can get up to 450 kilograms. While life sounds long and prosperous for sea turtles, their survival rate is 1 in 1000 during their early lives. Being vulnerable to many predators on land and sea including human activities, the turtle has become an endangered species. After a lengthy wait, we were taken out onto Mon Repos beach to witness the turtle hatchlings’ first walk into life. It was a beautiful night, although windy and raining, the beach had a magical feel to it, peaceful waves washing into the sand and the glow of night over the horizon, ready to welcome the turtles to the ocean. The ranger pulled a bag off the entrance to a nest, the already hatched juvenile turtles surfaced themselves to the beach, they were all grouped up and shown around to everyone for photos, not really what nature intends, but keeps the tourists happy. Then the turtles were let off into the wild, to enter the waters and take on life. Seeing the loggerhead turtles off into the ocean was most certainly a magical experience, while some things were done to please the tourist, it felt like a very special place to be.