Bushwalking in the Bundaberg region
Bundaberg, Coral Coast & Country Walks
The Bundaberg region offers the most accessible place in Australia to witness the nightly nesting ritual of a number of turtle species from October to March each year. Importantly, Mon Repos, just 15 kms from the city centre, has the largest Loggerhead Turtle nesting population in the South Pacific. Flatback and Green Turtles also nest here and 8 - 10 weeks later, baby hatchlings emerge from their eggs that were buried in the soft sand.
During the season, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Rangers conduct turtle information nights and guided tours to the beach. Good accommodation facilities are located at nearby Bargara and backpacker hostels are numerous throughout Bundaberg and district.
Incorporating the Mon Repos Conservation Park, the Woongarra Marine Park preserves a rare example of coral reefs located right on the Bundaberg coast. Volcanic lava flows plunge into the ocean and offer habitats in oasis rock pools. Mangrove systems - the 'lungs' of the sea - line coastal estuaries and creeks rich in birdlife. Home to many species usually found on the outer reef, an experience here offers both 'wet' and 'dry' experiences, from snorkelling and scuba diving to rock pool studies, bird and turtle watching during the summer months - centering on Mon Repos Beach.
West of Bundaberg is Cania Gorge which is set amidst a spectacular landscape of sandstone cliffs and caves over 300 million years old. Cania Gorge preserves a valuable remnant of the Brigalow Belt natural region. More than 150 plants grow here in brigalow forest, eucalypt woodland, cypress pine woodland, dry rainforest and grassland. In excess of 90 species of birds have been recorded in the park. Brush-tailed rock-wallabies and common bent-wing bats are also seen.
Dry open eucalypt forest grows along Three Moon Creek and on ridges above the 70m sandstone cliffs while dry rainforest with mosses, orchids, figs and vines grows in the moist, sheltered gorges, providing a varied habitat for wildlife. See the park's lush rainforests and spectacular cliffs and overhangs on the walking tracks.
