Mon Repos Beach, Queensland: Turtle tour prices & when to visit

The Turtle Encounter tours at Mon Repos Beach in Queensland run between November and March. For the rest of the year, you can visit the Mon Repos Turtle Centre.

Mon Repos Beach near Bundaberg in Queensland is one of the best places in the world to watch turtles hatching. It is home to one of the biggest loggerhead turtle nesting sites in the South Pacific, and is protected by the Mon Repos Conservation Park.

Mon Repos questions – quick answers

When can I see turtles at Mon Repos? The Turtle Encounter Tours at Mon Repos run between November and March.

Why is it called Mon Repos? That was the name of the homestead set up here in 1884. It’s French for ‘my rest’.

Are dogs allowed on Mon Repos Beach? For the protection of the turtles, dogs are not allowed in the Mon Repos Conservation Park.

Mon Repos Turtle Centre near Bundaberg, Queensland

Come to Mon Repos Beach during the day, and you can visit the Mon Repos Turtle Centre. This visitor centre has a café, plus an exhibition called Turtle Tales. Using theatre presentations and interactive displays, Turtle Tales at the Mon Repos Turtle Centre tells the stories of the loggerhead turtles. It also showcases the researchers who dedicate their lives to tracking and looking after the Mon Repos turtles.

The best reason to visit Mon Repos Beach, however, is to witness those turtles in action. Come at the right time of year, and it’s possible to watch mother turtles hauling themselves up the beach to give birth and bury the eggs in the sand. Get lucky, and you’ll also see the loggerhead hatchlings break free, and scuttle down Mon Repos Beach into the sea.

Turtle Encounter tours at Mon Repos Beach

This doesn’t happen year-round, however. You have to visit the Bundaberg region in specific months to see the Mon Repos turtles giving birth and hatching.

A turtle laying eggs at Mon Repos Conservation Park near Bargara Beach. Photo courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland.

Guided Turtle Encounter tours, run by park rangers, take place at Mon Repos Beach between November and late March. The female turtles come to give birth between November and January, while the hatchlings dig free between January and March. Obviously, January is the sweet spot where you might see the Mon Repos turtles give birth AND hatch.

6 Bundaberg experiences to make the most of your free time

(Highly recommended ✅) Tour – with tastings – at the Bundaberg rum distillery.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Day trip to Lady Musgrave Island on the Great Barrier Reef.
Fly out to Lady Elliot Island for a day on the reef.
See migrating humpbacks – on a four hour whale watching cruise with lunch.
Brewery tasting tour – including the famous Bundaberg ginger beer.
Farm life experience at Splitters Farm.

Mon Repos turtle tour cost

Bookings are essential for the Mon Repos Turtle Encounter tours. At time of writing, tickets for the Turtle Encounter tour cost $28.60 for adults.

Visit the Queensland Parks and Forests department website for further information.

Getting to Mon Repos Beach

Mon Repos Beach is a 14km drive north-east of Bundaberg. Other things to do in the Bundaberg region include the Tinaberries strawberry farm, tasting tours of the Bundaberg Rum distillery and Lake Monduran. You may prefer to stay at neighbouring Bargara Beach, where the Bargara Beach Caravan Park offers cheap accommodation.