Bagara is on list of favourite places in Queensland so when we were looking for a destination for an Easter camping holiday trip with the family it was an obvious choice. It's not very touristy, quiet, lovely compact beaches and within a five hour drive from Brisbane - and the final drawcard - turtles still hatching at Mon Repos nearby! The van was prepared, the car packed and off we went on a beautiful day in what some call Autumn.
[ We really don't have four such defined seasons but instead we get hot, humid and wet from around September to April and cooler and dry May through August. Usually. The past two years have been constantly wet almost every month.]
Bagara is a beachside town about 11km from Bundaberg in the Wide Bay - Burnett Region. Bundaberg or 'Bundy" it is affectionately called by Queenslanders and is mostly famous for its rum and sugar industry.
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| Sugar Cane, near Bundaberg |
There has been considerable development in the area since our last visit as Bundaberg has expanded so there was a bypass road that took us easily to Bagara which had also grown a bit with some multi storey holiday apartment buildings and a small shopping complex with two supermarkets in it. The small church opposite which looks like it was once a house reminded us that the Bagara population outside holiday time is quite small.
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| St Peter's Anglican Church, Bagara |
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| Beach Report - water temp 27C |
The children and I went for a walk on the beach but with warm water and gentle waves washing their feet the temptation to dive in was too great to be denied! Both children were soon splashing around happily.
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| Nielson's Beach, Bagara |
On another day we ventured to one of Bagara's other beaches, Kelly's.
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| Kelly's Beach, Bagara |
Mon Repos, near Bagara, is the largest turtle nesting area in Australia with the nesting season starting early in November and finishing around the end of March. the nesting season was a little late this year so we were able to book ahead to see the hatchlings break out of their nest and head for the sea. It was a beautiful night on the beach, far from neon lights - not even torches were allowed - as we were guided cautiously along the wet sand by the rangers. Every turtle that comes up to lay is tagged and her nest marked so the rangers know when to expect hatchlings to emerge. There were several children in the group and they muffled their excitement as we were shown the relocated nest up the bank where the hatchlings were making their bid for freedom from the sand. The rangers collected each one as it came falling, scuttling down the bank, holding them in a wire cage so that we could watch and hear all about the life of a turtle. After that, two turtles were carefully carried around our group so that we could touch their shell and take a photo. We then stood well back as the turtles were released from their cage and headed remarkably fast to the sea guided by torches held steady by the older selected children in the group. Even though toes tickled as the hatchlings scrambled feet remained anchored to the ground and every one hit the waves safely.
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| Loggerhead Turtle Hatchling, Mon Repos, Bagara |
The turtles we saw were the endangered Loggerhead turtles of which it is believed there are only six hundred left. Ninety three hatched successfully and ran for the sea and there were ten unsuccessful eggs remaining in the nest. It seems that only one hatchling in a thousand makes it to adulthood so the chances of even one of "our" turtles surviving doesn't look good.
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| Pale Headed Rosella |
This Rosella was very watchful of us but was too keen to feed to escape our lenses.
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| Galah |
If you've ever heard someone called a "Galah" this is a real one. Actually, a Galah is a Cockatoo. We were surprised that this one hung around long enough for us to put down out picnic sandwiches and get our cameras out.
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| Bundaberg |
One day we went to Bundaberg for to do a bit of holiday shopping and found some delightful fashion and curio shops. Main Street was quite pretty with a parklike strip in the centre where you could rest on a bench while waiting for the ardent shoppers of our group.
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| War Memorial, Bundaberg |
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| Bundaberg |
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| Barrel Cafe, Bundaberg |
Bagara is an easy place to spend a week especially when the weather is so beautiful. We mostly lazed around the camp with a daily beach time when the children rode the waves on body boards with their mother getting her exercise towing them out and finding just the right wave to ride . . . or just walked on the wet sand . . .
. . . just walking on the wet sand, camera at the ready . . .
. . . looking for unusual or new things to photograph.
