Over 200 persons popped along to this great event organised by BIEPA (Bribie Island Environmental Protection Association) to welcome the start of the Turtle Nesting Season at Woorim Beach on the eastern beach (Yarun), on Bribie Island just north of Brisbane, Qld, Australia. This beach is just in front of Edwin Schrag Lookout, Boyd Street, Woorim; Pocket Book map 433 H6.
Summer turtle nesting season runs from December to March each year.

While most attendees were ‘locals’ from Bribie Island and Sandstone Point, some had travelled from Brisbane, and from the Gold Coast. The turtles themselves - well, they make their trip from South America around Peru all the way across the Pacific Ocean. Here at Woorim, they come to lay their eggs to bring into being the next generation.

The turtles’ best entry is at high tide when they can leave the water and be safe in the grass and shrub canopy on a higher ground. They lay on an average 120-140 eggs, which need around two months to hatch. Only a small number of hatchlings will make it to the sea and only 1 in 1000 will make it back in about 25 years to hatch at Woorim again.

For this reason, it is even more important to help the turtles increase their survival rate by allowing them to hatch in peace and to reach the sea.

The crowd, which included myself and my wife, Nevenka Golc-Clarke, was welcomed by a traditional aboriginal smoking ceremony for which eucalyptus and local plants are used, accompanied by didgeridoo music.

The day for raising awareness of the turtle nesting season was selected very carefully to be Sunday, the 4th December 2022 at about 1pm. Geoff Ginn had drawn an outline of a turtle in the sand, so the throng could enter the outline and replicate a giant turtle. Then at precisely, or just thereabouts, at 1:08 pm was the lowest tide. This ‘giant turtle’ moved toward the water in a left-right marching pattern where some wet their feet.

Fun was had by all, including the sixty, or so, children.

The President of the Bribie Island Environmental Protection Association, Mr Richard Ogden, spoke with a megaphone and could just be heard with the gusty wind. He said members of his Association ride some electric bikes along the beach counting turtle tracks, monitoring nest sites and hatchlings at all hours and in all weather. After all the ocean trip, this last 100 metres is the most hazardous, especially if the tired turtle arrives at low tide while ‘da 4WDs race down da beach’. Richard said the BIEPA would like driving on the beach managed with greater care during the turtle nesting season.

Please come and join as a member, enjoy the monthly social meetings and help out at events and with environmental activities.

BIEPA PO Box 350 Bribie Island Qld 4507. E: secretary@biepa.online
The committee team for 2022-23 is President Richard Ogden, ph 0413 751 546, Vice-President Angela Armitage, Secretary Jenny Walker, Treasurer Roger Platt, and Geoff Ginn, Carol Wood, Liz O’Byrne, Mike Howells (IT).

A big thank you to award-winning photographer Darren Jew for the aerial photo of the ‘giant turtle’ featured on the front cover.