While debating about our move to Australia, one of the biggest draws to Australia was the kind of experiences the country will offer us. The country is quite unique and has a lot of things we will probably not get to experience anywhere else.

One such thing is watching the turtles lay eggs and the hatchlings make way to the sea. It is turtle season. Hundreds of turtles come up to land and lay their eggs. In a few months, the tiny hatchlings will make their way to the sea.There are quite a few places to observe this around the world and the Mon Repos Conservation Park is one.

Just a couple of hours from my current home in Gladstone, the Mon Repos was yet another place on my bucket list. On Saturday, we drove down to the park for the night encounter with the turtles. As I try to write this, I realize it is going to be hard to describe the feeling in words. It was surreal.

Saturday turned out to be a lucky day for us and 300 other people who came to view the turtles. There are nights when there is no sighting. There are nights when the wait time is around 3 hours. Our wait time was much less – around 45 minutes. The group of volunteers and rangers in the park check you in and give you your tickets in quick, efficient steps. Inside the conservatory there is a display about turtles, their kinds and their importance. We browse through the display waiting for our turn.

Our group (around 50 people) was called and we walked towards the boardwalk that will lead us to the beach. Our guide for the evening briefs us on what to expect and reminds us to keep our lights off. We start walking down the dark boardwalk with excited whispers. People clinging to their friends and families. Excitement was high. I kept my hands on the rails just to be safe. And then we could hear the waves and the sea. It was different experiencing the sea with sound and not sight.

We stepped off the walkway onto the soft sand. It was a clear moonless night. I could see the stars up high. The wind was balmy and strong. The waves pounding. The only people around seems to be our group. The air was heavy with expectation. We started walking towards the spot where a turtle was supposed to be nesting. We walk along the beach. The radio our guide carries crackles. We stop – we see turtle tracks. We move forward.

Around 10 minutes later, we are climbing up. Moving away from the waters towards the dunes. And there we see, almost hidden in the sand is a huge turtle. “A female loggerhead turtle” says our guide. The only light comes from the guide’s torch. No photographs, no phone lights at this stage. We watch the enormous turtle heave around. Almost as if it was trying to find a comfortable spot. Flapping its flippers, sending sand raining on us in the dark.

The huge mount of sand in the middle is the nesting loggerhead

The turtle tags are checked. Its carapace (shell) length is checked. All this happens while the turtle is doing its work. Then the guide tells us that we can take pictures. The group pulls out cameras and phones and iPads. Flashes illuminate the place and the beast. The radio crackles up again. There is another turtle making its way right behind us. People scramble a bit. The guide is calm. All lights are turned off.

The turtle makes its way up but moves north of us. It is really not close by but it is close enough. We keep our lights off and watch the turtle keep moving. The guide answers our questions and whoosh suddenly the turtle is moving away from the nest/cave it dug. We move away and let it walk towards the water. We follow behind it bidding adieu.

Back at the nest, the action does not stop. The guide, locates the egg chamber and pulls out couple of eggs for us to see. They look like ping pong balls. Tiny and round. They are coated with sand. It is quite soft – squeezable compared to the usual chicken eggs we handle. It is different. We keep our lights off and help the guide mark the spot of the next with triangulation measurements.

Soon it is time to walk back. We spot couple more turtle tracks as we head back to the boardwalk in darkness. It was magical. The night was magical. It was an amazing experience. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

Now for some logistics: The turtle season starts around in October and goes on till February. Night watches start around 7pm. Booking is essential. Come armed with insect repellant and a warm layer just incase. Ideally this activity is not suited for kids 4 and under. Kuttyma (who was just over 4) was there. She was a bit scared of the darkness even though she enjoyed the experience. We had to carry her in the beach as she was scared she was going to step on the turtles in the dark. Obviously it is not an activity for anyone scared of the dark. Lights are off most of the time. Photography opportunities are very limited. There is a gift shop and a mobile food truck open till 11pm.