A SAFE SPACE FOR TURTLES

Nestled around a turtle sanctuary, this beachside holiday site boasts a unique landscape with a conservation focus.

A coastal location in the Bundabergregion of Queensland, the small town of Mon Repos is home to an important environmental site: Mon Repos Conservation Park. Outfitted with coastal walks, walking and bike tracks, among other things, visitors to the area can also learn about marine turtle conservation at Mon Repos Turtle Centre. This hub for turtle conservation is a globally significant site, supporting the largest concentration of nesting marine turtles on the eastern Australian mainland — critical for the survival of the endangered Loggerhead Turtle species.

As a celebrated tourist destination, TurtleSands Holiday Park wanted to do everything it could to ensure visitors to the area enjoyed all that Mon Repos had to offer, so they engaged landscape experts Australian Environmental Landscapes (AEL) to upgrade their grounds and create a harmonious design that blended with the existing environment and protected the surrounding breeding zones.

A uniquely positioned caravan and camping site, Turtle Sands Holiday Park is nestled behind the dunes of the beach. Offering a variety of
spacious villas, glamping and caravan sites, this vacation spot was designed to help its visitors enjoy nature “in an immersive but sensitive way”. Surrounded by turtle nesting beaches, the intersection between the local fauna and humans needed to be highly considered.

Specialists in bushland restoration, rehabilitation and maintenance, environmental landscaping, landscape construction, fencing and parkland structures, Australian Environmental Landscapes was highly qualifed to produce an integrated greenscape for this facility that would meet the environmental brief of the project.

AEL worked closely with all team members in the development of the holiday park to ensure an outcome that would guarantee the safety of the important local wildlife and the protection of the integrity of the surrounding nesting areas. The company utilsed Australian native plants and turf to create a usable greenspace for visitors without adverse impact on the natural bushland.

Another important aspect taken into account was artificial lighting. Working with local professionals from the nearby turtle sanctuary, AEL designed and implemented a landscape that ensured minimal artificial light intrusion through the use of strategically placed plantings. These plantings helped to form an organic barrier between the camp grounds, which still contained all the modern amenities visitors needed, and the breeding grounds. This ensured the breeding turtles would remain undisturbed while they were at their most vulnerable.

For the human inhabitants, AEL installed a garden around the pool that made the most of the beachside location and helped to show off the turtle shape of the pool. Fencing, both for safety and screening, was installed, as was irrigation to all areas of the holiday park. TrueGrid permeable paving was utilised to enhance access throughout the park while still maintaining a ‘natural’ feel, and a Yarning Circle was added to provide a place for gathering.

With the turtles safely protected and the built site nestled seamlessly into the landscape, the organic vibe of Turtle Sands Holiday Park is guaranteed as a great place to visit and learn more about the natural world for years to come.

PROJECT PARTICULARS
Client NRMA
Location Mon Repos, Queensland
Civil Contractor Durack Civil
Landscape Contractor Australian Environmental Landscapes