Turtle Sands has been operating as a family beachside caravan park since the 1970s and is adjacent to Bundaberg’s Mon Repos Conservation Park, the Mon Repos Turtle Centre, and Mon Repos Beach - home to a significant concentration of nesting marine turtles. 

The sale of the property was handled by CBRE Hotels’ Hayley Manvell and Paul Fraser.

CBRE Hotels’ Associate Director Hayley Manvell said, “Being located in such a truly unique and irreplaceable destination at the Mon Repos Conservation area, the campaign garnered substantial enquiry and interest from the market”.

“We are seeing record enquiry and interest in Queensland’s caravan and holiday park industry from both local and interstate-based capital sources. This trend is highlighted by both this sale and CBRE’s $27,500,000 sale in July of the NRMA Agnes Water Caravan Park’.

‘We expect to see this trend continue through 2023 as interstate investors continue to look north to the Sunshine State and the tourism industry continues to outperform.’

Through the acquisition of the property, NRMA Parks and Resorts is committed to the creation of a new visitor eco-tourism experience consistent with this environmentally-significant location. 

The NRMA continues to undertake extensive consultation with relevant Government Departments, local community groups, the region’s Traditional owners and environmental groups.

NRMA Parks and Resorts CEO Paul Davies said the preservation of this unique location that was so critical to one of Australia’s most important marine animals was key to the future operation of the NRMA Park.

“The new Turtle Sands will offer an accommodation tourism experience celebrating and supporting the conservation of marine turtles in their natural environment,” Mr Davies said.

“The NRMA recognises the responsibility in working adjacent to the environmentally sensitive Mon Repos Conservation Park and a comprehensive set of Federal, State and Local Government environmental and design approvals guidelines are in place for the development.

“The design and operation of the NRMA Parks and Resorts Turtle Sands Holiday Park will adopt best practice environmental standards to protect this unique location, especially during the nesting season for turtles, including night time light controls and restricted beach access.”

The NRMA will work alongside community groups and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) to carefully create a visitor experience complementing the existing turtle night tours, which are run by QPWS rangers between November to April.

The overarching vision is to create a tourism experience that is both a great year-round holiday destination and an intrinsically linked nature and cultural experience, also working closely with the region’s Traditional Owners.

NRMA Parks and Resorts is a wholly owned subsidiary of the NRMA, Australia’s largest member-owned mutual organisation, with a 100-year track record in providing member services and community support in the area of motoring, travel and tourism.