Our first week at Gnaraloo

We have just completed the first formal week of daily beach monitoring at the Gnaraloo Bay Rookery, from 2 – 8 November 2012. On 1 November 2012, we discovered a dead green turtle in the Sub-section GBN – BP7 and on 8 November 2012 we recorded our first tracks for the season and it was a successful nesting activity, our first loggerhead nest!

Once we settled into our lovely stone cabins at the Gnaraloo Homestead area, we met Paul Richardson (the leaseholder of Gnaraloo), Gnaraloo staff and other workers including the current Wwoofers. We received a thorough vehicle induction on Halloween from Gnaraloo’s charming mechanic ‘Feral’ who taught us about the unique features of the beloved ‘Turtle Wagon’ (a custom painted burnt orange 8 seater Toyota Land Cruiser) and some important life skills like how to change a tyre and use an outback rusty petrol pump!

We set off today for Exmouth to undergo turtle tracking training by the Department of Environment and Conservation (Western Australia). We are also excited about adventuring in Cape Range National Park in Exmouth during our down time there!

Activity tally in the Gnaraloo Bay Rookery (02/11/2012-08/11/2012): 1 Loggerhead Nest, 0 Unsuccessful Nesting Activities, 0 U Tracks

Careena