It's HATCHLING Time!

In the cool Saturday night air just a little over a week ago, Bribie had its first clutch of loggerhead hatchlings from our Critically Endangered population emerge for the 2022/23 season. Bribie Island Turtle Tracker (BITT) Jean Taplin discovered the perfect flipper prints made by 150 hatchlings heading to the sea on Sunday morning (19th February) at the nest site she's been monitoring for the last two months just south of the sandpumping inlet.

Jean said:

“I was so delighted to see such a successful nest – all the tracks fanning straight down to the sea... and over 150 eggs... that was amazing!”

Then around sunrise on Saturday morning the 25th of February, in the National Park just north of the 4WD track entrance, BITTer Diane Oxenford spotted tell-tale tracks around a nest she'd been watching closely since the 13th of December. Diane investigated the nest and most of the 80-plus hatchlings had found their way out and down the beach during the night. Diane found a few stragglers needing a little help, and by then the beach was starting to get busy and rutted by the weekend 4WD traffic, so a few lucky folks got to assist the little guys across the beach in safety, under Diane's expert guidance. With over 30 confirmed nests on the length of the beach this season, we have a few more weeks of excitement to come!

This season BIEPA has been active, raising community awareness of Bribie's nesting turtles, supporting the work of the BITTers and fostering connections with the Sunshine Coast Council's TurtleCare Program. Following the success of the Giant Turtle Community Event, on the Australia Day public holiday, a group of dedicated BIEPA members and volunteers took to Bribie's Ocean Beach for the inaugural Australia Day Nest Sitting community outreach. From a nest near Rickman Pde in Woorim, north to Welsby Lagoon, nest sitters ensured National Park visitors were aware of the importance of Bribie's loggerhead rookery. It was a big day for our Nest Sitters, starting pre-dawn with a long trek by foot or bike up the beach and the exposure of the summer. We can't thank everyone enough for their amazing commitment to the turtles! The National Parks Rangers appreciated our efforts too and provide witches hats to help mark the keep-out zones. The Fauna Team will be looking to expand this program next season, using a variety of approaches to help inform beach users of the importance of caring for Bribie.

A great collaboration between BIEPA, BITT, Sunshine Coast TurtleCare and Qld Parks and Wildlife Service rangers has seen the installation of two turtle nest protection cages over vulnerable nests. There's been a spike in nest predation, particularly by goannas and we working to find the most effective strategies to reduce the loss of eggs, including cages and meshing. BIEPA arranged the loan and relocation of the two cages from Sunshine Coast Council's TurtleCare team and QPWS are assisting BITTs with transporting cages to the nests.

The Bribie Island Turtle Trackers citizen science team are trained and authorised by the Department of Environment and Science to monitor turtle nests, collect important data requested by turtle researchers, contributing to a greater understanding Bribie’s turtles.

Members from the Bribie Masonic Lodge visited VMR Bribie 20 December 2022 to deliver a plaque to be placed on Bribie One and to inspect the New High Tech FLIR that VMR Bribie were able to install on Bribie One after a very generous donation of $19,089.75 from The Bribie Masonic Lodge, VMR Commodore Ces Luscombe thanked Greg Hemphill and Ray Horne on behalf of the VMR Team for their very generous donation, it’s another tool that can help save lives.

VMR Trainee Crew’s last night training session, they all did an awesome job - well done everyone.

At last!! We have a workable emergency mooring. Many thanks to Greg Sweetman and his crew from Gold Coast Barges. Below are a few photos of the work in progress and to give you an idea of the size of the fittings.

sausages, shashliks, and koftas accompanied with pasta salad, coleslaw, tossed salad, fried onions, pineapple, beetroot, and bread rolls. Ice-cream in a waffle cone was on offer for sweets. A temporary bar was setup at the rear of the garage opening out to the grassed area with drinks at our usual great prices.

Saturday evening 11th February 2023 - over 70 active members and partners attended this function designed to bring active members together that wouldn’t normally cross paths in their volunteering duties at VMR Bribie. The function was held in the grassed area under the stars at the rear of the Base.

The Social Committee and our expert BBQ Team put on a wonderful spread of BBQ’d

John Price joined VMR Bribie in 2008. John was a Bank Manager with WESTPAC and more recently with the Bank of Queensland until his retirement. John spent several years on the Management Committee as Vice Commodore and 2 years as Treasurer. He was instrumental in obtaining substantial funding from both Busyfingers and Energex. He has been a Radio Operator since joining in 2008 under the tutelage of then Radio Officer Kevin James.

Thu 16th Feb 2023 boat rolled over. The chopper rescued the crew from the Coast Guard CG73. The crew of the yacht were rescued; and when it was calmer, they towed the yacht to Bribie Island. Ron and his crew went out the next day and towed the upside-down Cost Guard catamaran in. It took 5 hours to Bribie.

Brooke Savige and Lulu Drew dropped into the VMR Committee Meeting to talk about getting community groups support for the New Year’s Fireworks. Many items were discussed funding, insurance, and location were at the top of the list. Further talks are to be held with other Community groups.

Righto you lot what’s going on here then!” John is surprised by well-wishers on his last VMR Radio shift!

“I have decided it is time for me to hang up the microphone and let some of the younger ones enjoy what I have done over nearly 15 years. It has been a very enjoyable 15 years with lots of ups and downs in the organisation and lots of changes over the years.

The crew of Ron’s boat, the Coast Guard boat, and the Channel 7 chopper crew all received bravery awards.

Plane Down in Bribie

Passage: - Ron also belonged to the Redcliffe Coast Guard and while on duty they got a call from the Water Police that a plane had gone down in the Passage. Arrived at the site and anchored to secure the site. Water Police asked for a flare to be lit but they refused as there was avgas all around the area and a lot of pleasure boats. Police chopper lowered a diver, and 2 deceased persons were recovered. Ron’s wife was on the radio for the Air Sea Rescue directing proceedings for the whole rescue.

(Continued)

The following are some more of Ron Walters, and wife Julie’s recollections of rescues during their time with our organisation:

XMAS DAY: - A female body was found under the Bribie Bridge, drowned with a life jacket on. Ron organised a search as it was thought that there were more. A man was washed up at the Sandstone Beach which was referred to as Tombstone. Another 2 bodies were found all with life jackets on. Their boat gad capsized in big winds trying to return to Redcliffe.

I particularly enjoyed my earlier years before my cancer diagnosis of being on the committee for a number of years, Treasurer for 2 years where I am proud to leave an ongoing legacy for VMR Bribie of the ongoing donations from Busy Fingers which I organised. Also $25000 annual donations for a number of years from Energex which Wayne Sclater and I organised and then 12 months as Vice Commodore under Wayne where I had to run most of the squadron as Wayne was working full time. They were fun times.”

The Yacht Leigh: - Ron was at Cape Moreton fishing and the Water Police asked if he could help the yacht Leigh that was in trouble in the NE Channel. When he arrived, the seas were 3-4 metres and the yacht’s mast was broken from a knock down and had rolled over. The Channel 7 chopper was there, and the Coast Guard had arrived also. Ron advised them not to get too close, but their

BAIT FISH NET: - A man rang Ron to let us know that his father and a mate were not home yet. They had left at 4AM to go bait fish netting at Bribie. The boat was put in the water. The son met Ron at the clubhouse. The most popular place to catch bait was Cooks Rocks. They spotted a tinny upside down at Cooks Rocks. The mate jumped on board and the son asked where his father was and was pointed to the net. The father was retrieved from the net, he had been there 1 hour.

SAT 18/02 0613AM – 7m

Centre Console member with no oil in sump, required a tow from Caloundra to Spinnaker Sound Marina.

SAT 18/02 1154AM – 5.5m

Half Cabin member with motor problems required a tow from near Bribie Bridge to Bellara Boat Ramp.

SAT 18/02 1737PM – 3 x Jet

Skis non-members aground between Long Island and Thooloora Island recovered, towed 1 back other 2 were able to follow back to

SAT 18/03 1908PM – 8.2m

RIB non-member out of fuel off Welsby Lagoon, towed to Base pontoon overnight, arriving at 2216PM.