Reedy Creek

Reedy Creek Reserve, home to an intact patch of endangered Queensland coastal forest, has some very special neighbours.

One of them, the Loggerhead Turtle, is among the biggest marine turtles on earth, and regularly comes in from the Coral Sea to nest on nearby beaches that Bush Heritage manages. Another is the rare Grey Goshawk, which has been spotted within the reserve.

And then there are the most recent arrivals: people who've joined a nearby residential project that underpins our conservation work here.

Called [email protected], it's part of a 600-hectare coastal strip bought by Michael Myer in the 1990s.

A quarter of the land was kept for housing and shared areas of native vegetation, the rest was donated to Bush Heritage to protect as a nature reserve. Residents pay a levy that funds management work – a superb example of how humans can help our non-human neighbours.

What we’re doing

As well as paying an annual environmental levy to look after the reserve, residents also have to meet strict environmental guidelines, including using local native plants in their allotments.

‘The people who live at the neighbouring residential development [email protected] play an essential role in the protection and restoration of this reserve.'
– Reedy Creek's Reserve Manager, Mat McLean

We work with Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service to monitor and protect the nesting sites of the local Loggerhead and Flatback turtles on adjacent beaches. Some residents also help with turtle nest monitoring. 

Eggs, which females lay in nests dug into sand, are highly vulnerable to predation by foxes, so we undertake regular fox control.

Revegetation work has been carried out on the foreshore to stabilise the dunes and protect nesting turtles from light pollution. Further reveg work is happening in cleared areas using endemic tree stock. We're also carefully managing areas of rare vine thicket rainforest and planting on the fridges of the rainforest area to encourge it to extend. 

As this reserve abuts a residential area, fire management is a priority for ecological and safety reasons.

Cultural values

This reserve contains cultural heritage materials of interest to Aboriginal people. When Michael Myer bought the land he gifted an additional parcel of land to the Traditional Owners.

Take a look around

Reedy Creek is open to visitors and includes a short but spectacular walk that will take you into the heart of a very special paperbark forest, rarely seen in such pristine condition. More on visiting Reedy Creek.