Date: Tuesday, 11th February
Activity Location: Rhyll, Phillip Island
Participants: Natalie, Robert, Mary-Anne, Bev, Jacqueline, Ellen, Peta, Gayle, Sue, Andrew, Maree, Christine, Sandi, Katrina, Graham.
Commencing at the car park at Conservation Hill Reserve, Graham led us up to the lookout to view the coastline, islands and bays around the Rhyll area. We then headed back along the coastal trail, just ahead of a bus full of school students.
The Reserve, a wetlands of saltmarshes, mangroves and mudflats, is part of the traditional lands of the Bunurong people and was earmarked for a marina during the 1960s. Strong opposition from conservationists and the local community saved the area from development.
The Ramsar Convention consider the reserve to be of international significance for the habit and feeding grounds of local and migratory wading birds, the latter arriving from Alaska and Siberia for the summer months.
The walk had much to offer and although we did not spot any bush curlews (reintroduced to the area in recent years) we did see a couple of wallabies darting off and paddocks of lapwings, native hens and Cape Barren Geese. There was even more to offer as we strolled past the not-so-humble holiday shacks centered for sea views and along to the jetty at Rhyll. Here we watched a large cruise ship, moored in one of the bays, off-loading passengers from their shuttle boats. A local band had set up to play them onto terra firma apparently, but we missed the action because we were too busy taking the obligatory group selfie. We stopped for an early lunch in the shade of a children's playground.
The return took us through the streets to meet up with the reserve track, where a terrified ring-tailed possum was spotted in a tree by its nest, along with a snake, species unnoted, and back to the car park.
Thank you Graham for leading us on this lovely nature walk.
Author: Ellen Porter