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Island Hopper, Issue #073,, Koalas and Bandicoots December 05, 2024 |
December 2024: Issue #073 Hello, Welcome to Island Hopper! I hope you will discover lots about Phillip Island and the surrounding area.
Koalas and BandicootsPhillip Island Nature Parks has two new tours – Bandicoot Discovery Tour and Guided Koala Tour.Our Bandicoot Discovery Tour starts at sunset near the Churchill Island Visitor Centre. After an introduction about Churchill Island and discussion on the extinction of species and predators, we head out around the grounds of Amess House and the visitor centre on the spotlight tour to hunt for the eastern barred bandicoot. The rangers/guides use red torches which don’t alarm the bandicoots. This is because most mammals are partially colour blind and unable to see the colour red. Therefore, they are untroubled by a blinding light and remain comfortable in their surroundings. It’s not long before a bandicoot is spotted hopping in the grass in the paddock foraging for insects, lizards, and other small animals as well as seeds, grasses and fruit. Soon we see more near the picnic tables on the lawns. We keep our distance, but they seem to be uninterested in our presence. At the end of the tour, as we drive back to Phillip Island, we see more bandicoots along the road verge. Some are close to Phillip Island Road, which shows how they are thriving and spreading around the island. Tours run from December 20, and are available most Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until January 26. Check Phillip Island Nature Parks website for details.
Bandicoot Spotlight at Churchill IslandThe Guided Koala Tour meets at the Koala Conservation Reserve Visitor Centre, where our guide kitted us out with earpieces and binoculars. We walk through two different treetop boardwalks, the guide explaining why the koalas are separated into different areas. The guide gives us a commentary about the koalas and answers any questions. We discover the koalas have names, histories and some amusing character traits! With our binoculars, we see many species of water birds on the wetlands, plus wallabies bounding into the trees. Participants certainly gain a deeper appreciation of the conservation work done at the reserve. After our tour, we wander around the reserve, searching for free range koalas, wallabies and birdlife, and see a tree hollow nest for a pair of breeding kookaburras. The bush-stone curlew, endangered in Victoria and another conservation project undertaken by Phillip Island Nature Parks, can be seen in their enclosure in the reserve. Guided Koala Tours are available every weekend, with extra days starting December 19 and going through until January 26. Book via the PINP website. Historic ShipwreckA wonderful piece of Victoria’s maritime history was exposed recently after spring storms in the Gippsland area, with the wreck of the Amazon appearing out of the sand.Many people visited to take in this rare sight - and admire the construction and materials used in shipbuilding in the 19th century. From Heritage Victoria: “On Monday 2nd September storms exposed a large section of the hull of the Amazon shipwreck at Inverloch Surf Beach. The section moved 60 metres east along the beach in the storm. The exposed section of the shipwreck is a piece of the hull from the bow (forward) end of the vessel. Another section of the hull more than double the size still survives underwater. Amazon was built in the United Kingdom in 1855 as a timber sailing barque and operated as an intercontinental trader. It left Melbourne for Mauritius on 12th December 1863 before encountering a hurricane off Cape Otway. After two days, Amazon had been blown
along the Bass Coast and the Captain was forced to beach the ship at Inverloch to save his crew. Over time, Amazon’s bow broke up and scattered across the beach.”
Wreck of Amazon at InverlochPhillip Island also has a rich maritime history, the most famous wreck being SS Speke, which drifted onto a rock shelf off Kitty Miller Bay in 1906. Click on the link to discover more:
Phillip Island Shipwrecks
Summer RemindersWith the summer holidays approaching, there are a few reminders to make your time on Phillip Island more enjoyable.Traffic – during the summer school holidays and long weekends, Phillip Island’s population quadruples. Travel to the island early in the morning or later in the afternoon to avoid the bottleneck at the Phillip Island Bridge. Remember to have water in the car in case you are caught up in traffic. While on the island, try to avoid Thompson Avenue in Cowes and instead use Coghlan Road or Justice Road/Red Rocks Road (depending which direction you are coming from) to enter Cowes. Swim at patrolled beaches – after tragic drownings at Phillip Island beaches last summer, beach goers are advised to swim at patrolled beaches only. Rip currents are common along the south coast and not detectable to untrained eyes. Observe the warning signs at all beaches. Fireworks- there will be a fireworks display on New Year’s Eve at 9.30pm. Ensure your pets are safely secured inside your home. Snakes – hot weather brings snakes. Be aware of the lowland copperhead snake, the only species on Phillip Island, particularly when on any of the walking tracks. The copperhead is not aggressive, so leave it alone and move away.
December 7 & January 4 – Churchill Island Farmers Market December 8, 15, 22 & 29 - Cowes Sunday Market December 10 – Carols By the Bay December 14 & January 11– Island Craft Market December 20 – Community Bank San Remo Christmas Carols December 21 & January 18 – Newhaven Market December 28 & January 25 – Market on Church December 28, January 11 & 25 – Island Foreshore Market December 31 – Cowes New Years Eve Fireworks January 11 – Ocean Sounds Music Festival January 18 – Phillip Island Model Railway Exhibition January 19 – Phillip Island Jazz Club
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See you next time!
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