Rufous Fantail Western Port Summerland Peninsula WATTS RD BACK BEACH RD R D B E R R Y S R D RD P H I L L I P IS L AN D RHYLL- NE WH AVE N RD BEACH RD B E A C H R O C K R D Wimbledon Heights Churchill Island Sunset Strip San Remo VEN TN OR SETTLEMENT RD COWES- RHYL L RD HARBISON RD C O G H L A N R D McFEES RD PYRAMID VENTNOR G A P R D W OOL A M A I B E A C H R D Cape Liptrap Coastal Park Candowie Reservoir Lance Creek Reservoir Sc re w Wonthaggi Heathland & Coastal Reserve Western Port BAS S H W Y SOUTH H WY T HE SHU N TOFF STAN LE Y RD LOC H- WO N T HA GG I RD GUY RD CORINELLA RD AG A R RD SOLDIERS RD G R A NT VI LLE- GLE N AVLIE B A S S H WY RD R D L O C H - WONTHA GG I RD GL EN AL VIE RD WEST CREEK RD WON TH AGGI K O R U M B U R RA- LYNNES RD BA S S H WY C AP E P ATERSO N I N V E R L OC H - K O N G W A K R D BAS S H WY BASS HWY Anderson Bass Grantville South Dudley WONTHAGGI INVERLOCH Dalyston The Gurdies Woodleigh Kernot Krowera Almurta Queensferry Woolamai Glen Forbes Ryanston Archies Creek West Creek Lance Creek Glen Alvie Kongwak Outtrim Wattle Bank South Gippsland Shire French Island Cardinia Shire Cape Liptrap Coastal Park Bas s Coast IN V E RLOCH -VENUS BAY R D C A P E PA TE RSO N- IN VERLO CH Bass Strait Venus Bay Anderson Inlet to Korumburra to Leongatha to Tarwin Lower R D Grantville Nature Conservation Reserve GIPPSLAND Corinella R D RD RD NYO RA- ST. H ELIE R RD G UR DI E S- S T . H E L I E R RD R D WOODL EIGH- ST . HELIER RD DUNB ABB IN ST E WART RD DA LYS TO N- ES G B L EN RD F OR R D LOCH - K ERN OT EDEN McGRATH R D RD DA LYS TON GL - EN FORBES RD WOOLAMAI RD B A SS RD TREW RD T UR - N B U L L W OO L AM AI D A L YS T N O - M IL L RD Rail Trail G LE N F OR B ES C A ME R O N S T LOCH - W O N T H A G G IR D KO N G K WA RD GL EN AVL IE RD Ba ss R i e v r Bas s Ri ve r Riv er M O UT H OF POWLETT RD Po wl et t C r Harmers Haven P HI LLIP ISLAND RD COWES Rhyll Newhaven Smiths Beach Cape Woolamai Sunderland Bay Ventnor Silverleaves Penguin Parade San Remo Kilcunda Cape Paterson Pioneer Bay Tenby Point Coronet Bay to Melbourne Jam Jerrup to Phillip Island P I H I L D L P I SLA R N D to Bass Coast Mainland C O W E S Y L - L RH D R HARBISON RD R H YLL-NEWHAVEN RD M c I L L R AI T H R D R E I D ST Rhyll Inlet Marsh Ar e a BASS H W Y Bass Strait Churchill Island P H IL LI P I S L A N D RD NT O V N E R R D 8 7 Swan Lake Grantville Pioneer Bay GU R I D ES - R RD S T L H E I E DU N B A B BI N R D S M Y THE ST Western Port Bass Strait Quarry The Gurdies Nature Conservation Reserve Corinella Fishers Wetland Summerland Peninsula Penguin Parade GUY RD J A M I E SON ST O’CONNOR RD CORINELLA RD Western Port Boat Ramp Pier I S L A N D Bass Coast Shire, Mainland The Gurdies Nature Reserve Bass Coast Shire, Phillip Island 1 Corinella Foreshore Reserve Fisher’s Wetland 3 McIllraith Rd / Rhyll Inlet 5 Cape Woolamai Peninsula 4 LEGEND LEGEND Oswin Roberts Reserve 6 10 Bird Watching Locations Main Road / Highway Local Road Tracks Phillip Island Nature Park (PINP) Urban Areas 0 1000 2000 metres Parking Main Road / Highway Local Road Tracks Reserve / Public Land Urban Areas kilometres 0 2 4 10 Bird Watching Locations Central Access Track Parking Bird Hide 6 8 3 4 5 7 4 6 9 5 2 9 1 1 3 2 MO U TH O F PO WL ET T RD 10 11 This reserve protects one of the few significant remnants of coastal woodland onWestern Port. There is a small wayside stop opposite Pioneer Bay on the Bass Highway. Another access point is via Dunbabbin Road, off Stuart’s Road. There is a good parking area with magnificent views overWestern Port. Near the top of the main trail a side track to the north leads to a gully where Bassian Thrush, Rufous Fantail and Eastern Whipbirds can be found. Other birds seen in The Gurdies Nature Reserve include parrots, thornbills, robins, treecreepers, sittellas and honeyeaters. Raptors can be seen overhead and Powerful Owls have also been sighted. An added bonus for plant enthusiasts is the wide variety of orchids flowering throughout much of the year. Cars may be left at either end of this 3-4 km walk, at O’Connor Road or Jamieson Street. Alternatively starting at the jetty carpark allows the walk to be done in two shorter sections. The northern section, from the rotunda to Jamieson Street, leads to a regenerating heathland. Beach and seabirds roost and feed among the mangroves, while small scrub birds are returning to the heathland. To reach the southern section,walk or drive along the road past the caravan park to Settlement Point, then follow the track along the southern coast on the high cliffs. The track passes through a variety of habitats, including low coastal scrub, native grassland, she-oak dominated coastal woodland and, finally, a substantial stand of Coastal Banksias at O’Connor Road. (The walk can be extended to Coronet Bay). The bird list includes a variety of bush and scrub birds. An occasional sea eagle may be seen. Two wetlands adjoin the road to Churchill Island. Fisher’sWetland is on the left side of the road. It is a large wetland, which dries out, leaving a few deep holes with permanent water during prolonged dry seasons. Three tracks leave the carpark. One skirts the north-eastern edge of Fisher’s Wetland on a boardwalk and continues into bushland. The second crosses the road and leads to the bridge via a boardwalk beside a saltmarsh. A third track leaves the northern end of the carpark leading to a birdhide overlooking the western side of the wetland and on to the end of Churchill Road through saltmarsh beside Swan Bay. Access this spot from the intersection of Cowes-Rhyll Road and Rhyll-Newhaven Road. Take the road heading north from this intersection and follow the first dirt road on the left (McIllraith Road). Park at the end of the road and look over the entrance of Rhyll Inlet. At high tide the sand pit and rocks are popular wader roosts and in summer a range of international waders can be seen. A telescope or good binoculars will be useful here. Follow the track to the west for an interesting bird walk with great scenery. It leads down to a boardwalk among the mangroves and rejoins the track to Conservation Hill carpark and a lookout overlooking Rhyll Wetland, a large nesting site for ibis in a wet spring season. 2 Mouth of the Powlett River 9 Situated on the Bass Highway between Kilcunda and Wonthaggi, this is an excellent site with a range of habitats. Ocean beaches (Hooded Plovers), river flood plains (Blue-winged and Orange-bellied Parrots) and banksia groves (honeyeaters and thornbills) offer a range of interesting birds. This reserve on Harbison Road, bought by Florence Oswin Roberts in the 1930s to protect the koala habitat, is the largest accessible bushland left on Phillip Island. Several tracks lead through the reserve. Birds often seen include a variety of honeyeaters, parrots, thornbills, pardalotes, silvereyes and other bush birds. Silvereye Cape Barren Goose White-eared Honeyeater Eastern Curlew Short-tailed Shearwater Parking in the southern carpark of the surf beach allows easy access to a number of walking tracks on the peninsula. Hooded Plovers are often seen on the ocean beaches and the walk to the headland often rewards birdwatchers with views of a range of raptors, including White-bellied Sea-Eagle. Keep a lookout for albatross and other pelagic birds, especially in winter. At dusk,from September to April, vast flocks of Short-tailed Shearwaters can be seen returning to their rookeries on the clifftops