90 A game-changing Great Ocean Road wildlife haven
MANY PEOPLE VISIT the high-drama south coast of Victoria to be wowed by the 12 Apostles (or what’s left of the famous sea stacks that are gradually crumbling away). But a new social enterprise is inspiring another kind of awe and wonder.
Wildlife Wonders, just five kilometres from Apollo Bay, has it all: eucalypt forests rich with birdlife, free-ranging native mammals, accessible walking trails, passionate nature guides, blockbuster ocean views and excellent coffee (from Apollo Bay Roaster, Hello Coffee) at the on-site cafe.
More than a kilometre of feral predator-proof fencing provides a sanctuary for native fauna to freely roam, as nature intended. And the best part is that every visit to Wildlife Wonders supports the work of the Conservation Ecology Centre, a long-running not-for-profit organisation dedicated to boosting biodiversity in the Otways region via environmental research, habitat restoration and species recovery programs. During a 75-minute guided walking tour through the habitat, you’ll get the chance to see some of Australia’s best-known animals (koalas, wallabies, emus and kangaroos) but there’s also plenty of other species you might not have encountered before, such as Tasmanian pademelons, eastern bettongs, southern brown bandicoots, long-nosed potoroos and the endangered Otways black snail, a carnivorous mollusc only found in the Otway Ranges. All creatures great and small are honoured here, so next time you’re travelling along the
