All things wild

Geelong and The Bellarine is nature’s paradise; its forests, wetlands, sanctuaries and seas are home to an abundance of wildlife.

If you’re out in nature, keep a keen eye and ear as those rustles in the bushes might just be an animal native to Wadawurrung Country.

BIRDWATCHING

Swan Bay, Lake Connewarre and Reedy Lake are listed as Ramsar ‘Wetlands of International Importance’, providing habitat for more than 200 birds including the endangered orange-bellied parrot.

Head to the viewing platform at Begola Wetlands to spot herons, black swans, wood ducks, swamphens and Latham’s snipe (they fly 8,000km from Japan to get here). Begola means ‘place of many frogs’ in Wadawurrung – you’ll hear banjo, tree and marsh frogs. The 4km sand spit reaching into Swan Bay at Edwards Point Wildlife Reserve is another good place for a walk with the binoculars.

Point Cook Coastal Park and Cheetham Wetlands in Werribee are other great spots. Hundreds of birds flock to this area, with migratory shorebirds flying from as far as Siberia, Japan and Alaska.

NATIVE WILD ANIMALS

In the woodlands of the You Yangs live kangaroos and birds such as the tawny frogmouth, wedge-tailed eagles, rosellas and honeyeaters. More than 150 koalas live here too.

The hiking trails of the Brisbane Ranges also offer a chance to spot koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas, gliders and more than 170 species of birds.

MARINE CRITTERS

A dive into the blue opens-up a whole new world of critters and creatures. More than 80 per cent of the marine life in Port Phillip is not found anywhere else on the planet.

St Leonards Pier is a great place to jump in with a mask and snorkel, its pylons offer shelter for marine life including colourful sponges, fish, nudibranchs, seahorses, and weedy and leafy sea dragons.

The wreck of the 1925 paddlesteamer Ozone at Indented Head is another top spot. If you want to go deeper, Scubabo run guided dives from Queenscliff Harbour or Bay City Scuba offer pier, shore and boat snorkelling and diving.

Sea All Dolphin Swims can get you up-close-and-personal with seals and dolphins in Queenscliff. Tours visit the protected waters of Popes Eye, teeming with marine life, and Chinaman’s Hat where up to 100 Australian fur seals await. Popes Eye is also home to the Australasian gannet, Australia’s largest diving sea bird.

Barwon Bluff is one of the best places in the region to see passing whales, June to October.