ENVIRONMENT
Kangaroobie is flanked by the Great Otway National Park, Port Campbell National Park, the Southern Ocean and the Gellibrand River – providing a Pandora’s Box of study options.
“Our Five Day Program takes students into a myriad of different ecosystems from changing coastal environments with highly adapted plant and animal life, to a volcanic crater, the fragile limestone coast which is constantly being worn away by chemical and physical weathering plus the Gellibrand River and associated ecosystems,” Matt said.
The world famous Twelve Apostles are just a few of the towering stacks, sheer limestone cliffs, arches, island and blowholes along the Shipwreck Coast which have been sculpted in the last million years.
The coast was formed between 10 and 20 million years ago, by countless tiny marine animal skeletons beneath the sea – creating limestone. As the ocean levels dropped limestone cliffs were revealed and have been shaped by the wind and waves of the Southern Ocean ever since.
“Our coastline is made up of exposed clifftops, heathlands affected by salt-laden winds, fragile soils and constantly changing sand dunes.”
FAUNA
Echidnas, koalas, bandicoots, red-necked wallabies, swamp wallabies, and eastern grey kangaroos are commonly sighted in the area. During the winter months migratory southern right whales and humpbacks are often sighted from the sea cliffs.
Birdlife is abundant in the region, with pelicans, ducks, egrets and black swans regularly seen in the estuaries and wetlands. Muttonbird Island, near Loch Ard Gorge, is an important nesting site for the Muttonbirds or Short-tailed Shearwaters. They fly around 30,000 km a year, spending summer in the northern Pacific Ocean and returning in the last week of September to the Bass Strait region. Every evening from October to April they can be seen flying ashore.
Dotterels, terns and penguins use nearby narrow beaches, and Australasian Gannets and Wandering Albatrosses nest in the parklands around Kangaroobie.
WEDGE-TAILED EAGLES
A nesting pair of Wedge-Tailed Eagles live on Kangaroobie. They are resident all year, often seen with young, and are seen daily riding the air currents.
The Wedge-Tailed Eagle is the largest bird of prey in Australia with a wingspan of up to 2½ metres. They’re effective hunters and eat rabbits, wallabies, possums, foxes, feral cats & have been known to take lambs at Kangaroobie. They also enjoy carrion.
Wedge-Tails mate for life, and usually produce one or two eggs per year, although usually only one chick survives. They prefer nesting sites which offer a commanding view and are territorial.
These impressive creatures tend to hunt early in the day and often while away the rest of the day soaring and gliding to altitudes of 2000m for up to 90 minutes at a stretch. Wedge-Tailed Eagles are a threatened species in Tasmania, due to loss of habitat and persecution.
THE OTWAYS
Kangaroobie is nestled at the foothills of the Otway Ranges and we can provide a great base to explore one of the world’s last remaining areas of temperate rainforest.
Waterfalls, tree ferns, towering trees and glow worms can be accessed at nearby Melba Gully, Triplet Falls and Maits Rest.
Cape Otway Lightstation and the Otway Fly both provide fantastic educational experiences for students and adults alike.
