Camping in Victoria; Information. 03/14/2010
 Postcard image, of the oil painting of the upper Murray River, by Kathy Shell
Kangaroos at Grampians Gardens Tourist Park 03/13/2010
   This is a few of the photos I took of a mob of kangaroos that were grazing near our camp at the Grampians Gardens Tourist Park, on our arrival yesterday. Going for a drive in the Grampians tomorrow and plan to do a few easier walks. http://www.grampiansnationalpark.com/grampians/national/park/drives.asp There is an abundance of wildlife in the Grampians, you do not need to leave the caravan park, here at Grampians gardens, to see a lot of it.    Fernholme, A home amounst the ferns. 03/11/2010
 Reg and I enjoyed our one week stay at Fernholme, Tarra Valley Tourist Park. It is a beautiful place, friendly management and picturesque setting beside the Tarra River. Reg and I have spent a few days at with his family in Gippsad then with our family near Melbourne and we are picking up the new tyre for our caravan today and heading off to Halls Gap in the Grampians in the morning where we will be staying at the Grampians Gardens Tourist Park for one week. So looking forward to that :-)  Mangroves 02/27/2010
 Mangroves are trees and shrubs that live in salt water. The mangroves are an essential part of the life cycle of the oceans. These are the mangroves we saw at Phillip Island.      I have almost purchased a recliner/riser chair for my husband Reg, several times. He turns 70 this year and is amazing. He has had arthritis since he was child, and had been given, a prognosis of being in a wheel chair before he turned thirty and while he sometimes feels his age; he still makes an incredible effort to be as fit as he can be. He has pain, yet he was in the pool with me moving around and walking along the beach today aJ. I am not ‘gentle with him’J, no cosy recliner, a caravan seat, eco therapy, and encouragement to ‘move it or lose it’, is what a tough cookie who loves him, 'dishes out.' Just the same, I still keep my eye out for a good buy on one of these special mobility aid chairs. There have been times one would have been useful, for me as well as my man. Lol maybe ‘Darby and Joan’, side by side, recliner lifter chairs one day. Before I do buy, I will become, well informed. I found the website of mobility compare when I was searching for some, mobility products for a friend and it has information that will help me decide what type of recliner riser chair I will need.....when that time comes. For now, Reg and I are loving, our gray nomad years and pushing off the frail elderly years for as long as it is humanly possible to do so. J. Caravans away... we are heading north to the warmth, before the cold weather arrives in Victoria. That is our favorite mobility aid for now.    Western Port Marine National Park. 02/22/2010
 Western Port, Victoria’s second largest bay, is a biological treasure-trove. Largely concealed behind a shoreline veil of marshland and mangroves, its waters contain expansive tidal flats, meadows of seagrass, deep channels, rocky reefs and sandy plains. The result is an abundance of marine life. Numerous small animals live in the mud and seagrass beds. Fish gorge themselves on these animals and waterbirds feast on them all. The tides are the key to understanding Western Port’s marine life. With every low tide, some 270 square kilometres of shallow mud flats are exposed in Western Port’s northern reaches, revealing a feeding ground for thousands of wading birds. As the water streams off these flats on an ebbing tide, it flows into deeper channels carved in the soft mud. These channels gradually join together and flow into the deep channels that flank the eastern and western sides of French Island. As the tide turns and the channels fill and spill across the exposed flats larger fish, such as trevally, whiting and Dusky Morwong, move back out across the tidal plains to forage and hunt. The marine national park system protects the essence of Western Port. The serene waters of Yaringa Marine National Park, in the north of the bay, preserve the connection between mangroves and mud flats, so important for roosting waterbirds. The French Island Marine National Park, in the centre, protects extensive seagrass beds that have largely disappeared elsewhere in the bay. The Churchill Island Marine National Park is representative of the south, influenced in part by the nearby open coast. This park hosts beds of lamp shells, a primitive ovoid shell that can occur in large numbers in sheltered sites with strong water flow. Pipefish and sea-hares abound. All three parks contain significant roosting sites and foraging areas for waders and other waterbirds. Western Port is recognised as one of the world’s precious areas for wading birds. Lured from a Siberian winter by sunshine and food, over 30 bird species make the journey from north Asia to Western Port annually.  Woolamai Beach Natural Attractions - Phillip Island Beautiful deserted beach in Woolamai – In-the-know surfers flock to stunning Woolamai Beach, located on the southern coastline of Phillip... Features & Details | Location Map Pyramid Rock Phillip Island Natural Attractions - Phillip Island An area of incredible natural beauty – Pyramid Rock is the name given to a basalt formation located offshore at the end of Pyramid Rd,... Features & Details | Location Map Phillip Island Penguin Parade Ventnor Natural Attractions - Phillip Island A truly memorable experience – The award-winning Phillip Island Penguin Parade, one of Australia’s most popular wildlife... Features & Details Seal Rocks The Nobbies Natural Attractions - Phillip Island One of Australia’s largest fur seal colonies – Phillip Island is also well known for the amazing Seal Rocks, which is home for a colony of up to... Features & Details | Location Map   Seaberry Creek Park, Phillip Island. 02/21/2010
 Over five acres in area, Seaberry Creek Park forms a stunning feature at the entry to Seagrove. A bridge link through the open space ensures the wetland is central to people’s experience of the site. This is further reinforced by extensive boardwalks suspended above the wetland, and walking trails linking a series of open spaces designed to accommodate a range of unstructured activities, from ball play and kite flying to exploration of rocky waterways or simply sitting and taking in the view. A strong motif of overlapping leaf forms has driven the wetland design and created the opportunity for a rich pattern of stepped wetland cells that provide the water quality treatment function. Porous and non-porous gabion walls help define the wetland shape, providing a defined, but nevertheless soft, form. In the north-west corner of the park, a striking picnic shelter echoes the leaf motif of the wetlands.   The Phillip Island Nature Parks is a not-for-profit, environmental agency, directed by a Committee – the Phillip Island Nature Park Board of Management Inc. It is responsible for most Crown Land on Phillip Island, including much of the coastline, nearly all remnant vegetation, significant populations of Little Penguins, Hooded Plovers, Short-tailed Shearwaters and Australian Fur Seals, and parts of the Western Port Ramsar site (internationally significant wetlands), including Rhyll Inlet. The Penguin Parade, Nobbies Centre, Koala Conservation Centre and Churchill Island (all managed by the Park) are world class ecotourism destinations providing quality wildlife experiences. We do not receive ongoing funding from the state or federal governments and must generate our own revenue to ensure the Park remains viable. Therefore volunteer assistance is most appreciated. You can volunteer to assist with one of our programs or donate to the Penguin Foundation Volunteer Information [PDF 27 KB] Volunteer Application Form [Word.doc 155 KB] Pipi Collecting And Cooking. 02/11/2010
 The pipi is a bivalve mollusc that likes to burrow at least 10 centimetres below the sand on ocean beaches, it was traditional 'bush tucker', for the Australian aboriginal people and is regaining recognition as a popular food. Restrictions apply to how the Pipi can be gathered and the limit on harvesting, see article below, also included is a great recipe to cook the Pipi. “PIPI SHUFFLE” POPULAR AT VENUS BAY Pipi collecting along Venus Bay’s beaches at low tide has become an Australia Day tradition for Victorians from all cultural backgrounds. Once only sought for bait, pipis have become a delicacy which attracts thousands of people to beaches over the summer months to collect them. So popular are the small molluscs, that Fisheries Victoria last year reduced the per person catch limit in Cape Liptrap Coastal Park so there is enough for everyone and to ensure future generations will continue to enjoy the “pipi harvesting shuffle”. Officers from Fisheries Victoria and Parks Victoria were at Venus Bay over the Australia Day long weekend actively educating beach goers about the regulations governing the collection of pipis. The Marine Discovery Centre education trailer and four Fishcare volunteers were also in attendance. Fisheries and Parks Victoria staff talked to several thousand beachgoers over the four-day long weekend. Fisheries Victoria Executive Director, Anthony Hurst, said more than 400 people visited the Fisheries education trailer to learn more about pipis and the work done to manage the resource sustainably. “To help people do the right thing Fisheries Officers gave out several hundred catch-limit buckets with multi-lingual reference to regulations,” Mr Hurst said. “Recipe cards for pipis were also a big hit, especially by those who had only ever considered them bait. “More than 300 recreational fishing licences were sold from the Venus Bay Surf Lifesaving Club to people who had not previously purchased one or were unable to purchase one locally. This saved a lengthy round trip back to town. “During patrols, Fisheries officers found the vast majority of people collecting pipis at Venus Bay understood the reduced limits and were doing the right thing.” Mr Hurst said the high level of compliance was encouraging with only 18 infringement notices issued, mostly for not possessing a fishing licence and for using tools to collect pipis, which is prohibited. “Fisheries Officers did detect one case in which three people had collected almost twice the legal limit for pipis while using a digging implement.” Parks Victoria Chief Ranger Helen Dixon said there was a very positive reaction from the community and a good understanding of the need for the reduced catch limit. Fisheries Victoria is dedicated to sustainably managing the state’s fish resources for the whole community and those not abiding by the rules will be issued with fines or brought before the courts. Pipis can only be dug up using hands or feet, hence the pipi shuffle. No spades, trowels or other digging implements are allowed. The catch limit in Cape Liptrap Coastal Park is two litres of pipi in the shell or 0.5 litre of ‘shucked’ pipi (shell removed). “Fisheries Officers will continue to actively patrol Venus Bay beaches to ensure pipi harvesters and fishers have current fishing licences and are not exceeding daily limits,” Mr Hurst said. “Anyone observing illegal fishing should call the 24 hour reporting line 13 FISH (13 3474).” Further information on catch limits is available from the Department of Primary Industries Customer Service Centre on 131 186 or visit the DPI website www.dpi.vic.gov.au/fisheries Media contact: Lyall Grey DPI Media and Communications 0419 720 041 David Petty Parks Victoria 0427 031 264 Steamed pipis in wine with tomato and garlic
 Southern 80. Play Safe While Having Fun. 02/10/2010
 Fridge magnets from the art of Kathy Shell, can be ordered from http://www.fridgemagnetart.com Southern 80 Visitors Urged to Play it Safe While Having Fun With thousands of people expected to flock to the Southern 80 in Echuca this weekend, Parks Victoria, The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) and the CFA are asking visitors to play it safe while having fun on the Murray. Parks Victoria’s Ranger in Charge at Echuca, Kane Weeks, said rangers and Victoria Police will be patrolling the river between Echuca and Torrumbarry Weir, offering advice and assistance to campers. “It should be a great weekend to enjoy the river so we’ll be talking to people and giving them information about safe and sustainable camping,” Mr Weeks said. “We are fortunate to have access to many beautiful beaches along the length of the river – as well as campsites and picnic areas. By looking after these areas we ensure they are protected for everyone to enjoy in the future,” he said. Parks Victoria has a ‘carry in carry out’ approach to litter so campers must take their rubbish to either a local waste disposal location or home with them. When camping, all toilets must be set up at least 100 metres from the river. All toilet waste, including toilet paper, must be buried. DSE North West Land and Fire Area Manager, Rob Price, said people must be aware of the potential fire risk while camping in the bush. “Small portable gas bbqs are encouraged but if you do need a small fire for cooking or warmth use a constructed fireplace where provided,” Mr Price said. “Otherwise, you must build a trench 30 centimetres deep, make sure there is no flammable material like grass or leaves within three metres and never leave a campfire unattended,” he said. CFA North West Area Region 20 Operations Manager, Stuart Broad, said people should also monitor the weather conditions and keep informed about fire danger ratings during the event. “CFA and DSE will have fire fighting resources on stand-by but we’d prefer to not have to use them,” Mr Broad said. “Remember, too, that a car in long grass can start a fire quite easily so please be careful while you’re camping this weekend,” he said. For information about camping along the Murray River, go to www.parkweb.vic.gov.au For i www.dse.vic.gov.au nformation about fire danger ratings and total fire bans, go to www.cfa.vic.gov.au For information about campfire regulations and campfire safety, go to www.dse.vic.gov.au |  Kathy, Reg and Indigo will be staying at the Grampians Gardens Tourist Park from Saturday 13th till Friday 20th March 2010. Click on image to view information about this lovely caravan park. Kathy Shell on Facebook Kathy Shell,
|
RSS Feed
