Phillip Island Nature Park
Encyclopedia
Phillip Island Nature Park (PINP) is a conservation park located on Phillip Island, Victoria
, Australia
. Created in 1996, the park is owned by the Victorian State Government, however it is a self-funding commercial attraction for the purpose of animal conservation and research.
An oil spill off the island in January, 2000 led to a worldwide appeal for hand knit penguin sweater
s.
Located 1.5 hours drive south of Melbourne
, PINP covers several separate areas over 1805 hectares. The parks include Pyramid Rock, Rhyll Inlet
, Seal Rocks, and Cape Woolamai, with specific viewing and attraction areas that include the Nobbies Centre (seals, dolphins, and shark viewing), the Penguin Parade (Little Penguin
s coming ashore at dusk), Koala
Conservation Centre, and the Churchill Island
Heritage Farm. Phillip Island’s Penguin Parade is the only commercial venue in the world where you can see penguins in their own environment. The Koala Conservation Centre is dedicated to koala research and conservation and allows the opportunity to view koalas in their natural habitat on treetop boardwalks.
Much of the park lies within the Phillip Island Important Bird Area
, so identified by BirdLife International
because of its importance in supporting significant populations of Little Penguins, Short-tailed Shearwater
s and Pacific Gull
s.
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Created in 1996, the park is owned by the Victorian State Government, however it is a self-funding commercial attraction for the purpose of animal conservation and research.
An oil spill off the island in January, 2000 led to a worldwide appeal for hand knit penguin sweater
Penguin sweater
Penguin sweaters, also known as penguin jumpers, are sweaters which are knitted for penguins that have been caught in oil slicks. When an oil spill affects penguins, they are dressed in knitted sweaters to stop them preening their feathers and to keep them warm, since the spilled oil destroys their...
s.
Located 1.5 hours drive south of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, PINP covers several separate areas over 1805 hectares. The parks include Pyramid Rock, Rhyll Inlet
Rhyll, Victoria
Rhyll is a small fishing town on Phillip Island in Victoria, Australia. It is located in the north-east corner of the island. It is named after Rhyl, a holiday resort in North Wales, Great Britain. At the 2006 census, Rhyll had a population of 503....
, Seal Rocks, and Cape Woolamai, with specific viewing and attraction areas that include the Nobbies Centre (seals, dolphins, and shark viewing), the Penguin Parade (Little Penguin
Little Penguin
The Little Penguin is the smallest species of penguin. The penguin, which usually grows to an average of in height and in length , is found on the coastlines of southern Australia and New Zealand, with possible records from Chile.Apart from Little Penguins, they have several common names...
s coming ashore at dusk), Koala
Koala
The koala is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia, and the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae....
Conservation Centre, and the Churchill Island
Churchill Island
Churchill Island is a island in Western Port, Victoria, Australia. It is connected by a bridge to Phillip Island. It is the site of the first European settlement in Victoria. It contains a working farm and a homestead, dating from 1872, which is open to the public...
Heritage Farm. Phillip Island’s Penguin Parade is the only commercial venue in the world where you can see penguins in their own environment. The Koala Conservation Centre is dedicated to koala research and conservation and allows the opportunity to view koalas in their natural habitat on treetop boardwalks.
Much of the park lies within the Phillip Island Important Bird Area
Phillip Island Important Bird Area
The Phillip Island Important Bird Area comprises a 20 km2 strip of coastline along the south and west coasts of Phillip Island, Victoria, in south-eastern Australia.-Description:...
, so identified by BirdLife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
because of its importance in supporting significant populations of Little Penguins, Short-tailed Shearwater
Short-tailed Shearwater
The Short-tailed Shearwater or Slender-billed Shearwater , also called Yolla or Moonbird, and commonly known as the muttonbird in Australia, is the most abundant seabird species in Australian waters, and is one of the few Australian native birds in which the chicks are commercially harvested...
s and Pacific Gull
Pacific Gull
The Pacific Gull is a very large gull, native to the coasts of Australia. It is moderately common between Carnarvon in the west, and Sydney in the east, although it has become scarce in some parts of the south-east, as a result of competition from the Kelp Gull, which has "self-introduced" since...
s.