The Serendip Sanctuary - this album has a series of images taken on March 20, 2005, in this superb wildlife and wetlands reserve.

The Sanctuary is a 250 hectare Park, about 60 km south west of Melbourne, near the township of Lara, in the foothills of the You Yangs Mountain Range.

It's an excellent example pf the open grassy woodlands and wetlands of the volcanic Western Plains, which stretch from Melbourne to the South Australian border.

Until 1991, it was used mainly as a wildlife research station to monitor wild bird populations and as a place where the threatended Brolga, Australian Bustard, and Magpie Goose were bred in captivity.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources now manages the Park as a Western Plains wildlife sanctuary and wetlands education centre.

There are several Trails within the Park, which pass groups of animals and birds such as free range kangaroos, emus, wallabies, echidnas, koalas, snakes, brolgas, ducks, black swans, geese, parrots, cockatoos, galahs, rosellas, ibis, bustards and waterfowl. Many of the animals and birds are in the open, and walkers are asked to "keep to the tracks"!

The Sanctuary is the home of more than 140 species of native birds.

Any visitor to Melbourne should spend a half day at the Centre!

Best regards

Bob Padula (Melbourne, Australia)