Q&A with Area Chief Ranger, Michael

What do you love about your job?

I’m fortunate to have had the opportunity to go on Country with the Traditional Owners of the area to learn about their powerful connection to Country and hear their stories first-hand. It’s important we take the time to understand and reflect on the meaning of this place and truly respect its uniqueness and fragility.

I also enjoy uncovering the hidden places in this dramatic landscape of iconic beauty, watching how they change over time and continually admire the wild weather and the way the water and land interacts.

A must-visit for nature lovers?

Belfast Coastal Reserve is home to many native coastal and wetland birds including Hooded Plover, Lathams Snipe and Orange-bellied Parrot.

The Hooded Plover is a threatened species that lives on beaches combing the wet sand for the tiny invertebrates they feed on.

They make their sand scrape nest and lay their highly camouflaged eggs in the sand. After hatching, their chicks are very vulnerable to predation and disturbance.

The Reserve is incredibly important to ensure their survival as it is the site of the highest concentration of nesting sites in their remaining range. Get involved! The Far South West Friends of Hooded Plover and Birdlife Australia run amazing volunteer programs to protect these special birds.

Best view for sunrise or sunset?

It’s hard to go past a sunset shot at the 12 Apostles and certainly it is becoming quite popular to visit there to get a sunset picture. But, to be honest, nearly any stop along the coast at Port Campbell National Park or Bay of Islands Coastal Park around sunset will give you a fantastic experience.  I tend to prefer to take my family to the quieter areas, which gives you a chance to rest, reflect and connect with this wonderful place in a different way.

Best place to soothe your mind?

Visiting the southern cliffs of the Shipwreck Coast with the sea spray lashing the limestone precipices, always causes me to feel humble and grateful for this precious landscape. I feel a strong responsibility to play my part in preserving the environment for future generations.

What about some fun?

Belfast Coastal Reserve is a great place for recreational opportunities in a park that can feel quite remote, even though it is so close to Warrnambool and Port Fairy.  Here, you can engage in a variety of activities, such as walking along the beach, dog walking, swimming, surfing, kiteboarding, fishing, snorkelling, horse riding and bird watching.

Summer travel tip?

The week between Christmas and the New Year; the Chinese New Year festival; and the Easter long weekend are traditionally the busiest periods at the 12 Apostles precinct, when daily peaks can reach 13,000 people. During the two-week long Chinese New Year festival in February last year an estimated 128,500 people visited, while there were around 25,000 people across Easter Saturday and Sunday.

For an enjoyable visit, visitors should allow additional time for their trip, be patient, and observe the traffic conditions. To be safe and to help protect this unique landscape, people should also stay on the paths and behind lookout barriers.

Winter travel tip?

Get out in nature. Visitation to Victoria’s parks and waterways increases during the summer period, but the cooler months provide a completely different, more tranquil experience. When the days are shorter and the mornings icy it can be tempting to hibernate inside and sink into a rut. However, as long as you have the right gear, being out in the elements with the place to yourself can be a great way to escape and rejuvenate.