Serendip Sanctuary

Serendip Sanctuary

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Posted 2013-08-22 by Lorraine Afollow


Serendip Sanctuary feels a little bit tiered and run down and in need of a bit of TLC, however in saying that you can get very close to some of Australia's most well known wildlife and some very rare Freckled ducks and with free entry it's definitely worth a look.

I am sure Serendip was a big tourist attraction at some point, the car park is massive and caters for many buses and cars, though on the day we visited it was just us and the animals.



The information hub is where you start from and there are park notes with a map there. There is also a donation box, so throw a few dollars in and help support the sanctuary.



Following the path you will walk past a duck pond and through some gates into the kangaroo enclosure. In here are a few activities for the kids and adults alike, such as seeing how high you can jump compared to the kangaroos and how far you can jump. Three seemed to be more Cape Barron geese than kangaroos until we saw a large group lying on the grass by some trees.



Through to the next pen sees more geese and this time with goslings following behind their mothers. Continue through to the bird watching hides, the hides are a stand out for the sanctuary, and offer many different viewing areas over the billabong and lakes. Serendip has recorded more than 150 species of birds.



You can get very close to the Tawny Frogmouths in the flight aviary, which were sitting at eye level and other lovely little birds that are also housed in the aviary.



Other pens have Wallabies, Emus, Bandicoots, a Masked Owl, Australian Bustards, Bush Stone-curlews and much more.



Serendip also run a breeding program to get Australian wildlife that is near extinct more populous and currently it includes the Freckled duck, Eastern Barred Bandicoot and Brolga.



Some history of Serendip Sanctuary:
Serendip covers 250 hectares and was formerly used for farming. In 1959 the state purchased the property and developed it into a natural wildlife sanctuary with animal species increasing from 40 to 150.



Facilities include:
- A picnic area with free undercover electric BBQs
- A group BBQ with a wood fire can be reserved for a small fee
- Toilet facilities that cater for people with restricted mobility
- Park information notes



It would be great to see this sanctuary given a boost in funding to further support the maintenance and breeding programs of rare and nearly extinct species. The gardens in the sanctuary are well planted with native plants and volunteers do an excellent job with planting.



School and bus tour groups are welcomed at the sanctuary and guided walks are provided for groups of 15 or more people.

#victoria
#parks
#outdoor
#geelong
#free
#family
#attractions
#animals_wildlife
%wnmelbourne
166507 - 2023-06-15 03:13:21

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