Prior to this part of Victoria being cleared for farming, dry sclerophyll forest of Apple, Grey and Yellow Box, Buxton Gums, Red Stringy-Barks, Messmate, Peppermints, Blackwoods and Silver Wattles typified the region. Today, they remain only in patches, thus resolving this problem was the first priority on my "Kingbilli Plan".

An exclusive wildlife sanctuary was essential - an

area fenced and separated from all livestock, where the fragile ecosystem which once existed could regenerate and hopefully, flourish.

Already, the quiet, animal-friendly atmosphere at Kingbilli had caused some local wildlife to accept the place as a safe-haven from nearby shooting and land-clearing. So, with a resident species target of 200 stuck firmly to the refrigerator door, the time had come to put the first stage of my plan into action. A steeply rising patch of land in the north-eastern corner of the property held promise.

A large mob of 40 Eastern Grey Kangaroos inhabited the surrounding district, and on occasions, small family groups of 4-5 individuals had been observed grazing there. I'd caught brief glimpses of Swamp Wallabies during the wetter months, and certainly some Wombats were present. Rumour also suggested Gliders existed nearby … perhaps, they too, would find their own private sanctuary appealing.

However, all animals observed remained tentative and wary. Encouragement was dearly needed.

Fortunately, my folks are also keen supporters of environmental practices. So when their daughter came of age and took hold of her new authority to blithely announce she planned to set aside 60 acres of perfectly good farmland for revegetation to its natural bushland state, they remained relatively unperturbed.

Thus, the establishment of Blue Gully Sanctuary marked the beginning of a new evolutionary stage in Kingbilli's history.

Named after the soft leafy hues of Eucalypts and Silver Wattles, Blue Gully reunites several vegetation patches on a steeply rising section of the property in the north-eastern corner. Carefully fenced to exclude livestock whilst allowing safe access by native animals, it has been fully revegetated to its original indigenous state. Within its boundaries are rocky slopes, separated by deep, damp gullies hiding mosses, lichens and occasional wildflowers.

In spots, sweeps of bushland part suddenly to reveal sunny clearings of native grassland.

Year-round water has been ensured - despite the recent, dramatic drop in local rainfall - by the deepening of a pre-existing seasonal waterhole where the dual gullies of the sanctuary meet. This single man-made intervention has removed the need for animals to descend through stock paddocks to water on the river flats below - something the more

This has proved a most successful development, not only increasing animal numbers and providing Mr & Mrs Wood Duck with a holiday home for their 700 children ... but providing me with a fantastic, one-stop checkpoint at which I can monitor all residents by examining the footprints they have so helpfully left at the water's edge. Species, age and often sex all can be derived from a footprint - most useful!

Today, Blue Gully's deceptively peaceful veneer conceals a busy
ecosystem teaming with life. The birdlife is exceptional, and

binoculars have become an obligatory dress accessory for all visitors. Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoos, Swamp Harriers, Brown Kites, Kookaburras, Tawny Frogmouths and Boobook Owls, King Parrots, Eastern Whipbirds, a wealth of Galahs, Wrens, Thrushes, Currawongs, Bower Birds and Rosellas delight all comers with their antics, foraging for food and nest-building materials.

I have become especially attached to a pair of magnificent Wedge-Tailed Eagles who have made their home at the sanctuary's peak. Each year or so they raise two chicks, who can be observed being trained through their adolescence ... before venturing forth to establish their own domains.

The possum population has positively exploded, with Brushtails, Ringtails, Bobucks and Eastern Pigmy Possums ... and Yellow-Bellied, Sugar and Feather-Tailed Gliders leaping, climbing, nesting and leaving a multitude of curious claw- and tooth-marks in the trunks for the interested wanderer to investigate.
In fact, these

particular critters have become so relaxed about life here a collection has moved downslope taking up residence in the gardens around the Cottages and Homestead.

The newly resident Koalas proclaim their locations with spine-chilling growls and moans and entertain themselves by throwing sticks at passers-by ... whilst their closest relatives, the Wombats, now number well over a hundred across the whole property. Several Swamp Wallabies have made Blue Gully their permanent home, and the tracks of their youngsters usually can be found around the waterhole in the Spring. Eastern Grey Kangaroos have become a common sight.

The structure of their social system is such that females with pouch-young aged around 6-7 months leave the main mob and head for a quiet, secluded location where the joey may take its first tentative steps without disruption from older siblings or dominant males. A number of these local lasses have deemed Blue Gully perfect for this activity.

Echidnas can be observed snuffling amongst the fallen logs seeking out creepy-crawlies for their dinner ... and likewise, after dark, families of Agile Antechinus scatter with great speed, foraging for similar culinary delights. Meanwhile, sightings of Quolls and Brush-tailed Phascogales are currently under investigation.

Small colonies of the tiny insectivorous Lesser Long-Eared Bat and Little Forest Bat have found the habitat to their liking. These exquisite little creatures are a source of great interest to visiting children - who sometimes need dissuading from attempts to take them home.

If so inclined, Kingbilli's guests are encouraged to wander through Blue Gully at their leisure … and in selected spots, seats have been positioned so they may sit awhile, with watchful eyes, to see what they can see.

Often, it's said city-dwellers lose touch with the natural world …yet when given the opportunity, we find our guests enjoy time spent in these surroundings, finding it peaceful, even therapeutic.

In Blue Gully, animal lovers from all walks of life seem to feel at home. Whether it be following a Wombat trail, searching for Gliders' claw-marks, or guessing the age of a Kangaroo who's left footprints by the Waterhole, there is always something to capture their attention.