Tilligerry Habitat Reserve & Environment Centre
Eco-tourism, passive recreation and education.
Situated on the south-western shore of Port Stephens, the Tilligerry Peninsula is just 2 1/2 hours from Sydney and 45 minutes from Newcastle and Nelson Bay.
The Tilligerry Habitat is a tranquil, 9 hectare Reserve bordered by a variety of park lands and the picturesque foreshore of Tanilba Bay. Its diverse flora and fauna make it an excellent place to observe and study nature.
The network of scenic paths and boardwalks, over mostly flat terrain, make it accessible and enjoyable for people of all ages. Much of the area is wheelchair friendly. The Reserve includes forests, heath and wetlands and is home a variety of fauna including; koalas, a range of birds and seven species of frogs.
Other features of the Reserve include a straw-bale building that is our Environmental Centre. It contains an Arts and Crafts Gallery and has space for audio/visual presentations and small functions. It has a large deck looking out across the reserve where filtered water views of the bay may be seen through the swamp mahogany forest. Next door to the Environmental Centre is our Native Plant Nursery where visitors can buy native plants and learn about native plant propagation, rehabilitation of sand-mined land and plant rescue activities.
Tilligerry Habitat Centre
HISTORY
Tilligerry Habitat State Reserve Trust was gazetted in 1996, Tilligerry Habitat Association Inc. being the trustees. The site (9.6Ha) was mined for rutile and other heavy minerals 1965-68 and then abandoned without
rehabilitation only seeding with Rhodes grass. From 1996, poor regrowth and serious erosion have been tackled by a rehabilitation and maintenance programme. Together with the adjacent coastal strip, it is now possible to experience a sample of the rich biodiversity of the Tilligerry on footpaths through bush, dune, freshwater streams and koala habitat swamp mahogany forest by the sea.
Tilligerry Habitat Association Inc (THA) was created in 1995 to rehabilitate and care for the land. It is a not-for- profit, community, voluntary association with a triple bottom line of conservation, social and economic
responsibilities.
