Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve

Two Peoples Bay is a protected area located convert|35|km|mi|0 east of Albany. The area is accessible by 2WD vehicles. The bay itself, including two small secluded beaches, faces due east and is protected from the powerful Southern Ocean by a headland formed by the granite massif of Mount Gardiner. The nature reserve was established in 1967 to protect the endangered noisy scrub bird and its habitat.

Two Peoples Bay boasts unspoilt coastal scenery and is a vital area for threatened animal species. There are beaches with path access that are suitable for swimming and snorkelling. Facilities within the reserve include a boat ramp, toilets and barbecues, however there is no drinking water available and visitors need to take their own.

There is no entry fee for the reserve. [cite web|url=http://www.naturebase.net/component/option,com_hotproperty/task,view/id,100/Itemid,755|title=Park Finder - Two People's Bay Nature Reserve|year=2007|accessdate=2007-05-10]

Fauna

Two Peoples Bay is home to Australia's most endangered mammal and one of the rarest animals in the world, the Gilbert's Potoroo (potorous gilbertii). This rat kangaroo was though to be extinct until the population at Two Peoples bay was discovered in 1994. It is estimated that there are fewer than 40 of these marsupials left in the wild. . [cite web|url=http://wwf.org.au/publications/gilberts_potoroo.pdf|title=Gilberts Potoroo Factsheet (WWF)|year=2007|accessdate=2007-05-12] Other endangered mammals that can be found in the are include the Southern Brown Bandicoot, Western Ringtail Possum, Australian Sea Lion and the New Zealand Fur Seal. Quokkas are also known to inhabit the park and Two Peoples Bay is though to be the nearing the eastern limit of their geographic rangeThe nature reserve is also a notable place for bird conservation and supports a population of the Noisy Scrub birds. This bird was also thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 1961. The population in 1961 was estimated at less that 100 and in 1994 was thought to be around 1100 (of which 450 occur in the reserve). [cite web|url=http://www.naturebase.net/pdf/nature/management/two_peoples_bay.pdf|title= Two People Bay Nature Reserve Management Plan 1995-2005|year=2007|accessdate=2007-05-12] Other endangered birds that inhabit the reserve are the Ground Parrot (western), Western Bristlebird and Western Whipbird (western heath) and the Australasian Bittern. [cite web|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/action/birds2000/pubs/regions/two-peoples-bay.pdf|title= Coordinated Conservation Plan - Two Peoples Bay - Australian Government Department of the Environment and Water Resources|year=2007|accessdate=2007-05-12] Other threatened bird species that have been observed within the park include Carnaby's Cockatoo, Peregrine falcon, Hooded Plover, Little Bittern and the Red-eared Firetail. Some of the seabirds that nest on the islands around the bay are the Great-winged petrel and the Flesh-footed Shearwater.Several reptiles can be found in the park including Little Brown Snake, Carpet Python, Beautiful Skink and the Mournful Skink.

Flora

The vegetation that is found in the park can be classified as follows.Low Forest is found North of Moates lake, the wetland margins and close to the reserve offices. The trees reach up to 15 m in height and are dominated by "Eucalyptus" species including Coast Gum "E. megacarpa", Jarrah "E. marginata" and Yate "E. cornuta" as well as other species such as Marri/Redgum "Corymbia calophylla" and Coarse Ti Tree/Juniper Myrtle "Taxandria juniperina".The understorey of the low forest includes species such as the Swamp Banksia "Banksia littoralis", Pea Flowered Narrow-Leaved Water Bush "Bossiaea linophylla" and the Porungurup Wattle "Acacia leioderma".Low woodlands in the broad valleys north of Moates Lake primarily consists of Albany Blackbutt "Eucalyptus staeri" and the area between Moates Lake and Gardiner Lake that is mostly populated with Swamp Banksia "Banksia littoralis". [cite web|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/action/birds2000/pubs/regions/two-peoples-bay.pdf|title= Coordinated Conservation Plan - Two Peoples Bay - Australian Government Department of the Environment and Water Resources|year=2007|accessdate=2007-05-14]

History

The name "Two Peoples Bay" is from an incident in 1803 when an American whaling ship used the sheltered waters to lay anchor at the same time as a French vessel that was exploring the coastline east of Albany. John Gilbert, a naturalist, surveyed the area in the 1840s giving his name to the Gilbert's Potoroo and discovering the Noisy Scrub-Bird.Two People’s Bay was declared a Nature Reserve in 1967. [cite web|url=http://www.australiantraveller.com/index.cfm?page_id=1961|title= Australian Traveller - One Bay Two Peoples|year=2005|accessdate=2007-05-15]

Geographic features

The nature reserve consists of three separate areas:A section of convert|4510|ha|acre|0|lk=on that contains Mount Gardner, Lake Gardner, Moates Lake, rocky shoreline of Sinkers Reef, granite headlands, secluded sandy beaches such as Little Beach and Waterfall Beach and mobile dunes.A smaller seaction of convert|89|ha|acre|0|lk=on that is about convert|2|km|mi|0 north of the main area that includes the northern portion of Angove lake and the Angove river.Four islands - Coffin Island, Black Rock, Inner Island and Rock Dunder.The total area enclosed by the nature reserve is convert|4744.7|ha|acre|0|lk=on. [cite web|url=http://www.naturebase.net/pdf/nature/management/two_peoples_bay_amendment_03-04.pdf|title= Proposed Amendment to Two Peoples Bay Management Plan|year=2006|accessdate=2007-10-11]

References

External links

* [http://www.australiantraveller.com/index.cfm?page_id=1961 Australian Traveller]
* [http://www.australiassouthwest.com/en/Natural+Wonders/Two+Peoples+Bay+Nature+Reserve.htm Natural Wonders - Australia's South West]
* [http://www.michaelwillisphotography.com/gallery_125827.html Two Peoples Bay Photos]