Mornington Peninsula National Park

I really wanted to see more of the scenic sites outside of the city, and get a chance to spot more native Australian creatures. So…in addition to the Great Ocean tour this past weekend, I also visited Point Nepean at Mornington Peninsula. I signed up to volunteer with a local conservation group, and we headed out there to help preserve the parklands. What did this all really mean? I knew that I wouldn’t be spending my hours of volunteering with fuzzy animals when they handed me a neon orange vest to wear. Instead, I spent a couple of hours removing polygala, a plant that threatens the native plant species due to its rapid growth, and avoiding brown and tiger snakes.

Luckily, we did get to eat lunch at Fort Nepean, so I got a chance to really take in the great view! I also saw the cannon that fired the first shot both in WWI and WWII.

Originally established as a Quarantine Station in the 1850’s, the area later became a military fortification. In fact, there is an entire area that is still fenced off, because of the potential of active landmines! It was in 1988 that the land was transferred to the State of Victoria to become a part of the new Point Nepean National Park. Nowadays, the park enjoys visits from approximately 3 million people a year!