New visitor centre opened in reserve on Woody Island nr Esperance

30/3/99
Environment Minister Cheryl Edwardes today visited the Esperance region to open a new visitor centre on an island nature reserve in the Archipelago of the Recherche.
Mrs Edwardes said the visitor centre highlighted the benefits of integrating nature-based tourism and conservation through partnerships with the private sector.
The $400,000 visitor complex was built by local nature-based tourism pioneers, Mackenzie's Island Cruises, on an area of Woody Island leased from the Department of Conservation and Land Management.
The facility includes an information and interpretation centre, kiosk, viewing decks, composting toilets and caretaker's accommodation.
It complements other developments including a camping area and six safari huts.
Mrs Edwardes said Mackenzies had been running tours to the island since 1973. In the past few years visitor numbers had increased dramatically with more than 18,000 people landing on the island each year.
"CALM recognised that increasing visitor pressure could have a detrimental impact on the A Class nature reserve," the Minister said.
"Consequently, the department called for expressions of interest to develop environmentally sustainable visitor services and facilities that would promote the natural and cultural values of the island.
"The MacKenzies were successful in the tendering process and the new facilities are testimony to the family's vision and commitment to nature-based tourism in the Esperance region."
Woody Island is one of 105 islands in the Archipelago of the Recherche that extends for than 200km along the coast off Esperance.
The island is rugged, rising to 130m above sea level with steep granite cliffs. An unusual feature of the island is the pockets of trees, including eucalypts, melaleucas and casuarinas not found on other islands within the group.
From the 1860s, Woody Island was part of the large pastoral leases run by the Dempster family. Sheep grazing continued until 1954, when the island was gazetted as part of the Recherche Archipelago Nature Reserve.
Mrs Edwardes said the island today was a haven for birds, including sea eagles, fleshy-footed shearwaters, red-eared fire-tail finches, three varieties of honeyeaters and golden whistlers. It also had diverse reptiles including the barking gecko, marbled gecko and Gray's skink.
"Nearby islands are haul-out and breeding sites for Australian sea-lions and New Zealand fur-seals as well as providing nesting sites for fairy penguins," the Minister said.
"The new complex will ensure increasing levels of visitor numbers can be adequately managed to conserve the integrity of the island's natural environment.
"It also will add a further dimension to nature-based tourism in the Esperance region."
Media contact: Nicole Trigwell 9421 7777