Bike ride with koalas

 A unique new tourism-based business will be launched on Saturday, December 20 on Raymond Island. Everyone is invited to come along at 2:00 pm to join in the fun of ‘Ride the Koalas’ Surrey bike hire free of charge.

This exciting business ‘Ride the Koalas’ will enable tourists to hire Surrey bikes to ride around the island following the already successful and popular Koala Trail.

Just imagine being able to enjoy a coffee, pick up a picnic hamper from one of the many cafes in Paynesville and then catching the Raymond Island Ferry as a passenger, no cost for pedestrians. Once on the island you can then hire a Surrey bike and ride around the island spotting not only the many Koalas but all manner of flora and fauna.

Victor has imported six Surrey Bikes, a popular family bicycle attraction in Europe and America, particularly at Florida’s Disney World. Both the two- and four-seater bikes are available for hourly hire, private and group booking seven days a week from December 21, 2014, for the summer holiday period. Four-seater and two-seater bikes are available so come as a couple or bring the whole family!

In addition to finding koalas, kangaroos, kookaburras, echidnas, dolphins, all manner of bird life and beautiful flora, including rare orchids, Raymond Island offers many stunning and easy destinations to ride. Views of McMillan Strait along Western Boulevard, to sunsets from Montague Point, Raymond Island is a truly unique place to visit.  

Ride The Koalas is also very proud to announce that they are now a sponsor of the Raymond Island Koala and Wildlife Shelter, a volunteer organisation doing wonderful work helping to sustain the Island’s internationally famous wild Koala population.

The owner, Victor Trofimovs, started holidaying on Raymond Island 15 years ago and has now, with his wife Victoria, settled permanently on the southern end of the island. Victor has acquired the artistic talents of locally born illustrator, Lachlan Millard, to design the graphics for the business. Lachlan’s very cute design offers unique branding for ‘Ride The Koalas’.    His cartoon-based characters perfectly capture the spirit and fun that this new business, and Raymond Island has to offer.

For further detail contact Victor Trofimovs from Ride The Koalas.

t: 5156 7332 | m: 0413 543 156 | e: info@ridethekoalas.com.au |
w:  www.ridethekoalas.com.au 

Ride The Koalas-Raymond Island

Island animals

Kay Mooney reminds us to look out for our harmless blue tongue lizards...  
These gentle, charming, Islanders do no harm, they are good to have around the garden cleaning up pests like snails and caterpillars.  My neighbour Fey has been encouraging them in her garden for years, she says they like chopped up pineapple or grated apple or a bit of mince meat.  At the moment many blue tongues are pregnant.  They're slow, and usually easy to miss on the road (unless you are going too fast, rushing to catch the ferry maybe) so cut them a little slack, slow down and missed them when they are on the road, they are just one of our delightful island inhabitants. 

A few facts: Proper name Tiliqua Scincoides Scincoides.  The largest member of the skink family with a size between 30 and 60 cm.  September to November is mating season gestation 3 to 5 mths.  they have up to 25 young  and live up to 30 years, if you don't flatten them with the car!  Their biggest predator is US, by lawn mowers, cars, cats and dogs; also currawongs kookaburras and snakes. And yes, their tongues are blue!

Also postscript feedback highlighting the need for care all around, from another Islander to our article about koala attacks:

I hope replying here is the appropriate way to respond to the articles in the newsletter.....
l'd like to have my say about the dog/s attacking the koalas....a truly horrible situation and dreadful death to suffer though l believe there are some people on the Island who might enjoy some finger pointing and nah nah nah...l told you so school yard behaviour. l'm sure it has occurred to some others that this sudden onslaught is very likely a new dog on the scene...maybe holiday maker or newcomer to the Island. Yes, l am a new comer and l have a dog and l walk her off the lead probably 90% of her life but she is very well trained, 91 in dog years, arthritic and at night curled up on her sheep skin snoring and farting....so l know she's innocent.Don't be too quick to blame you may just make a fool of yourself.

(Name provided)

Bushfire preparedness

Jack Pearce sent through an update for fire season preparation:

The CFA's 'Raymond Island Community Information Guide - bush fire' is published on the web site.

Please note that the 'How to stay in touch' section is out of date because we have a siren operating in this township. A recent CFA workshop advised that if there is a bushfire in the general area (around 20-30 km) the siren will sound continuously for five minutes night or day. Normally the siren will not be used at night.

Recent CFA workshop

Dog attacks on koalas feedback

Last week's notice about vicious attacks on koalas sparked feedback in several passionate emails.

One Islander wrote:

I walk regularly around McMillan Strait and often see dogs off the leash.  I used to suggest to the owners that they should be on a leash and always received a reply such as 'none of your business'  so I stopped, thinking that I was making a fool of myself and was turning into a nagging old so and so.  That has now changed and I will be pleased to refer to your article and try to embarrass them as much as possible.

Another correspondent is concerned that care is taken to have real evidence before accusing any owners or dogs unjustly:

Koalas can and do cause injuries, puncture marks, bite marks etc. to other koalas. Koalas will die, injuries can be post mortem after other causes of death like natural causes, age, fights, falls or disease, cars or ….? Who knows, a dead koala is food for scavengers. Dogs are certainly run on crown land unrestrained but, in all my time here, I have never encountered an unsupervised dog. I’ve seen a few that needed leads because of owner lack of control. Yes, the dog catcher has been on the Island and, according to [a neighbour], has warned him after some anonymous resident reported his lovely old dog for hanging about unrestrained. Whoever it was would know this dog is not a koala killer. 

Webmaster's note:
This is a real issue and care does need to be taken to make sure that the Island is a safe place for our koalas and our dogs. As a responsible dog owner and custodian of land where several koalas live, I'm very aware of the need to make sure that our koalas are kept safe and that our dogs are under control and not vulnerable to criticism (justified or unjustified)! This is a timely reminder.   

Dog attacks on koalas

Spate of vicious dog attacks on koalas in past week

Over the past week the Shelter has received calls to 3 badly injured koalas.

All these koalas have been savagely attacked by an unknown dog or dogs and sadly have all been euthanised.  The injures were all horrific one with head wound, one severe leg wound with the inside of her leg completely torn apart and the latest victim George with a severe wound to his rump area. We also had one koala found dead within the month, same vicinity with a large head wound and bite marks around the back of his neck. The area involved is Tenth / Twelfth block and the victims have been found close to the CFA building.

One resident in the area reported hearing a very brutal attack five nights ago describing it as a mauling with horrific screaming of what they thought was a cat being killed. Residents have also reported various owners who are allowing their dogs to run in the crown land unrestrained and unsupervised. The shire and DEPI have been notified and are investigating.

We are asking all residents and tourists to keep their dogs restrained. Please do not allow your dogs to chase the koalas or kangaroos and they should not be allowed to run free on the crown land this puts all animals at risk including children.

It is very sad that latest victim of attack was a Koala named ‘George Clooney’.  He was given this name by Leona of DEPI at the 2013 Koala Program. He was microchipped and not sterilised and released as good breeding stock due his excellent health and appearance. He was a koala that scored a healthy 5 on the condition chart, a very rare score on Raymond Island where the general score is 3 and all too often even lower.   He was a very big healthy male who was meant to be part of the long term breeding plan of a healthy Koala population for the Island. Koalas like George are rare. For George to be attacked so brutally and not escape sets off alarm bells as to who and what this dog is and what it is capable of.

If you have any information regarding the identity of this dog or dogs please call the Shire on 51539500 or DEPI on 51520600.

A little Christmas cheer

Kay Mooney reports on recent Islander activities:
Christmas lunch for the Tai Chi group...

 

  

Christmas break up for  La Viva Voce Choir...

 

 

...and Sixth Ave after 47mm of rain at the weekend.

 

 

Paynesville roadworks progress

The main street at Paynesville has changed enormously over the years:

Esplanade 1890 (courtesy NLA Trove)

Esplanade 1943 (courtesy NLA Trove)

This year, through all winter and spring, the eastern end of Paynesville's Esplanade has been receiving a significant facelift as part of the Shire's Paynesville Masterplan development (full plan on the Shire's web site). 

Kay Mooney was excited to see this week's progress...

It's true!  Today they began putting tar on the main street. The roadworks heroes were out there working like demons, the main street will soon be ready for Christmas and the holiday season.

Tourists on the island

Judy Mann writes:

As a resident of Raymond Island I am very happy with the enthusiasm and dedication, of a number of islanders that continue to look after the welfare of the island. The new seats look great, and when talking to the tourists who visit the island, they are very keen to do the Koala walk.
1.  Is there a way we can estimate the number of tourists that visit the island?
2.  Could a group look at a way to offer the tourists a stall for the selling of cold drinks?
3.  Also a stall that catered for souvenirs, say photos, key-rings, honey, plants, and other island memorabilia. Many overseas people buy tokens to take back to friends and family.This stall could open from 10.00am to 4.00pm weekends.  The profits could go back to improvements on the island, ie. more boardwalks, etc. I can assist with this project as I have experience in marketing.