Port Fairy - Griffiths Island
The highlights of Griffiths Island are its colony of shearwater seabirds, winding pathways and the spectacular lighthouse at the eastern tip.
A short walk along the causeway from Martin's Point gets you onto the island. Dogs are not allowed on the island and visitors are urged to stick to the walking tracks, which wind through the low lying scrub. Nesting birds, including the shearwater's that migrate from the northern hemisphere each year, create burrows for their young hidden in the sand and it's important these nests aren't disturbed by wandering sightseers.
The Island was name Griffiths after John Griffiths, who established Port Fairy's whaling industry on the island in the 1830's but no trace of this activity can be found today.
At dusk birdwatchers are in for a treat as the colony of shearwaters, or muttonbirds, return in swarms to their nests after a day fishing out to see. These little birds arrive here late September from the Aleutian Islands near Alaska. Following the laying and incubating of their eggs in January, the birds leave again for the northern hemisphere in April.
Griffiths Island Lighthouse
The Port Fairy Lighthouse was built of local bluestone around 1859 and is still in use. It guides ships into the security of Port Fairy located on the Moyne River. These days it's a solar powered light with a wind assisted generator. The lighthouse keepers' cottages were demolished in the 1950s; however, their gardens live on with many hardy plants flowering in the appropriate season. It is not possible to go inside the lighthouse.
The lighthouse grounds are open all year round but the tower is not open to the public. Tours are available on special occasions, but infrequently.
Warning: Snakes are most active during the shearwater nesting season in January.
Note: For more information about the mutton-birds, collect a small leaflet from the Port Fairy Visitor Information Centre.
Location
Griffiths Island, Port Fairy 3284 Map
Web Links
→ www.moyne.vic.gov.au/Our-Community/Environment/Griffiths-Island-Port-Fairy
→ The Lighthouse (Moyne Shire)
