Olive Hill Farm
Health Retreat
Margaret River, Western Australia

Left to right - Sunset with Scrappy Doo; Boranup Karris; Redgate Beach

The Environment at Olive Hill Farm

From 1994 until 2006, some 25,000 trees and shrubs have been planted on the property, including a 5ha amenity planting of different Eucalyptus species for timber and firewood. This is along the western boundary and serves dual purpose as a windbreak against the fierce westerly winds.
Stock have never been let into the fenced off river sections since all the new fencing was finished in 1995. Remnant bush was fenced, and a vermin and feral pest elimination campaign against rabbits, foxes and cats saw the re-appearance of some 60 plus species of birds, marsupials and numerous frogs and insects.
The birds enjoy feasting on the spiders and use the cobwebs for their nests.

Images from left: Land for Wildlife; Margaret River Red" kangaroo paw; Xmas spider; Willy Wagtails

The benefits from this type of 'integrated pest management' are abundant. Native wasps parasitise caterpillars and grasshoppers; spiders are our best friends in the olive grove, tackling weevils and beetles. Lizards consume snails and pests. The many birds keep on top of many other insects, and even the ants have a part to play.

Grasshoppers are a significant pest as in most areas of the region and guinea fowl are effective predators for these.

Olive Hill Farm is a Land for Wildlife property which entails responsibility for continuing feral animal control, and riverfront rehabilitation. In the first few years, extensive replanting took place in the degraded riverfront sections; some 3000 local species were planted after weed control.
In the last several years, prolific reseeding and natural regeneration is taking place, and the riverfront is a refuge for river rats, quenda, firetailed finches and similar fauna dependent on dense habitat. The aquatic fauna is healthy, and mussels, longnecked turtles, and macro invertebrates prolific.

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