Gould's Petrel

Cabbage Tree Island is a kilometre off the entrance to Port Stephens. This is the only known nesting site of the Gould's petrel, one of the rarest and most secretive birds on Earth. They only visit the island for about three months of the year, starting in October. Public access is not allowed on the island due to the fragility of the endangered species, however boating around the island makes for an exciting trip.

Picture a rugged volcanic peak thrusting one hundred metres out of the water, a kilometre long and half as wide. On the western face clings a rainforest dominated by cabbage tree palms. Night approaches. Nearby Yacaaba, standing over two hundred metres out of the water, sends a shadow over the waves to darken the island. Swells roll in from the north-east to crash against the cliffs and reflect back upon themselves, doubling in height. A tide ebbs and the waters of Port Stephens flow out the heads, to confuse the seas further. When there is no light left in the sky, a grey bird, thirty centimetres long, plummets through the rainforest canopy, landing right beside its nest among the rocks and fallen palm fronds. A fat, fluffy chick, bigger than its parents, gratefully receives a regurgitated meal of fish and squid. Feeding over, the adult scrambles to the nearest cabbage tree palm which it climbs using its beak, and disappears into the night. After raising its chicks, what it does for the rest of the year is a mystery. There are 300 breeding pairs left, safe for the moment on the John Gould Nature Reserve, Cabbage Tree Island.