Jens Sohnrey and Ute Harder de Sohnrey are the owners of a property located approximately 30km west of Surfers Paradise. The property is a dedicated wildlife sanctuary and residence, and it is Jens and Ute’s intent for it to continue in these purposes. Furthermore, the property is a member of the Land for Wildlife program through the Gold Coast City Council.
The sanctuary covers one hectare of hilly land on the south-eastern slopes of Tamborine Mountain, leading into a gully with a summer creek. The predominant vegetation type is tall open forest featuring a variety of stringybarks (such as Eucalyptus tindalia, E. resinifera, E. microcorys and E. carnea) as well as turpentine trees (Syncarpia glomulifera), brush box (Lophostemon confertus), Corymbia intermedia, Allocasuarina torulosa, and plenty of bottlebrush grass trees (Xanthorrhoea macronema). A healthy understory boasts species including Glochidion ferdinandi, Cassinia subtropica, Breynia oblongifolia and bracken fern (Pteridium esculentum), as well as grasses such as kangaroo (Themeda triandra) and barbed-wire (Cymbopogon refractus) grass. A variety of vine species are also present, as well as sandpaper fig trees (Ficus coronata), poison peaches (Trema tomentosa var. viridis), tree heaths (Trochocarpa laurina), Zieria smithii, and two examples of the endemic Zieria collina.
Wildlife species for which the sanctuary is known to provide habitat include koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus), northern brown (Isoodon macrourus) and long-nosed (Perameles nasuta) bandicoots, swamp wallabies (Wallabia bicolor), glossy black cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus lathami), Stephen’s banded snakes (Hoplocephalus stephensii), long-nosed potoroos (Potorous tridactylus), short-beaked echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus), red-necked wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus), tawny frogmouths (Podargus strigoides), and many other birds.
