Phillip Island

A part of the Australian territory of Norfolk Island in the southwest Pacific, Phillip Island presently displays a vascular flora of about 80 species. The lack of feral cats and rats on Phillip Island have, naturally benefitted a couple of terrestrial reptiles to persist here even after having become extinct on the main Norfolk Island. Apart from a gecko and a skink, other fauna found on Phillip Island include 12 species of sea-birds as well. An important breeding site for the birds, the Sooty Tern has also been spotted on the Phillip Island, especially during the seasonal egg harvesting season.

Included within the Norfolk Island National Park, the uninhabited Phillip Island of volcanic origin is made up of basaltic tuff and lava roughly spread over a 4 square kilometer area. Located 6 kilometers to the south of Norfolk Island neighboring the Nepean Island, Phillip Island appears reddish brown in color due to the absence of vegetation and topsoil which was devastated during the penal colony era. Undergoing reforestation since 1988, natural regeneration of native species and weeds along with remediation works by the park staff are being carried out on Phillip Island.