Wildlife Land Trust / Sanctuaries / NSW / Rainbow Stay

Geoffrey Barnier is the owner of Rainbow Stay, a property located approximately 20km north of Lismore. The property is a dedicated wildlife sanctuary used for education, recreation and tourism through eco-friendly holiday accommodation.  Geoffrey intends to rid the sanctuary of invasive weeds, conserve and propagate native plants and encourage native wildlife by regenerating Rainbow Stay with indigenous plant species, all the while setting an example of and offering educational resources for self-sufficiency and sustainability. Rainbow Stay is also a member of the Land for Wildlife network.

The sanctuary covers approximately 2.1 hectares of former cattle property with remnant bushland undergoing regeneration.  Although the pastures are exotic grasses and invasive weed species are present many local flora species of note occur, including Australian red cedar (Toona ciliata), hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii), silky-oak (Grevillea robusta) and some native rainforest grasses.

Wildlife species known to occur on Rainbow Stay include short-beaked echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus), brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula), southern brown bandicoots (Isoodon obesulus), microbats and flying foxes. Many native reptiles such as carpet pythons (Morelia spilota), red-bellied black (Pseudechis porphyriacus) and yellow-faced whip snakes (Demansia psammophis), bandy-bandys (Vermicella annulata), eastern water dragons (Intellagama lesueurii), lace monitors (Varanus varius) and eastern blue-tongued lizards (Tiliqua scincoides scincoides) are also present. Since fencing off and regenerating native flora, red-necked wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus) have also crossed the bordering creek onto the property.