Neil and Lydia Plim are the owners of Kuluha Stud, a property located approximately 10km South of Murwillumbah. The property’s primary uses are as a wildlife sanctuary, home and horse stud. It is Neil and Lydia’s intention to continue the environmental works they have undertaken for over a decade, namely using best practice landcare techniques to rehabilitate endemic species, hoping to restore and enhance both biodiversity and habitat on the sanctuary. The property was originally overgrown with weeds, but with rehabilitation and replacement with appropriate native flora species, Neil and Lydia have seen it transform into a functional ecosystem and safe habitat for wildlife.
The sanctuary covers 2.02 hectares of alluvial creek flat consisting of 7 pastured paddocks (approx 1.4 hectares), with the remainder being vegetated primarily with subtropical rainforest and riparian species. The regeneration and development of the riparian zone has seen more than 1000 plants representing over 150 species established. Flora species of significance include the brush cassia (Cassia marksiana) and spiny gardenia (Randia moorei), which is listed as Endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, 1999.
Numerous wildlife species have been recorded on the property, including short-beaked echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus), swamp wallabies (Wallabia bicolor), northern brown bandicoots (Isoodon macrourus) and lace monitors (Varanus varius), as well as a wide range of bird species such as the tawny frogmouth (Podargus strigoides), yellow-tailed black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus), galah (Eolophus roseicapilla) and king parrot (Alisterus scapularis).
