The Lakes National Park, Nature reserve in East Gippsland, Australia.
The Lakes National Park covers 2,390 hectares on the east shore of the Gippsland Lakes, bordered by Lake Victoria and Lake Reeve. It takes in the Sperm Whale Head peninsula and Rotamah and Little Rotamah Islands, and its sandy barrier spits and coastal lagoons lie beside the larger Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park to the south-west.
The area was first protected as a nature reserve in 1927 and gained national park status in 1956. The Rotamah Islands were added to the park in 1978, expanding its protected territory.
Parks Victoria manages the park in partnership with the Gunaikurnai people, who maintain ongoing connections to this land today. The Gunaikurnai have lived in this region for generations and their relationship with the lakes and coastal areas remains central to who they are.
The park lies about 245 km east of Melbourne, on the east shore of the Gippsland Lakes between Lake Victoria and Lake Reeve. Its 2,390 hectares take in the Sperm Whale Head peninsula and Rotamah and Little Rotamah Islands, so a boat lets visitors reach shores and trails that roads do not.
The park's wetlands support around 20,000 waterbirds, including many migratory species, alongside 400 native plant species and 300 animal species. Rotamah and Little Rotamah islands were added to the park in 1978.
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