Wolfgang and Christine Miko are the owners of HOPONTOP, a property located near Ourimbah, New South Wales. The property is a dedicated wildlife sanctuary used for wildlife rehabilitation. It is Wolfgang and Christine’s intent for it to continue in these purposes, providing a safe and enduring habitat for wildlife and native species in the region. In 2013, the previous owners Brian and Ruth Hopkins set up a Voluntary Conservation Agreement to protect the property under the National Parks & Wildlife Act 1974 (NSW).
HOPONTOP covers 10.14 hectares of native bushland protected by a Conservation Agreement and dedicated to helping form a corridor for native animals. The property is bordered by a 10 hectare conservation area owned by Central Coast Council and two other properties zoned for conservation. Vegetation consists primarily of moist sclerophyll forest on upper and lower slopes and rainforest vegetation along the creek line. The property contains a number of threatened plants including bottlebrushes (Callistemon shiressii), and the Conservation Agreement lists habitat suitable for 14 vulnerable species.
Wildlife known to inhabit the property includes swamp wallabies (Wallabia bicolor), superb lyrebirds (Menura novaehollandiae), brush turkeys (Alectura lathami), long-nosed bandicoots (Perameles nasuta), short-beaked echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus), brushtail (Trichosurus vulpecula) and ringtail (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) possums, gliders (Petaurus spp.), lace monitors (Varanus varius), diamond pythons (Morelia spilota), red-bellied black (Pseudechis porphyriacus) and golden-crowned (Cacophis squamulosus) snakes, eastern long-necked turtles (Chelodina longicollis) and an abundance of bird life such as goshawks (Accipiter spp.), tawny frogmouths (Podargus strigoides) and laughing kookaburras (Dacelo novaeguineae).
HOPONTOP is used as a release site for rescued possums and wallabies through WIRES, and has a predator-proofed enclosure for the soft release of swamp wallaby joeys.
