Channel and Lake Entrance. Swansea Channel is approximately wide and long. It joins Lake Entrance, which measures approximately wide by at the Swansea bridges. The bridges can lift to allow yachts and other larger pleasure craft into and out of the lake. There is no point on the coast from which the entire expanse of the lake and its foreshore may be seen. However, a good view can be obtained from lookouts in the nearby Watagan Mountains. Important Bird Area The remnant and fragmented eucalypt forests on the southern margins of the lake have been identified by BirdLife International as a 121 km2 Important Bird Area (IBA) because they support significant numbers of endangered swift parrots and regent honeyeaters in years when the swamp mahoganies and other favoured trees are flowering. Masked owls and ospreys regularly nest within the IBA. Pulbah Island The Pulbah Island Nature Reserve is a protected nature reserve that is located in the southern part of the lake. Being approximately long the island is, by far, the largest island in Lake Macquarie. Pulbah Island is managed by the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service. There are no permanent structures on the island and it is uninhabited although in the past a maintenance cottage existed on the island. Pulbah is an Australian indigenous Awabakal word meaning "island". Weed infestation on the island is problematic. Local efforts have been made to remove and control weeds species such as Bitou bush, Lantana and Wandering Jew. It also has native trees such as spotted gum. Kangaroos and koalas were introduced to the island during the early 1900s, but they have been extirpated by illegal hunting. Goannas are common on the island. From the island there are clear views of the Wangi Wangi peninsula as well as the Eraring, Munmorah and Vales Point power stations. The island has cliff faces on the west and south sides as well as the south east side. The rest of the island is edged by sandy beaches although the density of vegetation ensures that there is minimal beach at high tide. The east side of the island has a slight bay that is commonly frequented by leisure boats. Camping on the island is not permitted. Bushwalking and picnicking are permitted. Pulbah Island is also a sacred site in Aboriginal culture for the Awabakal people and was declared an Aboriginal place in 1982. Environmental management In