On to Melbourne and Penguins

We arrived in Melboure on Sunday evening to find something I hadn't experience for a while: cold!

Caela has a lovely flat in the suberb of Port Melbourne - funnily enough right on Port Phillip Bay. It's fairly close into the city centre too and on Monday morning we caught a tram up into the city for an explore. Nothing much to report though other than wandering round the streets.

On Tuesday we had a late start but were booked on a tour to Phillip Island - home of Little Penguins. We caught the tour bus at 1 and we headed out of Melbourne. The bus was full - mainly with Asian tourists and (bar two kids) we were the youngest by several years.

Our first stop was Warrego farm stead, where we had a quick half an hour to look at kangaroos, ducks, sheep and goats and have a cuppa. We then continued the drive along Phillip Bay and on to Phillip Island across a small causeway bridge. The weather was particularly grey and overcast by this point.

We stopped at a small Koala sanctuary in the centre of the island and half an hour to wander round and see a few koalas. They're difficult to spot when they aren't in a tiny enclosure in the zoo but we did see several. One was a sleep right by the boardwalk and a lady ignored all the signs saying don't make any noise by clapping her hands to try and wake it up. That Eucalyptus must be strong stuff though cos it didn't wake. We also spotted a family of wallabies which watched us intently while we were taking photos - then bounded off as soon as other people arrived.

From there we went right out to the western tip of the island where there are some rock formations called the Nobbies, which are usually where there are plenty of seals but it was the wrong season for them which was a great shame. By this point the heavens were opening and it was pissing it down.

The coach driver then took us down a twisty lane along the cliff and we stopped for some photos and to get wet. The Penguin beach is called Summerland Beach and we got a good view of it as we approached. There is one main beach and a smaller one - both with big grandstands for viewing and boardwalks snaking this way and that.

We arrived at the visitors centre about 5:30 and were told that the Penguins were expected to start arriving at about 6. By this time it was absolutely chucking it down and we'd got soaked just running from the coach to the centre. Not as bad as one poor girl who ran from the coach with a magasine over her head and forgot to collect her ticket from the driver.

We spent some time reading about the penguins and the research they did there. The 'Penguin Parade' (as it is known) has been going since the 1920s and the centre is considered one of the best research centres on Little Penguins. They often tag them to track their movement.

We wandered out about ten to five and we had special passes (cost us only $10 more) to go to the smaller beach where there was only about 20 people and less barging to see the penguins.

Almost as soon as we arrived at the viewing deck we were greeted by about fifty penguins making the run from the surf to the shore. The run across the beach is very dangerous for them and they tend to come ashore in large numbers and run across the beach - a distance of about 5/10 metres. They are then in the safety of the grass and can hide more easily. The viewing deck was about 5 metres further back and there pathway took them right alongside it for about 200 metres until they all forked off to find their burrow. Our special area allowed us to follow the penguins for some time while they headed towards their burrow at less than a metre away from them. They took their time once off the beach as they were probably tired from all that swimming and fishing.

We stayed out there for about forty minutes or so watching the penguins come in despite the weather. It was very enjoyable watching them. Sometimes a penguin would appear in the surf by itself and would wait for ages until some more penguins arrived, or make a break for it by itself. One penguin made a break, then realised that was a group further up the beach and scurried up the beach to join them. Occasionally one (or all) would get spooked and then hurtle back into the surf and safety.

By the time we got back to the visitors centre we were so wet that we had prune skin on our fingers and our jeans (and my shoes!) were soaked.

We were taken to a small town called Cowes on the northern shore of the island for dinner (not included unfortunately) but the hot food was very welcome as was a nice beer. Nothing special but then the restaurant did have to serve about 20 of us in a short space of time.

Got back to Caela's about 11 - she had gone to Sydney for work so I actually had a bed to sleep in rather than on cushions - being the good cousin that I am I gave up the bed (we were originally planning to swap who had to sleep on the floor every day) as Dave wasn't feeling well. Stood in the shower for about 20 minutes getting the warmth back into me!