8 FEBRUARY 2016: PHILLIP ISLAND

The Road Trip Begins!

With some regret, as we'd enjoyed our time in Melbourne so much, we set off on our planned road trip taking in the highlights of Victoria, or at least the ones we could reach in the time available. The first dilemma was whether or not the hire car would have enough boot space to accommodate all our luggage, neither Sue nor Lin travel light! 

Philip Island:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Island



No visit to Victoria can miss out a trip to Victoria's top tourist attraction, the holiday population of this farming community jumping to about 40,000 over the summer.

First stop was the capital, Cowes.......

.......where Steve just had to have a paddle.

The Nobbies:

Next stop, the Nobbies, a couple of large craggy offshore rocks at the island's southwestern tip, and beyond them Seal Rocks which are inhabited by Australia's largest fur-seal colony. A quick look at the Visitors' Centre, and we hit the boardwalk for a closer look.

Penguin Parade:

www.visitphillipisland.com/listing/penguin-parade/

Unfortunately, but understandably, you are not allowed to take photos of the world's smallest penguins (Eudyptula minor) arriving at sunset. Half a million visitors, sitting both on the sand and in the concrete amphitheatres, arrive annually to see them.

It all got a bit chaotic as 2 sole stewards tried to cope with the increasing crowd, many of whom had no intention of obeying the instruction not to take pictures, and especially not to use flash. The worst offenders proved to have very short attention spans, however, so took their selfies and left quickly.

It was all much less organised than the similar event we had visited 5 years ago on the South Island, but the penguins were just as gorgeous and captivating.

Ours wasn't the only 'badly-behaved' crowd as an earlier offender left this on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhDHOxl5X2g

Wildlife:

You don't have to pay to see spectacular wildlife 'au natural' on Philip Island, though.

There was a penguin asleep in this nesting box.

Our first kangaroos!! Up close and personal.

Grand Prix Circuit:

If we'd been here at the end of the month we would have seen (endured??) the SuperBike Grand Prix, but, as it was, Steve could only dream and content himself with the sign!