Philip Island

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12 Jan 08

My second weekend in Melbourne had arrived. Today I am going to embark on a day tour to Philip Island to view the famed Fairy Penguins. But before that I woke up early to visit the Queen Victoria Market that I missed last weekend.

The entrance to the wet market. Well it is actually quite dry and all the meat looks so fresh and nice that they seem to be edible without cooking.


American donuts, they make, fry and sell it in this little caravan.


I suppose this is where one gets chesse and milk.


Breakfast at Macdonald's. That's a bacon and egg macmuffin. The hash brown was disappointing.

After breakfast I took a walk back to the Graduate House before leaving for my pick up point. It was noon and off I was on my day tour with Go West Tours.

Our first stop, toilet break, a lake. Right... there actually is a proper toilet behind me. I also had a meat pie here, which I conveniently forgotten to take a picture of.


The first properly highlight of the day, wine tasting. They supposedly make some fine white port here. But I make it a point not to drink port not made by the Portuguese.


Most of the wine taste alright but a particular Pinot Noir wine was horrid. It smelled like mashed stale cigarettes and tastes like the water made from them.


Vine yards


I wonder what this is for... Wine on tap?


Some plants outside


We arrived at the animal sanctuary, where orphaned animals are raised. This wombat is really friendly.


Ha! A common guinea-pig


Snap snap


This, is a tasmanian devil. Looks cute but like most scavengers, they can rip off your finger easily with their jaws. Never ever try to touch them.


Someone was actually going, "%@&#%^&^^@%^!)^%@*#^%@#$&", in an attempt to communicate.


Now they seem to call these wallabies. I thought they are kangaroos. Perhaps they are smaller. In any case I will just call them wallabies.


Look it is a Koala taking a snooze. So cute huh? No fences here but it is illegal to touch them in Victoria.


Here's the reason why. Those claws will easily rip Wolverine to shreds and Koalas are actually very unfriendly and macho creatures. They will not hesitate to scratch some upstart human.


A pony. snore...


A dingo. Some dog-like creature.


Ducks


Emus behind the fence. They look quite fierce and have red eyes.


Ah, an albino!


I have no idea what this is.


Yep, met all of em.

Then we crossed the bridge and entered Philip Island. Philip Island is the natural habitat of the fairy penguins. A fairy penguin may walk up to 2 KM inland to its burrow, hence they make their homes all over the island. The government is getting rid of humans homes in a certain part of the island where many of the penguins live. No new homes are supposed to be built there, no renovations may be undertaken and no vehicles may enter or leave after about 8pm. The idea is that the humans will move out soon from such conditions. First up was the town of Cowes where we had dinner. Deciding that fish and chips will do me too much harm I went for some pizza. Next, we went to see the beach.

Hmm... nice beach.


The sand is really fine here and it looks golden in the sun.


On the way to another location we spotted some wallabies in the wild.



The nobbies, at certain times, seals come and sun-bath on these black rocks.


It was already about 8:30pm.


A penguin burrow supported by wooden conservation. Penguin chicks are probably inside.


If I am lucky I will find some penguins here before the Penguin Parade whereby almost a thousand of them come ashore when the sun sets.


Seagulls. Some of the bigger ones actually have penguin for dinner.


Taking pictures at the Penguin Parade is strictly forbidden, but not here. Now where are they!


Ahah! Caught some penguins beneath the wooden boardwalk. These have brown fur, they are probably penguin chicks!



There are 3 of them.

That was the last of the pictures for the day. I was really lucky to get a picture of these penguin chicks. After that we left for the Penguin Parade where true enough the penguins arrived in groups and started to make their way to their homes. Unfortunately no filming or pictures were allowed. To get a more exclusive view I paid an extra 11 AU for a Penguin Plus option which was well worth the money. At the end of it I got back to the bus at 10pm for the long drive back to Melbourne. I had to wake up early next morning at 6:30am for a trip down the Great Ocean Road.

For anyone contemplating the penguin parade, please remember to bring a proper windbreaker with a woolen inner lining and perhaps a woolen scarf or hat. It is very cold at the parade.

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