The tour began in Melbourne where John told us the history of the city and the first two European men to arrive here, Batman and Fawkner (one the son of a convict, the other a convict). That was 1835, but the men couldn't agree on a name. So in 1837, after speaking with the powers that be in the Westminster Abbey, it was named after Lord Melbourne.
John provided quite the mix of music throughout the day including our first song of the day: "Come to Australia".
From that point on, it was a mix of Men Without Hats, Don Spencer, The Proclaimers, James Reyne and so many more!!
Shortly after, we traveled through Gippsland and Koo Wee Rup.
Gippsland was once a huge swamp. It was later drained for passage, but the land was very damp and no matter what crops the farmers tried, nothing would grow....except asparagus. The area is now known for its asparagus and Koo Wee Rup is now the asparagus capital of Australia.
San Remo was our last stop before we crossed the bridge onto Phillip Island. We enjoyed some wonderful fish and chips while watching rays swimming near the shoreline and pelicans fishing.
Phillip Island is everything from cheesy (the chocolate factory) to educational to conservation based. We visited the Koala Conservation Centre where you walk among gum trees; always looking up for koalas and down for snakes. We were lucky enough to see one that was quite active, not normal considering that they are nocturnal, active at dawn and dusk and sleep 20 hours per day. Koalas down here, in Victoria, are 12-14kg. They are bigger and furrier due to the colder climate. The koalas in Queensland and NSW are only 5-6kg because the climate is warm year round.
We also visited the Nobbies (rock formations at the end of Phillip Island, with amazing ocean views for 180 degrees) and then went on to the main event... The Penguin Parade!!
There actually used to be 10 colonies of penguins on Philip Island. There is now only 1 left. Humans have been the largest threat to them! In order to help combat that, all houses, electrical poles, non-native plants and much more, have been removed from the area surrounding the Nobbies and the Penguin Parade. It has been designated as a national park to help with the protection for the penguins and major bylaws and fines were put in place. The Penguin Parade receives no government funding or support so relies entirely on the people who visit.
We chose the Penguins Plus option which puts you into a smaller group and right on the direct path that the penguins take from the ocean to their burrows. You're in a small outdoor amphitheater type place with ropes and boardwalks around to protect the penguins. You also have to be fairly settled and quiet so that you don't startle the penguins.
It was truly a magical moment, when you see the raft of penguins (what they're called when they travel together) coming from the ocean. Then they arrive on the beach and all you can see, are their white bellies as they waddle quickly from the beach to their burrows.
Each of the penguins is about 33cm high and weighs just over 2 lbs. They used to be called Fairy Penguins, but are now just simply called Little Penguins. They are one of the 17 species of penguins that live in the Southern Hemisphere.
Photos and video were not allowed, to help further protect the penguins. So, check out this link and scroll down to the bottom to see a video clip of what I'm talking about.
http://www.penguins.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9&Itemid=54&mytabsmenu=1
The penguins were one of my top 5 things to experience this year, and with good reason. Such a cool experience and I would recommend it to anyone who ever makes it down this way.
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