Penguins and Oceans and Wine…Oh My!

Day 4

Monday morning we were up early and off to another part of Australia. It was a quick 45 minute (air time) flight and we soon landed in Melbourne. We picked up a rental car and were quickly reminded that driving in Australia requires a bit more focus… Luckily, we opted for a GPS with the rental car, so after only one missed turn we made our way to the Claremont Guesthouse to drop off our bags (too early to check in at 10 am) and also drop off the car (Melbourne has a great train and tram system…the car was for later).

In addition, Melbourne has some streets with ‘Hook Turns’…you make a right turn from the left lane.  It seems confusing, but actually makes sense when done since it keeps drivers from cutting in front of the trams. You pull into the intersection and wait for the light to change in the other direction before then flowing with that street’s traffic…and the tram would have cleared or been stopped by the new light.

We took the train into the city and got off in the old train station at Federation Square—the old architecture of the building is stunning and sets itself off well with some of the surrounding more modern architecture. At the visitors’ center in Federation Square we got information for using the free tourist shuttle to get a quick spin around Melbourne…being able to hop on and off as needed. Then we hopped back onto the shuttle to help us find the restaurant district (important reconnaissance for later) and other interesting spots in the city. We hopped off a couple of stops prior to returning to Federation Square so we could walk a little…and maybe find some gelato…

After going by the Cricket stadium (a bit of a shrine for cricket aficionados…we didn’t get off) we rode a bit further to the Carlton Gardens, surrounding the art museum and Exhibition Hall, and jumped off to walk through the gardens a bit.

 
Eventually we made our way back to the Square and then took a tram back to the guesthouse. This timing allowed us to get in a quick nap (remember…early morning flight, overcoming jet-lag, being on holiday), before loading back into the car and heading south to Philip Island National Park.

Our goal was to watch the Penguin Parade on Philip Island and we had made reservations in advance to be there. Fortunately again we had the GPS because we might still be traveling around the State of Victoria looking without its guidance.

Philips Island is the only place on mainland Australia that the penguins come ashore to their burrow homes. Up before dawn the penguins swim all day filling up on fish and then just before sunset begin to gather in ‘rafts’ just past the breakers. After the sun sets (and predators can not see them crossing the open beach) groups of the penguins hit the shoreline and run—more like a real fast waddle—across the beach to the dunes. Viewing stands are set up among the dunes by the Park Service and we were able to watch wave after wave of these 13 inch tall, 2 lb penguins work their way to their burrows.



It was fun to watch them and at some points we were able to get within a few feet of them. Pictures of any sort are not allowed (my photos are of some posters in the information center…but they look just like this).

After about 45 minutes most of the penguins were ashore and either in or standing near their burrows. They continue to call out to each other in what sounds like a mixture of peepers-sounds and sea-gull sounds with a little duck thrown in. All of the sounds begin to make some sense and I even thought I heard something along the lines of, “you’re out all day with your buddies and this is all you bring home…regurgitated fish and squid!” Some things are all the same in the animal kingdom.

We had a great time, and we were reminded as we headed back to the car that some of these penguins, besides swimming and fishing all day (some up to 20 kilometers away) were traveling as far as 2 kilometers to their burrows further inland…we were visitors in their home town.

It was a couple of hour drive back to Melbourne where after a quick supper near the guesthouse we decided to call it a night…so we could be rested for more travels the next day.

Day 5

Our Adventures continued with a drive on the Great Ocean Road. This is a very scenic drive along the southernmost part of mainland Australia. Some areas are reminiscent of the coast in Nova Scotia—the Cabot Trail on Great Breton Island and the Bay of Fundy—and in other areas it reminded me of the coast of Ireland—driving on the left may have influenced that as well.

We saw beautiful bays… and even stepped into the Tasmanian Sea for a moment.

lighthouses…   An Information Center Guide had recommended that we make a slight detour to see the Erskine Falls, so at one point we headed north from the coast for 10 km and found ourselves in the rainforest hiking down to view falls that drop 30 meters. It seemed strange to leave a temperate zone coastline and within a few minutes being surrounded by palms and the closeness of a rainforest…a wonderful side-trip.

 
Soon we were back on our way and as we cut across the peninsula that makes up Cape Otway, we turned down a side road to take us to the southernmost point. Along the way, we found a little turnout beside the road where a couple of other car had stopped and as we looked around we saw about a dozen koala bears sleeping in the gum trees (they are nocturnal animals and sleep up in the trees during the day).

Some of them woke up and move around a little while we were there, so I was able to get a few good pictures.
 
 

After stopping at the point on Cape Otway we returned to the main road and continued to an area called the Twelve Apostles where the sea has been shaping the land for centuries. We were able to get there just before sunset, and although the sunset wasn’t spectacular the land structure was beautiful.

 
  

From this point, we cut back inland and took a somewhat faster route back to Melbourne (3 hours driving as opposed to the 5 hours of driving along the coast). It was a tiring, but fulfilling day.

Day 6

It was a little rainy in Melbourne on this day, but that didn’t dampen our spirits…we were going on a wine tasting tour. A small group…a comfortable bus…plenty of wine…someone else is driving…all part of a well planned holiday.

We were picked up at 9 am and driven out to the Yarra Valley wine region. That meant we were at the first vineyard around 10:30 am and it was the first of four beautiful settings…and the opportunity to try several wines.

The tours included instructions for tasting wines (beyond the “put the glass to your lips and tip back” variety), an outstanding dinner at one of the vineyards, and we finished up with ‘Bubblie’—sparkling wine in the Champagne style—accompanied by cheeses and chutney.



We returned to Melbourne…well sated…by 4:30. We did return to the restaurant district later in the evening for a nice meal al fresco…in the pouring rain (under an awning). Our travels back to the Guest house were a little daunting with unannounced stoppages of some of the trams running and our having to figure out different ways to get back…but it all worked out and only added to the ongoing Adventures.

Day 7

Our time was spent mostly traveling back to Canberra and relaxing. We were invited to Paul and Judy’s house (Andrew’s parents) for dinner and we had a wonderful time. It also gave us time to plan the next steps in our Adventure…to follow…