Phillip Island & The Penguin Parade With My Parents

July 7, 2013

Our last Melbourne adventure was a day trip to Phillip Island.  Phillip Island is about a two hour drive from Melbourne.  It is a beautiful place full of incredible beaches, vacation homes, wineries, Nobbies Centre (home to a large population of seals), and most importantly- the cutest little parade you ever did see.  The PENGUIN PARADE!  It is also important to note that the Hemsworth brothers hail from Phillip Island.  Sadly, no Hemsworth sightings.

Here are some photos from our first stop- the Nobbie Centre.  Unfortunately, we didn't see any seals, but the views were amazing!  (No Hemsworths AND no seals?!  I want my money back!)

Double rainbow ending at the kangaroo crossing sign!

Can you tell it was FREEZING cold?!

Supposedly this thing is usually covered in sun-bathing seals

 

 

 

 

So here's the deal with the penguin parade- first, you must know that these penguins are the smallest penguins in the world.  Which also conveniently makes them the cutest penguins in the world!  Anyway, each morning at sunrise these penguins go out to sea to spend their days fishing, and then each evening at sunset they return to their nests.  This is what you are seeing when you view the Penguin Parade.  Like clockwork, right as the sun began to set, we started to see little black blobs coming up to shore.  The penguins were coming!!!  The penguins get together in large groups, and before you know it, they're standing on the sand.  It's pretty funny to watch, because it takes them 3 or 4 times to build up their courage to really come ashore- the little groups would keep on running back into the water before finally beginning their parade.  Once they start coming up, it's the cutest thing as they march/waddle in perfect little lines across the beach, and up the hills to their nests.  Unfortunately, pictures were not allowed- and they had tons of park rangers around enforcing this rule.  So you'll just have to take my word for it- they were adorable!  It was such a cool sight to see and so amazing to think that these tiny penguins repeat this ritual every single day. 
 

The penguins we saw are only as big as the tiny little one at the bottom!

Since I couldn't take photos of the real ones, this will have to do...

Snuck this photo while waiting for the penguins

 

And that concludes my very overdue recaps of my parents' visit to Australia.  Thanks for coming mom and dad!  So glad you got to see this beautiful place!