Before we left Inverloch we decided to go to Phillip Island to view the 'Penguin Parade.' We had seen pictures of the tiny penguins (they're only 30cms tall) waddling up the beach on mass at dusk and thought it was a sight too good to miss. We ended up rushing to get there, worried that we would miss them. We arrived at the reception around 6pm and asked, "Have we missed the penguins?" and were greeted with laughs from the receptionist as they don't arrive until 9pm.
We had a few hours to kill so we headed a couple of miles up the coast to have a look at 'Seal Rocks,' where loads of seals lounge around playing. It was a tad disappointing as Seal Rocks is about 2km off the coast and you can only see them through a telescope - and even then they're small dots on the horizon!
We were woefully under prepared for the Penguin Parade wearing our shorts and T-shirts - there was a freezing cold breeze coming off the sea (most people had sensibly brought blankets with them as there is a lot of sitting and waiting involved). We walked down the boardwalk's that they had erected over the sand dunes to protect the penguin's nests and sat in the stand - something like an old fashioned football terrace. We huddled together for warmth and waited. Nearly an hour later we could see some small shapes at the water's edge. We were told that that the penguin's usually take a couple of attempts before making a quick dash the beach - something to do with avoiding predators etc. Eventually little groups of 5/6 penguin's would totter up the beach. Not exactly a 'parade' (more of a micro waddle), but fascinating none the less!
We arrived in Melbourne on Friday 8th and booked into a cabin at Coburg, a suburb of Melbourne. The next morning, we checked out and headed into the city centre to check out the shops (much to Fran’s delight). That afternoon we drove out to the South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne to meet up with Tim, a friend of mine who I met in Thailand earlier this year. Tim greeted us at his local pub, just across the road from where he lives. After a couple of ‘pots’ of beer we went back to Tim’s to drop off our stuff and then headed to St. Kilda beach as it was a baking hot day. Early evening we headed back to Tim's for an Aussie BBQ :-), where we met up with Tim's wife, Lisa and their daughter Emily. The meal was excellent - Tim cooked enough food to feed half the Barmy Army (a name for the travelling English cricket fans) and included a Snapper fish freshly caught that day by Lisa and Emily.
On Sunday we went to St. Kilda market for a wander around the stalls, followed by a couple of beers. After that Tim and I excused ourselves from the girls, leaving them to their shopping, and headed for the pub. It was 42.1 degrees, the hottest day in Melbourne for 53 years! Several beers and an hour or so later, the girls turned up looking hot and bothered. Definitely the right decision to stay in the pub! In the evening we went to an Indian restaurant for a fantastic curry. A perfect end to the day :-)
On Monday we caught the train into the city and had a wander round looking at the sites and doing some (more) window shopping. Melbourne's got some great shops and has more architecturally aesthetic buildings than Perth or Brisbane. We went to Federation square where we saw the Victoria Police big band - having sat and listened to them belting out Christmas tunes, we found a street art exhibition of aerial views from across the world.
Tuesday we decided to drive to take a scenic drive from Melbourne around the Mornington Peninsula. At Sorrento we caught the ferry across Port Phillip bay to Queenscliff. I thought the crossing was really smooth, but Fran wasn't feeling too well by the time we reached the other side!
Wednesday and today we have spent time discovering Chapel Street, which has a wonderful eclectic mix of boutique stores, markets and high street stores. I'd had enough of shopping by today, so left Fran to go shopping for my birthday pressie's, while I caught up with my emails.
We've had a fantastic time in Melbourne so far. Many thanks to Tim, Lisa and Emily for putting us up, showing us the sites and being the perfect hosts. Looking forward to returning the favour when you visit England in 2008! A special mention goes out to Emily who gave up her bedroom for us and provided us with lots of entertainment (hope the jelly making was fun sweetie - Fran)!
Tomorrow we are off to Ramsey Street for the 'Neighbours Tour'! Joy...
J&F x
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