We joined a day tour to Philip Island today to watch the World’s Famous Penguin Parade!! Our tour started off with a visit to The Gurdies, one of the wineries in Victoria. We then had wine tasting at The Gurdies to sample some Australia's wine.
The Gurdies Winery
Our next stop is to another wildlife park - The Maru Fauna Park. I prefers the Featherdale Wildlife Park that we went to on the way to Blue mountain more, because The Maru didn't allow us to take photo with the koala with our own camera!! They use their own camera so that we will need to buy the photo from them and its AUD$ 15!! *crazy* but luckily we already have got our photos taken with the koala at Featherdale!
However, the Maru has got this super cute baby wombat!!!! Her name is Wilma and she is soooo adorable with her fat fat round round body and her innocent, "ke lian" and "manja" face!! Also, the tourguide told us that the wombat's shit is actually square cubes!! Have you seen square shit?? Haha This is because the bones at the back (near the bum) of the wombat is very hard (for protection) and because of that the shit is shaped when it came out.
Baby Wilma! Cute not??
Us and Baby Wilma
A big koala soft toy outside the toilet =D
Other animals at the Wildlife Park
Us feeding the Emu.... so scary......
Us feeding kangaroo... This kangaroo has got a Joey in her pouch!! (Baby kangaroos are called Joey!! - I didn't know that previously hehe =P) And her Joey is an albino!!!!
Albino Joey
Then there is also another albino kangaroo!
Me with a pirate outside the wildlife park =D
Next, we cross the bridge to Philip Island to see the spectacular Cape Woolamai Surf Beach. How I wish its summer and we could play and swim at the beautiful beach!!
We were walking by the beach and suddenly we saw a big penguin!!!!
Spot the big penguin!! =D I just randomly took this photo but then realised that the way my bro walked at the beach, he looks like a penguin!! HAHA some more with his hood!!
Marking our presence =D
I must say it is quite tiring to walk on the beach with shoes as the sand was so soft that every steps, your shoe sinks in and you have to use strength to take the next step!!
Our next stop in Philip Island is the Nobbies Centre to see nobbies and seal rocks. However, we didn't spotted any seal rocks though!
There were a lot of seagulls as their nests are all around!! And those white spots you see on the floor and everywhere are seagulls’ droppings!! We were so scared that we will get any!!
When we were walking back, we saw that people were crowding around and realized that there was actually a little penguin beneath the bridge!! Poor penguin!! I think it got lost!!
I need to practically lie on the floor and put the camera down to take a photo of beneath the bridge! But it was well worth it =D
One of the scenic stop on the way to Penguin Parade
Finally we arrived at the Penguin Parade!! The highlight of the day!! At dusk, the little penguins (they are the world's smallest penguins and are only about 30cm) will emerge from the ocean and crossing the beach to their nest. It's a truly natural wildlife experience!!
There is this chart at the entrance that says the time the penguin arrived the day before and how many penguins were there! Then there is also another sign that says to check under your car before driving away because some blur penguins may get lost and think that under the car is their nest!!! HAHA so funny!! And it’s true because when we were leaving there were rangers with torchlight looking for penguins under the cars! =D
We are not allowed to take any photos (to protect the penguins) but I curi curi took some =P but its not clear at all lar....
This is the Summerland Beach where the little penguins will come ashore after a day's fishing at the sea.
We were waiting in the cold quietly for the penguins to arrive at the shore and when I saw the first batch of penguins I tell you it is the most amazing experience!!!!! There is this undescribable feeling inside me that just feels WOW!!!!! Maybe cause I “38” never seen penguins before!! *hehe* but they are just soooooo adorable!!!!!!!!!! They are like little men!! Where they swim in the sea and when they reach the shore, they will start walking. And they are like clumsy little men cause they walk and then fall down and then continue walking!! Just sooooo cute la!! And they also travel in groups!! They will hang around until everyone is there before they start walking!! So you see they “yau yi hei” to their friends too!! *hehe* And because they have been at the sea the whole day or more, they are tired and they will walk half way and just stands there to rest!! So cute larrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr I heart little penguins!! My most memorable experience in Australia!! =D
Can you see the little penguins??
Anyway, the photos are blurred cause I just click and didn't aim cause I was afraid that I will get caught!! *hehe* So here are some fairy penguins that I took at Featherland Wildlife Park, cause they look exactly like that!
And here are some photos from the Penguin Parade that I found from the internet.... to give you an idea of what I experience at the Penguin Parade. =)
Cute little penguins emerging from the sea
Little penguins in a group, walking through the beach to their nest. (But I didn't see such a big group la!! We saw a few groups but at most also got about 10 - 15 penguins in a group.)
Australia Day 1: Arrival at Sydney
2 comments:
hi was goggling around and happen to see your blog. i like to know for the maru koala & fauna park is there a entrance fee? Did you go to the koala conservation center?
hi yvonne,
erm... i think there is an entrance fees to the maru park but for my case, it is included as part of the philip island day tour that we joined. And nope I didnt go to the koala conservation at philip island cause we already went to two parks (one in sydney and the other one is the maru park so we thought its not necessary to go) anyway it wasn't included in the tour.... but if you are going there on your own, then you can go have a look but there is an entrance fees as well!! There is also a chocolate factory in philip island!! =D
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