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Today was the Phillip Island Penguin Parade tour. I arrived at the tour office about 10 minutes before the tour was meant to depart, checked in and then waited for the bus to arrive.
Once it did, we all got on and then the tour guide Steve, said there's too many here, is everyone on the Philip Island tour?
Nobody said anything. He asked again. Nothing.
Then, as he was trying to work it out looking through the papers, one lady asked if this was going to Neighbours….. (hehehe)
Steve: No it's not the bloody Neighbours tour, if you're going to the Neighbours set, get off the bus and wait for it to arrive! So off the lady popped.
Then another one… then another one… then another one…. AHAHAHAH - I genuinely think everybody was scared to get off the bus - how funny if they had come with us and then realised they weren't going to Ramsay Street.
First on the tour we went to the Moonlight Sanctuary which is just like a wildlife park, but I got to feed Wallabies! How cute! One stayed with me for ages, holding onto my fingers and eating the food out of my hand when I thought I saw something move underneath my hand, I quickly looked and saw a little Joey popping its head out of its warm hiding place and catching all the bits of food that were falling out of my hand!
All together now, AAAAWWWWWWWW!
Next up Churchill Island to watch the Sheep Sheering (I saw this in NZ so wasn't too bothered) which was something on the full day tour and not on the afternoon one so I took some time looking around the buildings and farm and then went and had a drink in the café (it was a scorcher of a day so it was nice to be out of the heat and bus for a bit!)
After Churchill Island was the Koala Centre and by this time I had started to chat a bit more to a few other people on the tour, one woman I met, Helen, was from Swansea so I was talking to her quite a bit which was nice. A couple of others were all in similar situations, around my age, travelling alone, so it was actually quite a nice group.
At the centre we saw lots of Koala's and one had a little baby that was hanging in the tree next to it which was very cute to see, especially as we were on boardwalks so you were right up close to them.
Next, was a choice, go to Woolamaloo Beach or Panny's Chocolate Factory - pfft….you call that a choice!? I and a few others got dropped off at the chocolate factory and the others went to the beach and picked us up about 30 mins later.
Next, The Nobbies and Seal Rocks a little cluster of rocks off the island, Seal Rock was covered in Seals who were all finding a safe place away from the Sharks (!) whilst breading season was on! We had dinner there, and then all got on the bus for the finale - the Penguin Parade.
Our tickets in hand, Steve drove us down to the entrance and we all handed our tickets in and went off to find seats by the beach in anticipation of the little penguins coming home for the evening - it's fascinating - they all swim in in groups together and then waddle up the beach back to their burrows! So cute.
On the way out we walked back to the bus in the dark and you could see all the Penguins just walking alongside the boardwalk waddling up to wherever they were going - just amazing.
Back on the bus we dropped some people off on Phillip Island who were doing a 2 day tour and the rest of us headed back to Melbourne. Steve dropped us all off, and then I struggled to get a taxi - it took forever, as everyone was out, not only had it been a nice day, but it was the final day of the Melbourne Cup too.
I didn't get in until nearly 1am.
Pooped.
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