People flock (excuse the pun) there to watch the famous "Penguin Parade"; fairy penguins waddling across the sand in the evenings to return to their burrows in the dunes every evening. The various wildlife parks which are home to kangaroos, dingoes and koalas are also a major drawcard for the island.
Phillip Island has some stunning beaches and lovely little towns and is an easy 90-120 min drive from Melbourne.
It was a scorcher the day we visited so the first place we stopped was Woolamai Beach for a swim. The water was a little colder than we'd expected but a welcome refresher from the 37 degree heat on the sand. We lay on the beach listening to the young lifeguard behind us chatting up "chicks" and telling them how he free dives 10 metres for his training.
On to Cowes, the main coastal town which was heaving with cars and people. We need to get back there on a less busy day as it looks lovely, but neither of us was keen to brave the town's car parks in order to park up and walk around the place.
Last stop was Point Grant, The Nobbies and Round Island at the far eastern tip of the island. What looked like (judging by the amount of guano) a million Silver Gulls nest on the island's rookery. Fur seals also inhabit the islands off the main one, although we didn't see any - maybe the sharks were out too. The landscape reminded me a bit of the coast off Cape Agulhas in South Africa. Wild, wind-blown and rugged. A beautiful place. And we even saw a pengiun hiding out in his burrow. A bonus as we weren't planning to stay for the "parade".
A quick stop at a Koala sanctuary rounded off our visit. It's breeding season, for those not infected with Clamydia - yes, it's rife within some Koala populations... you learn something new everyday. Luckily the group we saw were "clean" and we were treated to viewing some perfectly huggable babies. I can see why they were initially thought to be bears.
Smuggling one into my backpack sadly wasn't an option, but we did get some great pics.
I can't wait to get back there to explore more of the beaches and see Cowes properly.
Woolamai Surf Beach
So that's what Alf from Home &Away is alwasy going on about... "ya flaming Galah!"
Hard to see, but that's a Fairy Penguin
Those koalas are adorable. One day I want to hug one. And when I do, I'll have to make sure the kids aren't with me because Luke wanted a real meerkat after our visit to the zoo, Jessica is pushing for a kitten and Sarah would definitely trade her iPod touch for a bunny. I can just imagine the pressure I'd get to secure one of those cuties. :)
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