Phillip Island

As mentioned in the previous article, after many hours of driving back along the Great Ocean Road, through Melbourne City, we arrived late in the evening in San Remo, a place located directly in front of Phillip Island. Luckily, we also found a motel there where we spent one night. The next morning, we crossed a wooden bridge to Phillip Island. At a tourist information center, we got a map and learned about the main attractions on the island. So, we first went to Woolamai Beach. We parked the car there to take a walk through the Phillip Island Nature Park. We walked along a quite lonely and very beautiful beach until we reached a wooden staircase leading to the hiking trail. The vegetation there was also very impressive. We actually wanted to take a circular walk to get back to our car. However, we got lost or rather, we thought we got lost, although it probably would have been the right way after all. We took a turn and ended up at a completely deserted beach. The beach was dirty, fallen trees hung down the slope, and the sea was dirty and completely calm without waves. It had something eerie about it. But at least we saw footprints in the sand, so we knew that people had been there recently ;-) After walking for a while and becoming more and more uncertain if this was the right way, we decided to go back and take the same hiking trail we had used on the way there. One good thing about our little detour was that I was able to collect very beautiful seashells on this really unsightly beach.

After the hike, we decided to drive to Cowes, the 'center' of Phillip Island, for lunch, where restaurants and shops are lined up next to each other. After being refreshed, we wanted to go to the Nobbies Centre. On the way there, we stopped at a motel and a holiday apartment complex to find accommodation. However, both were very expensive. When I wanted to ask for accommodation at the holiday apartment complex, a somewhat unkempt, grumpy old man opened the door. He immediately wanted to send me away. But when I thanked him and was about to leave, he asked me where I come from. When he found out that I'm from Germany, he suddenly became super friendly and started chatting with me. The man had lived in Karlsruhe for a while in the past, and his brother still lives in Germany. Despite the sympathy points I gained through this, we didn't get the apartment cheaper and continued driving to the Nobbies Centre. On the road, we almost ran over a kangaroo, but my father was able to brake in time.

The Nobbies Centre is an ecotourism site in Summerlands. You can take a wooden boardwalk along the coast there. With a bit of luck, you can see a colony of seals on 'Seal Rock' in the sea, which is about 2 km away. Unfortunately, we didn't have any luck and couldn't spot any seals even with binoculars. Probably the chances are higher in the evening when the seals return to Seal Rock from their search for food. However, during the walk, we again saw a beautiful landscape and could admire little penguins, the most famous residents of the island (besides the Hollywood stars Liam and Chris Hemsworth, who grew up on the island ;-)). After we finished the walk and the strong wind blew in our faces, we decided to drive back to San Remo to stay in a cheaper motel there instead of on the island.

In the evening, we drove back towards Summerlands to see the Penguin Parade, the most famous attraction on the island. Every evening after dark, the little penguins return to their nests. They waddle carefully out of the sea, cross the beach, and then feed their young with their catch. It's a really cute natural spectacle to observe. However, it comes at a high price! The cheapest ticket for an adult costs $25 here. At first, I thought it was outrageous since it's a natural event. But the rangers explained that the money goes towards the conservation of the little penguins.

After a little confusion, all visitors finally found a suitable spot on the stands for a good view. Now, everyone stared at the sea in anticipation and waited for the sun to set. And finally, a first small group of penguins actually appeared, carefully waddling out of the sea. There always needs to be a brave penguin leading the way so that the other group members can follow. If the penguins feel that there is danger, for example from a large bird, they run back into the sea. The penguins then walk past the delimited area for the audience on the beach. Filming and photographing is prohibited here to avoid disturbing the penguins with flashes. It was quite annoying because some tourists were completely inconsiderate, running to the front, sometimes standing, and thus blocking the view for all other visitors. Many also ignored the ban on taking photos and filming. The rangers had their hands full reminding the tourists to sit down and not take photos. It was very cold, and we were freezing. Many visitors left after seeing the first penguins. This worked in our favor, as we finally (although trembling from the cold) had the best seats to observe the little animals that are only 30 cm tall. On the way back, we turned on the heater to warm up again. We quickly realized why blankets and hot drinks could have been purchased at the Penguin Parade. We had underestimated the cold wind there. In general, it is usually colder in the south of Australia, especially in winter and in the evening compared to the rest of Australia. However, compared to German temperatures, it is also warmer in southern Australia. Interestingly, the beds in the motels on the Great Ocean Road and also in San Remo were equipped with electric blankets (with evening temperatures around 18 degrees).

Seeing the Penguin Parade was very interesting, and this spectacle can only be reliably observed on Phillip Island. However, I feel a bit sorry for the animals. Even though the penguins are used to the visitors and the spotlights that illuminate their way from the sea to the nests, it's somehow sad that their natural behavior has been turned into a tourist attraction. However, I read afterwards that there are also good chances to observe this spectacle in St. Kilda in Melbourne and at the Twelve Apostles on the Great Ocean Road, without entrance fees or tourist preparation.

By the way, the island with its approximately 7,000 inhabitants also includes a race track, the Phillip Island Circuit, where motorcycle championships are held annually.