13.02.19 - 15.02.19 Phillip Island

After spending a lot of time in the city, it was time to get back to nature. So we spent 2 nights on Phillip Island, which is 140km away from Melbourne. We were able to stay in a vacation house owned by a friend's parents, which is located almost right on the beach. Phillip Island is rarely visited by people without a car, so it was easy for us to get to the island using public transportation, but that's about it. We walked the 8km to our house, had a snack, and then headed out again because we had booked the famous Penguin Parade for the evening and wanted to explore the surroundings beforehand. We walked another 18km in the following hours.

At some point, Lea's feet could barely carry her, but it was definitely worth it. It was not only great to be on a rocky coast with wild seas again, but we also saw a lot of animals, mostly alive but occasionally dead as well. We were excited about each and every one of them, even though the 50th wallaby (a small kangaroo) didn't generate as much enthusiasm - still cool!! The highlight was definitely the adorable little spiny echidna and the penguins, which we first encountered dead.

The little blue penguins are native to Phillip Island, and the nature reserve makes every effort to ensure that they remain there. There are small houses everywhere that serve as protection for them. At the so-called Penguin Parade, you can watch the little penguins from a grandstand on the beach as they emerge from the sea and waddle along the same paths onto the beach and into nature as soon as it gets dark. Very cute!! They usually go in small groups and then spread out in the undergrowth, where you can see them again. If you ignore the crowds of people and the cold, it's a very enjoyable experience.

For those who had the same English book as we did - unfortunately, we didn't meet Peregrine the Penguin, and the other penguins didn't know where he was.

Since we didn't feel capable of walking another 7km home in the dark, we had planned ahead and booked a taxi. Taxis seem to be scarce on the island at this time, so it didn't arrive until 3/4 hour after the scheduled time, at 11:15 PM. But they seem to be used to this there, and the security guard patiently waited with us and even contacted the taxi company. There was also a man with his son waiting next to us, who had missed their tour bus and had to take a taxi to Melbourne, which would cost around 300€. According to the security guard, this happens quite often. We were lucky with our few kilometers. And while we were waiting, we also saw a little bandicoot, a rare animal in Australia that is being saved from extinction.

The next day, our legs were accordingly tired, and we just managed to walk 2km to the nearest cafe and shop to have a coffee and stock up on supplies and take a short detour to the beach. We spent the rest of the day in the great house, which we really enjoyed.

Since Lea's shoes decided they didn't like her feet anymore and gave her several blisters, some even double and triple blisters, we decided to skip the two-hour walk back and took a taxi to the bus. And a few hours later, we arrived safely back in Melbourne, where we immediately treated ourselves to a delicious noodle soup to enjoy city life.