Penguin Parade

We started the day in Melbourne with a tour of the city. Melbourne is the capital of the state of Victoria. It is also the capital of entertainment in Australia known for world class food, theater, and sports. Melbourne was voted “the most livable city in the world.” Walking the streets of Melbourne one can walk past modern architecture sitting right next door to colonial structures.

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One of my favorite places we visited in the city was the Shrine of Remembrance. The Shrine of Remembrance is a building with a soul. Opened in 1934, the Shrine is the Victorian state memorial to Australians who served in global conflicts throughout the nation’s history. Inspired by Classical architecture, the Shrine was designed and built by veterans of the First World War.

After the tour of the city, we visited an open range wild life preservation, where we encountered wallabies, emus, koala bears, kangaroos, Tasmanian devils, and kookaburra birds. We fed the kangaroos and ran away from the very aggressive emus who tried to get the kangaroo food.

But the highlight of the day was the Parade of Penguins! Little Penguins have called the shores of Phillip Island home for thousands of years. They head out to fish during the day, and head home as night falls to look after their nests and, for more than 80 years, people have been heading to Phillip Island at sunset to watch the show unfold.

We sat quietly on the beach and waited for dusk to approach and for the penguins to return from their day of fishing. It was such an incredible experience. The little penguins came in groups and walked down paths looking for their babies. We were able to see a parent find their baby and feed them. The baby was fluffy and crying just like a hungry human baby. It was such an amazing experience.

What a wonderful and beautiful day filled with wonder and amazing people. I can’t wait for today’s stream train through forest and mountains to enjoy lunch and wine testing at several Australian wineries.

Love to all!

DD