We got picked up at our hotel at 10 am by our awesome tour guide and traveled in what I can only describe as a small bus or large van? I don't know! There were 24 people in our tour group, including us, plus the guide, so the vehicle held 25 people quite comfortably. We made four stops throughout the day, and each one had something lovely to offer!
Out first stop was at Brighton Beach where we learned about the beach boxes and had some time to wander about the beach, see the boxes up close, and take pictures. Although it was chilly and quite windy, there are no complaints from this pair of winter lovers! The beach was beautiful and we would have loved to spend more time there!
Our second stop was amazing; I thought the Moonlit Sanctuary would be a cute little place to see a few animals, but I severely underestimated what they have to offer. We attended a presentation about koalas and then explored the rest of the sanctuary, seeing dingoes, emus, owls, eagles, birds, ducks, geese, wombats, and a tasmanian devil (no pic of him - he was quick to scurry around his enclosure and elude my photography efforts). The highlight, though, was interacting with the wallabies and kangaroos! We bought a couple of containers of food for them, and many ate right out of our hands. Being able to feed them was not something I expected and it was such an incredible experience! I have a soft spot for all animals, but honestly, the wallabies in particular really captured my heart today! They were so gentle and sweet!
The third stop was a brief one, but a great chance to admire some breathtaking scenery and coastline. Any opportunity to be away from noise and people and just observe and exist in nature is one I gladly welcome!
The final stop was the reason for the tour in the first place, and that was Phillip Island, which is home to the largest colony of Little Penguins in the world! These adorable blue penguins are also called Fairy Penguins and I'd been looking forward to seeing them since 1998 when my parents and brothers visited Australia and shared what unique little creatures they are! For the safety of the penguins, photography during their parade is not permitted, as it occurs after sundown, but I did find a couple of pictures online that I've included below.
Seeing them myself was a deeply emotional affair for me, and I shed many tears. First of all, the penguins are so damn cute that I would have cried for this reason alone! Secondly, finally being somewhere I've dreamed of for so long and having it not only meet, but exceed, my every expectation was wonderful and I was overcome with joy! But finally, and most importantly, I cried because one of the very last conversations I ever had with my mom included talk of this trip. She knew we were planning on coming to Australia this summer and whenever the topic arose, she would tell me, "Make sure you go see the Fairy Penguins!" She'd been saying some version of this message since 1998, constantly reminding me that C and I really needed to get to Australia to see these beautiful penguins. A few days before she passed away last July, we were talking about travel and seeing these penguins came up, and I assured her that we would come and see them during our trip. Watching these perfect little beings doing their thing, thinking of my mom, and remembering how she described them and how much she wanted me to see them because she knew I would love them...well, I just couldn't hold all of that inside my heart. I did look to the sky and tell her, "We made it, Mom!" and I know she was smiling down on me in that moment.
A core memory. What a day.
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| I saw some rainbows throughout the day, which only added to the magic |
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| spotted a double rainbow from the bus |
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| this one was holding my hand with its paw! |
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| look at this little face! |
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| I loved this kookaburra so much! |
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| the only pic I took at the penguin center |
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| this pic is from the center's webpage... they are so tiny! |
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| found this pic online - the underground enclosed viewing area is where we watched them from and many came right up to the glass! |
a very quick video clip
if you'd like to hear this adorable owl!
a video of Brighton Beach
Happy Tails to you!
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