SATURDAY – SUNDAY – PHILLIP ISLAND – WILSON’S PROMONTORY

We’re back.

Tonight we are comfortably settled in one of the 484 sites that are available for campers here at Tidal River being the National Park campground at Wilson’s Promontory. We are in fact in site 357 but it’s a lot better than it sounds in that there are relatively few people here it being Sunday night and we were able to choose a relatively secluded site just behind the dunes with the sound of the ocean prominent in the background.

We left the luxurious comfort of Torquay yesterday morning and returned to the carefree life of travelling caravanners. You will be pleased to know that I played really well at our last golf game at Barwon Heads on Friday but the Victorian weather defeated us in that we had a heavy downpour with two holes to play so we got very wet and the game had to be abandoned.

Unfortunately I couldn’t send a blog last night because we were at the Penguin Parade on Philllip Island which didn’t start until 8:30 so we were quite late home. I can’t show you any photos of penguins because photography is not allowed but, even if it was, darkness would have made for challenging conditions. Having said that, we were able to get up close and personal with the penguins among their burrows after they came out of the water. What I can show you is the viewing area that accommodated the approximately 2000 people that were there with us.

The last two days have been a mixture of the usual spectacular coastal scenery with significant wildlife viewing added. This magnified photo shows what you can’t see with the naked eye. Just off the south western corner of Phillip Island near where the penguins come ashore is an island appropriately called Seal Island which houses a seal colony said to be 30,000 in number. There were obviously quite a lot on shore when the photo was taken.

Phillip Island is home to numerous pairs of Cape Barren geese which happily interact with people and traffic.

We had a dose of culture in that we went to see Swan Lake with its numerous swans.

The local wallabies are very relaxed.

As I have been typing this we have been joined by two rosellas who are hoping for a handout. Unfortunately we will be disappointing them.

We will be spending the day here tomorrow and probably start heading home to a warmer climate on Tuesday. I am looking forward to being able to wear shorts again.