There is a saying, better to be born lucky than rich. My mum is one of the luckiest people I know and I "think" she may have passed on her luck to me.
We are now at Phillip Island and the sole reason we have come to Phillip Island is to see the Fairy Penguins. I think I have wanted to see these little creatures all my life so you can imagine how disappointed I was to find out that you have to purchase tickets to see them. I mistakingly thought that the viewing would be a free access public area. Wrong. So after we had set up the van we walked to the Information Centre to purchase tickets only to be told that all tickets are sold out until the 11th January. I admit to shedding a tear. I was so disappointed. However the lovely young girl at the information centre quietly said to us to go online around 4.30-5.00 pm and we might just snag a ticket from a cancellation. So I did. I kept refreshing the website for what seemed like ages and all of a sudden, there it was, two tickets that had just come available for the "Guided Ranger Tour". I could not believe my luck (thank you mum!)
Our tour was to start at 8.15pm but my excitement had us there around 6.30. There is a cafe inside the brand new complex (built in 2019) that served pretty decent meals and a small selection of beverages so that is where we wined and dined until our tour commenced.
We all gathered outside the complex and then taken to a room where we were issued binoculars, and a headset to listen to our guide. It was here that we were also given a website to explore so that we could download photos of the fairy penguins. No photographs are allowed after sunset so this was a wonderful gesture to ensure that everyone could take away the memories. Once we were all "kitted out" we were taken to our own private viewing area to wait for the penguins to emerge from the ocean. At this time of the year there are many babies on the ground and as we walked along the boardwalk towards our seating, we spotted lots of them. We were still able to take a few photos as the sun was still out.
Once we reached the viewing area we were ushered to a tiered seating area to await the arrival of the fairy penguins. Some were already out of the water and we watched in fascination as they started to organise themselves into a long line. They will not start making their way from the oceans edge to the burrows until the sun has completely set but once that sun goes down off they march. The word "Penguin Parade" describes the scene to a "T".
It is amazing to watch them. Many of them walk great distances to their burrows and waiting babies. It is a slow march for them and their tiny little legs. They stop many times to preen themselves and where they can't reach, another penguin will come in behind them and preen the spot. Once they start their march up the sand dunes we start walking back along the boardwalk to follow them. You are literally just an arms length away from them but of course behind barriers. Philip swears that one little penguin stopped and looked him in the eye. I believe it.
We were at the Penguin Parade for almost two hours and it is the best two hours I have ever spent in all my entire life. I would gladly return time after time if I lived closer and already we are planning our next trip to Phillip Island!
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