Phillip Island Walks, Victoria

My first knowledge of Phillip Island was watching Wayne Gardner race his 500cc motorbike at the inaugural Motorcycle Grand Prix in 1989 and winning that race.  That race captured the hearts of Australians and secured the Philip Island Grand Prix as a world class race track.  It is a beautiful race track with the blue ocean of Bass Strait as its backdrop and during our stay here on the island we have driven past it numerous times.  The size of Phillip Island is 40,000 acres and has a permanent population of 14,000.  The population soars to 70,000 during peak holiday periods (now!).

Yesterday we tackled the 8.5 km Cliff Top Walk at Cape Woolomai.  We hadn't hiked since Dove Lake at Cradle Mountain so we were really looking forward to it.  Although there is elevation of around 130 metres it is a gradual incline and only 80 odd steps.  Just my type of walk.  But it's the views that make this walk spectacular. A far percentage of the walk is along the beach before ascending the cliff top and again after the descent.  The only part of the walk that I found difficult was waking over the sand dune to reach the car park at the very end.  My legs were very tired by that stage.

Most people only walk as far as the Pinnacles and then turn around and they are certainly a sight to behold with the heavily eroded rock face.  Philip commented that they look like a miniature Tasman Island.

We continued the circular trail all the while taking in the breathtaking views in all directions.  At the halfway mark we reach the highest point of Cape Woolomai and you can see almost all of Phillip Island from this vantage point.  

The second half of the hike takes us away from the coastline and for most of this section we are walking on soft grass.  There is not a lot of shade on this walk so when we do come to a shady part of the walk I am pleased as the day has really warmed up. 

The tide plays a big part in this walk as the final section is along the beach that cannot be accessed at high tide.   Low tide is around 1.30pm so we had to do this hike in the middle of the day that is not always the best time to be walking.  However, we carry three bottles of water so we never de-hydrate.  The beach is a welcome sight as it is slightly cooler at the waters edge and the sand is hard and flat that makes walking so much easier.  As I mentioned previously the hardest part was the very end when we had to cross a sand dune to reach the carpark!

Today was a much easier day for us.  We drove to "The Nobbies" that is just a little further along the road past the Penguin Parade.  It is the southern most end of Phillip Island and has a prolific bird population of gulls, terns and cape barren geese.  The circular boardwalk is around 800m in length and all along the boardwalk are fairy penguin burrows.  How on earth they reach these burrows is beyond my imagination but we were told by our guide that some walk several kilometres to reach their burrow.  We see pads along the cliff edge where the little penguins have made their way.

Once we return to the car we drive to the largest township on Phillip Island, Cowes.  It is very busy here but then again the whole island is full of tourists and the bridge leading to the island is just a continuous stream of traffic.

 We will definitely return to Phillip Island but not in the school holidays. February/March would be a good time to visit. Tomorrow we start heading north to Lakes Entrance that is still just inside the Victorian border.  We are going to be there for three nights so I am already researching things to do in the area. 

Phillip Island Penguin Parade, Victoria

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!

Geelong, Victoria

 Our time in Geelong is drawing to an end.  We have had six nights here and have enjoyed catching up with our friends on numerous occasions.  The trip to Geelong on the Spirit of Tasmania was a night sailing this time.  The loading at Devonport is not as slick as Geelong but nonetheless it went all very smoothly.  Once on board the Spirit and after we had settled into our stateroom we went upstairs to brave the wind in the outside area to say goodbye to Devonport and Tasmania. It was an incredible six weeks in Tasmania and we saw and did things that we never thought we would do.  We are pretty tired, most particularly Philip who does all the driving, so the remainder of our journey home will be quite low key. Because of this, I haven't really had too much to write about on the blog.

First of all, Happy New Year to each and every one of you.  May 2024 be a good year for you both health and wealth wise.  We spent New Year's eve with our friends who took us to Austin Winery for a wine tasting followed by lunch.  The wines here are pretty darn good so we did come away with a few bottles and have joined their wine club to purchase more when we get home to Palm Cove. We sampled around a dozen wines and were given a sheet of paper to score each and every wine.  I particularly enjoyed the Prosecco and Pinot Gris.

The wine tasting took around an hour and it wasn't until around 1.30 pm that we sat down for lunch.  We decided on the set course menu that had a little bit of everything, but only small portions that suit us very well.  The chef's specialty is the Lobster Rolls that I have to say were the best I have ever eaten.  I could gladly have eaten another one of them! Pinchys Restaurant is inside a renovated shearing shed.  If we had any complaints at all it would have been that it was quite noisy with its high ceilings and bare floorboards.  It might have been a wiser choice for us to sit outside where many people were enjoying the sunshine.

It was well after 4 when Dave and Lyn dropped us home.  Consequently we never saw in the New Year but we did hear the fireworks at 9.30pm and again at midnight.

The remainder of our time here in Geelong has been spent taking long walks along the Barwon River and also the Geelong waterfront.  The waterfront is a very attractive area and so many people enjoy it. Our friends told us to avoid the waterfront over the New Year holiday, as it is jam packed with people, so we left it until yesterday to walk along the waters edge.

After our walk we went and had coffee with our friends at their apartment on the waterfront.  It is a beautiful apartment with sweeping views from three sides of their unit and just a stone's throw from the main shopping centre in Geelong.  Lyn and Dave are getting ready to sail away on another cruise in just a few days time so we said our final goodbyes to them yesterday, promising to keep in touch.

So, tomorrow we once again pack up the van and this time we are heading to Phillip Island where we are hoping to see the fairy penguins.  It is never guaranteed but you have a better chance here than anywhere to spot the little critters.  Hopefully I will have enough photos to write another blog while we are there.

Judi x

Scenic Drive Devonport Area, Tasmania

Our very last scenic drive in Tasmania was around the Devonport area.  We winged it a for lot of the day, but ended up doing a very large circle that took us first to Port Sorrell where we surprisingly found a large sandy beachfront on the Rubicon Estuary.  Many people were enjoying the calm waters on their paddle boards and kayaks.  The caravan park is situated right on the beachfront at Port Sorrell and if we were to ever return to Tasmania, this is a place we would stay.  While we were enjoying the views out over the water, right behind us a man was digging a hole in the sand that you could bury a car in!  Don't know why..

Port Sorrell is to the east of Devonport so that when we left here we turned the vehicle in a southerly direction towards the town of Westbury.  It is around 50km from Port Sorrell to Westbury and for 49 of those 50kms we were in forestry country.  I have read that 70% of Tasmania is timbered and if it isn't a forestry project it is national park.  Tasmanian's are very proud of this fun fact.  When we reached Westbury we headed a little to the west to reach Deloraine.  This is a lovely town and it is teeming with visitors roaming up and down both sides of the Main Street.  Every shop is busy with customers and it is pleasing to see so many people out and about.....many more people than we have seen anywhere else in Tasmania.

From Deloraine we head west towards Mole Creek.  Just before we head into Mole Creek we turn-off to go to the Alum Cliffs Lookout that we have read has some spectacular views over Mole Creek and the surrounding gorge.  It is only 800m into the lookout but quite a strenuous uphill walk.  The views from the lookout were pretty spectacular so it was well worth the effort. 

It is almost midday by the time we get back to the car but we decide to drive on to Sheffield for lunch.  Sheffield is the "mural town" of Tasmania so it will be good to walk around the town after a filling lunch.  We chose what seemed to be a decent cafe for our lunch stop and quickly chose the Seafood Pot Pie and Mixed Meat Pot Pie from the specials menu.  When Philip ordered our meal there were a few people in front of him and the lady that served Philip said that the meal might take awhile.  One hour and ten minutes later our meals were finally brought to the table.  It was a terribly long wait by any stretch of the imagination.  Maybe they had to catch the seafood for my pie before they could cook it :-)  and to make matters worse, the pies that were placed in front of us were less than spectacular (8 chips!) but isn't it amazing how a sprinkle of parsley can make it look better 😂😂😂

After our meal we wandered around Sheffield that is as lovely as we remembered.  It seems like every available blank wall in Sheffield has a mural painted on it and it has certainly given Sheffield a well deserved reputation.

So tomorrow is our last day in Tasmania.  We board the Spirit at 6.30pm for a night sailing that will have us arriving into Geelong around 5.30am.  Even though I have our site booked in Geelong from midday tomorrow, we will probably wait for a decent hour to check into the caravan park.  Well, at least until the sun is up!

Christmas 2023 at Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

Merry Christmas to all my friends and family.  I hope that you are celebrating this time of the year in a most wonderful way.  For us this year, at Cradle Mountain, it is very different from any other Christmas.  It is a beautiful part of the world here in the wilderness of Tasmania and as I sit here typing this blog, this is the view from our room at the Cradle Mountain Hotel.  It is a glorious day and we will reach a temperature of 22 degrees.

Yesterday, Christmas Eve, we spent the morning hiking.  For as long as I can remember I have had a penchant to walk the Dove Lake Circuit.  I have looked at photos of the "hut" on the edge of the crystal clear waters of Dove Lake and knew I had to photograph that special place.  

The only way you can now reach Dove Lake is via shuttle bus.  I seem to remember that 11 years ago we drove right up to the lakes edge, but things have certainly changed.  The Information Centre is also a new addition and it is quite a lovely building that blends in beautifully with the surroundings.  

We purchase our shuttle bus tickets and wait no longer than a couple of minutes before one of the buses arrives.  There are many, many people here to hike.  There are numerous hikes ranging from easy to difficult, the most difficult being the Overland Track that is over 60km in length.  We have chosen a medium difficulty track that should take us around 3 hours.  There is still a little cloud as we start our walk but within ten minutes we are shedding our jackets as the sun makes its appearance.

My goodness me.  This is such a beautiful hike, particularly the first half.  Around 40% of it is boardwalk and the remainder is a well marked out gravel path.  We are told to walk in a clockwise direction to avoid running into people but nearly half of the hikers either didn't hear the instruction or ignored it.  Still, it didn't detract from the experience.

The second half of the hike is slightly more challenging with lots of steps and quite a climb.  However it was short so that was a blessing.  I have learnt to walk up the stairs slowly.  By doing that I can walk up hills and steps for quite a long distance and it is always so rewarding at the top.  We come upon the Enchanted Forest that is an area covered in moss, and ferns and we comment that we have seen a lot of areas like this on our various hikes around Tasmania.  They still hold a certain charm whenever you come across them. 

Reaching the "hut" signals the end of the hike and what a way to end.  It is such a gorgeous postcard pretty view but it is after midday and there are many people here all vying for a photo.  The best photos is to get the hut without anybody around it but some selfish people have decided that the best photo is mum standing outside the hut taking photos of dad and bub inside the hut and thereby blocking everybody's photo.  It is so frustrating waiting for them to finish their photo shoot!  Anyway, enough whingeing.  Here is my photo of the day. 

The walk was immensely satisfying and just as I imagined it would be.  As we made our way back to the entrance to wait for the shuttle bus, I stopped to take some photos of some hikers on another boardwalk track in the area.  The boardwalks make it so much better for hiking and protects the fragile environment.  We are seeing more and more of them on our travels.  A lot of the timber boardwalks are being replaced with a recycled heavy duty matting that would last a very long time in this harsh environment.

It is around 1pm when we finally get back to the car so we head to a nearby restaurant for lunch.  It was a recommendation when we checked in and another recommendation was the wood fired pizza.  Good suggestions!  We devoured the pizza (well... almost all of it) and washed it down with beer and wine.  We jokingly laughed that we had probably exercised off 2000 calories and just put them back on again with this meal!

When we arrived back into our room at the hotel, we had this lovely treat waiting for us.  Christmas really is in the air!