Heading from Melbourne to Sydney

Our time in Melbourne was winding down and we planned to drive to Sydney. A number of people had asked us if we were going to do the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne to Adelaide. That drive was in a westerly direction and we needed to head east. Unfortunately, there would not be enough time. We’ve learned that to miss some things is to actually see more. Cramming too much into an itinerary only makes you forget much of what you’ve seen and miss the moments. 

Our drive to Sydney started by heading to our friends home – Chez McBing. On a river cruise ten years ago, we met Tim and Bing and have kept in touch since then. They suggested we spend a night at their home in Rye. We accepted their gracious offer and started by heading to the Peninsula Hot Springs for some soothing soaking in natural hot springs. Water logged but revived after two hours, we returned to their beautiful home and mysteriously wine bottles appeared. Then the food came. It was a wonderful evening.

Shrimps on the Bar-Bee

In classic Australian style, they “threw some shrimps on the bar-bee” and they were so good. We spent the next few hours eating, drinking, laughing and going on a few short walks with the true boss of their home, Pebbles. It was such a relaxing evening and a welcome respite from hotels and restaurants.  

In the morning, their hospitality continued and we were able to walk the national park. Just prior to leaving, a last tour of the wonderful works of art in their home, most of them by Bing herself, reminded us of how talented she is.

On to Philip Island and the Penguins!

There are stands set up and viewing areas that allow you to see them. The stands are set back so as not to interfere with the penguins or their activities. If you are in the area, we recommend you visit the site https://www.penguins.org.au/attractions/penguin-parade . You would also be encouraged to dress warmly and, If you can, take a blanket to put over your legs as you sit there watching the show. We did not and paid the price of being cold. The wind picks up and the temperature drops. It gets cold, but the stars of the show don’t seem to mind. They have feathers after all. Also, if you can, upgrade your tickets to grandstand seating vs general admission. We did this and were only about 20 meters away from the birds. General admission seats were more plentiful and were over 100 meters away.

As we drove on, we headed to Cowes, a small resort town that would likely be unremarkable except for one thing. It is the gateway to Philip Island and Parade of the Penguins. Every night, about 1,400 – 2,000 of these adorable animals comes ashore just after sunset. A group of penguins is called a ‘raft’. These rafts of 50 – 100, more or less, come back to shore to rest, feed their young and mate. There is safety in numbers which is why they ‘raft’.

How Penguins Come Ashore

About 30-minutes before sunset, the penguins, still underwater, approach land and start calling out to each other. They form a critical mass, or raft, and then start swimming around together. Then, when one of them decides, they all break for the shore and check it out. Sometimes, someone disagrees and they all go back into the ocean. Other times they all make a break for the shore, waddle across the sand and into their dens. Still, other times most will go back into the ocean and a few will make for the dens or vice versa. They are so cute waddling as a group.

There are raised walkways over the dunes that allow you to be close to the birds, but not block their passage. You can see their dens and where they go. Being that close to nature is inspiring. At the end of our visit, around 9:30 PM, we looked up and had our first view of the Southern Cross. 

Cowes to Wilsons Promontory

Australia has many national parks and Wilsons Promontory is one of the larger ones. We spent most of the day there, enjoying the pristine beaches, walks and views. In short, it was beautiful. We headed to Squeaky Beach, although we were not sure why it was called that, but the interesting name drew us in.  It turns out it is called Squeaky Beach because the sand squeaks underfoot as you walk on it.  

The sea had lovely colour, the sun shone through the brushy trees and the temperature was pleasant. It is early enough in the spring that the crowds were not oppressive although convenient parking was still hard to come by.

During our travels in the park, we spotted our first emu. This fellow was at the side of the road, minding his (her) own business and then wandered back into the woods.

Raymond Island – Koala Bears!

Our next day we headed to Nicholson. We decided to stop at Raymond Island to see if we could spot any koala bears. All over Australia, we had seen road crossing signs for koalas, kangaroos, wombats and other animals. Honestly, I think these signs are warning signs for the animals to stay away. We had not seen any. Unfortunately, we had seen a number of kangaroos on the side of the road, victims of car strikes. 

In 1953, when koala bears were very endangered, researchers introduced 25 of them to Raymond Island. There were a lot of eucalyptus (gum) trees on the island and no predators. The plan worked and the bears are thriving. There is a free passenger ferry to the island (cars have to pay) that takes about five minutes. Once there, we wandered around the island, spotting no fewer than 16 of the furry little guys.

Driving on to Sydney

The next two days we spent stopping at various beaches, historic sites, lighthouses and other places of interest. Our schedule had us driving a few hours each day to allow for stops of interest. Anything that caught our fancy. From roadside bakeries, to walks in the woods. It was a lot of fun. One thing we found, and both really liked, was-new-to us birds. 

We were fortunate enough to see a stunning tiny blue bird, about the size of a sparrow. It turned out to be a “Superb Fairy-Wren”. Not just a “fairy-wren”, but a superb one! There were cockatoo’s and so many others. The sounds they make are foreign to us, but captivating and we enjoyed searching for them as we wandered the woods, shores and neighbourhoods of Australia. 

Leaving the mainland for Tassie

Our drive was now complete and arriving in Sydney, we hopped a flight to Tasmania for a week of exploring the remote part of Australia. 

Thanks for reading, 

Cam and Meg

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” – Saint Augustine