Saturday 3rd March, 2012
In
the morning we went to the Shoalwater Bay. Here we boarded the boat
and the safari started. Only about 5 minutes out in the sea we
already saw a few dolphins. The next hour we followed and watched
them. For me it is the first time I saw dolphins swimming in the sea,
but not for Konrad. As I had taken my pills against motion sickness I
could stand in the front of the boat and take pictures. Konrad could
not believe it as he remembered of the opposite in Island were the
pills had not helped and I had been very sick. Our ride was not yet
over. The boat went to Bird Island were there are cormorants and
pelicans nesting. Then we met again a dolphin which was playing with
a ray. Next was Seal Island with its seal colony. As it was very
warm, they liked more to sunbath than to move around. We often saw
flying pelicans. At the end of the tour we left the boat at Penguin
Island. Here every hour a ferry goes back to the mainland. First we
enjoyed our pick-nick as there is no shop here. We also observed a
few of the local lizards. One just walked over the pick-nick area.
Then we went onto the two kilometre long path around the island.
First we saw a decayed tractor stand in the middle of the nature.
Passing nesting pelicans we went to the beach. We enjoyed the
refreshing bath and the waves and then we let us dry by the sun. Back
at the start we went to see the feeding of the penguins. A few of
them live in the visitor centre. They are not able anymore to live in
the wild. Four times a day they get fresh fish. After the feeding we
went back to the mainland and from there back to the motel next to
the airport. As there was still some time left we went to the centre of Perth
and walked a bit in the Kings Park. We heard some parrots in the
trees and saw them flying away. The evening we closed with a dinner
with sight to the city.
Monday
30th January, 2012
We
awoke in the early morning as the main street was just below our
window. Sow we packed our stuff and went to the ferry. Unfortunately
we were a bit too late so we had to wait for the next one. We used
that time to have breakfast. With the ferry, a katamaran, we went to
Sorrento. On the Mornington Peninsula we drove along the coast. We
actually wanted to go to French Island to observe Koalas. But a few
drops of rain made us to think it would be better just to continue
driving. We enjoyed the nice view to the coast a went a bit walking.
On the way we saw also a few parrots. Until noon we had luck with the
weather as it was clear in between. But the rain started again as we
drove over the bridge which connects Philipp Island with the
mainland. As we reached the Koala Conservation Centre it was
bucketing down. We waited for 10 minutes in the car and hopped it
will get better. Our prayers were answered and the rain got fewer. We
used this moment to run to the café. Then the weather went better
and better and we finally could go to see the koalas, kangaroos,
birds and insects. After we found accommodation, we went to the
Nobbies Centre, a place were you could see seals. At least if you go
at the right season. There was a very strong breeze and we had to
make sure that our caps did not fly away. We followed a boardwalk and
at one spot there were many people with cameras. Below the walk there
sat a small, 15 cm tall penguin. The penguins here, the Little
Penguin, is the smallest penguin species and they come back every
evening from fishing. With some skill it was possible to take a
picture of it. Also here we met some wild kangaroos, somehow there
are many animals on this island. As it was already late in the
evening, we decided not to go back to Cowes where our motel was.
Instead we made a hike to the Swan Lake. As the name tells, you can
observe swans there. But not white ones, as we know them. In
Australia the swans are black. We could observe them and other water
birds from two observing stands. On the way to the lake ww met an
echinda. Konrad explained it as a egg-laying cross-bread between a
hedgehog and a anteater. Can you imagine that?
In the
evening we went to the Penguin Parade. First we educated ourselves at
the visitor center about penguins. OK, Konrad knew already quite a
lot about them. The we went over the boardwalk to the tribune. As we
were there very early, a ranger gave us the hint to go to the
bottom. The seagulls made the opening act and entertained the
visitors with their behaviour. It got colder and colder as we wore
only short trousers and a jacket. Slowly the sun set, now it could
not last long until the penguins arrive. But first we saw their
enemy. There was a seal swimming in the waves and was waiting for
dinner. Hopefully it did not eat too much! At 21:04 it started. The
first of 652 Penguins plash at the shore. It sounds like many, but in
the spring here there are many more. About 120 of the little animals
passed beside us. Cheerful is their behaviour. They arrive with the
waves. Then they wait until their group is big enough. Finally they
walk in zigzag through the gulls, so they are not seen by the
enemies. After the gulls they run as fast as possible over the beach
and then up the hill to their nests. Some will walk up to a
kilometer. As it started to rain after a while, we went back to the
visitor center over the boardwalk. Beside we there many penguins in
front of their nests or we could listen them chatting to each other.
After we made sure that there is no penguin hidden below our car, we
went back to the motel with many impressions.