Philip Island (January 21)

Today is what I will call nature day. We had a very long day which started with our meeting our guides Andy, Matt and Nick at the hotel at 9:00 am. After our short introduction we got on our buses and drove to San Remo for a quick break and then on to Woolomai Beach.

Phil talking to the group on hike at Woolomai

At Woolomai we were able to see one of the stunning beaches in Australia, but also to learn about how deadly they could be. There were many surfers at this spot, but only a small portion of the beach was available for swimming because of rip currents that come through. One of the guides was telling how he had seen five people recently swept out to the ocean in the rips and had to be saved by surf rescue.

Group picture at the end of the hike

We were at Woolomai to hike out to a very scenic point for views and to learn a little bit about the local birds that make this area home. After our short walk we were then back on the bus to go to Churchill Island for lunch and a brief lecture from a Park Ranger named Graehme. Graehme was excellent. He discussed with our group all of Philip Island and more importantly how the park fits in with the economics of the area, but specifically the implications for that specific park since it they do not have a federal park system it is responsible for generating their own money. The penguins are a big part of that endeavor and we would see them later.

Graehme talking to the group about Churchill Island

After learning a little bit more about the island we had the opportunity to go explore the island a bit more before heading to the Koala Conservatory. This was a great opportunity for the students to see koalas and to learn more about them from the interpretation centre.

Koala 🙂

After out time viewing koalas we then went to the Philip Island Wildlife Park. This does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Philip Island Park Service, but it was a great stop because it was an opportunity for the students to see much of the wildlife in Australia such as emus, Tasmanian Devils, quolls, cassowaries and kangaroos to name a few. However, the highlight for many was the opportunity to actually feed the kangaroos. Many pictures were had.

My favorite - Tasmanian Devil

 We then made our way to the beach town of Cowes for a leisurely dinner before our penultimate stop at site called the Nobbies. We had a great view as the sun was setting. Normally this spot has a lot of seals and is sometimes called Seal Rock, but the seals were too far away to see so we just enjoyed the views.

Richard feeding the Emus

The final stop of course was to see the Penguin Parade. The penguins come from ocean after days searching for food and then come up on shore after sunset. The penguins are quite small and the parks have created some habitats for the penguins to go into for shelter and home. It has very strict policies concerning lights and photography, but it is quite a sight to see so many little penguins trying to make their way up the beach.  Finally we were on our way back home and finally made it back to our hotel around 11:45. It was a very late night. Tomorrow is a free day and then off to the Great Ocean Road.

Students feeding the kangaroos