Penguin Parade
＠Feb/'01 Phillip Island, Australia
[Oceania] [Articles 2006] [Top]
Phillip Island: Inland Bay
Philip Island: Ocean
side Bay
One Saturday morning in Melbourne apartment house, I went out to the rental
bike shop "Gamers Hire-Bike" on Peel St. Melbourne that I saw
in the magazine week before. Up the William street to the north, it was
calm Saturday morning in the city, 'cause a very few cars in the street
on weekend morning. If you crossed the huge Queen Victoria Market, where
almost every commodities for daily life available in very reasonable prices,
you are now very close to the shop. The market had just started business
of the day. Not many people seen at that time yet.
It was easy to find the Gamers Hire-Bike, that located in the corner next
to the Market. From small to big, variety of bikes were available to hire.
I saw nobody in the shop. After a while, a little fatty man of medium tall
came into the shop. He seemed the master of the shop. Had a greeting of
Australian style. "Good Day mate". [pronounce, gu dai mait] I
told him my plan of riding out this weekend by big bike. He handed me a
list of price straight from the counter table.
It was little early in the morning, he was quite busy doing everything
by himself to open the shop of the day. Business hour is 8:30 till 18:00
during the weekday, and 9:00 till 14:00 on Saturday. Sunday and public
holiday, the shop was closed. For the big bikes above 500cc engine capacity,
tax and toll road charges are inclusive to the rental charge. Unit of the
rental was 24 hours. On Saturday, there was the special set price for 1.5
days inclusive whole Saturday and Sunday. You can return the bike on Monday
morning.
The following are the example of prices of rental bikes;
On-Road Bikes:
Kawasaki Bulcan 1500cc; A$ 215/day, deposit A$ 2000
Harley Davidson; A$ 215 to A$ 325/day, deposit A$ 1500 to A$ 2000
BMW R100RS; A$ 165/day, deposit A$ 100
BMW R1100RT; A$ 275/day, deposit A$ 2000
Honda ST1100; A$ 275/day, deposit A$ 2000
Ducati 750 Monster; A$ 264/day, deposit A$ 2000
Kawasaki ZX-9R; A$ 275/day, deposit A$ 2000
Triumph TT600R; A$ 275/day, deposit A$ 2000
Jacket and Helmet are free, but leather jacket costs additional charge;
Leather Jacket; A$ 11/day, deposit A$ 200
Off-Road Bikes:
Yamaha XT250; A$ 132/day, deposit A$ 300
Honda XR250; A$ 176/day, deposit A$ 1000
Honda SL250; A$ 132/day, deposit A$ 500
Suzuki DR200; A$ 99/day, deposit A$ 300
BMW F650; A$ 165/day, deposit A$ 1000
Yamaha XTR660; A$ 165/day, deposit A$ 1000
Next day, on Sunday, I decided to visit Phillip Island some 150 km south
of Melbourne where world smallest penguin, fairy penguins have made a large
colony in the south shore of the island.
Woke up at 7:00, took a breakfast of croissants that I bought last night
at 24hours open Coles super-market, and a cup of coffee as usual.
At 7:50, departed my apartment house of Southbank Melbourne. Camera, a bottle of water, compass, binoculars, flash light, map of South Australia, CDs of EBTG and Dream Come True were put into the picnic basket. Sun screening cream was put on my face to avoid sun-burn under the strong ultra violet ray in South Australian sky. Drove down route # 20 (City Road) to the west. In a few minutes, you will reach to the sea shore, St. Kilda Beach. The most nearest resort to the city. This block is always so crowded with young people on every weekend. Restaurants, cafes and Motels are located close to each other. Took route # 33 that run down to south. Soon, you will find yourself in the midst of large nice houses with thick vegetated garden sitting along the road. Along the road, what a large number of cyclists are peddling the same road heading to down south as well. Every of them professionally wears colorful cycling costume and bicycle helmet on their head. There is another thing you could notice. Along this road, route # 33, for the distance of few tens km, exclusive bicycle lane is marked in solid line on the road.
At 8:22, arrived Brighton, 16km down from the City Melbourne. There are
white sandy beach along the sea side town with rich green gardens. I got
lost in the town, for a while. The road was dead end at the beach. There
was a tiny rotary at the end. A red colored car had stopped just behind
my car. I looked back and found two young ladies were in front seats wearing
disco costume. They might probably just came out from night out disco.
They put their foots on the dash board , made the seats full reclining
and sunk deep in the seats.
Woolamai Beach: Big waves from Bass Strait break
At 08:45, arrived Memton. A long arched beach stretches in right front
side, it is the Nepian beach. The arch-shaped shore reaches to tip of peninsula,
Sorento. There, you still find a lot of joggers and cyclists along the
road. They are in solo and groups of one or tow dozens.
At 08:50 , got into route # 3, 34 km from the apartment house. Route # 3 is also laid along the coast line. A little traffic and clean cut straight road gave me a fresh and comfortable feeling on riding. The last thing appeared in my mind was to find a small convenient shop along the road.
At 09:15, arrived junction with Franston-Finders Road. from there, took
route #C 777. The route #C 777 goes to inland direction and cross the Mornington
Peninsula. We are heading to the ocean side of the Peninsula.
At 9:30, got into route #C781 from the route #C 777. The distance from
the apartment house is 59km down to the south. I was heading to Western
Port Bay that is located in the east side of Port Philips Bay. Got into
the highway M 420. Not like highway in Japan, there is not a toll gate.
It is all free way. No high mountains are in this area, law mountains and
hills are spreading wide ahead all of your way.
At 09:55, got into the highway # A420. The distant from the apartment house
is now 77km down to the south. The difference between M and A is exclusive
motor-highway with no crossing and no traffic signal, and the general highway.
At 10:35, got into the route # B420. The distance from the apartment house
is now 134km away down to the south.
Information board of Penguin Parade of the day
At 10:45, arrived Phillip Island Information Center, 142 km away down to south from the apartment house in Melbourne. There is a large bridge between the island and the main land over the narrow strait. The small town before the bridge is named St. Remo, like Italian resort town. The information center is in about a mile from the bridge. There is a large board showing the time table of the natural penguin show, time when fairy penguins came back from the ocean hunting of foods to the island. It was written "Today's expected time 8:30". It was rather late hours, if I waited until that time, it will be very late to be back to Melbourne apartment. There was no way to lose the chance to see the penguin parade. I bought a ticket of penguin parade. It cost 12.5 Australian dollars. Photos and video shoots were strictly prohibited in the observation area. There was plenty of time until the show. I decided to stroll around the island.
Plate of Walking Track in Woolamai Head
There is surfing beach, Woolamai Beach in eastern tip of the island where rough waves from Bass strait wash the cast. The waves were high, but these were not high enough to compete with the big waves of North Shore in Oahu Hawaii. The Woolamai Head is the highest point of the island where marks 112 m above the sea level. There was walk ways for nature watch. Several courses were prepared, people can take depend on one's preference and time allowed. I took longest one, that was 5km course. Turquoise blur water of Bass Strait broke on the pink granite rock of the shore. I enjoyed strolling the pass where no body found in front and behind me.
Nature protection Board: Prohibit human, horses and dogs invasion to the bird nests area
At 14:03, got back from the walk track. Roads in the island were made precise grid like. Took the road to the west, and turn right to the north in the middle of the island, then yo you would reach to Cowes, the biggest town in the island. You may find few motels and few restaurants in the resort beach town. There is a long jetty in the middle of the town. Got into one of the restaurants, Cafe Madcows to have a lunch. Salmon sandwich, coke and cappuccino cost A$ 15.
At 16:00, got out of the cafe and walked a bit around Cowes. You might
take a seat at Clock Cafe or Kiosk in the Jetty for the rest. Where you
could enjoy the scene of calm Western Port Bay from the open balcony of
the cafe or kiosk. .
At 16:50, departed Cowes, heading for Seal Rock where you could find big
colony of seals. I had spent a while at Seal Rock. Seals are protected
animal today by the Australian law. There was a small museum "Sea
Life Center". Where you could learn how brutally countless seals are
slaughtered for its furs and once it was in danger of extinction from the
earth by the immigrants in their early stage, in the museum. I was little
amazed that there was even Japanese explanation available in the recorded
voice.
At 18:16, arrived the parking of penguin observation. The distance from
the apartment in Melbourne was 214km. Both Seal Rock and Penguin Observatory
were in the west tip of the island, cape Summerland. Went into the Penguin
Visitor Center. There were many souvenir shops of penguin and nature preservation
goods and cafeteria, as well as large educational boards regarding fairy
penguin. These shops and cafeteria were open depending on the time of penguin
parade.
There was another one hour before the expected time of penguins came back
from their hunting in the ocean. I sat down on the concrete stair like
long cascaded benches along the beach. Step into the beach was strictly
prohibited in order to avoid scaring penguins coming back from sea to their
home with full of hunted fish in their mouse to feed the baby penguin's
waiting at the nest. A crowd of people were just sitting and wait penguins
came up from the sea. It became dark. But light as well was totally prohibited
to lit on. Next to my seat was old couple most probably at their 80. They
were looked like Mr. Nearly whom I got acquainted during my stay in Zambia
some quarter century ago. They looked so excited to meet small animals,
were speaking to me repeatedly, how they are anxious to see the small animals
parading up the shore from dark sea.
Fairy penguin is so small and vulnerable to the big bird or animals, so they do not come up shore before it get dark. They probably know well that they would be attacked by predators when they show up before dark.
Just after 8:30, penguins were spotted in the sandy beach parading up the
shore walking with short legs having mouthful fish heading to their nest.
Nest sometimes more than half miles from the shore. The walking style looked
warmhearted since they were walking with their full energy bringing as
much as foods to their children. Penguins kept walking beneath the board
walk, and disappeared far beyond us. The center was closed at 9:30. After
that time, the scene is rendered to exclusively to the penguin.
Fairy penguins in Phillip Island (from Brochure of the Island)
At 21:35, departed visitor center. On return way, took high way M1 that
runs a little bit in-land heading to City Melbourne. I had safely arrived
the apartment house in Melbourne at 23:25, just before midnight. The total
length of the travel was 367km. It was a perfect day trip down south of
watching penguin parade in Phillip Island.
26/Feb/'01 Rinzo@Melbourne Australia (Updated on 6/Feb/'06)
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