Arriving in Australia

On Friday, January 19th we arrived in Australia for the next part of our trip. We will likely (hopefully) spend 10 weeks exploring this vast, beautiful country. We started our trip in Melbourne because Steffen has had a life-long dream to go to the Australian Open which is running from January 12-February 1st. He, Hannah and Olivia got to go on Saturday, but that will be in another post.

We are spending two weeks here in Melbourne and love it so far! We are staying at a great apartment in Camberwell, a suburb about 10km east from the city centre and easy train ride away, and a wonderful spot for daily life. Within a 10 minute walk, there is a grocery store, bookshop, pharmacies, hair salons, clothing stores, countless restaurants and coffee shops and so much more. Literally everything you could need! I cannot emphasise enough how nice it is to walk out the door every morning to pick up fresh bread and whatever little thing you may need. I think that is what many Americans envision Europe to be like, but that was not our European experience. I am absolutely loving it!

On our first full day here, we took the train into the city centre and wandered. Melbourne is well-known for its laneways and arcades, filled with cafes and shops, that are so fun to explore. We also ended up in a huge H&M that I loved for its architecture and the girls loved for the clothes. LOL We all really loved our first look at the city!

We spent Sunday catching up with lovely friends at their gorgeous home. Then kids connected right away, which was wonderful since they all could use some time with someone other than the six of us. 😉 We have since gotten together with them a few more times, and everyone is always engaged and happy. Wonderful!

On Monday we had a long day at Phillip Island, known for its Penguin Parade. Steffen, Hannah and I had gone in 2009, and we definitely wanted to share the unique and special experience with the whole family. But there is more to Phillip Island than the penguins, so this time we made a whole day of it. The island is about a 2-hr drive from Melbourne so we headed out in the morning and had our first stop at Churchill Island Heritage Farm where I went on a lovely (hot!) 2 mile walk while Steffen and the girls played lawn games. Then we went over to the farm area where we learned about milking cows, sheep shearing and sheep herding with a dog. It was so hot and there were A LOT of flies but it was still very interesting.

From there we drove to the Koala Conservation Reserve and had a fabulous time there! They have two separate large areas where rescued koalas hang out, and we spent so much time just staring at these sleeping animals that look just like stuffed animals. So cuddly! Occasionally, they would eat a leaf or scratch themselves or move two inches before falling back asleep. It was mesmerising! There were also kangaroos and wallabies hopping around in the distance. Kangaroos are fast!

By then we were all more than ready for some dinner, so we found a pizza place that was delicious. When we arrived, it was empty and by the time we left, every single seat (in the rather large restaurant) was taken. We ended up seeing a lot of the patrons at the Penguin Parade, so I guess there aren’t that many options on the small island. We then walked around the village of Cowes, walking to the end of the pier where we watched kids jump in the cool water.

We had a little more time, so we drove to the other end of the island to Pyramid Rock Lookout. The girls opted to stay in the car, but Steffen and I walked out around a bit, admiring the gorgeous landscapes and spotting a few wallabies. So cool!

Then it was time for the big event: the Penguin Parade! Every evening, little blue penguins waddle home from the ocean to their burrows. These penguins are completely wild and have built their burrows in this area by choice. The government created this conservation park in 1996 and is the only commercial venue in the world where penguins can be seen in their own environment, meaning that you need a ticket to go see them but they are free to come and go as they please. It is a very well done nature park where it feels as though the animals are respected and cared for and their needs go above the visitor’s wants. We could not take photos or videos once the sun set, but there were a few official photos we could download, to give you an idea of what the experience was like. It was magical watching groups of them emerge from the sea and then try to decide if they could make it across the great expanse of sand. Then they would waddle all grouped together for safety. So cute!! At this time of the year, the babies are getting a bit bigger so can be left in their nest alone while both parents go out to fish. Then when the parents come home, the babies take a few steps out of their nests and call out while the parents would waddle and call out as well. It was so heart-warming to witness the reunification! And to see the fluffy little penguins. Amazing!