Phillip Island with Go West Tours

Phillip Island

Go West Tours

Inclusions: Hotel pickup and drop off. Guided tour at Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Park. Wine & cheese tastings at Phillip Island Winery, Nobbies & Point Grant. Penguin parade with "Penguins Plus" exclusive Phillip Islandboardwalk, hot beverage.

Leaving Melbourne we travel to Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park. Here, we enjoy a guided wildlife walk where we have the opportunity to meet and hand-feed many species of native Australian animals. Learn about iconic species such as kangaroos, koalas, emus & wallabies, as well as some of our lesser known favourites including quolls, owls, bandicoots & Tasmanian devils.

We’ll journey next to the delightful Phillip Island Winery where we’ll enjoy a gourmet afternoon tea featuring not only a range of locally produced wines, but also a selection of Gippsland’s Phillip Islandfinest cheeses and other gourmet produce.

The tasting is accompanied by an informative presentation about each of the foodstuffs sampled, ensuring an experience that is educational as well as truly mouth-watering.

A visit to Point Grant and The Nobbies gives us an opportunity to enjoy views over Westernport Bay and Bass Strait, including Seal Rocks, home to Australia’s largest population of fur seals.

And then it’s onwards to the main event, where just after dark every night the world’s smallest penguins waddle ashore after spending the day fishing out at sea.

You’ll be truly enchanted as the stars of the show emerge from the surf and pass right before your eyes on their journey back to their homes. For an exclusive viewing experience, you will be at the more personalised “Penguins Plus” viewing platform. With numbers limited to 300, you’ll enjoy special ranger interpretation in amore natural setting and to help keep you toasty warm a complimentary hot cuppa.

After the parade we allow plenty of time to explore the Visitor Centre before beginning our journey back to Melbourne.

As I will stay on Phillip Island for two days of whale watching I will not return to Melbourne. I will say good bye and then I will take a taxi to Phillip Islands Apartment in Cowes

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Friday 5th of August 2016 and I had decided to go the “Luxury” style today and I had my alarm to go off at 07:10 something. Nice to “lyxa till d lide” and to sleep until 7 ten. I ripped open a Go West Toursdiet drink and I enjoyed myself in the room until it was time to go down to check out from my room.

The van from Go West Tours was soon outside the hotel and I climbed on board. There were 5 other passengers so I was happy. Well, I asked our Guide/ Driver if we were alone. No, we will be 22 and there is seats for 24. And no luggage space so we had to put my bag in the front seat.

Vibe Savoy Hotel in Melbourne

Go West Tours - Phillip Island Day Tour
Go West's bus come to pick me up

Go West Tours - Phillip Island Day Tour
Go West's bus come to pick me up

Go West Tours - Phillip Island Day Tour
We're on the way - Next stop Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Park

Go West Tours - Phillip Island Day Tour
We're on the way - Next stop Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Park

Go West Tours - Phillip Island Day Tour
We're driving towards Phillip Island, but our first stop is at Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Park

We took off leaving Vibe Savoy Hotel and Melbourne behind. We drove around to pick up the other passengers and our Guide/ Driver was very entertaining. Well, it was very fun to listen to her.

She also played the #1 top song for us, don’t call me a koala bear. I don't know if this is something special for Australia, now I have been on a bus two times and it had been sing along every time. Great fun and I enjoyed the bus ride towards our first stop.

Come on!! Sing along, it is a “catchy” song

First stop is at a Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park and as I told our Guide.
- That what they call everything today. Zoo has an unpleasant ring to it!

She told me that there was a chance to get attacked by cute koalas so I decided to go inside instead of stay out to watch birds. And as it turned out, I was seeing a new bird that I had never seen before. The very beautiful Common bronzewing pigeon. And the Cape Barren gooses had got their babies. We remember the Cape Barren goose that was sitting on eggs on Kangaroo Island. So they seems to be a little ahead here.

Anyway, we entered the Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park and I walked towards the kangaroo area as the koala attack wouldn't start until 13:15. I had bought a 15$ ticket. I also bought two bags of kangaroo food a 2$. I gave the girl 20$ and I got five back.
- This is not right I said
- What?
- 15+2+2 is 19 so I only need 1 dollar back
- Oh! Yeah, you're right

She took the fiver and she gave me a dollar and I could take off to an expected onslaught of adorableness. I stopped quickly to take some pictures of the Cape Barren goose babies and the Common bronzewing. I was soon on the “Kangaroo walk”Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park

Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park
My tour is watching the koalas - By it is still not “attack time” and I just hiss by to the kangaroos
The kangaroo food is burning in my pocket

Cape Barren goose, Cereopsis novaehollandiae
And we can see that it is a baby

Common bronzewing, Phaps chalcoptera

Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park

Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park
A Crested pigeon fighting the wallaby for the food - AND THE PIGEON WINS
Wallabies and kangaroos are scared of everything, even a small bird

Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park
They are adorable

Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park
They are adorable

Time turned quickly with the wallabies and I had to dash back to the koala attack area. It turned out to be a disappointment. You was not allowed to hold the koala. The koala encounter turned out to be some kind of selfie thing.

I told my Guide that I had been allowed to hold a koala on Kangaroo Island.
- OOOOHH! You are very lucky. Only tennis stars and politicians are allowed to hold a koala

When it was my turn they told me that I could not hold the koala and I wanted to give away my ticket. But the animal keeper told me that I could pet the koala. OK, I had paid the 15$ so I gave it a go. But I was in a hurry back to my friends at the “Kangaroo walk”

Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park
They are adorable

Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park
They are adorable

Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park
They are adorable

Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park
They are adorable

Well, as we have started the stupid koala song thing...

Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park

Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park

Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park

Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park

Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park

Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park
We can see that the kangaroo is much bigger than the wallaby

Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park
We can see that the kangaroo is much bigger than the wallaby



We were supposed to be back at the bus at 2 o'clock, and I was not surprised to discover that people came 10 minutes late for the departure. Our Guide/ Driver fired the passenger from Hong Kong sitting next to me as the security/ petrol man and she Yet another Smiley on www.aladdin.stput me in charge. She was obviously not happy with his performance as the passengers came back late. The man from Hong Kong was happy.
- I have been working for free

Anyway, now there will not be any more stops until we are on Phillip Island. And we will stop at Phillip Island to test wine and eat cheese. Well, I will be in the wine yard looking for birds.

We were soon back on the high way working our way towards the bridge to Phillip Island. We passed a giant concrete worm and our Guide informed us that this had been a place where they had had the endangered worm on display.

But they had gone bust a while back and our Guide thought it was because no one wanted to look at worms when there were koalas and kangaroos.

Phillip Island with Go West Tours

Phillip Island with Go West Tours
We pass the worm

Phillip Island with Go West Tours
We can see Phillip Island and the bridge

Phillip Island
We're at Phillip Island wine yard and I go to look for birds

We cross the bridge to Phillip Island and it as maybe 15 or 20 minutes to the wine yard. They had set the tables for us with bread and some cheese. Looked to be totally pointless to me and I went New Holland Honeyeateroutside to see if I could see any birds in the area.

I see one of the beautiful New Holland Honeyeaters in a bush. Otherwise nothing until I come down to the road.

I could hear that there were many of the beautiful Superb Fairywren but I could not see them.

Suddenly there was a beautiful blue male. But it was impossible to get any picture as he was jumping around and then he disappeared.

Darn! But then I could see another blue male and I got a picture, but the bird was behind some twigs on the wine bush. So it was a useless picture.

I was limping around, still some pain in my left foot due to the new shoes. I never saw any of the Superb Fairywren again. But I saw a red bird sitting on a wire in New Holland Honeyeaterthe grape field. But the bird was too far away. It looked like a Scarlet Robin from a distance.

Phillip Island Wine yard







But I could not see any white dot on the forehead so it was most likely another bird.

And the chest and body was red all the way back so maybe it was a Flame Robin .

Anyway, it was nice to walk around, well, except for the pain in my left foot.

I watched as two huge tour busses were backing up on the small dirt track leading to the wine yard. Well, seems like they are doing good on the bread and cheese. And of course, it comes with half a glass of wine.

We left the place ad I was not sad. We don't have to be at the Penguin parade until 17 thirty so we have time to go to see the Nobbies at the western point of Phillip Island

The Nobbies
The Nobbies and behind them we can see the Seal Island

Yet again, people were late and our Guide had to go look for people when it was time to leave for the Penguin parade. There were plenty busses on the parking lot and the place was full. Our Guide told me that this was nothing comparing to the summer.

It was like Disneyland, full of souvenir shops and fast food. And you had to prepare yourself to wait for a long time if you wanted to buy a bottle of water. I was soon to discover that I had a Guided tour together with 4 or 5 other passengers from my tour.

They handed out binoculars and earphones so we should be able to hear the Guide. I told her that I didn't needed any
- Are you sure?
- Yes
- It will be noisy out there with the waves
- No worries! And no need for any binocular, I have my camera
-You are not allowed to take pictures
- Why?
- You disturb the penguin with the flash
- I have no flash
- I know, but if someone see you take pictures they start to take pictures as well

I was not happy and she called a manager. The manager was so sorry and she would be out there to see if I needed any special treatment. She would take care of me and again, she was sorry about the camera.

Penguin parade on Phillip Island
Plenty busses

Penguin parade on Phillip Island
Their last penguin colony, and they have turned it in to a circus

Penguin parade on Phillip Island
Their last penguin colony, and they have turned it in to a circus

Penguin parade on Phillip Island
Their last penguin colony, and they have turned it in to a circus

Penguin parade on Phillip Island
Their last penguin colony, and they have turned it in to a circus

Penguin parade on Phillip Island
Their last penguin colony, and they have turned it in to a circus

Penguin parade on Phillip Island
Their last penguin colony, and they have turned it in to a circus

Yes, the last penguins lives in a circus. And the place was plastered with ECO GREEN tourist destination stickers. And of course, on how they help the environment. Warning about plastic garbage. We can just imagine how much plastic garbage they generate here every day.

All the busses coming here, the whole penguin parade is nothing but a giant foot print and scar to our environment. And it is all with the tune “we do this to help, not for profit” Of course, if this would have been the case they could have closed down the place and helped the penguins by keeping the area safe for them.

We can imagine how much money that comes out of this for the whole Melbourne region. And of course, the “no camera” allowed was to protect the penguins, not for them to sell more pictures. And I was not surprised to learn that you could buy a license to take pictures. Of course, we're talking millions of dollars

I went down to the beach just before 6 when they expected the penguins to come ashore. And it was cold and at 6 thirty I had seen nothing but seagulls

I was freezing like a dog and I gave up and I started to walk back. The manager came and she asked what I thought about it. I told her that I had only seen seagulls. She told me that the penguins came up over at the VIP section. There was also an underground viewing place and I had access to this with my VIP ticket.

Of course, there had been no signs about this, not any directions either so I had spent the evening seeing duck all over at the riff raff section. Yeah, I was not impressed by the penguin parade. And I had expected thousands of penguins swarming the beach and there had been 10 of them coming ashore.

Penguin parade on Phillip Island
Going down to the beach

Penguin parade on Phillip Island
Waiting for the penguins

Penguin parade on Phillip Island
Waiting for the penguins

Penguin parade on Phillip Island
I see one penguin

What a joke this was, millions of phones taking pictures. People following the penguins hanging over their path with red and green beams from their cameras. But they were after me, maybe because I looked like a professional with my camera. God help if I took any pictures and they would lose some of their business.

So please, support our global environment by staying away from this place. Our Guide/ Driver was the one who made this day tour a very nice one. I had have plenty fun, and except the freezing part here at the penguin parade I have enjoyed every minute. Go West Tours are highly recommended. They do tours to Great Ocean Road as well so you will never have to have anything to do with Echidna Walkabout or Southern World Australia.

Penguin parade on Phillip Island
Back inside again

They dropped me at the Phillip island Apartments. My Guide/ Driver was happy. This was a de tour and she would be back in Melbourne later than scheduled. Her Boss had approved it and she was going to get paid overtime.
- More money, she said

I didn't found any reception and I was lucky that another car with gusts arrived. They told me that they key was in a box.
- Thanks!

I got the key and I stepped in to a fully equipped 2 bed room apartment. Laundry machines and a fully equipped kitchen. So I was very happy and I was off to Coles to buy some milk for my Earl Grey tea in Cowesmorning and evening tea. And of course, smoked salmon. I brought 400g and 10 cans of diet drinks from Melbourne.

I had not expected any Supermarkets in this small town, especially not this time of the day. But there was a Coles and they were open

I enjoyed my evening tea and smoked salmon while thinking about today's excitements. It had been Go West Toursa beautiful day and if I ever come back to Melbourne I will use to Go West Tours again.

A very enjoyable day had come to an end and I felt especially good as I didn't had anything to do tomorrow morning. The whale watching tour will leave around 12. I will check departure time tomorrow, but first some sleep.

I set up my alarm to LUXURY mode, 7 o'clock plus a few minutes for the first alarm and the 2nd alarm was set to go off at 07:18. Whale watching tomorrow and you just need to click HERE to find out if we will see any whales.

Sverigedemokraterna


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OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.
Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.
So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!

Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra

Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

Вы говорите по-русски? NJET PROBLEMA! Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!

E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Flag of Skåne / Skånska flaggan Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.



                                       

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