Phillip Island
Travel Advice for Seniors: Phillip Island
There were so many favorite things on our trip to Australia, but this day trip was definitely one of the top. We set off for Phillip Island from Melbourne for an afternoon and early evening of little penguin watching!
Fairy Penguins are about 18” high and is the smallest species of penguin. They originate in New Zealand. They have built their nests on Phillip Island and go out to Westernport Bay during the day and then come home to their nests in the early evening.
What a spectacle! It was beautiful enough watching the gentle waves come in off the bay and the sun setting, but then we started noticing on some of the waves, small penguins would arrive. They would waddle up the sandy shore in harmony with the wave and then would go back out again with the same wave. This happened numerous times and was comical to watch.
Finally, they started coming up to the beach and staying instead of floating back out. And they came in by the hundreds! It was so funny watching them float in and out, thinking about staying and then nope, heading back out. It was even funnier watching how many came in on each wave…little black dots that moved around and then went back with the waves. It was truly magical to watch.
A word on the viewing…after a short visit to the museum, which was on the grounds, we were taken out to the viewing area and sat out on the sand, well away from the penguins. I would recommend that you take a jacket and a blanket to sit on. It was pretty chilly the day we went, and it was in December, which is early summer in Australia. Also, be sure to pack your binoculars so you don’t miss any of the action.
The party was over shortly after sundown when most all the penguins had come home to roost for the night. And what a noisy bunch! Following the viewing, we were invited to walk over a series of elevated walkways to view the penguins a little closer. The walkways are elevated so that the penguins passed under where you were walking to get to their nests. That was about as close as you could get, and no pictures were allowed.
Truly an enjoyable and memorable evening!
Where we stayed: Novatel Melbourne, breakfast included.
How we got there: Flew from US to Melbourne via Sydney then private transport to hotel. This was part of a three-week private tour through Australia. We began in Melbourne and ended in Sydney for New Years’ Eve.
General Accessibility Information: Major tourist sights, hotels and transportation in most major cities is accessible. Further, several hiking trails are accessible. See AllTrails’ wheelchair-friendly trail guide.Call in advance to verify and make specialty arrangements. See our sections on specialty apps and accessible travel for more on accessibility assistance.
