toodle-loo kangaroo.

Today, we had the morning free before heading to Phillip Island in the afternoon, so we took advantage of that to do some last minute shopping. We visited the Queen Victoria Markets and then headed to the CBD once again. And the morning would not have been complete without stopping at Haigh’s Chocolates once again. Upon entering, the lady who had attended to us, greeted us and gave us even more chocolates to sample. She also brought us a bag of chocolates that Kaitlyn had purchased, but had not made it to the bag; she had written a note on it saying “Belongs to 3 American girls!” After saying our final goodbyes to the kindest Melbournian we have met, we headed to the Central Arcade to grab some lunch. I stopped by a vegan restaurant and purchased sushi made out of brown rice, vegetables, and tofu, while other Dana bought soup at a nearby restaurant and Lexi bought scrambled eggs at a café. We ate outside that café in a large seating area in between the shops of the arcade. I don’t know what it was about it, but it felt like a very cultural experience: eating lunch outside among other Australians in a very popular, local place, drinking my soy chai latte to warm up from the early winter breeze, and eating my uncut sushi roll like a banana (pretty much the only way sushi is sold here.)

At around noon, we headed back to the hostel to gather our things for the long bus ride to Phillip Island. On the way to Phillip Island, we stopped at a wildlife sanctuary. At first, I was not really that excited to stop because my nap was interrupted. But upon entering, I completely changed my mind. This wildlife sanctuary featured native animals of Australia such as koalas, emus, Tasmanian devils, wombats, and most importantly kangaroos and wallabies. The best part of the sanctuary was that the kangaroos and wallabies were roamed the grounds freely and weren’t in an enclosed area like the rest of the animals. I bought a small bag of kangaroo and wallaby food, placed small amounts in my hand, and before I knew it they were coming at me from all directions. It was so much fun! Especially since the kangaroo exhibit at Taronga Zoo had been somewhat of a letdown.

After about an hour, we were on the road again towards Phillip Island. We had a strict timetable to stick to because we had to get there at around 5:00 pm or sunset. At that time, a penguin species native to Australia called Little penguins, rightfully named because they are the smallest species of penguin, swim up to the beach after a long day of fishing at sea. In order to protect the penguins, they are very strict about where you can watch the penguins and not allowing any photography. It was about a 5 minute walk down a boardwalk to the viewing decks where we had to stay seated in a set-up very similar to an amphitheater, facing the beach. From there, we waited until 5:29 pm, when the researchers calculated that the penguins would arrive. Right on the dot, the first herd of penguins arrived. This herd was small and had about 20 penguins. The following herds were larger and would contain a couple hundred. At one point, there was a penguin that fell behind his herd and could not catch up. Then the cutest thing happened—a penguin from his herd noticed him falling behind, turned around, and waddled back to him to help him catch up with the rest of the herd. From the beach, the penguins climb up a hill and head to their nesting areas. To get there, they would go underneath the boardwalk and continue on up the hill to their nests. At this point, it was recommended that we leave the seating, and head to the boardwalk to get a closer look at the penguins. They were really precious and I wish I could have taken pictures of them, but after seeing a penguin freeze in confusion after another tourist decided to ignore the rules and take a picture with flash, I completely understand why we were told not to.

Once it was too dark to see anymore penguins, it was time to get back on the bus and begin the two hour drive back to the hostel. By the time we returned, we were starving since it was 9 pm and we had not eaten dinner. Tom, Chris, Jayson, Josh, Lexi, and I decided to grab a quick dinner nearby. We headed to a bar called Prudence where they do not sell any food. Instead, they have take-out menus from a variety of restaurants and it gets delivered to your table at the bar. The guys chose to order pizza, while Lexi and I opted for Thai food. I ordered a green curry with tofu and vegetables and it was probably the spiciest meal I have ever had. I felt the burning in my esophagus and stomach until the next morning, but still worth every delicious bite.