Melbourne Embarkation

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After a full day exploring from Melbourne to Phillip Island, it was time to check out of our hotel and board Majestic Princess for our shortened Southern Australia cruise.

Crowne Plaza Melbourne to Stations Pier by taxi took about 20 minutes.  When we arrived, security was not allowing taxis or other vehicles to proceed past the gate to drop off passengers.  Our driver was directed to drop us off before the circular drive.  There were a few passengers gathered there already.   

We were able to check our large luggage in for delivery to the ship.   We always travel with carry-on bags which have a few days worth of clothes in them in case our luggage were to be delayed.  We kept those with us and found a bench to wait on.

The beautiful blue skies with white puffy clouds made the perfect backdrop for some ship pictures.  We had to wait about an hour before they would allow us to walk to the terminal.

We were in our cabin by 12:30 PM.  The boarding process went pretty smoothly.  As usual, we showed our passports and boarding passes.  There was a health questionnaire to complete, but no real changes to normal embarkation procedures, despite the Coronavirus outbreak.  We were given an information sheet explaining the process for rebooking our flights home.  Since we had booked Princess Air, they would make all arrangements.

For more images of Port Melbourne, see our Station Pier photo album.

We'll talk more about our first day in Melbourne in another post.  For more images, see our Shutterfly Photo Page.
Hopefully, you've followed us live on our social media channels as well.  Don't worry if you didn't, as our anchor post will tie everything together for you.  Just click the image (left) to our diary post.

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Each week we post images from our trips and participate in several travel chats on Twitter.

Take advantage of these resources to assist in you in planning your dream vacations.  Of course, we are always available to answer any questions you might have about travel and the industry.

Fairy Penguins On Parade

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We arrived at our final tour destination, the main attraction of our Go West Tours day long adventure, The Penguin Parade.  It was about 7 PM when we arrived.   There was time to have something to eat and explore the visitor center before heading out to the viewing platform. 

While eating in their cafe, we checked our emails and saw the email from Princess Cruises, that due to Coronavirus, our cruise would be terminated in Fremantle, Australia.  It was supposed to continue to Thailand and end in Singapore, where the ship would go into dry dock for some enhancements.

Not even this news could dampen our excitement to see the Fairy Penguins march from the sea to their nesting places.   By now, the weather was getting worse, however.  It was cold, windy, and raining.  Fortunately, we had worn rain gear, so we were pretty comfortable.

There are several different vantage points to see the Penguin Parade.  General seating is included in the base tour price or you can upgrade them. We purchased "Penguins Plus" tickets which got us preferred seating on an elevated platform.

The image above was enhanced to add in some Fairy Penguins.   The arrow shows the path they take from the sea. 

Important Tip: Sorry! No photography or filming is permitted at the Penguin Parade. 

Penguins have sensitive eyes and a bright, sudden flash or unusual light can frighten or disorientate a penguin. To ensure penguins keep coming back to this special area they ask you do not use your cameras, camcorders or camera phones at the Penguin Parade.

Download their free app for access to a gallery of images that are yours to keep and share! You can also view and download free photos at their online gallery (Google Chrome browser recommended).

We've included Phillip Island Nature Park's video so that you can get an idea of what we experienced.  The parade started around 8 PM or so.   We watched for awhile and then started the walk back along the boardwalk.   This was actually the best viewing as the penguins were walking alongside us as we headed back to the visitor center.

"Experience the magic of little penguins returning home at sunset to one of the largest penguin colonies in Australia"

What an amazing day.  Each stop on the Go West Tour was better than the one before.  The only thing that would have improved the tour, would have been nicer weather, but that is out of our control.  We met our driver around 9 PM and we all settled in for the 3 hour drive back to our hotels. 

We highly recommend Go West Tours Melbourne Australia.   If this is representative of their other tours, you won't go wrong selecting any of them.

For more images from our Penguin Parade stop, see our Phillip Island Penguin Parade photo album.

We'll talk more about our first day in Melbourne in another post.  For more images, see our Shutterfly Photo Page.
Hopefully, you've followed us live on our social media channels as well.  Don't worry if you didn't, as our anchor post will tie everything together for you.  Just click the image (left) to our diary post.

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Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat  

Each week we post images from our trips and participate in several travel chats on Twitter.

Take advantage of these resources to assist in you in planning your dream vacations.  Of course, we are always available to answer any questions you might have about travel and the industry.

Getting Close to Smallest Penguins

We made our next stop at the Nobbies Ocean Discovery Centre. Overlooking Bass Strait, the Nobbies Centre is the home of the interactive Antarctic Journey, along with spectacular clifftop boardwalks and views to the Nobbies and Seal Rocks. Here we explored the boardwalks, from where, if the weather is right, you can see the explosive blowhole in action.

We enjoyed the views out over the Nobbies Rock formations and beyond to Seal Rocks, home of Australia's largest fur seal colony. We got to see the smallest penguins in their little houses and under the boardwalk, staying out of the elements, as it was an overcast and cool day by the time we got to Phillip Island area.

There is free entry to the boardwalks, cafe and gift shop, as well as the interpretive display on penguin conservation on Phillip Island at the entrance to the Antarctic Journey paid attraction.

For more images from our photo stop, see our Nobbies and Seal Rock photo album.

We'll talk more about our first day in Melbourne in another post.  For more images, see our Shutterfly Photo Page.
Hopefully, you've followed us live on our social media channels as well.  Don't worry if you didn't, as our anchor post will tie everything together for you.  Just click the image (left) to our diary post.

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Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat  

Each week we post images from our trips and participate in several travel chats on Twitter.

Take advantage of these resources to assist in you in planning your dream vacations.  Of course, we are always available to answer any questions you might have about travel and the industry.

Cowes Phillip Island Gem

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Next stop on our Go West Melbourne tour was to soak up the relaxed seaside vibe in Cowes, Phillip Island's commercial hub. Here we had just under an hour to hang out at the beach, shop for souvenirs, or grab something to eat or drink.

How would you spend your time in Cowes?

Perhaps set up  down at the north-facing beach, a perfect spot for picnics, beach adventures, water sports and playtime with the kids. Or cool off with a swim and then peddle on over to San Remo along the dedicated path. Simply sit on one of the benches and watch the surf roll in. 

Dine out in seaside eateries and renowned restaurants, check out contemporary and Indigenous artworks at Mingara Gallery, or do a bit of shopping for souvenirs and artisan wares. Learn about early life on the island, at  the Phillip Island Historical Society Museum, where you'll find exhibitions on geology, maritime history, aboriginal culture and the life of the early settlers.  So many choices.

Our Choice:

After enjoying the beach view for a while, we headed into the main part of town. The first shop that caught our eye was Isola Gelateria, and that my friends was as far as we needed to go. They had two counters full of gelato flavors. It was too hard to pick just one, so we each picked two. It reminded us of our trip to Rome, Italy where we really got hooked on gelato.

Cowes is a hidden gem of Phillip Island's area attractions.  There is much to do and it has a very relaxing vibe.

For more images from our photo stop, see our Cowes photo album.

We'll talk more about our first day in Melbourne in another post.  For more images, see our Shutterfly Photo Page. Hopefully, you've followed us live on our social media channels as well.  Don't worry if you didn't, as our anchor post will tie everything together for you.  Just click the image (left) to our diary post.

Connect With Us On

        

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers


Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat  

Each week we post images from our trips and participate in several travel chats on Twitter.

Take advantage of these resources to assist in you in planning your dream vacations.  Of course, we are always available to answer any questions you might have about travel and the industry.