We didn’t rush out of the cabin this morning, but were still at breakfast in the Horizon Court Buffet before 9am. Even at that time, we could see the land of Phillip Island, Australia beginning to appear in the distance. We already had a cell signal from shore and G called the Penguin Parade at Summerland Beach to see what time the penguins had made an appearance last night: 9:01pm. Returning to the tender pier by 10pm would be tight, but we thought we could do it if we had a return ride waiting for us.
Still, after breakfast (apple wedges, peanut butter, seeds and orange segments), we starting packing up our cabin just in case we didn’t make it back tonight. Needing to change cabins on this last cruise is the same story as it had been at the beginning of our cruise season, and makes it clear why I often reserve a season of back to back cruises in the same cabin the first day they become available for booking. Luckily, in this case, the cabin right next door to the one we’ve been in most of the season was available, and that’s where we moved. I tried, hard, calling Princess several times a week to try to encourage an upgrade for those people moving into our existing cabin, but was unsuccessful. Granted, a move one cabin away was not onerous for us, provided we made it back in time tonight, but it does create a lot of work for our cabin steward, to turn a cabin around especially fast, and I felt bad about that.
With just our bathroom items and hanging clothes still unpacked, we left the ship shortly after its arrival to tender to shore. The day was pleasant, sunny and 70-ish, but very windy. We were way overdressed for the noon-time temperature, but were perfectly dressed for what we would encounter on the beach at 9:30pm. We tendered into the Rhyll wharf and weren’t sure what to do next. The South Coast Bus Company was offering transfers to the closest little town of Cowes for $15 AUD round trip, but we didn’t want or need to go to Cowes. By asking around, we found the owner of the bus and taxi company and checked about getting back tonight after the Penguin Parade. It was his buses that were bringing the passengers on the ship’s tours back to the tender wharf, and he told us what time he’d have a taxi waiting for us to get us back at the same time, so we wouldn’t miss the ship. Sweet. He also suggested a way to spend the six or seven hours we had until we needed to be at the Penguin Parade.
We started by taking a taxi to the National Vietnam Veterans Museum with another passenger, about a $27 AUD taxi ride away. It was a small but very complete museum, with planes and helicopters and weaponry used by Australians in the war, and well as complete historic exhibits. Afterward, we walked through the Garden of Remembrance museum, and then started walking about a mile to the closest town (tiny!) of Cape Woolamai to have some lunch.
To pay our respects
The Island Burger Bar was a throwback to the late 60s and early 70s (fitting in well with the museum visit), with pallet tables and chairs and a beer garden out back. G finally found what he has been looking for, a huge kangaroo sandwich (filet, not a burger). They also had some great vegan sandwiches but I had had a large breakfast and just ate some of the sweet potato fries that G ordered. After that delicious lunch, we walked around the corner to a general store and picked up a small picnic for the evening. The store clerk called South Coast Bus Company for a taxi to take us out to the southwestern point of Phillip Island, called The Nobbies.
Finally! G’s kangaroo burger and sweet potato fries.The Golden Princess had sailed past Seal Rock and The Nobbies on our approach to the island this morning. There were boardwalks built along the shore, and lookouts for watching the seals congregating on Seal Rock and the multitude of sea bird life. One of the boardwalks continued along the black rock coast to a blowhole, and we walked out there for the views from that point.
Seal Rock
Blow holeThe Antarctic Journey museum was also located there, but we didn’t have enough time to do that and the Vietnam Veterans Museum, and had chosen the latter. About 4:30pm we started walking toward the Penguin Parade along a little used gravel road that followed along the coast. The views were stunning; the island is narrow there and we had sea views in both directions, with sea cliffs on the side we were closest to. The wind was strong, especially when the road turned out to the very edge of the cliffs, but we were warmly dressed and comfortable. But between the wind and the crashing waves, we really couldn’t carry on a conversation and were truly alone in our thoughts.
Little penguin nest boxes
Little penguin nests were everywhere All along the way, we saw large Cape Barren geese, found only on Phillip Island, and seals in the water and a small wallaby and even one kangaroo (we think...it was very large for a wallaby) that hopped across the road right in front of us. But even more exciting, there were penguin nests everywhere, and a hundred paths coming up from the sea. It was instantly obvious that, while Summerland Beach at the Penguin Parade got all the attention, the penguins would be coming out of the sea and returning to nests all over that end of the island.
Cape Barren geese
A baby joey or a wallaby (we’re not sure which)After about 90 minutes of pure solitude and views, we arrived at the Penguin Parade visitors center about 6pm. We toured the exhibits there and sat down to have the picnic (crackers and smoked salmon for me) we had bought at the general store. We were to meet for our tour at 7:45pm, but immediately hit a snag. Though I informed the agent when we checked in that we had a taxi coming for us at a certain time, and had been assured that was perfect, the guide for the Ultimate Penguin Tour explained that they would be going to a whole separate beach, and we would not be returning until 11pm. That was not going to work, simply because it was nearly the longest day of the year and the penguins arrive at sunset. Instead, we could trade our tickets for a bundle of the Penguins Plus tour with an underground viewing area, still putting us within inches of the penguins, and we would be back in plenty of time. It wasn’t night vision goggles on a cold dark beach, but it would have to suffice.
Penguin Parade Beach
We sat in a viewing area right where the penguins come up out of the ocean and waited...and waited. At 9:03pm (sunset was at 8:42pm) the first batch appeared on rocks and worked up the courage to walk in a batch across the beach (where they are at the greatest risk of being grabbed by a predator bird). And then they were off, wave after wave of groups of ten to twenty little penguins (they used to be called fairy penguins, but now they are termed little penguins, about 13 inches tall). And some of them would break off on the little trails we had seen coming up the hillsides from the beach on our walks, a single file line of penguins waddling back to their nests.
The little penguins will have two sets of two eggs each over the course of the summer, giving birth to four chicks each year. We saw some females heading against the flow, back out to sea, and the ranger explained to us that the male parent would have just arrived back at the nest to watch the chick and the female needed calcium to lay one more egg that night and could get that calcium by eating coral washed up on the beach. So she would go to the beach, get the calcium and return to the nest.
After the waves of penguins started coming up from the beach, we went down to an underground viewing bunker with glass walls that placed our heads right at ground level, so that we could look directly at the penguins. The way they walk is harious...they all waddle, of course, but some of them move their heads in a small side to side motion while others had a whole Stevie Wonder thing going on, wildly moving their heads and looking like they were almost dancing by us. And we could hear the chicks getting very excited when their parent returned to the nests to feed them, making almost a trilling sound.
Finally, at 9:50pm, the lights begin to be turned off and all visitors have to leave the area. The penguins are still coming in, of course, but they are left on their own for the rest of the night. We had seen hundreds, probably thousands of penguins and really loved our Penguins Plus experience. We walked out to where we were told the taxi would be, and sure enough, there was a lone taxi waiting there. The driver told us he was waiting for two Americans. Yep, that would be us. We arrived on the tender wharf just after the last tour bus did, and waited quite awhile (G says closer to 25 minutes) for the last tender to arrive. The local emergency services team had set up battery operated lights on the wharf, a very good thing, because we were in the middle of nowhere and it was dark.
We arrived back on the ship just after 11pm, and were going to get something to eat from the International Cafe but the line was long with all the other passengers who had just returned from seeing the penguins. Instead, we were drawn up to the martini bar by the sound of people singing and clapping to the piano entertainer playing Satisfaction. We definitely need to check him out this cruise.
Once back in the cabin, we rearranged our suitcases enough to fall into bed. It had been another perfect day on the Golden Princess in Australia.
Photos are strictly forbidden at the Penguin Parade, so instead I’ll offer several from the Penguin Parade app, one photo of the little penguins found online, and my favorite penguin photo of a similar penguin from 2002 in Argentina
Source: Penguin Parade app
Source: Penguin Parade app
Source: Penguin Parade app
Source: Penguin Parade app
General seating is in the bleachers at the back. The Penguins Plus viewing stand is in the foreground.
We were able to get that close 
Dressed for the season ;-)Source: http://www.penguins.org.au
Are you my mother?
From the Punta Tombo Penguin Rookery, Argentina
And, finally, I have to relay something that touched me so deeply this morning, and has continued to stay with me still. We were in the Buffet having breakfast when one of the waiters walked up to us, pointing to our photo in the Princess Patter (for being Most Traveled).
Blessed :-)But what he said next just blew us away. He told us he had been born in a large family in the Philippines, and the future was not exactly looking good. But because of us returning again and again to Princess Cruises, he was able to get a job with Princess and provide a home and education for his family. He said he never had shoes growing up and now his greatest joy is buying shoes. And he said he thanks us so much for cruising Princess.
And I returned to our cabin and cried. We know how fortunate we are; I’ve said it many, many times. But to hear right now, at this time of year, that this crewmember is thankful- to us!- for the opportunity to be away from his family...humbling much?
MTP recognition is nice; this was pure gold.
Life is good. :-)