I want a penguin!!! They're small, agile, super cute and all round lovable. I'd say they even rank above wombats in my affection now!
...starting at the beginning :)
Last night we went to stand-up comedy shows in Melbourne (its the Comedy Festial, so when in Rome...) It was hilarious - mainly because I was the only one in the audience to really understand some of the jokes! One of the comedians has Dutch relatives and speaks a bit of Dutch. He went to Amsterdam on holiday once and had us in stitches about the bicycles, canals and various other typical Amsterdam sights... then he told some jokes including Dutch insults... the rest of the audience was perfectly quiet when he said them in Dutch, I assume waiting for the punch-line. However, I had to laugh because I understood them and knew what was coming in the "translation"... so Kelly was laughing at me, laughing in the "dramatic pauses" :) Sorry Ben! (comedian). Anyway, never gave it much thought what stupid insults the Dutch come up with and how they sound when translated literally... By far the absolute best was "stomme bosmongool" = stupid person with basic intelligence who lives in the forest. Try saying THAT fast in English in a threatening manner :P
So... having gone out late at night, it was nice to have a tour start with a 10:45 am pick up for a change! On the agenda today was an all-day tour to Phillip island, known for the Penguin Parade, little did we know that was actually in the evening and the rest of the day was to be filled with the requisite money-spinning stops along the way.
...starting at the beginning :)
Last night we went to stand-up comedy shows in Melbourne (its the Comedy Festial, so when in Rome...) It was hilarious - mainly because I was the only one in the audience to really understand some of the jokes! One of the comedians has Dutch relatives and speaks a bit of Dutch. He went to Amsterdam on holiday once and had us in stitches about the bicycles, canals and various other typical Amsterdam sights... then he told some jokes including Dutch insults... the rest of the audience was perfectly quiet when he said them in Dutch, I assume waiting for the punch-line. However, I had to laugh because I understood them and knew what was coming in the "translation"... so Kelly was laughing at me, laughing in the "dramatic pauses" :) Sorry Ben! (comedian). Anyway, never gave it much thought what stupid insults the Dutch come up with and how they sound when translated literally... By far the absolute best was "stomme bosmongool" = stupid person with basic intelligence who lives in the forest. Try saying THAT fast in English in a threatening manner :P
So... having gone out late at night, it was nice to have a tour start with a 10:45 am pick up for a change! On the agenda today was an all-day tour to Phillip island, known for the Penguin Parade, little did we know that was actually in the evening and the rest of the day was to be filled with the requisite money-spinning stops along the way.
Luckily for us, we had a really small group an awesome guide - James - who was quite happy to spur us on in our leftover hilarity from the night before. Anyone who really knows me also knows that a severe lack of sleep has the same effect on me as heavy drink does on others... We stopped at a Winery, where I donated my tasting samples to Kelly and then rocked and "burped" the mega bottle for pictures. Next stop was a "wildlife park" - aka tourist trap - which I dubbed Koala Coercion. The Koala was pretty much asleep on a branch and comfortable with his little face pointing AWAY from the camera. But the wildlife guides at the center kept tickling/poking him with Eucalyptus branches to make him turn towards the camera. It was really quite sad and I refused to
buy any pictures. Then we went to see wombats, kangaroos, more koalas, an alligator etc. I really left my mark with my exclamation of "A dingo stole my baby!!!" as we approached the Dingo exhibit... that's the dingo flying through the camera - it was just racing around its enclosure, kind of cute but also very sad. It became the chant for the rest of the day. :) I also had a nice chat with a cockatoo and a death-stare contest with the resident llama! 
We stopped for a freezzzzing walk along the coast and actually saw a few penguins huddled under the boardwalk - they're only about 30cm high and they were at least 40 metres up the cliffs from the water. Its amazing how these little creatures can walk and climb up hills! Everyone was making fun of my mega-coat (the one I love more and more each excursion), one person even "funnily" asking me if I was going skiing....HAH! How JEALOUS they all were when the walk turned out to be numbingly cold! Double hah! I lent Kelly my orange scarf, but meanwhile I was TOASTY! Peek resorcefulness wins again!
Last stop was the actual Penguin Parade. We got off the bus and it felt so good to be standing that I burst into song and energetic dance with the last clip we'd heard on the radio - Robbie's "I just wanna rock, dee-jay... cause you're making me feel so nice". As you do... Not realising that the rest of the group was not following the guide to the attraction, but was instead standing behind me watching my performance. Hahahaha. Hah. Ha. :/ I had to have a picture of the bus....and the guide, James....obviously. To avoid having "boring, posey-type pictures" we're holding up random blades of grass... still a posey-type picture even if its not boring. :P Anyway...
The Penguin Parade is a major tourist attraction with busloads of people being brought in to sit on wooden steps, facing a small stretch of sand, in relative darkness. We paid the extra $11 for "Penguins Plus" treatment which guaranteed us a seat nearer the side where the majority of the penguins usually emerge. It was awesome and made the whole trip worthwhile! Little clusters of 10-20 penguins would hop up onto the beach at intervals of about 5 minutes apart...making their way up the beach and a path alongside the seating area and walkways... they have a neck-swivelling-hipwigling kind of walk which is most adorable thing I've ever seen. Since cameras a strictly VERBOTEN, I sadly don't have any film clips, but I have been practising and have perfected the slinky-necked-waddling-gait for anyone wanting a demonstration when I am back!
We nicknamed one of penguins Jack Black because he was a little more rotund than the rest of his group and kept straggling at the back... he seemed to get winded and stop from time to time, so we stayed behind to cheer him on. Wish I could have adopted him!
A long drive back to Melbourne saw us being dropped off last - with James (the guide) even offering to take us in the tourbus to the nearest 7/11 to go buy milk :) He's supposed to be taking a group on the Great Ocean Road trip on Friday, which we're also doing. There are 3 buses going so with any luck we get the fun bus with James again!
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