Phillip Island Fun!

I feel like my weekend started with a visit to the University Archives on Friday. I really enjoyed seeing how things work there as I am not too familiar with archives. I was blown away by how much material they store (around 18km worth!!) and it was great for me to see another side of collections managment; all good experience!
One visit that was on the top of my list of things to do during my stay in Melbourne was to Phillip Island; only about 2 hours south of the city of Melbourne the island is well-known for its fantastic array of wildlife, none more so than the little penguins. I booked a tour and, with 9 other people, had a great day been driven down to the island by our guide. We stopped off along the way at Maru Wildlife Park, Woolamai Beach, and the Nobbies. I was also brave enough to take a helicopter ride over the island! A great experience and the lovely weather meant to views were amazing. Our final stop was at the Penguin Parade to watch the little penguins (the smallest of their kind standing at about 30cms high) come out of the sea at sunset to nest. A truly amazing experience; the build-up to waiting for them to appear and then to see them waddling up the beach right in front of me is something I will never forget; sadly no photographs were allowed during the parade, but it is in the best interests of the penguins. The group I was with were lovely and it was nice to exchange our experiences of Melbourne.


Stunning views of Phillip Island from the air



Feeding a very friendly kangaroo at Maru Wildlife Park

Not common to say but I am really looking forward to work this week! I'm at the stage now where I am really getting into my projects; tomorrow I will be finalising my children's treasure hunt which (I'm hoping!) a lot of families will enjoy during the cultural treasures festival.