Our last leg of the trip was planned mainly for Asher’s enjoyment. Phillip Island has many toddler-friendly attractions that Asher could appreciate since he’s much more aware now. We thought it’d be great if he could see some of the animals he’d seen in pictures come to life. Phillip Island boasts penguins, seals, koalas, cows, sheep, chickens, roosters, Clydesdale horses, turkeys, Scottish long-horn cattle, peacocks, kookaburras, galahs, magpies, wallabies, and kangaroos, among others. Asher got to see all of the above except the last two, while we had the bonus of seeing wild wallabies hop across the road (Asher was asleep in the car then).
Our apartment was a standalone cabin, cosy and clean, set on an outback style Wistaria Lane. The All Seasons Eco Resort is fairly new, and prides itself on it’s ecologically sound building and contruction philosophy, and an ecologially sustainable design. It’s a very pleasant place to stay, and if we ever go back to Phillip Island, I might well stay there again.
Here’re some pics from the various places we went to on the island!
Penguin Parade
No photos allowed inside cos they’re afraid the penguins would be traumatised and hurt by the bright flashes. But I sneaked a picture of Jon and Asher before the penguins made their way to the shore. Asher was very happy cos initially there were a lot of seagulls flying low in front of him, and then of course there were the penguins. The penguins come right up to the board walk, so he had a clear view of them waddling home. It was molting season so some penguins had eaten tons to store up energy while their fur molted. Those penguins were so adorably fat! And because of their added weight were particularly amusing to watch cos they’d tire easily and have to plop down on their bellies to rest before carrying on for another few metres, then plop down to rest again :) Since that night, say “penguin” and Asher will waddle from side-to-side :)
The bonus was the wonderfully clear night sky that showed off the Milky Way in all it’s beautiful splendour! You could actually see all the stars clustered into a ‘stream’, instead of how they’re usually scattered across the sky. The concentration of stars made the twinkling more intense and magical. We actually got to see this at the Twelve Apostles as well, but Asher was asleep by then. This time he got to appreciate their beauty too!
Anyway, an interesting little sign – check under your car for penguins! Some of the penguins stay quite far inland and sometimes can be found wandering under cars at the carpark as they make their way home.
Breakfast at Mad Cowes the next morning was yummy. I shared pancake and fruit with Asher, while Jon had a decent eggs benedict.
Churchill Island
This is such a great place for kids. It’s a small island off Phillip Island, linked by a narrow causeway, and features a working heritage farm. Some of the caretakers were even dressed in period costume. Asher had a ton of fun here petting animals, chasing chickens, running around the lawn, picking wild Dandelions, etc. We dubbed the day “hat day” to entice Asher to wear his cap, and Jon and I donned hats as well to lend credence to the theme. It was necessary anyway, cos the Australian sun can really burn. One of the plastic toys we bought for a friend’s kid melted in the car while it was parked in the sun!
Flowers, and more flowers, much to Asher’s great joy! The gardens featured many strange and wonderful Australian wildflowers.
Checking out the gentle Clydesdale horses.
Asher chased this family of chickens…then this rooster came out to register his protest
My favourtie bird on the island – the Galah. They are so pretty! A lovely slate grey with a powdery, almost-fushia pink breast.
What are these Scottish long-horned cattle doing here? The original inhabitent was from Scotland and he brought in these cattle as a reminder of home.
The surroundings were so peaceful, it was ideal for a picnic, or in Asher’s case, a nap!
A field of lavender
Beautiful day to walk the grounds, enjoy the gardens, and see the heritage buildings
Looking for more Dandelions
A clever invention – a Coolgardie Safe. It’s an olden day equivalent of the refridgerator! Moist hessian sides cooled by the blowing wind made the insides cool enough to store butter and meat!
Scrumptious food at the cafe. Pumpkin and spinach quiche with rocket on the side, and homemade patties made from beef got off the farm. Asher had a taste of everything and was most satisfied, I think :)
Seal Cruise
We caught an evening cruise out to Seal Rocks where we literally saw hundreds of seals just chillin on the warm rocks, and some were playfully showing off their stunts in the water. What a sight for Asher! What a sight for us!
Yes, another I’m-so-happy-I’ve-got-the-Ergo moment. How else to balance baby and yourself on a bobbing boat??
We thought we’d head to another part of island for dinner and decided to check out the highly-rated Foreshore Restaurant at Rhyll. It must be good, since there was even a wedding party there. But somehow the food didn’t quite suit our taste. It was ok, a bit overdone. We felt the chefs were trying too hard to make the dishes unique and exotic. It wasn’t effortless, and it sometimes didn’t seem to gel. We tried the grilled kangaroo, which came with asparagus, drizzled with sweetish plum-like sauce, sweet onion chutney on the side, and a split chilli on cream. Each individual part was ok in itself, but together, we thought it didn’t quite add up. The risotto with seared duck was also just so-so. While the duck, which was cooked with orange reduction, was pretty good, the risotto was really nothing to shout about. The scallops were blow-torched, but I wouldn’t say to perfection. Perhaps it was just an off night for the restaurant, perhaps Asher was getting sleepy and needed more attention so we couldn’t focus as much on the meal so it seemed less good, perhaps our taste buds don’t know any better, or perhaps, perhaps, the restaurant is over-rated.
On a brighter note, the evening sky was watercolour perfect!
Asher’s babycino at breakfast the next morning. Looks just like a minature version of the real thing, doesn’t it? We had just asked for a cup of warm milk, but the staff went the extra mile by frothing it, topping it with chocolate powder and serving it with a marshmallow! But in the end, Asher only got to drink the milk, mummy ate up the choc powder bits :))
Koala Conservation Centre
At this park we got to see koalas up-close in their natural habitat among the gum trees. A boardwalk brings you through the forest of trees where you can spot koalas with the help of some signs. Yep, there are signs pointing out where the koalas are for the day. I was initially surprised, then I realised it was only possible with sleepy animals like koalas. They really don’t move that much! :) They are impossibly cute, and I was particuarly amazed at how they could sleep on the branches without falling off, especially since some of them were in really strange positions!
Seriously, how can you not fall when you’re sleeping in this position?!??
One of the few koalas awake
Asher really surprised me when he spotted this koala. It was way up in the trees and wasn’t even sign-posted! He said, “wan mor!” and pointed up into the trees. I had to search a while before I found it. See if you can spot it yourself in the non-close up picture! (Hint: it’s near the middle of the picture next to the thick, curved branch.)
Another one awake!
Bonus of the day – KOOKABURRA! It was my first sighting, and we went on to spot another 2! Finally, I know what the bird in that famous song looks like! Love the eye-shadow.
Our last stop before driving off to the airport was San Remo, just on the otherside of the bridge linking Phillip Island to the mainland. By the time we got there we had just missed the daily pelican feedings and they were swimming home, but there was another unexpected bonus! Wild sting rays! I was so excited to see them I just rushed down to the shore with Asher in my arms, getting my shoes all covered in mud (and these were outing shoes, not the rugged hiking type). But honestly, I didn’t care that I was potentially wreaking my shoes, I was just thrilled to see the sting rays, and probably more thrilled than Asher since he doesn’t know it’s rare to see wild ones! They gracefully glided about very close to the beach and evey now and then flapped their wings above the waterline.
After a fish & chip lunch at the famous fisherman’s co-op at San Remo, we were off to the airport to catch our flight. The flight back was good, Asher slept quite soundly and I even managed to watch the animated film, Up. Asher made a new friend on board too – Ashley! So it was Asher and Ashley playing in the bassinet area, sharing biscuits and bread, and watching Tom & Jerry :)
That’s our boy, and that’s our plane!
Checking out the butterfly on her jacket.
A very packed and satisfying trip. I’m so happy we went!
Unlikely Lady of Leisure 
