Philip Island

We saw the penguins!
We arrived on Philip Island this afternoon and found the caravan park we'd booked for the night. After we'd set up and had an early dinner we drove to the end of the island where there is a great boardwalk and lookout at The Nobbies (small islands). There was supposedly a fur seal colony on one of the islands but I didn't see and seals swimming in the sea.
There were penguin nesting boxes all over the grassy hill and we could see chicks inside some. Some were also hiding under the boardwalk.
At 7.30 we drove along the spectacular cliff top drive back to the penguin viewing area. We made our way with the crowd down the boardwalk to the stands on the beach. Kind of like the bird show at the zoo but not looking in the air. We then had to wait for half an hour always watching the sea, until it was dark enough. Finally a little group appeared and then another. They had to have enough members in the group before they had the guts to waddle across the beach together. Either that or they'd forgotten Kevin or Percy and had to go back into the sea to find their friends.
From the stands it was a bit hard to see the penguins up close but walking back along the boardwalk they were everywhere, looking for their babies, calling out. We were right in the middle of their colony.
The boys had a great time. It seemed like a lot to pay $60 for the family but it was definitely worth it.