Australia!! The Eighth and Last Part
June 21: Bodleian and I were eager to be on the road this morning: we were driving the Great Ocean Road and determined to stop at all the high points. We had another beautiful day for it, too. In fact, I would recommend June as a fine month to tour Australia. I'd had a few uncomfortably chilly days, especially one rainy day in Melbourne, but nothing bad enough to keep me indoors. For a stay of 21 days, I think that's a dang good record.
The view from our first lookout on the Road.
Our next stop was to see Split Point Lighthouse at Airey's Inlet:
A rare picture showing both me and Bodleian...sort of.
I don't know the name of these spectacular blooms, but I think they should be called bottle rockets.
And here we are!
Views from the Lighthouse:
I like the cloud formation in this shot.
I have a probably unhealthy interest in the local vegetation..
...and in wave action. (Humor me!)
A little further on, if my memoy ia accurate, we parked the car, crossed the road, took a path through the bushes and found this:
I believe that's Lorne in the distance.
In Lorne we found more assertive cockatoos and fascinated people:
Besides the cockatoos, there was a beautiful beach, of course.
Alas, these were the only seals we saw at Apollo Bay. (Love that name. Perfect for a seaside village. Seaside villages should all have quaint or intriguing names.)
Apollo Bay also had tempting rocks:
Had I been surer-footed and had more time, I'd have navigated these rocks to the water's edge.
Right past Apollo Bay the Road veered away from the ocean for a short distance. We, however, turned due south, through a brief stretch of countryside, to Cape Otway and the Cape Otway Lighthouse.
Once there we discovered that access to the Lighthouse, hidden behind dunes, was $20.00 a piece. Bodleian and I looked at each other and agreed to give it a miss, especially since we had seen a completely satisfactory, free lighthouse at Airey's Inlet. We did take advantage of their free, clean, unheated restroom, however, one of many such facilities I used, unhappily, in Australia. I like a toasty warm bathroom in the winter. I'll bet they aren't much more fun in January and February, either, when the sun beats down on them all day.
On our way to the lighthouse, we had seen a couple of cars parked by the side of the road, with their occupants standing next to them, craning their necks. Now Bodleian slowed to stop and asked what they were looking at. "Koalas," they said. We stopped, too, got out, and craned our necks.
Definitely a high point of my trip. Bodleian said she had never seen koalas in the wild before, either. She was perhaps more thrilled that me because she understood the rarity of what we were seeing.
Our next stop was at The Twelve Apostles. When we got there, we realized The Twelve Apostles was everybody's next stop. Although we had had all our previous stops almost to ourselves, this site was mobbed. Obviously a visitor to Melbourne can book a tour that will take him directly to the Twelve Apostles, then turn around and have her back in Melbourne before bedtime.
Fortunately, the Australian Park Service could give Disney hints on crowd control...and that's saying something.
Despite the crowds we had unobstructed views:
Looking west.
At the end of the promontory.
Looking east.
Looking landward from the promontory.
A tough, little coastal plant.
I didn't count the limestone pillars, but I thought there were less than twelve. Had some disappeared? Were more forming? I went to the Australian Park Sevice's site and read that "Port Campbell Limestone is generally dated at 15-20 million years old; it is a common misconception that visitors are viewing an ancient seascape. The formations they are viewing have formed in the last 6000 years (the time that sea levels have been at their current height). Dr Eric Bird surmises that the evolution of a rock stack from headland to arch to stack and eventual collapse can take place in just 600 years on the Port Campbell coast."
The short June day was drawing to its close, but we had time for another stop just past Port Campbell at London Bridge:
I was fascinated and took way too many pictures, trying to capture the maximum wave action. I'll only subject you to a few.
Past London Bridge, the Road turned inland to Warrnamboo where we spent the night. The plan then was to backtrack via an inland route to Phillip Island to see the fairy penguins come ashore. There were two problems with this plan. The first was timing. The penguins come ashore as soon as it becomes fully dark. Could we cover 235 miles and arrive there in time to find our destination and cop a good location for viewing? The second was driver fatigue. Including the two days around Albion Park, Bodleian had been driving for six straight days and many miles. She wanted to head straight for Melbourne.
I was disappointed. I wanted very much to see the penguins. Then I thought of all the fabulous sights I'd seen and I knew that missing one of them was not a big deal. As my friend Trudy always said, "Something to come back for." I agreed: on to Melbourne! Then Bodleian, noting my disappointment, said, "We can probably book a tour to see the penguins from Melbourne." YES!!
In the event, the drive to Melbourne, probably about the same distance as to Phillip Island, proved to be a long day. We stopped at a fast food restaurant for lunch (McDonald's?), and Bodleian used their internet to make us reservations for three nights at a Best Western close to the airport and with an airport shuttle.
The Best Western proved to be very nice indeed; it raised my opinion of Best Westerns quite a few notches. With no difficulty at all, I persuaded Bodleian that we should have dinner at the Best Western's restaurant. We'd eaten well but modestly to this point, and tonight was the time, I felt, for a splurge. I think we were both happy that the car was parked and wouldn't have to be moved until after I left for home on Thursday, June 25.
Staying so close to the airport worked out brilliantly. The Best Western's free shuttle took us to the airport where we could catch a SkyRide bus to the Southern Cross Railroad Station. The SkyRide bus was definitely not free, but it ran frequently all day and -- should we want to stay in Melbourne and party -- all night.
Both Bodleian and I wanted to see some of Melbourne's many gardens, so I introduced her to Melbourne's trolleys, free in the central business district. The trolley was crowded, so we both stood, right next to one of the exits. Several stops later, the woman between me and the window had to get off. To let her by, I had to let go of the pole I'd been holding on to. As I did so, the trolley gave a big lurch and I stumbled down the aisle, completely out of control and headed for a fall. As I did so, my doctor's words trumpeted through my mind. I asked him if there was anything I could do to ameliorate the damage I'd done to my brain when I fell last October and again in March. His words? "Don't fall again." With those words racing through my mind I grabbed for...anything. I got...a woman standing, talking on a cell phone, and holding onto a railing. I grabbed her upper arm and held on with a grip of iron. If I was going down, she was going down, too. But no! Her grip was equally strong. She held on to her railing, I lost momentum and regained my balance, she no doubt ended up with a spectacular bruise on her upper arm. I said, "Omigod, I'm so sorry." Her only acknowledgement was to say, into her cell phone, "No, that wasn't me." She never looked at me once during the rest of my ride.
We got off at the Treasury Buildings and walked a couple of blocks to Fitzroy Gardens. I wanted to see the Conservatory. I love glass houses.
This one was quite small and old-fashioned, but sweet. I thought it must have dated back to the 19th century, but no, it was built in 1930.
Lovely gardens on a lovely day.
Next we wanted to see the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens, a walkable distance away...
...which took us past Parliament House.
Lordy, what a pleasure walking with someone who doesn't get lost. There were several points along this walk where I would have chosen differently...and incorrectly...from Bodleian. She got us from Garden to Garden without a single detour. Amazing!
The Royal Exhibition Hall:...
...which, when we finally reached it...
...was closed for an event. Oh, well.
Bodleian wanted to retrace our steps and visit some of the buildings we had passed, and I did not, so we agreed to split up. I wanted to go to Queen Victoria Market and buy souvenirs and little gifties. I had noticed, as we reached Carlton Gardens, that there was a convenient stop for the free City Circle Tram Route. I figured I'd wait on the platform and catch the trolley no matter which direction it was going. If I caught the one going back toward Fitzroy Gardens, I have a nice long tram ride, around about 85% of its loop. If I caught it going the other way, I'd get to William Street, my stop for Queen Victoria Market, quickly. Alas, I got the short ride.
Lots of stalls at Queen Victoria Market, inside...
...and out:
I got T-shirts and other little small gifties, and for me, a beautiful laurel wood cutting board. It looks and smells delightful.
Then I saw this:
Never, in the U.S. have I seen a mobile doughnut shop. How could I pass it by?
I couldn't.
Five for $5, hot, crispy, and sweet. I ate three of mine.
From the Market, I started walking toward the train station. Unsurprisingly enough, I got turned around and spent half an hour or so proceeding briskly in the wrong direction. Once I got myself straightened out, I managed, after some confusion on my part, to meet up with bigj52 for coffee and conversation. She is beyond easy to talk to! Oddly enough, it was our second meeting in less than a month. We had spent May 26th together in Coatesville, PA, visiting mandagrammy. Are we not jet-setters or what?
I got back to the Best Western after Bodleian to find her on her bed, with her leg propped up on a pillow. Another long day in a long week.
We started out our last day in Australia the same way we'd started the day before. We took the shuttle to the airport and the SkyBus to the train station. Then we had a four block walk to the corner of Flinders and Clarendon to wait in a hotel to be picked up by the tour. We got there early enough to have breakfast while we waited.
We had a full day excursion ahead of us, so we made several stops before arriving at the Phillip Island Nature Park.
Our first stop was an animal park. I have mixed feelings about this sort of attraction. They often do not operate under the same set of rules applied to zoos, and sometimes the animals are exploited and even mistreated. This one seemed decent although not polished and shiny.
"A one-l lama is a priest,
A two-l llama is a beast,
I will bet a silk pajama
That there is no three-l lllama." Ogden Nash
Bodleian likes llamas. I can take 'em or leave 'em.
"Up jumped Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--and said, 'What, that cat-rabbit?'
Off ran Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--always hungry, grinning like a coal-scuttle,--ran after Kangaroo" Rudyard Kipling.
Animal parks seem to make me quote poetry. Kipling had it right, though: dingos are yellow and they do look like dogs.
Emus look prehistoric, don't they? And they are big. We were pretty much eye to eye.
This roped-off area is a wallaby refuge. They seem to understand that as long as they are within the roped off area they won't be bothered or touched.
Finally, this splendid tree, all a-bloom in early winter, goes by the un-splendid name of wattle. This specimen was the largest and nicest I happened across.
Once on Phillip Island, our first stop was Woolamai Beach, a beach with some serious signage:
Danderous Current, Deep Hole, Unexpected Waves, Unstable Cliffs - Stay Clear
"
After Woolamai, we made a stop at a chocolate factory where we got ample opportunity to visit their gift shop and perhaps make a few purchases. I did. It wasn't Lindt Chocolate but it was decent. It's all gone now.
We next stopped at a beach where we had time enough to walk on the sand. "You can take off your shoes and wade, but be careful. This beach has Unexpected Waves."
I didn't want to wade, but I did want to walk on the beach. I gotten most of the day's exercise getting on and off the bus.
As I walked on the firm wet sand, one of these deceptively mild-looking waves went up the beach ahead of me, curled around and soaked me up to my knees. Opps. I was afraid that as the warm water cooled, I'd be chilled but my layers came through for me. I had tights under my jeans and socks and shoes, and they magically warded off the chill.
Our last stop before the penguins was the Nobbies.
famsee, couldn't you get a straight shot at this sign? Ugh.
I know, another gorgeous coastline. It's almost like seeing too many cathedrals in Europe, isn't it?
From the Nobbies, it was on to the fairy penguins. We arrived in time to have supper in the cafeteria and perhaps make some purchases in the gift shop. The doors to the penguin observation area don't open until an hour before it gets dark. Then you walk down an extensive network of boardwalks to the concrete bleachers at water's edge.
We were asked not to take pictures of the penguins. I heard a counple of reasons, but the one that made most sense to me was that the bright, quick light of a flash shot disoriented the little guys. Certainly it wasn't light itself, because the boardwalks had soft lighting at regular intervals.
We had at least a 45 minute wait before it got dark which we spent people-watching instead of penguin-peeking. The people were numerous, diverse, and entertaining, so the time passed easily. Then, when it was fully dark, people started seeing the penguins come ashore. I did not. Once again it was brought to my attention that my eye sight was not up to snuff. Even when I squeezed into a space right next to the beach, on the second row of the bleachers, I didn't see any penguins. I saw birds on the beach but they looked too large and too white to be penguins. I think I saw a bunch of seagulls.
At any rate, I was ready to accompany bodleian back to the gift shop/café building. We were not the only species going that way. All around and under the boardwalks, the tiny (about 12" tall) penguins were clambering up the steep hill to their burrows. We were often inches away from the little guys, so I could see them just fine. Some tackled the hill solo, others in Indian files of six or eight penguins. Once we saw what appeared to be a dispute over possession of a burrow and one penguin knocked another over, flat on his back.
What struck me the most magical about the whole experience was the trilling call of the penguins. They all trilled all the time, so as we walked up the hill, we were surrounded on all sides by their short, musical calls. It was the sort of sound I could believe fairies would make. Even if I had been blind, the tour was worth it just to hear the fairy penguins sing.
Then it was back in the bus, back to Melbourne, onto the SkyBus, and back to the Best Western. The next morning I said good-bye to my chauffeur, guide, and friend, Bodleian, and left for LAX on a 9:50 a.m. flight. What a wonderful trip! Australia, I love you. I'd love to come back!
The view from our first lookout on the Road.
Our next stop was to see Split Point Lighthouse at Airey's Inlet:
A rare picture showing both me and Bodleian...sort of.
I don't know the name of these spectacular blooms, but I think they should be called bottle rockets.
And here we are!
Views from the Lighthouse:
I like the cloud formation in this shot.
I have a probably unhealthy interest in the local vegetation..
...and in wave action. (Humor me!)
A little further on, if my memoy ia accurate, we parked the car, crossed the road, took a path through the bushes and found this:
I believe that's Lorne in the distance.
In Lorne we found more assertive cockatoos and fascinated people:
Besides the cockatoos, there was a beautiful beach, of course.
Alas, these were the only seals we saw at Apollo Bay. (Love that name. Perfect for a seaside village. Seaside villages should all have quaint or intriguing names.)
Apollo Bay also had tempting rocks:
Had I been surer-footed and had more time, I'd have navigated these rocks to the water's edge.
Right past Apollo Bay the Road veered away from the ocean for a short distance. We, however, turned due south, through a brief stretch of countryside, to Cape Otway and the Cape Otway Lighthouse.
Once there we discovered that access to the Lighthouse, hidden behind dunes, was $20.00 a piece. Bodleian and I looked at each other and agreed to give it a miss, especially since we had seen a completely satisfactory, free lighthouse at Airey's Inlet. We did take advantage of their free, clean, unheated restroom, however, one of many such facilities I used, unhappily, in Australia. I like a toasty warm bathroom in the winter. I'll bet they aren't much more fun in January and February, either, when the sun beats down on them all day.
On our way to the lighthouse, we had seen a couple of cars parked by the side of the road, with their occupants standing next to them, craning their necks. Now Bodleian slowed to stop and asked what they were looking at. "Koalas," they said. We stopped, too, got out, and craned our necks.
Definitely a high point of my trip. Bodleian said she had never seen koalas in the wild before, either. She was perhaps more thrilled that me because she understood the rarity of what we were seeing.
Our next stop was at The Twelve Apostles. When we got there, we realized The Twelve Apostles was everybody's next stop. Although we had had all our previous stops almost to ourselves, this site was mobbed. Obviously a visitor to Melbourne can book a tour that will take him directly to the Twelve Apostles, then turn around and have her back in Melbourne before bedtime.
Fortunately, the Australian Park Service could give Disney hints on crowd control...and that's saying something.
Despite the crowds we had unobstructed views:
Looking west.
At the end of the promontory.
Looking east.
Looking landward from the promontory.
A tough, little coastal plant.
I didn't count the limestone pillars, but I thought there were less than twelve. Had some disappeared? Were more forming? I went to the Australian Park Sevice's site and read that "Port Campbell Limestone is generally dated at 15-20 million years old; it is a common misconception that visitors are viewing an ancient seascape. The formations they are viewing have formed in the last 6000 years (the time that sea levels have been at their current height). Dr Eric Bird surmises that the evolution of a rock stack from headland to arch to stack and eventual collapse can take place in just 600 years on the Port Campbell coast."
The short June day was drawing to its close, but we had time for another stop just past Port Campbell at London Bridge:
I was fascinated and took way too many pictures, trying to capture the maximum wave action. I'll only subject you to a few.
Past London Bridge, the Road turned inland to Warrnamboo where we spent the night. The plan then was to backtrack via an inland route to Phillip Island to see the fairy penguins come ashore. There were two problems with this plan. The first was timing. The penguins come ashore as soon as it becomes fully dark. Could we cover 235 miles and arrive there in time to find our destination and cop a good location for viewing? The second was driver fatigue. Including the two days around Albion Park, Bodleian had been driving for six straight days and many miles. She wanted to head straight for Melbourne.
I was disappointed. I wanted very much to see the penguins. Then I thought of all the fabulous sights I'd seen and I knew that missing one of them was not a big deal. As my friend Trudy always said, "Something to come back for." I agreed: on to Melbourne! Then Bodleian, noting my disappointment, said, "We can probably book a tour to see the penguins from Melbourne." YES!!
In the event, the drive to Melbourne, probably about the same distance as to Phillip Island, proved to be a long day. We stopped at a fast food restaurant for lunch (McDonald's?), and Bodleian used their internet to make us reservations for three nights at a Best Western close to the airport and with an airport shuttle.
The Best Western proved to be very nice indeed; it raised my opinion of Best Westerns quite a few notches. With no difficulty at all, I persuaded Bodleian that we should have dinner at the Best Western's restaurant. We'd eaten well but modestly to this point, and tonight was the time, I felt, for a splurge. I think we were both happy that the car was parked and wouldn't have to be moved until after I left for home on Thursday, June 25.
Staying so close to the airport worked out brilliantly. The Best Western's free shuttle took us to the airport where we could catch a SkyRide bus to the Southern Cross Railroad Station. The SkyRide bus was definitely not free, but it ran frequently all day and -- should we want to stay in Melbourne and party -- all night.
Both Bodleian and I wanted to see some of Melbourne's many gardens, so I introduced her to Melbourne's trolleys, free in the central business district. The trolley was crowded, so we both stood, right next to one of the exits. Several stops later, the woman between me and the window had to get off. To let her by, I had to let go of the pole I'd been holding on to. As I did so, the trolley gave a big lurch and I stumbled down the aisle, completely out of control and headed for a fall. As I did so, my doctor's words trumpeted through my mind. I asked him if there was anything I could do to ameliorate the damage I'd done to my brain when I fell last October and again in March. His words? "Don't fall again." With those words racing through my mind I grabbed for...anything. I got...a woman standing, talking on a cell phone, and holding onto a railing. I grabbed her upper arm and held on with a grip of iron. If I was going down, she was going down, too. But no! Her grip was equally strong. She held on to her railing, I lost momentum and regained my balance, she no doubt ended up with a spectacular bruise on her upper arm. I said, "Omigod, I'm so sorry." Her only acknowledgement was to say, into her cell phone, "No, that wasn't me." She never looked at me once during the rest of my ride.
We got off at the Treasury Buildings and walked a couple of blocks to Fitzroy Gardens. I wanted to see the Conservatory. I love glass houses.
This one was quite small and old-fashioned, but sweet. I thought it must have dated back to the 19th century, but no, it was built in 1930.
Lovely gardens on a lovely day.
Next we wanted to see the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens, a walkable distance away...
...which took us past Parliament House.
Lordy, what a pleasure walking with someone who doesn't get lost. There were several points along this walk where I would have chosen differently...and incorrectly...from Bodleian. She got us from Garden to Garden without a single detour. Amazing!
The Royal Exhibition Hall:...
...which, when we finally reached it...
...was closed for an event. Oh, well.
Bodleian wanted to retrace our steps and visit some of the buildings we had passed, and I did not, so we agreed to split up. I wanted to go to Queen Victoria Market and buy souvenirs and little gifties. I had noticed, as we reached Carlton Gardens, that there was a convenient stop for the free City Circle Tram Route. I figured I'd wait on the platform and catch the trolley no matter which direction it was going. If I caught the one going back toward Fitzroy Gardens, I have a nice long tram ride, around about 85% of its loop. If I caught it going the other way, I'd get to William Street, my stop for Queen Victoria Market, quickly. Alas, I got the short ride.
Lots of stalls at Queen Victoria Market, inside...
...and out:
I got T-shirts and other little small gifties, and for me, a beautiful laurel wood cutting board. It looks and smells delightful.
Then I saw this:
Never, in the U.S. have I seen a mobile doughnut shop. How could I pass it by?
I couldn't.
Five for $5, hot, crispy, and sweet. I ate three of mine.
From the Market, I started walking toward the train station. Unsurprisingly enough, I got turned around and spent half an hour or so proceeding briskly in the wrong direction. Once I got myself straightened out, I managed, after some confusion on my part, to meet up with bigj52 for coffee and conversation. She is beyond easy to talk to! Oddly enough, it was our second meeting in less than a month. We had spent May 26th together in Coatesville, PA, visiting mandagrammy. Are we not jet-setters or what?
I got back to the Best Western after Bodleian to find her on her bed, with her leg propped up on a pillow. Another long day in a long week.
We started out our last day in Australia the same way we'd started the day before. We took the shuttle to the airport and the SkyBus to the train station. Then we had a four block walk to the corner of Flinders and Clarendon to wait in a hotel to be picked up by the tour. We got there early enough to have breakfast while we waited.
We had a full day excursion ahead of us, so we made several stops before arriving at the Phillip Island Nature Park.
Our first stop was an animal park. I have mixed feelings about this sort of attraction. They often do not operate under the same set of rules applied to zoos, and sometimes the animals are exploited and even mistreated. This one seemed decent although not polished and shiny.
"A one-l lama is a priest,
A two-l llama is a beast,
I will bet a silk pajama
That there is no three-l lllama." Ogden Nash
Bodleian likes llamas. I can take 'em or leave 'em.
"Up jumped Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--and said, 'What, that cat-rabbit?'
Off ran Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--always hungry, grinning like a coal-scuttle,--ran after Kangaroo" Rudyard Kipling.
Animal parks seem to make me quote poetry. Kipling had it right, though: dingos are yellow and they do look like dogs.
Emus look prehistoric, don't they? And they are big. We were pretty much eye to eye.
This roped-off area is a wallaby refuge. They seem to understand that as long as they are within the roped off area they won't be bothered or touched.
Finally, this splendid tree, all a-bloom in early winter, goes by the un-splendid name of wattle. This specimen was the largest and nicest I happened across.
Once on Phillip Island, our first stop was Woolamai Beach, a beach with some serious signage:
Danderous Current, Deep Hole, Unexpected Waves, Unstable Cliffs - Stay Clear
"
After Woolamai, we made a stop at a chocolate factory where we got ample opportunity to visit their gift shop and perhaps make a few purchases. I did. It wasn't Lindt Chocolate but it was decent. It's all gone now.
We next stopped at a beach where we had time enough to walk on the sand. "You can take off your shoes and wade, but be careful. This beach has Unexpected Waves."
I didn't want to wade, but I did want to walk on the beach. I gotten most of the day's exercise getting on and off the bus.
As I walked on the firm wet sand, one of these deceptively mild-looking waves went up the beach ahead of me, curled around and soaked me up to my knees. Opps. I was afraid that as the warm water cooled, I'd be chilled but my layers came through for me. I had tights under my jeans and socks and shoes, and they magically warded off the chill.
Our last stop before the penguins was the Nobbies.
famsee, couldn't you get a straight shot at this sign? Ugh.
I know, another gorgeous coastline. It's almost like seeing too many cathedrals in Europe, isn't it?
From the Nobbies, it was on to the fairy penguins. We arrived in time to have supper in the cafeteria and perhaps make some purchases in the gift shop. The doors to the penguin observation area don't open until an hour before it gets dark. Then you walk down an extensive network of boardwalks to the concrete bleachers at water's edge.
We were asked not to take pictures of the penguins. I heard a counple of reasons, but the one that made most sense to me was that the bright, quick light of a flash shot disoriented the little guys. Certainly it wasn't light itself, because the boardwalks had soft lighting at regular intervals.
We had at least a 45 minute wait before it got dark which we spent people-watching instead of penguin-peeking. The people were numerous, diverse, and entertaining, so the time passed easily. Then, when it was fully dark, people started seeing the penguins come ashore. I did not. Once again it was brought to my attention that my eye sight was not up to snuff. Even when I squeezed into a space right next to the beach, on the second row of the bleachers, I didn't see any penguins. I saw birds on the beach but they looked too large and too white to be penguins. I think I saw a bunch of seagulls.
At any rate, I was ready to accompany bodleian back to the gift shop/café building. We were not the only species going that way. All around and under the boardwalks, the tiny (about 12" tall) penguins were clambering up the steep hill to their burrows. We were often inches away from the little guys, so I could see them just fine. Some tackled the hill solo, others in Indian files of six or eight penguins. Once we saw what appeared to be a dispute over possession of a burrow and one penguin knocked another over, flat on his back.
What struck me the most magical about the whole experience was the trilling call of the penguins. They all trilled all the time, so as we walked up the hill, we were surrounded on all sides by their short, musical calls. It was the sort of sound I could believe fairies would make. Even if I had been blind, the tour was worth it just to hear the fairy penguins sing.
Then it was back in the bus, back to Melbourne, onto the SkyBus, and back to the Best Western. The next morning I said good-bye to my chauffeur, guide, and friend, Bodleian, and left for LAX on a 9:50 a.m. flight. What a wonderful trip! Australia, I love you. I'd love to come back!