Day 10 - Queen Victoria Market and Philip Island Penguin Parade

Today we went to the Queen Victoria Market. This place is HUGE!!! It looks like a giant "flea market" set up where people come to sell anything and everything. We were able to finish up most of what was left of our souvenir shopping there.  We found clothing, knick-knacks, Christmas ornaments, magnets, and playing cards to add to our collections. We could have spent an entire day (and more) there, it really was that big!

Next, we found another food court area and we scattered to find various foods from around the world.  I keep saying that, but Australia is very much like the United States of America, in that it is the biggest melting pot of cultures, so there is plenty of food varieties to choose from.  It is very rich in the Asian cultures, too, so their ramen bowls are top-notch (just ask my kids LOL).

After lunch, we dropped off our treasures at the van and made our way to the bus pick-up spot to head to Philip Island.  If you have never heard of this little oasis, please look it up! It was so beautiful and had so much wildlife that we were able to see and appreciate along the way. Along the way, we were able to stop by some scenic viewpoints and boardwalks and put our feet in the water in a different part of the ocean.

This is also the main landing place of the "fairy penguin".  This is the smallest penguin breed in the world, and, you guys...SQUEEE!!!  THEY ARE SO ADORABLE!! Every night, they make a "parade" from the ocean to their nests and burrows on the island. And, goodness, if you think the adults are adorable, wait til you get a look at their babies! AAAHHH!! THEY'RE SO FLUFFY!! This was such a great experience to witness and just marvel at their beauty and how completely exquisite nature really is.

You can also see some of their official photos here.

This was seriously the BEST experience we could have ever asked for! We will NEVER forget this one (plus, this will be hard to top)!

EDIT TO ADD: I forgot to mention that we saw a bandicoot (this is a tiny little thing that almost went extinct - we weren't able to get pictures because it was after dark and they don't recommend taking photos for a few reasons, one being the quality is poor, as they don't allow flash photography). We consider ourselves VERY fortunate to have even seen one of these little creatures.

We also saw this cute wallaby (behind the guide in the orange vest). She had a tiny little joey in her pouch that played peek-a-boo with the crowd. SO DANG CUTE!!