Noah’s Ark.

Australia is sometimes called Noah’s Ark.  There are animals here that are found no where else on Earth.  As previously discussed many of them kill you within 4 minutes of meeting them.  Most, however are adorable!

I have no photos of my favorite animal event which we went to last night on Phillip Island, the Penguin Parade.  No photos were allowed.

This was very exciting, and even more so because we had previously attempted a “penguin parade” when we were on Kangaroo Island.  We had made our way to Kingscote, ate dinner early, thrilled to see the march of fairy penguins across the beach at dusk!  Imagine our despair when we arrived and learned that our plans were thwarted.  There was a note on the door saying there was no longer a parade because the New Zealand Fur Seals had…well…devoured the little penguins.  Just earlier that day we had oohed and aahed over how cute the New Zealand Fur Seals were, now I thought of them in a slightly different light.

At any rate last night we got to see thousands of happy, healthy, hearty fairy penguins waddle out of the Southern Ocean and onto the beach-but no photos allowed.  You just have to trust me.  It was enchanting to see the foot high, blue wings spread for balance and white bellies shining as they shuffle across the expanse of sand, safely to their waiting chicks.

Then there’s also these cuter-than-Plush Toy Koalas?  There is an ample supply of them on Kangaroo Island because they have no natural predators.   If they were awake, which is a big “if” because they sleep 20 hours a day, they stared down at us with the most bemused expression.

Obviously, there was an abundance of kangaroos on Kangaroo Island along with an ample supply of wallabies.

They particularly like to come out when you are driving, at night.  One night we counted 46 animals that either scampered, hopped or crawled in front of us on a harrowing drive back to our lodging.

We also visited Seal Bay Conservation Park.  Guests accompany a ranger to the beach to see the resting, tan blubbery sea-lions.  These are not the New Zealand penguin-eating seals.  These are fish-eating Australian Seals.

There’s cockatoos and parrots are everywhere.

 Some of the critters are a little prehistoric looking, like this little guy we met along a hike….

and then there is Larry the Lobster who resides outside a depressing little town at the end of the Great Ocean Road.