Our guides were named James and Sam.
Sam drove… and was quieter. James sat in the front passenger seat, mumbling about famous Australians, animated arms and hands flailing wildly as he spoke. Sue sat in the back making fun of him, convinced she was out of his sight… which I debated. I laughed so hard I cried.
First stop… winery.
We sampled a Chardonnay, Reisling, Pinot Noir, a blended red and a white port followed by a red port.
My favorites, the Reisling, the blended red and the red port. We snacked on a lovely artisan cheese and bread platter, as we chattered and admired the view. Across the vines was the coast… and French Island. Fittingly. (My grandmothers name is French, my mother and her sisters all with the maiden name French, obviously.)
Next stop, the chocolate factory… our mouths already salivating with anticipation. Promises of tastings on our minds. There was a quick tour with lots of good info about how bitter little cocoa beans are grown, harvested, ground into paste and made into dark, milk and white chocolates.
The displays were pretty impressive. Someone had spent a lot of time putting together colorful scenes made entirely of chocolate.
We sampled and shopped. The store had seen us coming (us and everyone else). The chocolate was good but the prices were high… Not that it stopped us!
The van pulled away, the 7 of us and 2 other women from Oregon, high on sugar and wine… Sam still talking mundanely from the front seat, his arms not yet ready to take a break either.
Up the road further we entered a wildlife park. Aussie critters abounded. Wallabys with joey’s, echidna, dingos, koalas, native birds (including a barking owl… yes you heard right and it DID bark) and Tasmanian devils of course.
Pauline and I got chased by emu’s in the enclosure. Taller than me, with a large pointy beaks bearing down, they were going for the brown paper bag of food pellets I held. I didn’t stick around, instead made for the exit gate and escaped.
The koalas were much more mellow. Waking only 4-6 hours a day, its not a surprise. Super cuddly and cute, I could have photographed them all day… and it looked like a couple had the same idea about me.
We had dinner and headed for the highlight of the day. The penguin parade.
Little blue penguins head out to sea to fish and eat for about a week at a time. At this time of year, the chicks are almost independent and go fishing too. Only about 300 penguins come in each evening, versus the 2000 or so at the peak of penguin watching season. They ride the waves to the shore, then jump upright and waddle up the sand banks to their burrows.
At a foot tall and weighing roughly a kilo, they really are LITTLE penguins. They come in just as the light fades. Small groups make the walk together…. Calling to each other loudly. Safety in numbers.
OMG they are adorable! I want one!
The day finished with a 2.5 hour ride back. Stopping only to get surfing off Nana's bucket list. Yes! She is 80 years old!!!
It was close to 1am when I launched myself into bed and entered blissful unconsciousness.
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