After a short break we had dinner in the most unusual restaurant: The Colonial Tramcar Restaurant. This not only is a tramcar, it was moving around the city as we were eating. A delicious meal was served as well as being in such a different setting.

We are so fortunate to have an Internet friend in Melbourne who has volunteered to take us around on our free day! The next morning we leave and head up to the Dandenongs. The Dandenong Ranges are just beyond the eastern fringe of Melbourne’s suburban area. They are more than 2,000 feet and with the area’s heavy rainfall, it means they are very green, with dense, lush growth. We stopped for coffee at a charming café and had a good time catching up. Then we head towards the Healey Animal Reserve. This is a great place! There were many Australian animals, and even a display of bird behavior. One koala seemed glad to see visitors and put on quite a show for us. There was LOTS of film shot with this little guy. I did learn that the Koala is not a bear. It is a marsupial, which carries its young in a pouch for six months and then on her back for another six months. Although the Koala is not endangered, its habitat is being reduced. It lives almost exclusively on the young leaves of eucalypt trees. They typically sleep for 19 hours a day and spend most of the remaining time nibbling on leaves. We were so lucky to catch him awake! They also have some Echidna, which also incubates their babies in a shallow pouch, but only for 7-8 weeks. After that time, the baby is left in a burrow while the mother forages for insects and termites. They also had a Wombat, but he was sleepy. I did have the opportunity to pet her, and we were told that she will go back into the wild when she’s a bit older.  We also saw some kangaroos and dingos.  I also found what I considered to be a very interesting mailbox.  

All too soon it is time to head towards Philip Island. It’s a drive to get there with no straight roads, or so it seems. Philip Island is the home of the popular fairy or "little" penguins. A major visitor attraction in the Melbourne area is the nightly parade of foot-high penguins that live on Phillip Island. The birds (Eudyptula minor) spend their days fishing in the Bass Strait, then return home nightly to their colony at Summerland Beach. Thank goodness our hostess has brought lots of blankets, scarves, hats and mittens. It was breezy and a bit chilly. About 8:15 they start coming in. They do some teasing by showing themselves and then disappearing into the surf again. They are just adorable in their little lines and waddling up the beach. (No cameras are allowed, so the picture here is from a postcard) Most are in by 9 PM and once the tour buses leave we are able to take advantage of the solitude by going around the elevated wooden walks viewing the little birds next to their burrows. On our way back to the Windsor Hotel, our hosts took a detour so we can see the entire lighted Port Philip Bay! I just wish I could have taken pictures, it was so beautiful. But it was after midnight when we return, and we were scheduled to leave at 6AM for Alice Springs. I do wish we had more time to spend in Melbourne. But perhaps another time we can return for a longer visit! For more information on our tour, hotels and the area please see the sites below.

Questions or comments?