We were now on one of the world’s great ocean drives. Right up there with the likes of the Oregon
coast, Highway 1 in California, Croatia north of Dubrovnik, the B110 along the
Southern Ocean is spectacular.
The western edge is moderately flat but the coast is studded
with spectacular views.
After passing through classic beach towns like Apollo Bay,
we mounted the steep cliffs over the ocean and wound our way in and out, up an
down, for 90 minutes. Many of the curves are 25-30 mph. Lots of shifting practice with the left hand
and foot!
Needing to make the 5 pm ferry across the mouth of Port
Phillip Bay, the huge bay at which Melbourne sits at the top of, we raced for
Queenscliff. Making it with a few
minutes to spare, we boarded the 45 minute ferry to Sorrento (no limoncello
here!) and then another 2 hour race to Phillip Island.
Why the race? Because
at about 8:30 pm, “rafts” of “little penguins” (the world’s smallest penguin)
march up the beach and then to their burrows. They might half to walk a mile to
reach the burrow. They have been feeding
at this time of year in preparation for molting, and need a belly full of fish
to hold them over until their new waterproof feathers are ready for a
swim. This is a nature conservancy, and
no photos were allowed, but the official count was that 682 of the little guys
came out of the water and up the sand to their burrows this night.
http://www.penguins.org.au
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