Racing bikes and titchy penguins

Nearly midnight and an opportunity to look back at the day.

Didn't start off paricularly interesting with a visit to a Botanical Garden and a little chocolate factory/visitor attraction - but did it improve from there. We went to have a look at the race track on Philip Island. No these places can be pretty boring when not in use - huge areas of nothingness, empty rooms, pits, hospi areas etc. But not today - today was qualifying for the World Super Bikes Championship - so we was treated to watching from the pit lane roof bikes steaming down the home straight at over 200mph. Noisy and impressive - then after a quick trip to a smaller winery, a visitor attraction overlooking what is in effect the Southern Ocean (next stop the South Pole, and a early dinner we went to see something call the the Penguin parade.

Basically what happens is that each night 100's if not 1000's of penguins leave the sea for the day, cross the beach and disappear into the undegrowth and their nests. These penguins are really small, maybe 12-18 inches high and the cross several 100m of beach and dunes. What is really interesting is that this spectacle has been turned into a tourist attraction with a timed countdown as to when the birds will appear. I can only guess the pop up from the water at the turn of a tide to get the timing so precise. These guys are really cute as the waddled within a few feet of where I was standing.

So the day is finally beginning to catch up on me so time for bed. Due to do a helicopter flight tomorrow, learn to cook tapas and then back to Melbourne.

Night night fair world

P