Benjamin and Tiffany spent two weeks touring Australia. In the Dandenong Ranges of Victoria, we rode the historic Puffing Billy Steam Train east from Belgrave to Emerald Lake Park. This is one of the only trains in the world where you can (and are encouraged to) sit in the windows with your feet dangling outside the train. It was a unique experience, and we enjoyed our excursion being pulled by historic steam engines 6A and 7A. During our layover at Emerald Lake, we hiked the Lake Nobelius Loop and saw several Sulphur Crested Cockatoos and very colorful Crimson Rosellas.
In the towering Mountain Ash forests of Dandenong Ranges National Park, we hiked to the small Sherbrook Falls, watched a Lyrebird digging for food along the trail, and shared some time with a Kookaburra that was snacking on insects. Also in the park, we hiked the famous 1,000 Steps Trail. This trail, also called the Kokoda Track Memorial Walk, was a difficult hike but was worth the effort. Being one of the most popular hikes in the Melbourne area, we were fortunate to visit at a time when there was hardly anyone else around and we were able to enjoy the peaceful serenity of the rainforest. Both nights that we stayed in the Dandenong region we enjoyed dinner at Archie's Farm Restaurant where we had a great experience. We also had a nice lunch at The Blacksmith in Belgrave.
Next, we drove to Phillip Island to spend a few days encountering some of Australia's most unique wildlife. On the way, we made a stop at the Maru Wildlife Park where we saw a Tasmanian Devil, Water Dragons, Dingoes, Quokka, a Cassowary, Wallabies, Emu, and so many Koalas. We even had the opportunity to participate in a private feeding session with an Echidna, and Tiffany fed several Kangaroos. Arriving on Phillip Island, we first took in the views from The Nobbies and drove the scenic coastal drive along the Southern Ocean. We saw several of the Cape Barren Geese and a wild Echidna.
The highlight of our time on Phillip Island was watching the nightly Penguin Parade. During this event, over 300 Little Penguins came ashore and marched across the beach to their burrows. This was such a unique experience, and we loved spending the evening watching the playful penguins waddle their way past us (we also saw a Bandicoot).
The next morning, we visited the Koala Conservation Reserve where we saw several koalas up-close on the elevated boardwalks. We also saw some Curlew and a few Galah Cockatoos. After lunch we headed to Cowes and boarded a Wildlife Coast Cruise to Seal Rocks to observe the largest colony of Australian Fur Seals in the world. About a quarter of the entire population of these seals lives on the rocks just off the coast of Phillip Island. After our cruise, we explored the town of Cowes and the beach before returning to our lodging in Rhyll.
We spent two days exploring the Great Ocean Road along the southern coast. Our journey began in Aireys Inlet where we climbed to the top of the still operating Split Point Lighthouse and took in the scenic views of the coastline and Southern Ocean. After driving along what has been called one of the most scenic drives in the world, we stopped for lunch in Lorne and enjoyed a brief visit to Lorne Beach. After lunch at the Pit Stop Cafe, we drove to the nearby Erskine Falls in Great Otway National Park. Unfortunately, the trail to the falls had been wiped out a few months earlier by a storm, but we were still able to see the falls from an overlook at the top. Returning to the Great Ocean Road, we headed south through Apollo Bay, then hiked the rainforest trail through a silent and dark fern gully at Maits Rest.
The highlight of our Great Ocean Road journey was getting to spend a night at the Cape Otway Sky Pods. These glass 'pods' are completely off-grid and allowed for some incredible wildlife viewing. We spent the evening watching Wallabies, Kangaroos, Parrots, and other wildlife from our front porch with views of the Southern Ocean and an incredible sunset.
To begin the second day of our trip along the Great Ocean Road, we were treated to a beautiful sunrise and a complete rainbow over the ocean. In the morning, we took a private helicopter flight along the Shipwreck Coast and Cape Otway from the 12 Apostles to the Bay of Islands and Cape Otway Lighthouse. While it was a bit rainy, we still had a nice flight and learned a lot from our pilot and guide. The sky cleared in the afternoon, and we had a wonderful time driving the final section of the Great Ocean Road and visiting the 12 Apostles at Port Campbell National Park, Loch Ard Gorge, London Bridge, The Grotto, and the Bay of Islands. At the end of the road, we spent a night in Warrnambool where we enjoyed a great meal at Clovelly Restaurant and visited the nearby Tower Hill Wildlife Preserve where we were fortunate to be able to observe wild Koalas and Emus.
The final stop on our tour of Australia was Melbourne. Our time in the city was split over two days. First, we visited the Docklands District where we did some souvenir shopping, had a good lunch at Krabby's Crab Boil, then rode the City Circle Tram around the city. This tourist route uses historic trams to take visitors around the central business district and showcases several popular landmarks including the Victoria Parliament House, Flinders Street Train Station, the Yarra River, and more. We spent the evening in nearby Werribee where we walked the Werribee River Trail, had a nice dinner at Il Matto Pizza, and finished the night by watching one of the most incredible sunsets we have ever seen.
Our second day in Melbourne was spent touring the Melbourne Zoo where we saw several of the Australian animals that we didn't catch a glimpse of in the wild such as a platypus, wombat, and black sawn. The zoo also had many of the typical crowd favorites like giraffes, lemurs, a red panda, a tiger, and many others. Our final night was spent at a hotel at the Melbourne International Airport, watching planes come and go with another incredible sunset before embarking on our own 14-hour flight back home.