Who knew?! Thomas the tank engine made his way all the way to Australia. We celebrated Reid’s 3rd birthday on September 24 but we went to see Thomas for his birthday ‘party’ later on in October. The guest list consisted on Alexis and mommy (daddy received an invite but declined due to work obligations), exactly as Reid prefers it (except for daddy not being there).

Thomas and his friends came to the town of Queenscliff, not far from where we live. Reid and Alexis were convinced they were the trains from the stories and they were in awe. It was fun to watch. The only thing that caused suspicion for Alexis was that Thomas’ eyes weren’t moving. We spent the day enjoying rides on Thomas and Oliver, climbing on to Gordon and blowing his horn as well as learning how a steam engine works. The highlight for Reid was being able to show his own little Thomas to the ‘real’ Thomas.

What a fun day to celebrate Reid!

 

On a weekend in early October, we decided to go on a short road trip to a unique island called Phillip Island. It is known for its breathtaking beauty of unspoilt, rugged coastline, endless beaches and native wildlife encounters.

Phillip Island is home to hundreds of little penguins who emerge from the sea at dusk after a day of fishing, to return to their burrows. We were lucky enough to watch in wonder as these little penguins, no bigger than a 2L jug of milk, suddenly emerged from the water in groups and together waddled across the beach, as quickly as possible, to avoid birds of prey. We then wandered along the carefully built boardwalks and followed the penguins back to their homes. It was fascinating to watch these penguins in their natural environment. We had never experienced anything like it before. The ‘penguin parade,’ as it is named, was amazing and something we will remember for a very long time. To protect the penguins, there was no photography allowed, which means we don’t have any pictures to share.

We were able to take a few pictures in the visitor centre as well as on the viewing platform before the penguins arrived on the beach.

Another highlight of our weekend was visiting the Koala Conservation Centre where we were able to spot koalas in their natural habitat. We walked along the treetop boardwalks, listening for the laugh of the kookaburras and looking up in the eucalyptus trees where the koalas slept.

Not only did we get up close and personal with some of Australia’s native wildlife, we also explored the rugged coastline at The Nobbies. On a clear day, we were told you can view one of Australia’s largest seal colonies, who have made their home just off the coast of Phillip Island on Seal Rocks. Unfortunately, the morning we spent at the Nobbies was rather foggy and windy. However, we were able to wander along the cliff top boardwalks to discover that there were little penguins living in this part of the island as well. We were also able to see the ‘blowhole,’ which is sea cave that thunders when the sea swells. The waves coming into and rushing out of the cave create a thunderous sound and make a spectacular mist show for viewers.

We moved on from The Nobbies and further down the coast. We discovered unspoilt beaches that seem to go on forever. We wandered along the beach and came across Forrest Caves which are unique sea caves that were formed from years of erosion. Alexis and Reid had so much fun playing in the tide pools and running along the beach trying to run away from the waves. It was such fun to watch them explore and experience such beauty at Forrest Caves.

Finally, we went to try out our race car driving skills at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. Phillip Island is host to many events like the Australian MotoGP, the World Superbike Championship, the Classic Car Festival of Speed and many more. We didn’t exactly get to try out one of the ‘Hot Laps’ but we settled for the Go Karts. Alexis and Shane rode in a tandem Kart and probably did not get up to speeds that satisfied Shane but it was thrilling for Alexis. Reid and I watched as they ‘raced’ (depending on who you ask) around the 750m scale replica Grand Prix track. Regardless, it was an exhilarating experience!