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!

Now that we are settled into our new home, Alexis and Reid are learning what it means to live like Aussie kids. They have noticed that it is normal for kids (and adults) to walk around with no shoes on. Whether we are in the grocery shoe, the post office, the bank or a café, it seems to be totally acceptable to go barefoot. Alexis has made it her mission to get tough feet so that she too can walk around with no shoes on. Reid is not there yet, he gets very bothered when he gets a single grain of sand in his shoes.

Part of being an Aussie kid is learning to talk like an Aussie. Alexis and Reid have been picking up on new phrases and practising the accent (they have not picked up an accent as of yet!).

Other ‘Aussie kid’ activities include jumping the waves while wearing a wetsuit…at least in Torquay wetsuits are necessary due to the icy cold water. It took a few visits to the beach, but both kids are getting much more comfortable in the ocean…as long as it is only knee deep! We have also spend much time perfecting our sand castle building skills as well as writing huge letters in the sand and watching them disappear as the waves wash up on shore.

In addition to adapting to Aussie life, Alexis and Reid have been filling their days with activities like playing at the park, playing dress up, going on hikes (and avoiding the snakes with the help of Reid and his stick), going on bike rides and celebrating Shane’s birthday.

But probably the most exciting thing for them is to check the mailbox for mail from home…especially from Oma, Opa and Auntie Allison.

Our time in Ocean Grove is over and we have decided to move to a small coastal town called Torquay. It is known for its fantastic surfing beaches, the world famous Bells Beach that hosts the annual Rip Curl Pro where surfers from all over the world come to compete and it is the birthplace of the iconic brands, Rip Curl and Quiksilver. Torquay is also the beginning of the Great Ocean Road, considered one of the most beautiful coastal drives in Australia. The population of Torquay is somewhere around 10,000 but can often double or even triple in the summer months as it is a popular vacation destination. It is a big change from Toronto, but we are happy to try something new. Who knows, maybe we will even learn to surf! Along with choosing a more permanent place to live, comes the challenge of finding a rental property and furnishing it. We found a 3 bedroom house, located close to the school that Alexis will attend next year as well as walking distance to the beach. We signed a lease and quickly learned that renting a property includes having to purchase your own washer, drier and refrigerator, some major expenses we did not plan for! We shopped around for furniture and found ourselves at Ikea as well as a few garage sales and a salvation army thrift store.

We are getting settled into our new home now, getting used to a small town where traffic is never an issue, there are no line ups for anything, anywhere at anytime, everything closes by 4:30 and not a soul can seen out past 7pm! It is beautiful here, the kids love their new rooms as well as the court that we live on. It makes for a great spot to bike and throw a ball. But the best part is probably the incredible scenery as we play at the park and enjoy the outdoors.

As an attempt to familiarize our kids with some of the unique wildlife in Australia, we decided to take them to the Werribee Open Range Zoo, just outside of Melbourne. We quickly realized that it was more of a lesson on African animals, rather than Australian animals, but it was a great day out anyways.

This zoo was unique to any other zoo we had been to because of the Safari Tour. We boarded a safari bus where we saw rhinos, giraffes, zebras and many other animals roaming freely on the open savannah.

After the Safari tour was over, we took a walk through the African village and spotted some lions, cheetahs, monkeys, wild dogs and many more.

Finally, we made it to the Australian journey where we looked for the highly anticipated Australian animals. In the end, we could not find any bandicoots in the bandicoot hideout, we spotted 2 kangeroos, 1 sleeping koola and experienced a very close encounter with an emu.

Although the zoo was not exactly what we were hoping for, the safari experience made for a fantastic trip to the zoo. The day was not complete without a stop at the playground.

Despite the fact that it is winter here, we have enjoyed exploring and admiring the coastal towns around Ocean Grove. The beaches seem to go on forever and the lack of development along the coast makes for a stunning natural coast line. We drove to the world famous Bells Beach where The Rip Curl Pro (surfing competition) happens each year, attracting surfers and spectators from all over the world. It is supposed to be the best surfing beach in all of Australia-I cannot speak from experience…yet!

It seemed like we were the only ones there, other than a handful of surfers. Alexis had a lot of questions about the particular style of dress and hair that she observed. She was confused by the fact that many of them had shorts on but then a toque as well. She also suggested that many of them needed a haircut or at least, a comb through.

We drove to another coastal town called Barwon Heads (pronounced ‘Ba when’ Heads-we have been working on our Aussie accent). It is a very small town where at the bluff, you can see incredible views of the ocean.

 

Finally, we spend a morning in Geelong. It is not exactly a coastal town, it is considered a bay town because it is on Port Philip Bay, not the ocean. It is a town of 250,000 people and it has the closest mall-important to note. We walked along the waterfront and discovered the many quirky wooden sculptures that tell of the history of Geelong and the important people who have moulded this city.

I have learned very quickly how different it is to travel with kids as opposed to just Shane and I. We spend a lot of time checking out playgrounds and open spaces instead of museums and historical sites.

Over the weekend, we visited the quiet coastal town of Queenscliff. It is located just 20 minutes east of where we are staying in Ocean Grove.

In its day, Queenscliff served as a 19th century holiday destination for Melbourne’s elite, a busy maritime centre and a strategic defence base. The town’s charm and impressive historical hotels made us feel as if we had stepped back in time. We stopped to have a look at the walls of defence that had once protected the area from any intruders as it’s location marks the entry point to Port Phillip bay (leading to Melbourne). We also visited the lighthouses, one white and one black lighthouse, the black one being one of three in the world, located inside Fort Queenscliff.

 

Today, Queenscliff is unique and charming coastal town offering stunning views of the coast line, plenty of places to get a good coffee and yummy bite to eat and a harbour where you can swim with dophins, go scuba diving, or simply fish from the iconic landmark, Queenscliff Pier (none of which we were able to do because of the time of year). We will be sure to come back to Queenscliff in the summer months when the town becomes alive with activity.

It has been just over a week since we arrived in Ocean Grove. It is a very small, beautiful, ocean side town with 2 grocery stores, 3 primary schools, 1 highschool, a couple of lovely cafes and a surf shop. Most of the town is vacant right now as it is winter here. The locals we have met have told me that this is coldest winter in 25 years. It’s about 10 degrees out and we are enjoying the fall-like weather. Reid, Alexis and I have spent our days exploring the town while Shane has been at work. We have found ourselves to be the only ones walking outside and playing at the playground. It is simply too cold for the locals to be outside. We have been told that in the summer months (November to Easter), this town is very busy as the home owners come from their permanent residences in other parts of Victoria, to stay in their ‘holiday houses,’ as they call them. It would be similar to having cottage in Ontario (except that there is an ocean here, not a lake). We have enjoyed exploring the beach, collecting shells and watching the locals surf.

After saying goodbye to friends and family, it was time to take all our worldly belongings and head to the airport. The 30hrs+ of traveling ahead of us seemed impossible but we took it one leg at a time. After nervously checking our luggage, not completely sure we would be under the weight restrictions/number of bags/number of carry-ons allowed, with kids in tow (literally, we pulled them along on their trunkis), we made our way to security and then on to eat.

After 3 flights, 4 interesting airplane meals, many hours of tv/movies and a few hours of uncomfortable sleep (but no sick kids), we landed in Melbourne. It was about 12:30pm Melbourne time (totally lost track of Toronto time at this point but somewhere about 2:30am?) and we were exhausted but happy to be in Australia. The weather was about 12 degrees so we were definitely the only ones in shorts and flips flops. We grabbed a much needed coffee from Gloria Jean’s and picked up our rental car. With kids sleeping in the back, Shane and I navigated our way to the coastal town of Ocean Grove, learning to drive on the wrong side of the road (the signal light was confused with the wipers many times). We are staying in a holiday house that belongs to one of Shane’s colleagues, it is lovely and we look forward to exploring in the days ahead.