Down Under Day 3: Hot Springs and March of the Penguins

I wish our stay at Yarra Valley could have been longer, but we had to leave for Mornington Peninsula. Deanne prepared an amazing breakfast for us - bacon, sauted mushrooms, eggs and baked tomatoes, while Toby, sprinkled bird seeds at the lawn outside the dining room to attract wild birds such as cockatoos, parrots, for us to enjoy Strathvea's signature 'breakfast with the birds'.

One of the best brekkies i've ever had

The resident peacock, which according to Toby was already there when they bought over the guesthouse 2 years ago

The view from our room and our trusty Getz in the background.

What a beautiful morning. I wish i had a home like the B&B

Remnants of Fall

The intention was to go to the Peninsula Hot Springs at Mornington Peninsula to soak in the hot springs. We almost didn't have the chance to as the fiance had forgotten to bring his swimming stuff. Thanks to the receptionist's suggestion, we drove to a nearby K-mart where he managed to grab trunks and shorts.

The only photo we took at Peninsula Hot Springs

Soaking in the 37-39 degrees pool during the cold, winter weather was pure bliss.

We then drove for 2 hours to Phillip Island to catch the Penguin Parade, where hundreds and sometimes up to a thousand (depending on the season) little Penguins emerge from the sea daily at dusk, to wobble back to their sand dune burrow homes. The little penguins were really adorable - everyone cooed over them when they made their grand arrival. Even though we had to wait for an hour in the open, with strong, cold winds, it was all worth it.

Photography wasn't allowed, so as not to disturb or frighten the little penguins.

Some of the penguins' homes are located as far as near the carpark, so visitors are warned to keep a lookout for them.

We ended our day with dinner at Hotel, a restaurant/bar at Cowes which is the town centre at Phillip Island. Food was good and the staff were a fun bunch, as you will see in the last two photos :)

One waiter offered to help us take a photo and his colleague who was serving a table spontaneously jumped into the frame
We didn't take this shot, the waiters snapped it with our camera after they took the shot for us :D