#PhillipIslandandThePenguinParade

The day's goal was to see as many penguins as possible.

I had joined a tour that promised to take me to see wildlife, chocolate production and beautiful beaches but most importantly, penguins. Before I set off, I went with Ashley to get a coffee and then we met Emma on the beach for a short sunbathing session. It was a boiling day and I was praying that the bus had aircon.

I was the last to be collected. Awkwardly, I moved my way to the back of the bus and took the last empty seat next to two Chinese guys that couldn't speak a word of English. I plugged my earphones in and let Connor Maynard set the atmosphere for the long bus journey. We stopped for lunch first at a lake and ate our chicken and salad rolls. The heat was too intense so I headed for a tree where I met a young Spanish guy called Alfonso. He was with his friend Mario and they both accepted me into their gang of two - probably out of pity as it was clear I had no friends but let's not dwell on the facts.

Our next stop was an animal park. I was excited to pet the wallabies and kangaroos as usual but they were all a bit too fed up for food and I didn't blame them. The animals all looked too hot and I'm sure the koalas were annoyed that they were being held. No one complained of being shat on though so it can't have been as annoyed as the one I held. I found a wallaby that was a greedy little bugger and he held my hand as I fed him some grain.

The rest of the park was okay but I felt sorry for the birds trapped in the cages. I still don't understand why it's allowed to keep parrots behind bars! Especially in Australia! They are literally everywhere! Feeling a bit hot and fed up myself, I went to find some ice cream and enjoyed it in the air-conditioned cafe. The next stop was a chocolate factory that no one wanted to go into because they make you pay more. You do get to try some free chocolate so I guess that was a bonus!

As we approached closer to Phillip Island we started seeing some truly beautiful sights. We stopped off at a beach with stunning views and were even given some time to go and enjoy it for a few minutes. I raced straight for the sea, desperate to dip my feet to cool off! I was joined by Mario and Alfonso who too were looking happier than before.

One more stop before the parade! Our guide told us that we could walk along the boardwalk and that this would be the best opportunity to take pictures of the penguins. It was like playing hide and seek. Every now and again a small crowd were gathered around looking like they were taking a picture of a random bush but as you got closer you could see the grey, fluffy chicks in their nests. It was shedding season which meant a lot of penguins had shed their black

feathers so all of them looked a little mangy and unkempt.

The air began to cool as we settled on the sand waiting for the parade to start. The Spanish guys had bought wraps with hummus and chicken and shared it with me which was nice. Although we didn't have a knife so they folded a wrap to create a spreading device.

We waited and waited until finally, out popped a penguin. It was a little in the distance but you could see his teeny frame waddling away to find his nest. Then another, then another. We had front row seats to watch as each little feathery chap and chapess emerged from the cold water. Right across the beach in the darkness was where most of the action was happening. Hundreds of penguins marched in a row towards the boardwalk. I was hoping the one in front would play a marching drum or the bagpipes but it never happened...let downs!

We had almost decided to go for a walk to see the nests when two penguins swam out just in front of us. The one saw all the human faces and freaked out; diving straight back into the water. The other one however was a lazy little bugger and was determined to get across despite the horrible humans. He waddled close. Paused, waddled a bit more. Stopped again. Looked at us, edged closer still until he was about 1 meter from where we were sitting. Then he quickly made a dash for it, cutting the corner and practically stepping over people's laps to get to freedom until he made it back on the path to rejoin the others.

After seeing the penguin so near to us, we decided to go and see them on the boardwalk. Little lights lit the way so we could see the penguins in their nests and boxes just chilling. They turn the lights out at 10pm and no one is allowed to disturb them anymore which is good because if I had random strangers looking into my room at night while I tried to sleep, I'd be a little freaked out.

The evening was going so well until I went to the gift shop to buy Paige and Ivy a toy penguin each.
"Where are you from?" the cashier asked.
"England," I replied. I watched as she typed my answer in the box on the screen.
"I always find it funny when English people come to Australia because you thought it was such a horrible place, so you sent us all here because you thought it was horrible and now you come here on holiday. Hehe" I was dumbfounded at first, who was this angry till worker? Was she 280 years old? OH NO, SHE WAS ABOUT 17! Sorry love but you weren't born and neither was I so pipe down! ...Luckily I remained calm.
"Well, I'm not sure I was solely responsible for the exile of all Australians over 200 years ago," maybe if your great great grandma hadn't stolen a pig, you'd still be ploughing the fields in Ireland you xenophobic cow! The last bit was the response I thought of in the car on the way home as I was still outraged by the exchange. Needless to say, there was no more giggling as I snatched the super soft penguins into my hands and stormed off back to the minibus.

Despite the slightly, unnecessarily passive-aggressive shop assistant the day was great! I saw heaps of penguins, fed a kangaroo and ate two ice creams! #winning!