Phillip Island

We recently joined a group of friends who had organized a week’s bushwalking at Phillip Island located 140 kilometers south-east of Melbourne. The island formed part of those lands inhabitated by the coastal aborigines called the Bunurong people and was discovered by George Bass in 1798 in his whaleboat measuring only 28 feet in length.

It now has a permanent population of 7500 residents and a large variety of migartory birds and native animals.

The pictures were taken during a number of beautiful walks across and along the shores and include pictures of 2 Cape Baron Geese. The Island has abundant wild life including Wombats, Kangaroos, Koalas and many migrating birds such as the Shearwater. These reamakable birds fly north along the western part of the Pacific Ocean to the Arctic region and return southwards through the centre of the ocean, travelling 15 000 kilometres in each direction annually. They have been known to fly this distance in just six weeks.

Our walks were across interesting bushland and on the coastal routes you viewed the roaring surf from steep cliff tops and then to descend to the relative tranquility of more sheltered bays. There was also seals and the penguin parade which is a popular tourist attraction.

We returned earlier than expected as my wife (who had not joined in the walks due to recurrent hip and back irritation) suffered a particually acute attack and has now been hospitalized and will probably undergo surgery very soon.