
After Sydney we had a weekend where we hired a people carrier and did some day trips together. Steve was our driver and I was the DJ playing the tracks whilst we cruised around! The minivan was great and I liked it much more than our car! But sadly Steve said we weren't allowed to keep it.
Stopped for lunch at a nice restaurant in Cowes and then we headed to the Nobbies to have a coastal walk. Unlike our day at the Great Ocean Road, the weather was lovely with blue skies. We were also lucky enough to spot a little penguin who was enjoying the sunshine. There aren't usually opportunities to take pictures of these cute little creatures because it's banned on the actual Penguin Experience because of those that don't abide by the rules of no flash photography.
We put on some extra layers whilst at the Nobbies in preparation for our Penguins Experience. I remember the first time Steve and I did this and I was in my shorts and a hoodie and oh so very cold so not this time! I even donned my penguin socks for the occasion. This time round we'd upgraded our tickets to the Ultimate Tour which meant that a group of ten of us were taken to the other side of the beach with a ranger to sit on the beach where the penguins come in so it was a very intimate and exclusive experience. We had night vision goggles and also were given navy blue overcoats to wear to blend in. It was very different to the previous time and just so interesting. We were lucky enough to see about 250 little creatures come in. Our ranger counted them; no way I could have done that!
After Healesville, we had a quick photo stop at Domaine Chandon. It's always so gorgeous and picturesque there. The drive up to the buildings was also gorgeous as the trees were just turning red. A late lunch was at the Herb Garden in Lilydale before it was time to return home.
The family left the Wednesday after our weekend of road trips. We'd had a lot of fun over their three week stay. It was really weird after they left. I was in the apartment alone as Steve had taken them to the airport and it felt so big and empty. Admittedly having 6 people in the apartment for 3 weeks was exhausting but we wouldn't have it any other way and are so glad they came to see what our lives are like here in Melbourne. We're so pleased we could share a little bit of the fun we're having with them.