Tuesday, December 27, 2016

An Educational Stop at Phillip Island Australia

Without having traveled to the Phillip Island, I would never have practically concurred with St. Augustine when he said that “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” I am glad I have been able to open another valuable page of the world in the name of Phillip Island in Australia.

Without this travel, I would never have discovered the endless beauty a coastline can offer. Serene daytime seaside appearance and Azure Sea and sky at dawn and dusk have never been real as they were during my time in this Australian island. To practically emulate the words of Frank Bormann that "Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit," my time on the island was well spent, and trying to explore and visit all the places I could possible get to in three days.

Abundant was the wildlife, ecstatic was the international motorsport and adventurous it was to explore the seaside villages and Phillip Island’s family attractions. To conclude that Phillip Island Australia is the holiday haven that any person should consider is not an overstatement. If it were not for my experience with Phillip Island, I would not be writing about these magnificent places and experiences. As Ibn Batuta said, “Traveling – it leaves you speechless, and then turns you into a storyteller.” I tell my story.

Wildlife Viewing
There is endless wildlife in this spacious island that one can be able to appreciate. What made my tour more intrinsic is the fact that most of the animals here can rarely be found in other regions in the world.

Churchill Island Heritage Farm
This is a special piece of the Victorian heritage that I decided to visit. Everything here was simple, and I came to realize that this simplicity is what makes it interesting to be here. Taking long relaxing strolls along the coastal lines, and through the fragrance of the lawns and cottage gardens, for once I was able to appreciate the real beauty of nature.

The coastline walk was also educational as I was able to view and appreciate the restored cottages and farmhouse. The early Australian settlers together with their original practices were appreciated. Sitting down to enjoy the Australian cuisine in the Heritage farm’s licensed cafĂ© just after buying some lifetime quality gifts for my loved ones from the quality gift shop did much to complement Churchill’s ecstatic look and experience.

Koala Conservation Center
If you have seen the Koalas in the zoos before, then your experience is not complete. Unlike in the zoos where the animals have been confined, I strolled through this Phillip Island’s eucalyptus woodland, coming face-to-face with these animals in their natural habitat. Perfect viewing was made possible by the new koala boardwalk. It was a lifetime event for me to catch a glimpse of the koala joeys taking their first adventure from their mother’s pouch, finding food and ultimately learning to climb. Wow! What an experience worth remembrance. For better remembrance, Susan Sontag says that “Travel becomes a strategy for accumulating photographs.” My Nikon camera was always busy throughout this experience.

The spectacular woodland walks, the beautiful possums, enchiladas and wallabies in the natural bushes and the entire natural habitat as a whole made me conclude that your journey to Phillip Island is never complete if you don’t get to Koala Conservation center.

Things to do
There are unlimited things that people can do while visiting this island. To be biased, don’t miss out on walking and cycling. I say to be biased because I like cycling and I really liked cycling while on my exploration there. On the other side, as much as I am an anti-walking person, I would confess that the experience I had in the woodlands and the beaches would have never been worth recalling if I didn’t walk through. I really loved my walking experiences during all these days. 

Bird Watching
I managed to kill two birds using the same stone, in that as much as I was enjoying cycling, I ended up in the bird watching site thus appreciating nature the more.

In the main park of the Cape Woolamai, I was speechless when I came to witness the migration of a real flock of the short-tailed mutton birds as they returned in mass to their colony just before dusk. At first, I thought this was fun. Little did I know that real fun was yet to come the day after? Spotting all kinds of wading birds migrate from Rhyll inlet gave me the real experience of nature. Name the straw-necked ibis, the royal spoonbills and the rare hooded plover; I hadn’t imagined that there was real beauty outside here. I had underestimated the Phillip Island. I decided to just sit and enjoy. It is this experience that made me to fully agree with John Steinbeck when he said “A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” An experience with the Penguin Parade, a night experience when the penguins returned ashore after their day out fishing was amazing.

Swimming & Surfing
I was lucky to be in Phillip at a time when they were holding their many surf clinics. Though an amateur in surfing, it didn’t seem to me a tall order after I registered for a beginner’s skills lesson. There was no swell from the day I got to this island to this third day hence reduced fear of any risks. At the end of it all, I was happy because though tired, I knew that my experience in the waters was truly therapeutic. 

My Dining Choice - The Cape Kitchen
Though there are numerous restaurants in Phillip Island, the setting at the Cape Kitchen inspired me to take most of my meals there. Natural setting, distinct and unique in town, I would enjoy the breathtaking views of the coastline and the Southern Ocean as I ate special meals, mostly seafood as that is what I preferred most.

I would have wanted to stay longer but my time to go back home came quite fast. My experience was just a tip of an iceberg of where I could have gone to or what I could have done. I thought that because I visited just a few places I had not achieved anything but this feeling left me once I was home. No wonder, “No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.”- Attributed to Lin Yutan.

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