Jul 18 - Pengi Besuche Harndorf! Guest Blog!

  Hi Everyone!  It’s Pengi again with another big adventure.

  This little penguin was a little sad today because it was our last day at Victor Harbor.  I shall miss seeing my cousins and worry about them after learning about the dangers they face.  I hope that Joyce and the other people working at the penguin centre are able protect them and help the colony grow like my friends back home in Bicheno have.  I shall have to convince Jess and Mr Smart to return back here soon to check on their progress.
  We soon packed up our belongings and said goodbye to our home away from home away from home, as Mr Smart liked to call it.  As we packed the car, we noticed the big house on the hill in the distance again.

  We had noticed this house on the way into Victor Harbor, and during our journey had regularly spotted it, due to its prominent place on the hill.  Since we had a little time to kill, we decided to find it for a closer look.  Naturally it wasn’t too hard to find but it was surprising to learn that it was actually a private residence, not a hotel or reception centre.  They must have had a big family to require so much space!

Mt. Breckan

  The next activity for the day was a spot of whale watching.  Jess’s Mum had told us that there was quite a few spotted in the area and had supplied us with some binoculars to spot them.  I was still a little nervous about getting close to whales despite what Jess had told me about them only eating small fish.  Luckily we stayed on the land, not something you hear a penguin say too often!  It did make spotting them a tad hard though, even with the aid of the binoculars.  We did manage to find four of them playing in the sun and took many pictures of them.

Bashams Beach

  Mr Smart even took a video of it which makes them a little easier to see.



  Finally it was time to say goodbye to Victor Harbour and return home, with a stop or two along the way.  Looking back, we saw that Victor Harbor truly is the land the end of the rainbow!

  Our next stop was close to Adelaide, so we took a long leisurely drive through the countryside.  It was very picturesque though we noticed how windy it was, the car nearly being blown off the road a few times.  Well, not quite off the road, but it did swerve regularly.  It was even more apparent when we arrived in Handorf and had to leave the shelter of the car.  It was very windy, and Jess and Mr Smart had to huddle in their jackets while they walked along.  I for one was glad that I was snug in Mr Smart’s jacket also.  It was so nice when we finally found a place for lunch and were able to enjoy a traditional German weissbier in front of the fire.
  Mr Smart was quite adamant about enjoying the German experience of Harndorf and we ordered a Giant German Hotdog for lunch to share.  We had thought it would be nice light meal since we weren’t very hungry.  Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be bigger than me!

  After lunch, we strolled up and down the main street looking at the various souvenirs to take back with us.  Mr Smart has an in joke with his screen writing class from last year about babushka dolls, so naturally he had to take a photo of a whole wall of them! It was quite fortunate that he did though since they seemed to be the perfect gifts for Jess’s nieces that we were seeing in the evening.
  We finished our tour of Handorf and headed to the home of MinxB and BaconBones, Jess's brother and sister-in-law, for dinner.  It turned out to be a wonderful evening with Jess’s family.  Her nieces quite enjoyed their babushka presents and had great fun taking them apart and putting them back together.

  We were even lucky enough to get a visit from IronSmart!

  After a fun-filled afternoon playing with Jess's nieces, a delicious meal home-cooked for us by MinxB and a lovely evening all round, we finally returned to Adelaide, our home away from home and settled back in.  It was a wonderful trip down the coast and this little penguin looks forward to returning sometime soon.
  Love from Pengi

Jul 17 - Pengi Takes The Train. Guest Blog!

  Hi Everyone!  It’s Pengi again with yet another big adventure!

  Whoa.  What a lot of walking we did yesterday.  Both Jess and Mr Smart had really sore feet by the end of the day and this little penguin was glad that they had been kind enough to carry me everywhere.  Thankfully, today was going to involve far less walking.  Instead, it was going to involve a trip on a choo choo train!  One of the things Jess had been looking forward to showing us on this trip was the Cockle train that still ran between Victor Harbor and Goolwa.

   We had time for stop in at the Anchorage to enjoy our complimentary breakfast, and Mr Smart was particularly happy to enjoy another one of their marvelous coffees.

   After finishing the delicious meal, we made our way to the station though it seemed that we arrived too early and had to wait for the train to arrive.

  It wasn’t too long a wait before we heard the toot toot of the approaching train. We looked down the line to see the stationmaster performing the old job of manually closing the boom gates. He then held up the flags to signal the train driver that it was safe to enter the station.

  Once the train came to a complete stop, Jess decided that she wanted to sit in the red carriage, so I hurried inside and secured some seats for us.  While waiting, we learned that a group was running late so the train would wait for them to arrive before departing.  While I was eager to get underway, I was glad that the driver was being so considerate and making sure the other group didn’t miss out.

  Thankfully it wasn’t too long a wait and we were soon underway.  It was soo exiting to be zooming along and I was quite amazed to see how close to the beach we travelled.  So close in fact that we were able to spot whales that people were looking at.  Sadly, we couldn’t take any photos of them, despite the driver stopping to allow the passengers a view, since they were still far out to see.  I didn’t mind so much because whales make me nervous.  I know they mostly eat krill and small fish, but it’s hard to remember that when a great big one is swimming past a little penguin like me!

  The driver was such a nice man, not only had he waited for the group and stopped to let us see whales, but he even allowed us all to come to the front of the train and look out the window.  It was soo exciting to watch us zoom along as fast as could be.  It was even faster than a penguin swimming through the see.

  We also learned where the train got its name from.  People would travel to Goolwa to collect cockles from the Murray River and it became such a regular occurrence that they started to call it the Cockle train, and the name stuck.  The train line itself was built to transport goods from the Murray to the port at Victor Harbor.  When it was no longer used for that purpose, it was turned into a tourist attraction for little penguins like me.  And for humans as well I guess.
  All too soon we arrived at Goolwa and started our sightseeing of the town.  First up was a walk up to the top of the bridge crossing the Murray River.  Wow, what a great view it was, and it was amazing to see how big the Murray was.  No wonder Adelaide used it to get its drinking water.

  We then ventured back into the main area of the town, stopping to fuel up on coffee and a baby honey log.  We also marvelled at the street art spreading throughout.  It seems that someone had decided that the usual stobie poles were far too plain and decided to brighten them up according to various themes.
  We were slowly making our way to the sadder part of our trip.  Last year, Jess lost her beloved Granny Jean, and one of the purposes for our visit today was to see her house again.  It held so many fond memories for Jess and she regaled us with many tales from her childhood.  There was so many funny stories that this little penguin couldn’t help but smile and laugh at them, but I knew how sad Jess was that she was gone.  I gave her a hug which I hoped helped.  This little penguin suggests you all hug the people you love right now!

  After the somberness of visiting Granny Jean’s house, we made our way back to the wharf area.  There we decided that we would share a lunch together and when Jess saw that they had pie floaters on the menu, she insisted we try one since it was a South Australian tradition.  Mr Smart and I had grave misgivings about the idea but we always like to try everything at least once, so we agreed.  It was just as well that we did since it turned out to be quite delicious.  Even Jess was impressed by the quality of it and decided that it was one of the best she had ever had.

  After finishing our meal, we ventured over to the nearby Steam Exchange micro-brewery to acquire some presents for Jess’s brother.  They had a fine selection on offer and Mr Smart would have probably enjoyed having a schooner or two to taste, but sadly our train ride back wasn’t too far away.

  Jess and Mr Smart decided on the beers that they would be purchasing and we made our way back to the station in plenty of time to catch the last train back to Victor Harbor.  The ride back was just as fun as the ride in, and also included a stop along the way to spot some more whales.
  After arriving back at Victor Harbor, we returned to our room for a rest break before heading to the hotel’s restaurant for dinner.  They had many tasty options and I had to consider the menu carefully before deciding on what we would have for dinner.

  It seemed that I chose wisely, as the food they served up was quite divine.  I was quite partial to the school prawns, though Mr Smart didn’t seem too fond of them.  The only thing that remained was a dessert and coffee to cap off a wonderful and memorable day.

  Time for this little penguin to get some sleep!
  Love from Pengi.

Jul 16 - Penguin Day!

  Hi Everyone!  It’s finally here!  It’s Penguin Day!

  Today we go to Granite Island to see my friends and relations. 

  We were up bright and early and headed off to the Victor Harbor Information Centre.  Jess and Mr Smart weren’t sure where the Penguin Centre even was so they thought we’d better check there first.  While we were there we saw a Pengi-bank!  My fellow penguins on Granite Island need a lot of help so Jess and Mr Smart let me make a donation.

  It turned out that the Penguin Centre was located on Granite Island itself and we were up early enough to catch the very first tram over the causeway to the island.  Mr Smart likes trams.  At home in Melbourne, that's his favourite way of getting about so he was very happy to see one.  This tram is a bit different though!  There is no electricity involved, the tram is pulled along by a horse.  The horse pulling our tram in the morning was called Mac.  He was very big and intimidating but I got quite close when Jess went to pat him on the nose.  It was a bit drizzly as we boarded the tram set off but that was great, because it meant we had the top of the tram to ourselves!

  The trip across the causeway is only a kilometre but I have very short legs so I was glad I didn't have to walk.  Mac the horse has very long legs and he's very strong.  By the time we got to the tram stop on Granite Island he must've been very tired.  At least the sun had come out so he (and I) could dry off the drizzle for the rest of the day.

  We stopped for a quick look around the gift shop to pass some time while we waited for the Penguin Centre to open then we wandered down to meet some penguins!  The Penguin Centre is currently home to ten Little Blue Penguins like myself, who can't go back into the wild for various reasons.  I could go back to the wild if I wanted to, but I have decided that I like living with Jess and Mr Smart and getting to travel around Australia.
  There was a lot of useful information at the Penguin Centre.  I learned my scientific name, I am a Eudyptula minor!  Jess said that Eudyptula is Latin and means 'good little diver', which sums up we penguins very nicely indeed, and the minor is because we are the smallest penguins in the world!
  The penguins at the centre are fed twice a day and we were there in time for the first feeding.  My tummy was rumbling as the keeper Joyce gave her talk and fed all the other penguins fresh pilchards, but Mr Smart said I would have to wait until my own lunchtime.

  We didn't meet all of the penguins, but we did learn that the best way to tell a boy penguin like me, from a girl penguin, is by looking at the beaks.  Boy penguins generally  have a shorter stouter beak and girl penguins, a slender and longer beak.  The method isn't perfect though, as Joyce introduced us to a pair of penguins, Billy the girl, and Sophie the boy!
  Billy had a sad start in life, but her story has a happy ending.  As a chick, Billy was pulled out of her nest by a child and when the child was told by its mother to put her down, the child dropped her on a rock and her skull was fractured.  She was rescued but it took six months for her to heal and the vets thought she might have fits later in life as a result, but she's lived happily at the Penguin Centre ever since and loves Sophie very much.  Sophie is quite shy, he never came out from under the rock Joyce was sitting on!

  While Sophie and Billy seemed very happy together, some penguins seem to bully their partners a bit.  There was a penguin called Charlie and we didn't get to meet his partner Maddy because he wouldn't let her leave the nest!  Joyce said sometimes he only lets her out every other day, and I thought that was mean, but we also found out that penguins don't mate for life.  Penguin girls pick the house they like best and then take up with the boy who built it, so I guess Charlie must be a good nest builder!  I think I'd better start brushing up on my carpentry skills!
  Joyce also told us that the penguin colony on Granite Island is in dire straights.  In 2008 there were about 2000 penguins in the colony and at last count earlier this year, they think there are only around 26 left.  Lots of things can affect penguin colonies, like feral cats and dogs which used to be a big problem in Bicheno where I come from, and human interference, but the main problems on Granite Island seem to be disruptions in the food chain, and fur seals.  Fur seals like to (gulp) 'play' with penguins.. and they play rough!  Hopefully, the Penguin Centre will get permission to breed their captive penguins before it's too late!
  After all that learning and watching the other penguins eat yummy pilchards I was very hungry so we went and had lunch.  Jess and I had fish and chips and Mr Smart had a chicken pot pie.  Once we'd eaten we were ready to tackle the rest of the island.  You can walk right around it, or if you're lucky like me, be carried around it in a handbag or jacket!  At the beginning of the walk there is a very impressive pile of granite boulders.

  We walked from there to a boardwalk platform and we could look further out to sea and I could see another even smaller island.  It turns out that it is called Seal Rock, and it's where all the nasty fur seals live.  Unfortunately there isn't much that can be done about there being too many fur seals as they're a protected species too.  The view of the side of Granite Island from up there was very pretty though.

  There were a lot of very cool looking granite formations on the walk, as well as interesting birds and plants.  Jess and Mr Smart had a big laugh at this rock in particular.  They both giggled and said it looked like Boba Fett, but I didn't know who that was.

  We met lots of other visitors during the day.  There were lots of other tourists and everyone was running around and taking pictures.  Jess and Mr Smart took photos of other people for them and they swapped back and took photos of us!  It's very nice that everyone is so happy and friendly when they are visiting new places.  When we had nearly got all the way around to the start again, Mr Smart spotted a new spider web glistening in the sunshine.

  One of the reasons that I like living with Mr Smart so much is that he is so kind to animals.  Even though he doesn't really love big spiders, he still won't ever hurt them.  This spider was going around and around, getting closer and closer to the middle of his web.  He was nearly finished and ready for fly-catching in the evening.

  It was a lovely walk around the island and we headed back over the causeway in the sunshine, on a much more crowded tram!  We wanted to do a few little things before we headed back to Granite Island in the evening for our night time penguin tour!

  When we got back to Victor Harbor, Jess noticed a pair of camels on the beach.  I was pretty hesitant, and Mr Smart took some convincing, but Jess could not be dissuaded. She's always wanted to learn to ride a camel, and though a camel ride is not quite learning, it's at least a step in the right direction.  I was very nervous but I went along for the ride too.  Jess and I went on a female camel called Patty and Mr Smart was ahead of us on a larger male camel called Teddy.
  It was a very funny feeling as the camels got up and down.  They get up with their back legs first so you nearly get thrown off over the front and then they sit down front legs first so it nearly happens again!  Patty was very funny, after she had sat down she wiggled her big camel-butt and Jess nearly flew off sideways!  It was a fun mini-adventure though, between penguin-based activities.

   In what seemed like no time at all, the sun was setting and it was time to walk back over the causeway to have our night time penguin tour.  While we were walking over we stopped to take pictures of the sunset and a nice lady coming the other way stopped and took a family portrait for us.

  When we got to the island, I got to see a sign that made me clap and cheer.  We had missed seeing it when we came over on the tram.

  We met our tour group for the evening at the Penguin Centre, and we got to see Joyce again as she was our guide for the night.  It was nice to get to see her again.  We did get to hear a lot of the same information as we had during the day, but we also got to hear a lot more anecdotes about Joyce's life with the penguins, which was fun.  She obviously loves us Little Blues very much.
  With the penguin colony getting so small there was a chance that we wouldn't see any wild penguins at all, but we did see one!  And Joyce showed us some of the burrows and nests that were in very very hard to reach places.  I don't think I will be so adventurous as to build my nest on a cliff face under a boardwalk!  Though that one was called 'The Penthouse' so it might be good for attracting the right kind of lady penguin one day when I'm older.  We did see other wildlife too, birds and possums.  The possums certainly weren't afraid or shy.

  After a long day of walking, Jess and Mr Smart were both very tired and very hungry.  There had not been time to eat dinner before the penguin tour and it was nearly eight o'clock by the time we had walked back over the causeway to Victor Harbor.  We went to a local Indian restaurant and had a pleasant meal together before we went home and collapsed into bed and fell asleep very quickly.
  Until tomorrow!
  Love from Pengi

Pengi Goes To The Fleurieu Peninsula. Guest Blog!

  Hi Everyone, it’s Pengi again with a big adventure, within the big adventure!
  Despite already being on a holiday, Jess and Mr Smart had planned a few days away from Adelaide in Victor Harbor.  They made sure to let me know there was plenty of room in Jess’s bag for me to come along, making this little penguin very happy!
 The trip to Victor Habor also included passing through McLaren Vale, a well known South Australian wine region.
Mr Smart is very keen on his wine and Jess is growing fond of it as well, so they were both looking forward to this part.  I’m still quite a young penguin so I can’t buy any wine myself, but they let me have sips now and again, though they are sure to watch me carefully.
  The first stop was the Shingleback winery.  It is home to the very popular Chocolate Shiraz wine.  They decided not to try that particular wine though since they have already had it many times before.  Instead they tried a few others and decided that they liked them enough to purchase some bottles.

  The next stop on the mini wine tour was Maxwell Wines, famous for its honey and mead.  Both Jess and Mr Smart tasted quite a few of their meads and found them to be delicious. They ended up buying a lot more wine there than they had planned and decided that they needn’t visit any more wineries.  Jess also had a taste of their honey and decided to buy a jar of it as well, one that had been aged to the point it had candied!

 

  After Mr Smart and Jess loaded up the car, they had a quick run through the still growing Maxwell Maze.  Jess took the left wall and Mr Smart took the right.  Jess and I beat Mr Smart out and were waiting with the camera!  Luckily none of us got lost and we were soon off to our next stop.

  We were all quite hungry at this point and decided to head to another place that Jess had been keen to take us to, Blessed Cheese.  They had a nice cheese platter for us all to share which included some nuts and fruits.  Both Jess and Mr Smart were surprised by how much they enjoyed the Adelaide Blue, a blue cheese since they generally don’t like the type.
  After finishing lunch, we all walked down to another of Jess’s favourite places, The Almond Train.  They had also sorts of wonderful treats inside, though most revolved around almonds.  They selected a few treats, some to enjoy themselves and some to give as presents.

  We were going to head back to the car and continue our journey, but it began to pour down with rain just as we left the train.  We hurried into a nearby bakery that Jess had already eyed off and settled in to wait out the storm.  Naturally while we were there we had to order their cake and coffee deal!  Mr Smart enjoyed the coffee while Jess and I shared the cake.  The stop also gave me a chance to write some of my postcards ready to send off.

  The rain soon stopped and we made our way back to the car to finish our journey.  It wasn’t too long a drive and we soon found ourselves entering Victor Harbor.  Jess’s keen eye spotted the Kleinigs Hill Lookout and we pulled in to take in the view.  There was even a pair of fixed binoculars there that I got to look through.

  Binoculars are a pretty magical device since they make everything so much bigger and look so much closer!  I could see all the way to Granite Island, which Mr Smart told me we are visiting tomorrow!
  We could have stood there all day looking at the view but decided to head in and find our new home away from home away from home!  We missed the car park on the first pass but this just gave us a chance to see some of the back streets as we drove around the block. We checked in to Room 23 at the Anchorage Seafront Hotel and did a little unpacking, after which Mr Smart decided that being driven around all day was too tiring and decided to have a nap.  This gave Jess and I a chance to wander around ourselves and we got to see a wonderful sunset across the bay. Mr Smart sure missed out!

  When we got back, Mr Smart was suitable refreshed and ready to venture out in search of dinner.  The Encounter Restaurant at Hotel Victor was chosen, partly due to Jess having found a discount coupon for it.  The pub style service had Jess and Mr Smart worried but they were soon pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food.  All the meals proved quite delicious though it was hard to pick between the lamb ribs or chicken dishes as the standout of the night.  To accompany the meal, Mr Smart tried out the West End beer, which Jess described as the South Australian version of VB.  He seemed happy enough with it and was glad to have ticked off another local specialty as done. Jess and I shared a lemon lime and bitters.
  After dinner, we picked up some supplies from the local Coles. We had forgotten that plastic bags had been banned in South Australia so we hadn’t brought our own resuable bag and had to buy one. It proved fortuitous though since we had many souvenirs to carry back by the end of the trip!
  Overall it was a very fun day but we were all ready for bed by the end.  We piled into the bed and put on some Star Trek DS9 to end the day.
  Back soon!
  Love from Pengi.

Pengi Goes To The Park. Guest Blog!

  Hello again everyone, it’s Pengi, back for another big adventure on day three of our Adelaide trip.  After two rather full days, today was going to be a bit more laid back.  Quite appropriate for a Sunday!  After sleeping in for a suitable amount of time it was time to start the day.
  First up was a trip to the local bakery for breakfast.  Jess decided that it would be nice to take Anouk for a walk as well since she was pining for Jess's Dad.  Anouk is a golden Labrador and seems to be quite friendly, though I am still nervous around her since she is so much larger than me and quite quick with chomping down on what she sees as food.  Jess has assured me that I will be quite safe.
  The bakery is very close and we were there in no time.  Once there we saw Jess's Dad, Bertie and Jess's nephew finishing up, and they agreed to walk Anouk back home while we sat down to enjoy our breakfast.  The bakery had a great selection of treats to try, even one that looked like me!

  Mr Smart had his usual morning coffee and was going to share it with me, until Jess pointed out that I should have traditional Adelaidean breakfast comprising a Kitchener Bun and Nippies ice coffee.  The bun was quite delicious but seems to be very messy to eat!

  I must admit that I had a bit of a sugar rush so we decided we would continue on our walk to the nearby park to help work off the energy.  Mr Smart and Jess have already walked to this park a couple of times so they decided to talk an alternate route to see more of the neighbourhood.  It’s full of many nice houses, and Jess explained that they follow the Germanic style of architecture due to the early settlers of Adelaide.

  On arriving at the park Mr Smart pointed out that last night’s rain still hadn’t dried up and suggested that I couldn’t go on all of them.  I tried to explain that I didn’t mind the water, I am a penguin after all, but he was quite insistent that he didn't want me catching a cold.  Luckily we did find some things that Jess was able to dry enough for me to enjoy.  First up was the swing, which was so much fun.  I wanted to go higher and higher!  Sadly the slide was deemed too wet for me.  I tried to point out that penguins slide on ice all the time, but no luck.  I did get to walk across the bride though.

  There was also a climbing rack with a chain.  It was hard work getting up, my flippers are made for swimming after all, not climbing, but it was fun trying something new.  I did want to finish it with a slide down the tube, but again, it was decided that that was too wet.

  On the other side there were letters on wheels that you could spin around to make up different words.  I wanted to make my name there but the letters weren’t in the right spot, so I had to settle for standing next to a P for Pengi!

  Soon it was time to head back.  Along the way Jess reminded me that in life it’s important to stop and smell the roses, and what better way than to stop and smell a rose!

  When we got back we found Bertie creating towers for Jess's nephew to knock down.  The towers looked so big to me and she was really nice and said I could stand on one.  It was quite a different view being up so high and I could see way farther than normal.  It certainly gave me a new perspective on the world.
 

It was quite a fun filled morning and Mr Smart thought it might be nice if I shared it was all my friends, so I setup next to Jess and set to work writing it all down. 

  Time for this little penguin to sign off, until my next big adventure!
  Love from Pengi!