The last two days we were just exploring Melbourne bit by bit. A bit of shopping, coffee, strolling, lunch, a stop in the Melbourne museum that’s showing a vast exhibition about James Bond (my friends Sue would have loved it), another stroll, another coffee…

The last night of Sven&Kevin’s stay in Australia, we went down to the St. Kilda Pier again, to watch the colony of little penguins that nest in the rocks. It’s hard to believe but, despite all the people running around, those birdies have chosen the pier as their nesting area The little ones are underneath the stones, hidden during day, and waiting for their mothers to return at sunset.

 

So we walked over there a bit before, enjoying the sunset and the skyline. The Eureka Tower, the tallest building in Melbourne, had an eerie golden glow to it. Its upper part reflected the sun’s light onto the city centre and around, wandering with the setting sun. Mordor, my friend Kevin said. And he was right, it looked like the watching eye in The Lord of the Rings. Spooky.

The pier was still buzzing with life. Beach volley ball, gold diggers in the sand, ice cream vendors, skaters, you name it.

On to the Pier with the penguins. We, and a couple of hundred others, were much too early though. The penguins only arrive when it’s really dark. Flash photography is not permitted, it would probably just scare them away. I am amazed that they do not close off the pier completely at dusk, and let the penguins arrive in calm.

Some swim into the marina and underneath the wooden pier and hop into the rocks. Others come from the sea side, hop over the rocks, walk over the pier, and hop down again. There are numerous guards who make sure they are not being disturbed on their way – by the literally hundred people staring around and aaah-ing and ooh-ing. Like guards at a street crossing for school children…

 

They probably want to raise awareness though, and the birdies are really cute to watch. We, however, after waiting about 90 minutes in an ever colder wind, and not having eaten, headed for the first restaurant once we had seen the first of the birds. They are cute, little 30 cm tall creatures, and look so helpless hopping around those rocks… Try to hop up a huge rocky hill without hands!

There’s no way to make any decent photo of it, without the flash. It’s just too dark, and the penguins move, so it’s all a blur. It’s something you have to see with your own eyes.

I might go back another night, if only for the Melbourne skyline – the only thing I could take come pictures of. I need a tripod though and more darkness…

To be continued.