Travel | Moonlit Sanctuary, Melbourne
I thought I'd begin this post with the cutest photo I have of this baby wallaby eating out of Stew's hand. Isn't he the sweetest thing you've ever seen?!
During our weekend away traveling the Great Ocean Road in our camper van we also drove to the other side of Melbourne for a visit to Phillip Island and the Moonlit Sanctuary. At Phillip Island we experienced an incredible sight of hundreds if not thousands of tiny penguins swimming ashore and nesting on land. Unfortunately but understandably we weren't allowed to take any photos of the penguins as not to disturb them. But it was amazing, they came so close the viewing platforms and boardwalks. They were practically by our feet! During that evening we saw this lovely sunset pictured below.
Another foodie photo! We made this smashed avocado and poached egg for breakfast the next morning before driving on the Moonlit Sanctuary. Yum!
The Moonlit Sanctuary is a place where you can get up close and personal with a number of Australian animals including kangaroos, wallabies and koalas. You can by a bag of feed for just $2 and walk through a wooded area to feed the kangaroos and wallabies. You have to be patient and very quiet but eventually the inquisitive bunch do come up to you and take the food right out of your hands. The wallabies were more keen than the kangaroos. It was a very hot day and they were more interested in resting in the shade, so we were incredibly lucky to feed the fella below.
We also had the amazing opportunity to pat a koala! Here is Victoria you're not allowed to hold koala's but the government have passed that you can pet them in a controlled environment. I am a little obsessed with koala's and have always wanted to get up close to one. We saw some at the zoo in Sydney last year but in Melbourne they don't have any at their zoo due to the few koala based reserves.
This little guy was all about eating his eucalyptus tree and didn't seem to even notice us stroking him. He was so furry, literally like a teddy bear. We had to be careful only to stroke his back and not touch his head or the plant as the chemicals on our hands can change the flavour of the leaves and put him off eating and possibly be toxic to them. It was a very educational experience and we learned a lot about these beautiful creatures.