Call ahead, book ahead, pay in advance

With the Christmas festivities over we decided to head out and do activities the kids were looking forward to. We had been trying to rent a car for a trip the next day but not having much luck. We talked about it over the holidays but never made the calls with all the goings on for Christmas, and in a city the size of Melbourne they must have cars, right?  After a very frustrating 1.5 hours researching and calling every place twice, we finally got a car just before they closed at noon.

First stop, Melbourne ScienceWorks and Planetarium (science centre). Great place to run around and get hands on science insight into the body with an entire sports/movement section. We were there for 3 hours and the boys could have stayed longer. There was a huge dinosaur area that looked great but it was extra pay and we didn't have time. The upstairs is like a big city with foam block construction, stores, and more learning about bugs. Biggest surprise was the admission - $20! Even in our old Calgary Science Centre the admission was more and in our new Telus Spark it costs much more!!! Not sure of the cost if we have paid for the extras like shows and the dinosaur part, anyway, great place. 

Jeff was able to catch up with another Canadian friend from his uni days, Jenn, who has married and Aussie and now lived in Tasmania. They were in Melbourne for Christmas and met us at ScienceWorks with their kids. Great to catch up and meet families. A quick stop at another of Jeff's friend's house that was part of a group of gals that came to Canada and stayed with Murray and Di - Sara Hein and her husband Martin and two kids. Everyone from the gang was going there for dinner that night but we just stopped in for appies and a drink.

We really wanted to rent a car to drive to Phillip Island and see the Penguin Parade - one of Victoria's top things to see. It's just over an 1.5hr drive so we headed out and picked up dinner along the way. Jeff had checked the web site before we left so we thought we had all the info. It is an amazing event where the tropical penguins, who spend the day off shore fishing, all come up on the beach around 8pm to next and feed their young in borrows. Apparently there can be hundreds and the event lasts for about 20 minutes. We heard there are now cameras in the burrows so you can watch the young being fed.

part 1 of the miniature Wallace and Grommet display at Science works

part 2 - apparently the Wallace and Grommet house is going to be set up there this month with a topic of innovation for kids!

this gadjet had reflective mirrors and trying to walk that line without looking directly at it was really diffiult

there was a huge 'body in motion' interactive part that was fascinating and fun, with lots of information about the sports themselves 

there was a 20M race track to test speed

even the Paralympic sports were well represented

a lego version of Melbourne and the bay

Jeff and Jenn, seeing each other after almost 20 years!

We got near the beach and saw signs saying 'tickets sold out'. After waiting in a line of traffic to be greeted by a parks official confirming the Penguin Parade was sold out that night, one of only a few nights of the year, and it was posted on the web site. No, it was not on the web site and in spite of pleading our situation they weren't letting us in, and no, we are not going to come back next year. So, we turned around and came home having seen a great sunset on Phillip Island and not much else. Very disappointing and thus the title of this post. Still a great day of fun and friends.