The penguin parade at Summerland Beach on Phillip Island is a must. OK... so it's a bit touristy, but to be honest you forget that when you sit on the beach waiting for the little penguins to come up onto the sand.

At sunset the anticipation grows and suddenly you see one penguin running tentatively out of the water to check if it's safe. The penguin will run in and out of the water several times until a signal is given... and then thousands of penguins come running up the beach and the cliffs. It lasts a couple of hours - and it's a great sight to see.
There is a visitors' centre there which is OK - and you can buy photos of the penguins as you are not able to take photos of the event itself... unless you happen to find one or two in the carpark like I did. The basic admission is about AUS$17, and you will be there for most of the evening.

Phillip Island is 90 mins drive from Melbourne City. Driving by car is easy, but it is probably easier to join one of the coaches to get there. www.penguins.org.au

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Lovely area of beaches, quaint towns and in particular, wineries. Most serve excellent lunches and generally you can walk round the vines in a beautiful landscape.

About 1 hours drive south of the city centre.

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Well worth a walk as it encompasses some of the the best vistas onto Port Phillip Bay and some good beaches. Set up to educate users on local artists and why/where they painted what they did - includes Tom Roberts and Arthur Streeton. If you have time, have a coffee at the Rickett's Point cafe overlooking the beach...

www.bayside.vic.gov.au/artstrail/masterframeset.htm

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