James & Patsyannes big aussie adventure: Day 74 Tuesday 23rd April 2013, Location; Bass Valley Reserve

Woke up to a sunny morning with no wind (YAY!!!!) I am starting to feel my nose again it is finally starting to defrost.

Today we decided to head to Phillip Island to check it out.

We arrived at Phillip Island and we drove down to The Nobbies but as it was blowing a gale and the sea was roaring there were no seals to look at today. I must say that this place has certainly changed since I was last here about 19 years ago now, back then there was a wooden shack at the top, now there is new Visitors center that wasn't there then. You could pay to view the seals out of Seal Rock, but as there wasnt any out there today no point wasting our money.

The display was quite interesting but little miss 4 yr old had other ideas, and wouldn't stand still long enough for us to read much of it, so off and down to do the boardwalk to see if we could see any penguins or seals.

We did get to see quite a number of Cape Barron Geese along the roadway to the Nobbies.

We headed off to the Penguin Parade, this place was still the same as last time, however, during the day you can go in and have a look around the display inside but you can no longer go out the front and look at the nesting boxes, they have about 6 that you can look at through perspex inside so that was as close as we got to seeing any penguins.

You are no longer allowed to take any photos of any kind during the nightly penguin parade, and it was going to cost us about $50 to see the parade, and it was blowing a gale and sleety rain, we decided to pass. (Didnt really feel like sitting in the rain with a gale blowing trying to see the Penguins).

Next stop was to the Phillip Island Grand Prix Track. As it is a closed circuit you are not allowed to go in to it like Bathurst, you can do a hot lap but at $199 + we decided that we would go to the museum, but at $12.50 each for James and I and $9.50 for Rena we decided to pass as we had been to the motor museum at Bathurst.

We took some photos to stir Leaston then headed back to the car and off to Woolami Beach. By this time I could no longer feel my nose again, and Rena chose to stay in the car whilst James and I had a quick look at the beach before rushing back to the car.

Next stop was Parry's Chocolate Factory. Once again $12.50 each for James and I, and $9.50 for Rena to do the tour, and as it was only 30 mins to closing we decided just to have a look at the store. So $13.50 and 2 100g bars of chocolate later we headed back to the car. The girl who served us could not have been more sour and less helpful. The person before me was Asian and she bent over backwards smiling and laughing with them offering them free samples, me was like go away I dont want to serve you and how dare you ask for a free sample for that KID.

Time to head for our chosen camp site, we have decided to give the Mornington Peninsula a miss this time, we wanted to head away from the coast and hopefully this wet weather.

We got to Kirth Kiln at about 5.30pm, the couple of designated camp spots at the Kiln were not really suited to camper trailers, and a nice man who saw us turning around trying to find somewhere to camp came over and saw us and told us of more suitable camp site up the road a little so we headed up there, first lot we looked at were not suitable, but I scored, someone had left a canvas stool (so I now own a canvas stool just needs a minor repair) and we headed further up the track, found a nice level spot and set up camp.

James did a walk whilst I was cooking dinner and found a drop toilet. I finished cooking dinner in the dark and we wet to bed early to get away from the cool night.

A note for people thinking of camping at Kirth Kiln from the 6th May the local council were no longer allowing camping at the Kiln but you could still camp in the forest.