A visit to Phillip Island, Lakes Entrance and Gippsland

Contributed by Pam Simpson and Wendy Poyner

The trip was from 15th to 21st May, 2019. After crossing the bay to Sorrento, we went to Nobbies Centre and the virtual Antarctica Journey. The Penguin Parade was fantastic, but we were not allowed to take photos because it was dusk and flashes might scare the little penguins. It was great to see them scurrying back to their burrows after their walk up the beach. We also went into the Buchan Caves that have lots of stalactites and stalagmites

The Arthur’s Seat Eagle is a gondola lift operated from the base station in Dromana to the summit of Arthur’s Seat. The Phillip Island Chocolate Factory was the sweetest and most addictive attraction on Phillip Island! From there we went to Churchill Island which is connected by a bridge to Phillip Island.

We then joined a cruise to Seal Island to capture the wonderful sight of many young seals playing. Next stop Tarraville to view Gippsland’s oldest church and then on to Port Albert. This was followed by a cruise to Metung and Paynsville

Lakes Entrance is situated between Bairnsdale and Orbost at a man-made channel that links Bass Strait and the Tasman Sea with the 400 square kilometre network of inland waterways known as the Gippsland Lakes. The Griffiths Seashell Museum is one of Australia's largest private collections of natural sea life featuring over 90,000 shells and sea creatures.

Old Gippstown Heritage Park is an open-air museum and reconstructed pioneer township located in Moe, Victoria.  It portrays the settlement era of Gippsland from the 1850s through to the 1950s.