Melbourne, Australia 2013 - Day 2

03rd August 2013

The plan today is to take the Puffing Billy ride and drive to Phillip Island for Penguin Parade. It’s about an hour’s drive from Healesville to the Puffing Billy Station in Belgrave. However, before all the activities, we need to settle our brekkie. Our research brought us to Grants on Sherbrooke. Ranges café are best known for their vanilla slice. To all vanilla lovers out there, this is definitely on the “A” list for cakes. Their freshly baked wattleseed scones are delicious too. Other than the sweet pastries, we also ordered the Sherbrooke Feast and Egg and Bacon Roll Deluxe. Of course, coffee to go with breakfast is a must.

Grants on Sherbrooke

Grants on Sherbrooke

Ranges Cafe

Ranges Cafe

Wattleseed Scones

Vanilla Slice

Bacon and Egg Roll Deluxe

Sherbrooke Feast

Click to find out more.

Credits - Grants on Sherbrooke website

Another reason for having breakfast at Grants was because of the PARROTS. There is a parrot “interaction” range right opposite the cafe. To make it simpler, it’s basically a parrot feeding area. You buy the feeds from the souvenir shop and feed the parrots in a designated location. The parrots will all flock to you, eager to have a share of the feeds. It is such a candid scene that camera’s shutters are busy capturing every second of the moment.

To us, parrots are just colorful birds. Never in my mind have I wanted to know the different species (a parrot is a parrot) until this ‘meeting’ with them. A lovely Australian lady beside me was patiently telling me the name of each species we saw. This shows how ignorant I am.

Grants Picnic Ground

Grants Picnic Ground

Dandenong Ranges

Dandenong Ranges

Parrots feeding range

King Parrot

Cockatoo

Crimson Rosella

After our encounter with parrots, next destination is the Puffing Billy which is less than 5 mins drive from Grants.

Puffing Billy Belgrave Station

Puffing Billy Belgrave Station

Puffing Billy Belgrave Station

Puffing Billy Belgrave Station

Puffing Billy Train

Puffing Billy Train

Station Master waving goodbye

Initially, we planned to take the train for just one stop to Menzies Creek and then take a taxi back as we wanted to cater more time for Phillip Island. Upon checking with the ticketing staff, he recommended us to ride all the way up till Lakeside Station, which is a bigger town, and with a higher chance of getting a taxi. We decided to go with his suggestion.

Train setting off

Belgrave to Menzies Creek Scenic Route - Trestle Bridge

Tourist waiting to wave "Hello"

Belgrave to Menzies Creek Scenic Route

During the 1st ride to Menzies Creek, my brother finds it boring and meaningless. Since we were also concerned that getting a taxi back to Belgrave may be a problem, we decided that 2 of us will stop at Menzies Creek Station and take either a bus or taxi back to Belgrave, pick up the car and then meet the rest at Lakeside Station.

Menzies Creek Station

Waving goodbye and ‘see your later’ to the scenic team, we set foot on the journey back to Belgrave while the rest starts their 2nd ride to Lakeside Station.

Menzies Creek to Emerald Scenic Route

Emerald Station

Emerald to Lakeside Scenic Route

Emerald Lake Park - Lake Treganowan

Emerald Lake Park - Lake Treganowan

Puffing Billy Train

Puffing Billy Train

Puffing Billy Train

The decision to detour back and pick up our car was a right one as an Australian couple has waited almost an hour at Lakeside Station for a taxi that says it will arrive in 5 mins. However, the driving team had a hard time looking for Lakeside Station too. There were no proper signs and indications on the GPS to show the exact location of the Puffing Billy Station. We went round and round the area for more than an hour before finally finding the place with the help of 2 kind locals. Oh…… forget to add; on top of that, the driving team also spent another 30mins in the cold waiting for the public bus. In the end, a good 1.5 hours was wasted. The whole experience was pretty annoying.

To be frank, we were at the same entrance an hour ago but were deceived by the spikey road block that no trespassing is allowed. That is why we make a U-turn. *Argh*

Below is the photo of the entrance to Emerald Lake Park which I “googled” after returning from the trip.  If only we have this at that point of time. Hope it helps you and don’t make the same mistake like us.

Entrance to Emerald Lake Park - Puffing Billy Lakeside Station

In addition, here are some useful tips for travelers who are self-driving and want to enjoy the Puffing Billy ride.

Tip #1

If you want to save time and do not intend to ride the Puffing Billy 2-ways (to and fro can take up to 2 hours), we suggest that you purchase the ticket to Menzies Creek Station (which is about 20mins ride) and then take the public bus No. 695 back to Belgrave. The bus-stop is just round the corner and the ride is less than 10 mins. But, one important point to note - the bus only comes in every 30mins.

Tip #2

If you have a group of more than 2 persons and will like to enjoy longer ride on the Puffing Billy so that everyone can has a feel of it, we suggest you to buy the number of tickets for only the scenic team. So the driving team can drive up to the 1^st segment, which is Menzies Creek, while the rest enjoys the Puffing Billy ride. At Menzies Creek Station, purchase new tickets to Emerald or Lakeside Station and swop the team. Drive up to the next station which is your pit stop. We actually witnessed a family doing this. That’s how we get this idea.

Next up – Phillip Island. The drive is about 2 hours from Belgrave. It was a beautiful drive through farmland. You will see cows and sheep along the way, scenery that you will not see in Singapore.

Our stay for today is at Quest Serviced Apartments Phillip Island. We booked a 2-bedroom apartment and love it the very instance we enter.

Quest Phillip Island Serviced Apartment 

Quest Phillip Island Serviced Apartment 

2 bedroom apartment - Living Room

Kitchenette

Bedroom 1 - 2 single beds

Bedroom 2 - Queen + rollaway bed

Bathroom + Toilet

Shower room + Laundry Area

Click to find out more.

Credits - Quest Phillip Island Serviced Apartments

After checking in, we had a quick bite at Subway before heading to Penguin Parade. Guess what…..it started to rain!!! This is a disaster for anyone who is going to see the penguins. All the prayers help, for the rain stopped just as we stepped out onto the boardwalk. There was even a welcoming double rainbow and not to mention – the beautiful sunset.

“Experience the magic of little penguins returning home at sunset to one of the largest penguin colonies in Australia.” – Phillip Island Nature Parks

Please keep in mind that taking photos of the cute fairy penguins are prohibited. Enjoy watching them “LIVE” as much as you can ONLY through your beautiful eyes.

Luck was with us for the rain but not the cute fairy penguins. We saw, I think, less than 30?? However, this is better than none. You can catch some walking near the boardwalk on their way home and I just have to say “They are really CUTE!!!!”. Even my mum enjoys it and she was following the penguins closely. However, thanks to the chilling night, we ended our day early.

Penguin Parade - Double rainbow

Penguin Parade - Crowd waiting for 1st Penguin

Penguin Parade - Crowd waiting for 1st Penguin

Penguin Parade - Beach

Penguin Parade - Beach

Penguin Parade - Beach

Penguin Parade - Beach

Click to find out more.

Credits - Phillip Island Nature Park Australia

Dinner was Chinese take-away and fish & chips. As we were too hungry, we gobble down the food and took no photos of it.

**New added information**
For those who want to know the bus-stop location outside Menzies Creek Station, please refer to the map below.