Melbourne Zoo, wine and ferry ride to Sorrento

On Sunday, March 29^th we took the train from Marshall Station in Geelong to Melbourne. The train was packed! Being that it was Sunday we thought it would be fairly quiet, but we failed to realize the Cricket World Cup championship was that day in Melbourne. There were many people headed to the game. Thankfully we got seats on the train, but most people after us had to stand, and it's over an hour ride. We got off the train at Southern Cross Station in downtown Melbourne, so that Mom and Dad could see a bit of the city. Then we took a tram to Melbourne Zoo. 

Highlights from the zoo:

*The platypus exhibit was better than at Healesville Sanctuary (although the keeper talk at Healesville was awesome) - we could actually watch the platypus swimming around. No photos though, as they prefer the dark and their exhibit is in a dark building.

*The seal was very active and there were lots of big windows to watch it swim around. Lydia was chasing it from window to window.

*The banjo shark was in a touch tank, so Kiernan was able to touch it! Very cool!

*The bird exhibit was amazing - lots of unique birds and information wheels, so we knew what we were looking at.

*The elephant exhibit was huge. They had lots of elephants. They house the largest mammal on land in Australia - a male elephant.

*The zoo had so many trees and shaded areas - a bonus in Australia!

Ring-tailed lemur

Exhausted toddler

Fairy penguin

Grandma bought ice creams for everyone!
Lydia is still tired in this photo.

Black-necked stork

No idea what kind of tree, but unbelievable!

Hannah in the butterfly house

Kids with grandparents at the zoo

The train ride back was still full, but not packed like the morning ride. That evening Barry and I watched the last five minutes of the cricket game to see Australia win!

Australia wins!

On Monday, March 30th we spent the day recovering from all of our travels. Mom, Dad and Kiernan went to the beach to look for shells for awhile. Barry came home early from work so that Mom, Dad and I could visit a local winery. We sampled several wines at Oakdene Estates and made a few purchases. We stopped at Endless Summer Cafe and grabbed their only outdoor table that overlooks the ocean for a coffee and some cake. It was perfect weather!

On Tuesday, we took a ferry boat to Sorrento. The ferry leaves from Queenscliff and is about a 45 minute journey over to Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula. The weather was amazing - sunny and 70s. We ate a great lunch at Just Fine Foods in Sorrento, including their famous vanilla slice (which is a popular dessert in Australia). Then we strolled around the shops and headed down to the beach. The water was unbelievably calm and clear. We spent quite a bit of time collecting shells and exploring the waters along the beach.

This job looks exciting! Kind of a fun thing to watch
while we waited for the ferry to leave port.

We've arrived in Sorrento!

View from Sorrento playground

Lydia with her cheeky grin

Playground, Sorrento

View of Sorrento beach

Rolling down the hill in Sorrento

Running back up for another go

Exploring the water at Sorrento Beach

Sea scallop-it's underwater here! Yes, the water is that clear!

Look how big it is!

Lydia splashing in the water. This kid went through 3 outfits on this day!

Barry, Kiernan and Lydia on the pier

I loved Sorrento! The town is beautiful and it was just such a relaxing day. I hope that we get over there again during our time in Australia. It was one of my faves!

On the ferry ride back to Queenscliff we saw a few dolphins. We didn't get many pictures because they are fast! Guess you just had to be there!

Dolphins viewed from ferry ride home from Sorrento

Lydia having a snack on the ferry ride

Hannah and Kiernan enjoying the views on the ferry

On the drive back from Queenscliff we stopped at Point Lonsdale in hopes of seeing another seal or something exciting. No seals or much excitement, but it was low tide, so Kiernan and I explored some of the rocks and pools that are typically covered in crashing waves. We stopped for drinks at Ocean Grove Hotel, which is also a great place for the kids to jump on the trampoline.

Rocks at Point Lonsdale, March 31, 2015

Exploring the cool rocks

Jumping on the trampoline at Ocean Grove Hotel

On Wednesday I took Mom and Dad back to the airport. We were all so happy to spend some time with them and we kept them very busy. We sent them back to the U.S. exhausted, but hopefully with many great memories of Australia! They had a bit of trouble on the travels back. Their first flight was from Melbourne to Sydney and that flight was fine, but their flight out of Sydney to Dallas was delayed 7 hours! That meant that they would miss their connection in Dallas. So, they arrived home on Thursday instead of Wednesday. I sure hope that flight isn't commonly delayed, as a 7 hour delay would be unfortunate with 3 kids when we head back to the U.S. I guess we'd be able to explore Sydney for a few hours?!

Sarah