I agree, penguins a great little guys (and gals). I live near Phillip Island and have taken many people over the years to visit and every one of them were happy. Speaking of happy, penguins can sing and dance as well there is a DVD called Happy Feet and that tells you all about them.

Ooops! I was just informed that DVD was actually a kids movie, silly me, I thought it was a doco.

There is another little collony of penguins at Stkilda Beach in Melbourne.

I loved Happy Feet...haven't seen the second one yet.

Not a lot of my friends liked it, but I figure it's because always love musicals. All those cute little penguins dancing just suckered me in!

Happywanderer wrote:

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Know what you mean dropbear. Have seen the fairy penguins at Philip Island. I reckon they would make lovely pets if all they needed was an old bath out in the back yard but thats not possible.

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 yes indeed would make cute pets, however i dont think my 2 Staffys and 5 Shihtzus would agree, let alone my attack guard cat, so in the interests of protecting wildlife the little fellas are best left where they are lol, granite island is on my list to see again for sure my wife has never been out of the ACT other then to Sydney so she will have an absolute ball.

In the 1950s when I was a youngster we often went down to Phillip Island to see the Penguins, we use to stay on a farm nearby. In those days it was all natural and free.

You walked up the sand dunes in the semi dark by torch light following the well warn track in the sand, find a position on the dunes, wrap yourself in a blanket as it was usually cold, then wait. There were some lights pointed at the beach that would be switched on when the sun finally set.

The Penguins would come in, walk up the beach making their way to their burrows, quite close to you such that you could touch them. Once the majority had come in the lights were turned off and it was by torchlight you made your way back over the dunes via the tracks to your vehicle. Sometimes you were accompanined by one of the late arriving Penguins.

Stray every so slightly off the tracks the little buggers would snap at you, quite rightly protecting their territory/burrow, hence leaving some people with a free souvenir of their visit.

Went back in the late 1980s and was devastated by the commercialism of the place, the entrance fee, the concrete Amphitheatre, the boardwalks, the entrance shop, etc.

 However it is still a great show.

Well now in 2012 there are 3 different viewing areas at 3 different very expensive prices 20 or so rangers keeping people under control, you can't do this and you can't do that. Professional Photographer set up in the shop area and that area is the size of a supermarket and the cafe area is the size of a large supermarket, the menu is quite good though FAT and more FAT about 5 chefs in the kitchen area, yes chef I'll put more fat in that. The penguin numbers have gone down a lot but over all it's still worth seeing just expect to spend heaps and if eating there make an appointment with your cardiologist. Not much different to most places these days I spose.

Seriously though, it is still worth going and I still take people over for the experience and they all still love it. I have never yet seen any penguin start singing or dancing though. It's great for tourism as there is always at least 20 buses/coaches every night of the year.