On saturday, we (Majid, Rob, me) went on a mission to visit the Nobbies, two rocky outcrops on the South-western edge of Philips Island located about 130 km South of Melbourne.

Of course, this involves (like most activities in Australia) 2,5 hours driving - thanks Majid!

Philips Island is (world) famous for is daily penguin parade, where at sunset, thousands of satisfied penguins who have spent the day fouraging at sea, wabble back to shore to rest and (if in the right season) feed their offspring.

To divert mass tourism from harrassing these busy little fellas, a decade or so ago a second eco-tourist attraction was set up: The Nobbies. Two rocky outcrops where large hurds of furry seals enjoyed sunbaths and shelter for their youngsters. A truly mesmerizing and awsum spot, although we did not get to see any furry seals at all. We did see many seagulls ...

... and probably a zillion blowflies, who would do great as pets, since they manage to follow you for several hundred meters, and are resistent to any slapping unless it kills them - in which case they multiply. But dealing with annoying flies is less of a burden when there is so much beauty to look at:

Ozzies take conservationism very seriously - and we owe them for it, since their country is home to many unique and invaluable biotopes and natural resources. They also have to, since they live on a continent where climate change has a very serious impact on the here and now. Water is rationed in Queensland as we speak. Although we may seriously overestimate the human role and influence on climate change on a longer time scale (the climate has never been more stable than in the last few thousand years), if the "Al Gore-doctrine" leads to more awareness and to more responsible and sustainable use of our planet, by all means, believe what you will. And so it the right thing to do to spend 5 dollars in the Nobbies giftshop, even if it makes you look ridiculous