Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Fairies in the Sea

Finally Felicia set her feet in land down under. This would be the 1st entry since she's here.

Best kept secret in Rockingham unfolded! Initially thought as a laid back suburb that boast only two rows of shops and a big anchor as a landmark; it finally unveils its wonders to the people who seek them.


And the open secret is the Penguin Island where the fairy penguins live. They're the smallest of the penguin family growing up to 40cms tall. That's pretty big since I'd imagine it to be smaller; say the size of a pigeon.

I must admit that I'm a nature freak - albeit I did most of it in front of a TV / National Geographic channel. (There's the grey area that I'm addicted to watching TV rather than watching just nature shows.) But when given the chance, watching it right in front of your eyes is thousand times better compared to watching it even on a Plasma TV (no pun intented for plasma owner like KG.. I'd wish to own one too!)

Except for one wild penguin we saw in the wild, the rest that we saw are permanent tenants of Discovery Centre on the island. They waddle clumsily as they walk but when they are in the water, they can really swim gracefully and faster than a fish! Its important since fish is their main diet. Their 'wings' are called flaps which they use in the water. Their feathers are 4 times denser than any other bird which keeps them dry after a good swim. I guess old folks tale about "the more fish you eat the better you can swim" is true after all!